The Golden Immortal Ancestors of Konoha (Seeking Follow-up Reads)

Chirori, unaware of where Toji's talent for Fire Style originated, felt quite pleased.

Being able to help Toji relax was a matter of genuine satisfaction for her.

"Shall we continue?" she asked.

"I am in your debt."

Chirori had no intention of holding anything back. After a moment of thought, she said, "Next, I will teach you the Phoenix Sage Fire Technique. Like the Great Fireball, it is also a C-rank ninjutsu. Once you have mastered it, learning the advanced B-rank Phoenix Sage Flower Nail Crimson will be much easier."

"However, for this lesson..." She paused and asked, "I intend to have a few talented juniors join us. Their progress has reached this point as well, so it will save time. Toji-kun, you don't mind, do you?"

"I don't mind."

Toji smiled faintly. "Training alongside younger ninja will also serve as a spur for me."

At the Uchiha ninjutsu training ground.

Toji met the group of talented juniors Chirori had mentioned.

Uchiha Kagami, Uchiha Kenji, and Uchiha Sosuke.

All three were around ten years old.

Looking at the three little ones before him, Toji was momentarily dazed.

They all possessed faces reminiscent of old acquaintances...

Uchiha Kenji's features were identical to the future Uchiha clan head, Uchiha Fugaku; meanwhile, Uchiha Sosuke bore a striking resemblance to Obito.

"Come, greet Lord Toji."

"Lord Toji!"

Chirori introduced them from the side: "Kenji is the son of Uchiha Bin. Like Sosuke, they are both geniuses who awakened the Sharingan at the age of ten."

"Understood." Toji nodded slightly.

The theory of bloodlines in the Ninja World was truly fascinating.

Not only was talent inherited, with the blue coming from the indigo and surpassing it, but even their appearances were remarkably similar.

Was it because of their chakra?

Kenji was the son of Uchiha Bin and the future father of Fugaku, which meant that the great-grand-aunt of Uchiha Itachi and the "second pillar" was his subordinate.

That was quite a high seniority.

"Is there anything you would like to say to them?"

Seeing the strange look on his face, Uchiha Chirori blinked and asked.

"Anything to say?"

Toji snapped back to reality. His gaze fell upon the three boys, and he spoke slowly: "Only with a family can there be a village. No matter what, you must always love your clan first. When you eventually start your own families, you must pass this will on to your descendants."

The descendants of you three are all traitors to the Uchiha.

Toji did not care what kind of ripples his offhand remark might cause in the future.

With at least two generations of time separating them, many things were impossible to predict.

He was simply doing his part; at the very least, he should guide the tragedies of the future Konoha Twelve away from their path.

Toji's gaze swept imperceptibly over the beating chests of the three.

The hearts of these genius ancestors were quite delicious.

"Yes! Lord Toji!"

Though their expressions varied, they all spoke in unison.

Toji's teachings were, to them, no less than the words of a sage.

Clan, village—different realizations began to brew within their hearts.

Uchiha Kagami asked curiously, "Lord Toji, are you here today to..."

"To learn Fire Style ninjutsu with you all." Toji took over, clapping his hands together with a sharp crack. "Alright, no more unnecessary talk. Everyone, begin your training in earnest."

Toji pushed aside his distracting thoughts and focused on learning the Phoenix Sage Fire Technique from Chirori.

Another week passed, and Hashirama had still not returned from Shikkotsu Forest.

Meanwhile, news of Toji learning Fire Style ninjutsu within the Uchiha clan spread like wildfire.

The source of the rumor was likely one of the loose-lipped Uchiha geniuses who had mentioned it at school, after which it quickly reached the ears of the bored adults.

Upon learning that Toji possessed all five chakra natures, various clans began knocking on the doors of the Zenin clan.

Senju Toka visited on behalf of the Senju clan, stating bluntly that she wished to teach Toji Water Style and Earth Style, the signature techniques of the Senju.

The Shimura clan and the Hyuga clan followed suit, each expressing their willingness to teach him Wind Style.

When it came to Lightning Release, the Hatake clan that Toji had anticipated did not appear; instead, it was the Sarutobi clan that stepped forward.

Unlike other ninja villages with their singular ninja compositions, Konoha at this time was brimming with talent. There were clans and ninjas skilled in every type of elemental release, not to mention an endless array of secret techniques and bloodline limits.

This once again made Toji realize the sheer abundance of Konoha's resources.

It was nothing like Kakuzu, who was still wandering the Ninja World and whose methods for learning elemental techniques remained a mystery.

Toji did not refuse the proactive overtures from the various major ninja clans.

However, his time was precious. Only a small portion of each day could be used to learn elemental techniques, as the vast majority of his time had to be spent on the development of Reanimation and the Yin Seal.

Therefore, they had to wait in line.

As for why the major clans were trying to shove ninjutsu—which were precious to commoner ninjas—into Toji's hands as if they were worthless, the reason was simple.

After Senju Hashirama left the village, Tobirama presided over village affairs as the acting Hokage.

This was the first time Konoha had experienced a transition of the Hokage position. Every clan understood that Hokage was a role, and only those who could gain recognition were qualified to sit in that seat.

And Toji, at present, was the person with the most impeccable reputation and character among the Konoha Ninjas.

Even though he had always appeared indifferent and non-competitive, if he were willing to put in a good word for a certain Hokage candidate in front of the villagers, the subtle influence could be immense. Even if the Second Hokage was set, the future Third Hokage might just fall to their own clan.

The clans vied to curry favor, all simply to pave the way for their own kin in advance.

"The idea is sound."

Toji stood in his private ninjutsu training ground and whispered to himself, "The position of Hokage is yours, and it is the Senju's, but in the final analysis, it still belongs to the Senju."

The moonlight was cold and clear.

The next moment, Earth Grudge Fear burst open from Toji's back, and five pitch-black tentacles stretched out into the night.

"Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique!"

Flames did not just erupt from his mouth; they surged simultaneously from every Earth Grudge Fear tentacle. Like flower seeds scattering across the sky, they blanketed the training ground with scorching light, covering every single target in the area.

The firelight reflected in Toji's eyes, as if he were watching the Ninja World burning in a raging inferno.

He tilted his head to look at the Earth Grudge Fear tentacles.

This was another powerful aspect of Earth Grudge Fear.

Most ninjutsu were released through a ninja's mouth, but through Earth Grudge Fear, Toji effectively possessed five casting ports. In the same amount of time, he could unleash a saturated ninjutsu attack with greater power and a wider range, effectively doubling his firepower.

The drawback was that his chakra consumption was also doubled.

"The rewriting of the Yin Seal must be accelerated."

"And... the Tailed Beast."

Toji had always harbored an idea: to capture a Tailed Beast and seal it within his body. Even if it wouldn't mean an inexhaustible supply of chakra, at least he wouldn't be so short on it.

With the Yin Seal now in his possession, this idea of Toji's had grown increasingly intense.

He evaluated the situation in his mind.

If it were the weakest One-Tail, he should be able to barely handle it with the strength he currently possessed.

There were two main problems.

First, he lacked the Four Symbols Seal required to seal a Tailed Beast and create a Jinchuriki.

Second, both Hashirama and Madara were still alive.

These two paid close attention to the Tailed Beasts. As long as they were alive, Toji had no opportunity to make a move.

"Although it's unkind to think this way, but..."

"Hashirama, when will you and Madara finally finish each other off?"