Besides, plenty of people in the village knew the technique. The more people who knew it, the more likely someone was to get captured. After a few rounds of torture, it wouldn't be surprising if the information leaked. So it was no surprise that other villages had learned the technique."
"From the sound of it, you don't care at all?" Hibari scratched his head. "You invented the technique, and now people are passing it around in secret. Doesn't that bother you?"
"It's a tiny thing. Why would I waste time worrying about it?" Second Uncle Tobirama sounded a little impatient.
Hibari's eyes shifted, and he picked up the thread of the conversation. "Then why not just teach me the Shadow Clone Technique, too? It wouldn't do for the other villages' ninja to know it while I, the rightful heir of the Senju Clan, don't, would it?
I'd be laughed out of the village..."
The pen in Second Uncle Tobirama's hand finally stopped. He looked up at Hibari, the corner of his mouth twitching. "I knew it. Why else would you suddenly take an interest in the Shadow Clone Technique? You've been leading up to this all along."
Hibari chuckled and scratched the back of his head, saying nothing.
"I don't have a problem teaching you." Second Uncle Tobirama set down his pen and leaned back. "I should've taught you ages ago, but one thing after another kept getting in the way."
"Ha! I knew you were the most generous, Second Uncle!" Hibari's eyes lit up, and he immediately seized his chance. "But I heard you came up with an even more impressive technique based on the Shadow Clone Technique: the Multi-Shadow Clone Technique. How about... you go to the trouble of teaching me that one, too?"
Second Uncle Tobirama glanced at him and tapped his fingers twice on the desk. "I can teach you the Shadow Clone Technique, but the Multi-Shadow Clone Technique... is a bit troublesome. It could get someone killed if things go wrong. I've been wondering lately whether I should classify it as a forbidden technique."
Hibari blinked. "Are the two techniques... that different?"
"Not really." Second Uncle Tobirama waved a hand. "The difference is just in how much chakra you use, and the Hand Seals are slightly simpler. But naturally, the results are worlds apart."
"Then that settles it!" Hibari slapped his thigh. "Once I've mastered the Shadow Clone Technique, won't I eventually figure out the Multi-Shadow Clone Technique on my own?"
"That's true enough." Second Uncle Tobirama chuckled. "How do you think I came up with the 'Multi' in the first place?
But there's a difference between someone figuring it out gradually and someone being handed a ready-made forbidden technique from the start, isn't there? The former has a feel for it and knows their limits; the latter might go overboard without thinking.
If they made a hundred clones all at once, they could drain themselves dry on the spot!
Understand? I'm thinking of classifying it as a forbidden technique not to stop people from using it, but to make sure only people with a solid foundation and a sense of restraint can use it safely."
Hibari nodded thoughtfully. "All right, whether it's forbidden is up to you. But from what you're saying... you don't plan on teaching me the 'Multi'?"
Second Uncle Tobirama didn't answer right away. Instead, he looked Hibari up and down before speaking at last. "Not necessarily. Techniques are fixed, but people aren't.
With your build and chakra reserves, you'd be much safer using it than most people. So... if you really want to learn, be careful and don't mess around. I don't mind teaching you."
"I want to learn! Of course I do!" Hibari perked up immediately, leaning forward. "This technique is so useful. You can use it in a fight or to get work done. Only an idiot wouldn't learn it!"
Seeing how eager he was, Second Uncle Tobirama shook his head with a laugh. He casually formed a Hand Seal, and with a soft poof, a large, sturdy scroll appeared on the desk. He then released the seal on it, pulled out a smaller scroll, and handed it over.
"The Shadow Clone Technique and Multi-Shadow Clone Technique are both in here. Take it and read through it. Remember to return it when you're done."
"Sure! I'll have it back to you in a few days!" Hibari happily took the scroll and looked it over from every angle.
"Want me to give you a few pointers?" Second Uncle Tobirama asked.
"No, no!" Hibari shook his head like a rattle drum. "You get back to work. This is just a little B-rank technique. With a genius like me, it'll be a piece of cake!"
Second Uncle Tobirama was amused by his smugness and chided him with a laugh. "You little brat. Your tail's practically in the clouds."
But then Second Uncle Tobirama thought about it. This really wasn't a technique that needed to be taught step by step. Hibari might figure it all out after tinkering with it for a bit.
So he simply left Hibari to it, lowered his head, and continued looking over the records of Hibari's physical data on the desk, his pen never stopping.
Seeing that Second Uncle was busy, Hibari naturally didn't disturb him. He unrolled the scroll and skimmed it, then neatly rolled it back up and put it away. This wasn't a suitable place to practice, and there was no rush anyway. He could try it out somewhere spacious that afternoon.
After putting the scroll away, he wandered over to the bookshelf and pulled out the books Second Uncle Tobirama had told him to finish soon. He settled into a lounge chair with the books in his arms and got absorbed in reading.
The old man and the youngster each went about their own business, and the room was quiet. Still, every now and then, they exchanged a few words.
"Second Uncle," Hibari asked offhandedly, his eyes still glued to the page, "if the village is focused on development now, does that mean we need to put together a complete system to support it, like you mentioned the other day?"
"What else?" Second Uncle Tobirama didn't even look up. His pen scratched across the page. "There's no point setting up a system that doesn't serve the village's development and future."
"What about the ninja, then?" Hibari glanced toward Second Uncle's back and lowered his voice a little. "Will things stay the way they are now, with each clan shutting its doors and doing things its own way?"
At that, the pen in Second Uncle Tobirama's hand paused. But his voice was calm. "What made you ask about that all of a sudden?"
"Oh, just making conversation." Hibari smiled. "The other day, I ran into that kid Orochimaru outside a bookstore..."
He told him everything: how he'd met Orochimaru, how he'd recognized the boy's talent, and how he'd paid to support him and given him a pile of books.
"I spent one hundred and forty thousand ryo in all!" Hibari grimaced, looking pained. "Thinking about it now still makes my heart ache."
As Second Uncle Tobirama listened, his pen came to a complete stop. He sighed softly. "Yes. There are plenty of talented people, but even more who have no way to access resources... It's a vicious cycle."
He leaned back and continued. "The ninja clans produce powerful shinobi, so the village assigns them difficult missions. They earn hefty rewards, then pour the money back into their clans, which grow even stronger.
"But what about civilian ninja?
They're not strong enough to take on difficult missions without being sent to their deaths, so they can only accept simple jobs. The pay from those is barely enough to support a family."
"Just look at those books you saw—the ones about 'knowledge.' They're so expensive. How could ordinary people afford them?
Even if the next generation has talent, they start out leagues behind the 'aristocrats' born into those clans. Over time, the class system becomes entrenched, and the whole village loses its vitality."
At this point, Second Uncle Tobirama paused and looked at Hibari. "You did a good thing. Right now, every little bit of help matters. The seeds you plant today will nourish the village in the future.
Since you're a member of the Senju Clan, you should be more broad-minded than the average person. Don't keep your eyes fixed on a little money. It was only one hundred and forty thousand ryo. What's there to feel bad about?"
"Easy for you to say," Hibari retorted with an eye roll. "It wasn't your money."
The two of them laughed at that.
After they'd finished laughing, Hibari asked, "Then, Second Uncle, haven't you considered changing things?"
A complicated look flickered in Second Uncle Tobirama's eyes. He spoke slowly. "Things will definitely have to change. Now that we've seen the problems, we can't pretend they aren't there. But Hibari, the timing isn't right yet."
He set down his pen, his tone turning serious. "Doing the 'right' thing doesn't automatically make it right. The world isn't that simple; it isn't all black and white. Remember this: doing the right thing at the right time is what truly makes it right.
Otherwise... there are plenty of examples of good intentions leading to bad outcomes."
Though the words were roundabout, Hibari understood. He nodded. "So you think the time isn't right yet?"
"Exactly." Second Uncle Tobirama spoke quietly. "The clans in the village still think in terms of the Warring States era, putting their own 'clan' first in everything. But the future... belongs to the village as a whole.
Changing their way of thinking will take time. The village's environment has to gradually guide them. We can act when the time is right."
Before Hibari could reply, Second Uncle Tobirama smiled to himself. "Perhaps when that time comes, our Senju Clan will have to lead by example."
Hibari gazed at Second Uncle's back, which looked as if it could shoulder a mountain, and murmured, "Maybe..."
"To practice divine arts, you must first castrate yourself..." He shook his head, amused.
"What was that?" Second Uncle Tobirama turned and asked, having not heard him clearly.
"Nothing." Hibari waved a hand with a grin. "Just muttering to myself."
Seeing that Second Uncle Tobirama didn't seem to want to discuss the subject any further, Hibari wisely let it drop. He turned his attention back to his book, and soon the only sounds in the room were pages turning and a pen scratching over paper.
The room fell quiet again as the two of them went about their own business.
But before long, Hibari couldn't hold back any longer. He looked up, his brow furrowed. "Second Uncle, these past couple of days... I've had this uneasy feeling, like something bad's about to happen to me."
"Hmm?" Second Uncle Tobirama's pen kept moving. He only gave a questioning hum. "What makes you say that?"
"I can't really explain it." Hibari raised a hand and rubbed his right eyelid. "It keeps twitching like crazy. But I've thought it over and over, and I've been on my best behavior lately. I haven't gotten into trouble or gone into debt... It's really weird."
Only then did Second Uncle Tobirama set down his pen and look at him, amused. "What are you worrying about? You've just been staring at things too long and your eyes are tired. Get up and move around, look out the window, and take a break. You'll probably feel better."
"Maybe..." Hibari rubbed his eyes as he'd been told.
But he didn't move. Instead, he buried his head back in his book. "Never mind. It probably isn't anything serious. I'd better hurry up and finish this section..."
"Suit yourself." Second Uncle Tobirama didn't insist. He only added, "If there's anything you don't understand, just ask."
What Hibari didn't know was that while he was buried in his studies, his savings had already been cleaned out. Little Tsunade, with the personal guidance of "Lord Hokage," had already found the money jar he'd hidden and emptied it.
Right now, she was happily riding on Senju Hashirama's shoulders. The grandfather and granddaughter strode out of the Senju Clan's gate, heading straight for the village gambling den.
The old man and the little girl were both grinning from ear to ear. Anyone who didn't know better would have thought they'd struck it rich.
"Great-Grandpa! I want takoyaki!" Tsunade tugged on Hashirama's hair, swaying on his shoulders.
"Hahahahaha! You got it! As much as you want!" Hashirama laughed heartily. "We're rich now!"
Before you continue