A Complete Supporting System Must Be Established?

"Besides, there are quite a few people in the village who know it. Once many people learn it, it's inevitable that some will get caught. After a few rounds of interrogation, it's no surprise that the intelligence leaks. So, it's nothing to be shocked about that other villages have mastered this technique."

"Listening to you, it sounds like you don't care at all?" Hibari scratched his head. "Doesn't it feel frustrating to have a technique you created spread privately?"

"A trivial matter, why would I have the spare time to fret over it?" A hint of impatience seeped into Tobirama's tone.

Hibari's eyes darted around, and he followed the thread of conversation: "Then you might as well teach me this Shadow Clone Technique. It wouldn't do for me, a legitimate descendant of the Senju Clan, to be the only one who doesn't know it while ninjas from other villages do. That would be a laughingstock..."

Tobirama's pen finally stopped. He looked up at Hibari and curled his lip: "I knew it. Why else would you suddenly be so concerned about Shadow Clones? So that's what you were waiting for."

Hibari gave a cheeky grin, scratched the back of his head, and didn't respond.

"Teaching you is fine." Tobirama set his pen down and leaned back. "Actually, I should have taught you long ago, but one thing after another kept getting in the way."

"Hey! I knew you were the most generous, Second Master!" Hibari's eyes lit up, and he immediately pressed his advantage. "But I heard that on the basis of the Shadow Clone, you also developed a more powerful 'Multi-Shadow Clone Technique'? How about... you go through the trouble of teaching me that one too?"

Tobirama glanced at him and tapped his fingers on the desk: "I can teach you the Shadow Clone, but that Multi-Shadow Clone... it's a bit troublesome. If you mess it up, it could cost you your life. I've been considering whether to just classify it as a forbidden technique."

Hibari blinked: "Is there a big difference between the two?"

"Not much of a difference." Tobirama waved his hand. "It's just that the way you use your chakra is different, and the hand seal process is simplified a tiny bit. As for the effect, well, it's like night and day."

"Then that settles it!" Hibari slapped his thigh. "As long as I master the Shadow Clone, won't I eventually be able to figure out the Multi-Shadow Clone on my own?"

"That is the logic, yes." Tobirama chuckled. "Otherwise, how do you think I figured out the 'Multi' version? But then again, is someone who slowly figures it out on their own the same as someone who gets a ready-made forbidden technique from the start? The former has a sense of scale and knows the limits; if the latter is reckless and tries to summon a hundred clones at once, they could drain themselves dry on the spot! Understand? I want to list it as a forbidden technique not to prevent its use, but to ensure that only those with a solid foundation and a sense of proportion can use it safely."

After listening, Hibari nodded thoughtfully: "Fine, whether it's forbidden or not is up to you. But listening to you... it sounds like you don't intend to teach me the 'Multi' version?"

Tobirama didn't answer immediately; he looked him up and down before speaking slowly: "That's not necessarily true. Techniques are dead, but people are alive. Given your physique and chakra reserves, you'd be much steadier than others. So... if you really want to learn it, just be careful and don't mess around, and I don't mind teaching you."

"Learn! Of course I want to learn!" Hibari immediately perked up, leaning forward. "This technique is so convenient! It's useful for fighting and for chores; only a fool wouldn't learn it!"

Seeing his eager look, Tobirama shook his head and smiled. He casually performed a hand seal, and with a soft "poof," a thick, sturdy scroll landed on the desk. He then broke the seal on the scroll, pulled out a smaller one from inside, and handed it over.

"The Shadow Clone and the Multi-Shadow Clone are both in here. Take it and read it yourself; remember to return it when you're done."

"You got it! I'll have it back to you in a few days!" Hibari happily took the scroll and looked it over again and again.

"Do you need me to give you a few pointers?" Tobirama asked again.

"No, no!" Hibari shook his head like a rattle. "You go ahead and be busy. For a B-rank technique like this, with my level of genius, it should be a piece of cake."

Tobirama was amused by his cockiness and scolded him with a laugh: "You brat, your tail is almost wagging in the sky."

However, Tobirama thought to himself that this ninjutsu didn't really need one-on-one instruction. With a kid like Hibari, he might figure it all out after a little practice.

He stopped paying attention to Hibari and lowered his head to continue reviewing the records of Hibari's physical data, his pen never stopping.

Seeing that the Second Master was busy, Hibari naturally didn't disturb him. He unrolled the scroll, scanned it a few times, then neatly rolled it back up and put it away. This wasn't the right place to practice, and he wasn't in a hurry anyway; it wouldn't be too late to try it out in a spacious area later in the afternoon.

After putting the scroll away, he wandered over to the bookshelf and pulled out the books that Tobirama had specifically told him to finish reading recently. Curling up on the bench with the books, he truly became absorbed in reading.

The old man and the young man were each busy with their own tasks, and the room was quiet. But quiet as it was, they would still exchange a few words from time to time.

"Second Master," Hibari asked casually, his eyes still glued to the page. "Since the village is currently focusing on development, does that mean, as you said the other day, that we need to establish a complete supporting system?"

"What else?" Tobirama didn't even look up, his pen scratching away. "A system that doesn't align with the village's development and future is useless even if it is established."

"What about the ninja side of things?" Hibari glanced at Tobirama's back, his voice softening a little. "Will it stay like it is now, with each clan closing their doors and doing their own thing?"

Hearing this, Tobirama's pen paused. However, his tone remained calm: "Why did you suddenly think to ask about this?"

"Eh, just chatting." Hibari smiled. "I ran into that kid Orochimaru at the bookstore entrance the other day..."

He recounted how he met Orochimaru, how he saw the kid's talent, and how he spent money to sponsor him and gave him a pile of books.

"It cost me 140,000 ryo in total!" Hibari grimaced, looking pained. "Thinking about it now, my heart still aches."

As Tobirama listened, his pen stopped completely. He sighed softly: "Yes, there are many people with talent, but even more who lack the means to access resources... This is actually a vicious cycle."

He leaned back and continued: "Ninja clans cultivate experts, the village assigns them difficult tasks, they earn high rewards, and then they reinvest that into their own clans, making the clans even more powerful. But what about civilian ninjas? If their strength isn't enough, being sent on difficult tasks is equivalent to suicide; they can only take simple missions, and that little bit of pay is barely enough to support a family."

"Just as you saw, books containing 'knowledge' are so expensive that the average person can't afford them. Their next generation, even if they have talent, starts off far behind the 'nobles' from those clans. Over time, the class structure becomes rigid, and the vitality of the entire village is choked off."

At this point, Tobirama paused and looked at Hibari: "You did a good thing. Helping where you can right now—the water you pour today will become the nourishment for the village in the future. Since you are a member of the Senju Clan, your perspective should be broader than others; don't always fixate on that little bit of money. It was only 140,000 ryo, what is there to be pained about?"

"You say that so easily," Hibari rolled his eyes. "It wasn't your money being spent."

Once the words were out, both of them laughed.

After the laughter died down, Hibari asked again: "Then, Second Master, do you have any plans to change things?"

Tobirama's eyes flickered with a complex emotion. He spoke slowly: "Change, we definitely must change. Once flaws are discovered, one cannot pretend not to see them. But Hibari, the timing isn't right yet."

He set down his pen, his tone becoming serious: "Just because you are doing the 'right' thing doesn't mean it is necessarily correct. The world isn't that simple, not just black and white. Remember, doing the right thing at the right 'time' is what is truly correct. Otherwise... there are plenty of examples of good intentions leading to bad outcomes."

Although the words were convoluted, Hibari understood. He nodded: "So, you mean you don't think the timing is ripe yet?"

"Exactly." Tobirama said softly. "The clans in the village still have the mindset of the Warring States period, putting their 'clan' first in everything. But the future... belongs to the entire village. To change their thinking, we need time, letting the village's environment slowly guide them. Only when the time is right can we take action."

After saying this, he didn't wait for Hibari to respond and smiled himself: "Perhaps by then, it will be up to us, the Senju Clan, to lead by example."

Hibari looked at the back of the Second Master, who seemed capable of carrying a mountain, and muttered softly: "Perhaps..."

"To master the divine technique, one must first castrate oneself..." He shook his head and chuckled to himself.

"What?" Tobirama didn't hear clearly and turned his head to ask.

"Nothing," Hibari waved his hand with a grin. "I was just rambling."

Seeing that Tobirama didn't seem to want to delve deeper into this topic, Hibari tactfully dropped it. He shifted his attention back to the book in his hands, and the room was left with only the sound of turning pages and the scratching of a pen on paper.

The room became quiet again, and the two went back to their own business.

But it wasn't long before Hibari couldn't hold it in anymore. He looked up, his brow furrowed: "Second Master, for the past two days... I've been feeling uneasy, like I'm about to have some bad luck."

"Hmm?" Tobirama didn't stop his pen, only letting out a questioning hum from his nose. "How so?"

"I can't really explain it," Hibari raised his hand to rub his right eyelid. "It's just that my eyelid has been twitching like crazy. But I've been thinking it over, and I've been very well-behaved lately; I haven't caused any trouble or owed any debts... It's really strange."

Tobirama finally set down his pen, looked at him, and chuckled: "What are you overthinking for? That's just from using your eyes too much; you're tired. Get up, move around, look out the window, and you'll probably feel better after a rest."

"Maybe..." Hibari rubbed his eyes as instructed.

But he didn't move his body; instead, he buried his head back into the book: "Forget it, it's probably nothing important. I'd better hurry up and finish this section..."

"As you wish." Tobirama didn't force him, only adding faintly, "If there's anything you don't understand, feel free to ask."

However, what Hibari didn't know was that at the very moment he was buried in his studies, his meager savings were already beyond saving. That little girl, Tsunade, under the personal guidance of the "Hokage," had long since cleaned out his hidden money jar.

At this moment, she was riding high on Senju Hashirama's shoulders, the grandfather and granddaughter walking with long, swift strides, having already left the gates of the Senju compound, their goal clear—heading straight for the village's gambling den.

The old man and the young girl were laughing so hard their eyes were mere slits; anyone who didn't know better would have thought they had struck it rich.

"Grandpa! I want to eat takoyaki!" Tsunade tugged at Hashirama's hair, swaying on his shoulders.

"Hahahaha! Buy it! All you can eat!" Hashirama laughed with heroic spirit. "We're rich people now!"