Sarutobi Sasuke clenched his teeth as he listened

Tsunade slid down from Hibari, then pattered over to Sarutobi Hiruzen's side and started pounding his leg with her little fists.

"Give me back my bear! I saw it first! You blew it up!" she cried as she hit him, tears streaming down her face.

Sarutobi Hiruzen stared at her in bewilderment, then looked up at Hibari. "What's going on? What bear?"

Hibari rolled his eyes. "The brown bear you just blew up was the prey we'd picked out. Tsunade was about to go practice on it herself, then you came along and blasted it with a jutsu, without even leaving a speck behind... Of course she's upset."

Sarutobi Hiruzen's expression turned sheepish. He quickly picked Tsunade up and tried to soothe her. "Don't cry, don't cry. Your uncle's been wandering around these mountains for days, and I just found a den of cubs. I'll take you to catch them in a bit, okay?"

"Really?" Tsunade sniffed, her tears immediately drying as she looked up at him expectantly.

"Absolutely!" Sarutobi Hiruzen said with a cheerful smile.

After calming the little tyrant down, Sarutobi Hiruzen turned to Hibari, excitement written all over his face. "Hibari, your theory is incredible! I followed your instructions and combined four C-rank jutsu. I only used as much chakra as a single A-rank jutsu, but the power was unbelievable!"

"How powerful, exactly?" Hibari asked, intrigued.

"About as much chakra as a standard A-rank jutsu, at most." Sarutobi Hiruzen gestured as he spoke. "I only meant to put the framework of the jutsu together first and fine-tune its power later. Who'd have thought it would blow up like that on the first try... It's amazing!"

Hibari raised an eyebrow. "Then how powerful would it be if you fed it chakra according to the proper S-rank standard?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen considered it. "If we used the amount of chakra a standard S-rank jutsu takes... I'd guess nothing would be left standing within two or three kilometers."

He paused, then added, "But if you did that, the user might not make it out alive. They could end up paying with their life. So we'd better not go overboard..."

Two or three kilometers? That'll do. Deidara's self-detonation could cover ten kilometers... But then again, that move cost him his life. Ours doesn't!

Seeing that Sarutobi Hiruzen had actually brought his "little hydrogen bomb" theory to life made Hibari feel pretty pleased with himself.

"You haven't forgotten what we agreed on, have you?" Hibari asked with a grin.

Sarutobi Hiruzen straightened up. "Would I go back on my word? Don't worry. You came up with the jutsu; I just tested your idea. And I promise I won't share it with anyone unless the Senju Clan gives its approval."

"Great! When we get back, I'll brag to Second Grandpa that the two of us worked together to create an S-rank composite ninjutsu..." Hibari grew more excited as he spoke.

Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded, then waved a hand. "Don't get too excited yet. Knowing Teacher Tobirama, there's a good chance he'll classify it as a forbidden jutsu."

"What? It's my jutsu. Why should it be forbidden?" Hibari's eyes widened.

He'd been counting on making a name for himself with this jutsu. How could it be banned as soon as it was created? That was just too cruel!

"Why? Because what you came up with is too dangerous." Sarutobi Hiruzen's tone turned serious. "Think about it. How low is the bar for using this jutsu?

"As long as someone knows C-rank Water, Fire, Wind, and Lightning Release, they can use it. It doesn't take much chakra, but it's incredibly powerful. What if someone loses their temper and uses it during a fight in the village? Wouldn't that spell disaster for everyone?"

Hibari grinned. "That's true, but even shinobi who can use two chakra natures are rare, let alone four. Do you think everyone's as talented as we are?"

"I can use all five chakra natures, so I might be a little more talented than you! Hahahaha!" Sarutobi Hiruzen laughed smugly.

He didn't give Hibari a chance to argue before continuing. "Even so, the jutsu's structure is far too simple. Think about it: if four shinobi, each with a single chakra nature, coordinated well, they could use a jutsu with this kind of power. Isn't that terrifying?"

Hibari was taken aback. He thought it over carefully. If four Genin worked well together on the battlefield, they could use this jutsu and maybe even take out a few Jonin. That really was a little scary.

And the jutsu's combination was simple. If someone learned how it worked and it spread like the Shadow Clone, it would be no different from nuclear proliferation. Everyone would be holding an "atomic bomb," and sooner or later they might all blow each other up.

"Now that you put it that way... It really should be classified as a forbidden jutsu." Hibari scratched his head. "We can't let it spread."

"Exactly. We can use it ourselves, but we can't go around sharing it, or there'll be trouble." Seeing how reasonable Hibari was, Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded in satisfaction.

He'd been worried that Hibari might get carried away and spread the jutsu around just to show off. That would have been a disaster.

The two of them were about to chat some more when little Tsunade, who'd grown tired of listening, pouted and kicked Hibari.

"Hibari!" she shouted angrily. "You promised to play with me today!"

"Oh, is our Princess Tsunade upset again?" Hibari laughed and scooped her up. "All right, all right. We'll do what your Uncle Hiruzen said and go find those cubs. Then we'll stew eight or ten bear paws!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen smiled too. "Let's find the cubs first. We can talk about the rest when we get back."

Meanwhile, inside the Hokage Building, Tobirama was explaining his ideas to Hashirama and Sarutobi Sasuke.

"If things continue this way, the clan shinobi will grow stronger and stronger, while children from civilian families will have few opportunities. The village will lose its vitality." Tobirama's eyes shone. "That's why we need a well-developed training system. The Ninja Academy my elder brother mentioned earlier... I think it's a good place to start."

Hashirama had proposed establishing a school himself, so he had no reason to object. In fact, he thought his younger brother made a good point.

But Sarutobi Sasuke frowned, as if turning something over in his mind. Tobirama didn't press him. He simply picked up his teacup and took a sip.

"Tobirama, you've put me in a difficult position." Sarutobi Sasuke sat down with a wry smile and picked up his own teacup. "If I agree, how am I supposed to explain it to the old men in my clan?"

Hashirama smiled at that. "We're doing this for the village's future. I'm sure the elders in your clan will understand."

"Understand? Lord Hokage, you're giving them far too much credit!" Sarutobi Sasuke said with a bitter smile and shook his head.

Tobirama took over. "Then let's start with a trial run. The school doesn't need to be large. It only has to take ten or twenty children. We can start small. Once everyone sees the benefits, we can continue from there."

"That's true... It would definitely help the village develop." Sarutobi Sasuke nodded, though he still sounded hesitant. Balancing the interests of the clans against those of the village was no easy decision.

Although he was the clan head and was willing to support his two old friends, he couldn't make decisions for the entire Sarutobi Clan on his own.

Seeing Sarutobi Sasuke's hesitation made Tobirama even more aware of how much resistance they would face. He thought for a moment, then spoke again. "How about this? We can each give a little.

"We won't force any clan to reveal its secret techniques or signature skills, which have been passed down for generations. How does that sound? If a teacher takes a liking to a student in the future, they can pass on those skills privately."

Tobirama's original proposal had been to establish a system for training shinobi and make every clan's ninjutsu available to the entire village in exchange for merit.

The Academy's teachers would have to teach the students more techniques, and the Jonin leading their teams after graduation would have to pass on their skills in earnest. That would strike at the heart of every clan. Now, to take the first step, Tobirama was willing to compromise.

Sarutobi Sasuke clenched his teeth as he listened. He suddenly slapped the table. "Ugh! You two really know how to give me a hard time! Since you've put it like that, Tobirama... For the sake of the village, I'll damn well give this my all!

"When I get back, any old man who tries to sabotage this can go home and sit in the sun for good!"

As he said this, he didn't bother with formalities like Lord Hokage or Second Grandpa Tobirama. He spoke plainly, but Hashirama and Tobirama weren't offended. They exchanged smiles, pleased.

Sarutobi Sasuke had made his position clear: in this reform, he would stand firmly with his two old friends.

"Hahaha! That's more like it!" Hashirama laughed heartily and held out his broad hand. "Let's bring the same spirit we had when we built the village together and make this happen!"

Tobirama and Sarutobi Sasuke smiled knowingly and each placed a hand on top of Hashirama's. The three of them said together, "Let's work as one to make Konoha prosper!"

As the three like-minded men in the Hokage Building made their vow... Far away, in an unknown, remote valley, Uchiha Madara, who had once fought alongside the Senju Clan and shared the same dream as Hashirama, had found his "prey."

Deep in the valley, Uchiha Madara stood atop an ancient tree. He wore dark red armor, with the Uchiha Gunbai strapped to his back and a long sword at his waist. His gaze was sharp as he fixed his eyes on the enormous orange-red figure at the bottom of the valley.

"Finally found you... Kurama," he murmured.

Before the words had even left his mouth, his dark eyes changed... The Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan quietly awakened.

"Hashirama..." The corner of Madara's mouth lifted in the faintest smile. "You still don't understand. The peace you hope for, where everyone understands one another, will never come. But I... will create lasting peace another way.

"Just you wait, Hashirama. I'll make our shared dream come true."

Senju Hashirama pursued a path of mutual understanding, but after enduring so much darkness, Uchiha Madara could no longer believe in that vision.

He was determined to forge his own path, to create eternal peace by his own methods—and prove to Hashirama that his way was the right one.

Though Hibari, that little butterfly, had fluttered into this era, his wings were still too weak. For now, the wind he could stir was limited.

The Nine-Tails Fox that Konoha had searched for so long had ended up being found by Uchiha Madara first.

Once this "old friend" of the Hokage subdued Kurama, his next target would undoubtedly be Senju Hashirama. And then, all of Konoha would likely face a legendary catastrophe.

But Hibari had no time to think about any of that right now. He'd just returned to the village with Sarutobi Hiruzen and little Tsunade after strolling through the mountains.

After a busy morning, they'd finally managed to cheer up the little tyrant. But Hibari himself was a little disappointed. Why?

Because their planned feast of game had fallen through completely.

He'd gone with Sarutobi Hiruzen intending to raid a den of bear cubs for a snack. But the moment she saw the two fluffy little creatures, little Tsunade, who'd been the one most eager to eat bear meat, immediately changed her mind.

"Hibari!" Little Tsunade had grabbed his leg, gazing up at him and blinking. "They're so cute. Can we not eat them?"

Hibari laughed and crouched in front of her. "Princess Tsunade, bear paws are delicious! And the meat from these cubs is so tender. Are you sure you don't want to think it over?"

As she listened, little Tsunade couldn't help swallowing. She glanced at the two cubs huddled together, her face torn for quite a while.