第33章 猿飞佐助听着这话,牙关一咬

Tsunade slid down from Hibari's back, stomped over to Sarutobi Hiruzen's legs, and began pummeling them with her tiny fists.

"Give me back my bear! I saw it first! You blew it to bits!" She cried as she hit him, tears smearing across her face.

Sarutobi Hiruzen was bewildered by the assault. He looked up at Hibari and asked, "What's going on? What bear?"

Hibari rolled his eyes in annoyance. "The brown bear you just blasted was the prey we were tracking. Tsunade was just about to practice on it herself, and you blew it away with a jutsu without leaving even a speck of ash behind... how could she not be upset?"

Upon hearing this, Sarutobi Hiruzen's expression turned into a mix of amusement and helplessness. He quickly picked up Tsunade and coaxed her, "Don't cry, don't cry. I've been wandering these mountains for days, and I just found a den of bear cubs. I'll take you to catch them in a bit, alright?"

"Really?" Tsunade sniffled, her tears stopping instantly as she gazed at him with wide, hopeful eyes.

"That's a promise!" Sarutobi Hiruzen chuckled.

Once he had pacified the little ancestor, Sarutobi Hiruzen turned to Hibari with excitement. "Hibari, your theory is incredible! I followed your instructions and combined four C-rank jutsu styles. It only used the chakra of a single A-rank jutsu, but the power was absolutely absurd!"

"How much exactly?" Hibari was intrigued.

"At most, the consumption of a standard A-rank jutsu," Sarutobi Hiruzen gestured. "I only intended to build the framework of the jutsu and adjust the power later, but I never expected such an explosive result on the first try... it's too ruthless!"

Hibari raised an eyebrow. "What if you poured in chakra according to S-rank standards? How powerful would it be?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen pondered for a moment. "If I used the chakra volume of a standard S-rank jutsu... I reckon nothing would be left standing within two or three kilometers."

He paused, then added, "But if you did that, the caster would be in danger, too. You might end up taking yourself out. So, it's better not to mess around with that..."

Hibari thought to himself that two or three kilometers was decent enough. Deidara's self-destruction could cover ten kilometers... but then again, that required sacrificing one's life, whereas this didn't!

Seeing Sarutobi Hiruzen actually realize his "mini-nuke" theory, Hibari felt quite pleased.

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

Sarutobi Hiruzen straightened his back. "Do I look like the type to go back on my word? Don't worry, you came up with the theory; I just tested it out. I guarantee I won't spread it, unless your Senju Clan gives the nod."

"Deal. When I get back, I'll brag to the Second Master that we teamed up to create an S-rank composite ninjutsu..." Hibari grew more enthusiastic as he spoke.

Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded, but then waved his hand. "Don't get too happy yet. Knowing Tobirama-sensei's temper, this jutsu will likely be classified as a forbidden technique."

"What? Why would a jutsu I researched be forbidden?" Hibari's eyes widened.

He had been counting on this jutsu to make a name for himself. How could it be banned right after being invented? That was too miserable!

"Why? Because what you've created is too sinister," Sarutobi Hiruzen said, his tone turning serious. "Think about it, how low is the barrier to entry for this jutsu?

As long as someone can use water, fire, wind, and lightning release, they can use it. It has low consumption and high power. If someone loses their mind and uses this during a fight in the village, wouldn't everything be finished?"

Hibari laughed. "That may be, but ninjas with two elemental affinities are rare, let alone four. Do you think everyone is a genius like us?"

"I have five affinities, so I might be an even bigger genius than you, hahahaha!" Sarutobi Hiruzen laughed triumphantly.

He paused, not giving Hibari a chance to retort, and continued, "Even so, the structure of this jutsu is too simple. Think about it: four single-affinity ninjas working together could unleash this level of power. Isn't that terrifying?"

This made Hibari freeze. He thought about it carefully; if four genin on the battlefield coordinated well, they could potentially blow up a few jonin. It was indeed a bit frightening.

Moreover, the jutsu combination was simple. If the secret got out and it spread like the Shadow Clone technique, it would be no different from nuclear proliferation. With everyone holding an "atomic bomb," who knew when everyone might end up finished together.

"Put that way... it really should be a forbidden technique," Hibari scratched his head. "It can't be spread around."

"Exactly. We'll just use it ourselves. Don't go spreading it, or it will definitely cause trouble." Seeing Hibari was so reasonable, Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded with satisfaction.

He was afraid that Hibari, being young and hot-headed, would show it off everywhere, which would truly be a disaster.

The two wanted to chat a bit more, but little Tsunade was already bored. Seeing them talk endlessly, the little girl pouted and kicked Hibari.

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

"Oh, is Princess Tsunade angry again?" Hibari laughed and picked her up. "Alright, alright, we'll do as Uncle Hiruzen said and go find those bear cubs. We'll stew eight or ten bear paws later!"

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

Meanwhile, in the Hokage Building, Tobirama was sharing his thoughts with Hashirama and Sarutobi Sasuke.

"If this continues, clan ninjas will grow stronger while civilian children struggle to find a path, and the village will lose its vitality," Tobirama said with piercing eyes. "Therefore, it is necessary to establish a comprehensive training system. The Ninja Academy that my brother mentioned earlier... I think that's a great start."

Since Hashirama had proposed the school himself, he certainly wouldn't object, and he felt his brother's reasoning was sound.

Sarutobi Sasuke, however, frowned, seemingly deep in thought. Tobirama didn't rush him, simply picking up his teacup to take a sip.

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

Hashirama smiled upon hearing this. "It's all for the long-term planning of the village. I believe the elders in your clan will understand."

"Understand? Lord Hokage, you think far too highly of their reasonableness!" Sarutobi Sasuke shook his head with a bitter smile.

Tobirama then took over. "That's why we'll start with a pilot program. The school doesn't need to be large; taking in ten or twenty children is enough. Start small, and once everyone sees the benefits, it won't be too late to push forward."

"That is true... it is indeed beneficial for the village's development," Sarutobi Sasuke nodded, though his tone remained hesitant. Balancing the interests of the clans and the village was never an easy decision to make.

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

Seeing Sarutobi Sasuke's hesitation, Tobirama understood even more clearly how great the resistance would be. He pondered for a moment before speaking again. "How about this? Let's each take a step back.

How about we don't make the secret techniques and signature skills passed down through the generations of each clan mandatory for public disclosure? If a teacher takes a liking to a student in the future, they can pass them on privately."

It should be known that Tobirama's original proposal was to establish a ninjutsu training system where the clans' techniques were open to the entire village, exchangeable for merit.

Teachers at the school would have to teach more skills, and the jonin leading teams after graduation would have to be even more dedicated—this would truly strike at the roots of the major clans. Now, in order to take the first step, Tobirama was willing to concede.

Sarutobi Sasuke gritted his teeth, then slammed his hand onto the table. "Sigh! You two really know how to give me a hard time! Since you've put it this way, Tobirama... for the sake of the village, I'll give it a shot!

When I go back, if any old geezer tries to sabotage this, I'll send him home to sunbathe for good!"

He didn't care about the titles of Lord Hokage or Second Master Tobirama when he said this; his words were blunt. But Hashirama and Tobirama were not annoyed; instead, they looked at each other and smiled, feeling quite happy.

Sarutobi Sasuke's attitude was clear—in this reform, he would stand firmly by his two old friends.

"Haha! That's the spirit!" Hashirama laughed loudly and extended his broad palm. "Let's bring out the same spirit we had when we built the village together and make this happen!"

Seeing this, Tobirama and Sarutobi Sasuke smiled knowingly and stacked their hands on top of Hashirama's. The three said in unison, "Working together for the prosperity of Konoha!"

Just as the three like-minded individuals made their vow in the Hokage Building... far away in an unknown, desolate valley, Uchiha Madara, who had once fought alongside the Senju Clan and shared the same dreams as Hashirama, had already found his "prey."

Deep in the valley, Uchiha Madara stood silently atop an ancient tree. He wore dark red plate armor, carried the Uchiha Gunbai on his back, and had a long sword at his waist. His gaze was like a torch, locked firmly onto the massive orange-red shadow at the bottom of the valley.

"Finally found you... Kurama," he whispered to himself.

Before the words had even faded, those pitch-black eyes suddenly changed... the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan quietly activated.

"Hashirama..." a faint curve appeared at the corner of Madara's mouth. "You never understood. The peace you hope for, where everyone understands each other, will never come. And I... will create eternal tranquility in another way.

Just wait and see, Hashirama. Our shared dream will be realized by me."

Senju Hashirama pursued the path of mutual understanding, but Uchiha Madara, having experienced too much darkness, could no longer believe in such a vision.

He was determined to walk his own path, to use his own methods to create eternal peace—and to prove to Hashirama that this path was the correct one.

Hibari, that little butterfly, had fluttered into this era, but his wings were not yet strong, and the wind he could stir up at the moment was truly limited.

The Nine-Tails, which Konoha had been searching for so long, had ultimately been found by Uchiha Madara first.

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

However, Hibari had no heart to think about such things at the moment. He had just finished walking back to the village from the back mountains with Sarutobi Hiruzen and little Tsunade.

After a busy morning, he had finally managed to make the little ancestor happy. But Hibari himself was a bit depressed. Why?

The planned wild game feast had completely fallen through.

He had originally followed Sarutobi Hiruzen with the intention of raiding a bear den for a snack, but as soon as they saw those two furry little things, little Tsunade, who had been the most insistent about eating bear meat, immediately changed her mind.

"Brother Hibari!" Little Tsunade had hugged Hibari's leg, looking up with her eyes blinking. "They're so cute, let's not eat them, okay?"

Hibari laughed and squatted down to look at her. "Princess Tsunade, bear paws are delicious! And the meat of these cubs is incredibly tender. Are you sure you don't want to think about it again?"

Little Tsunade couldn't help but swallow her saliva as she looked at the two cubs huddled together, struggling for a long while.