I'm Not Even Afraid Myself, What Are You Panicking About?

Tobirama paused, then reached out to ruffle Hibari's hair.

"Secondly, while you're a smart kid, you spend all your time hanging around us old fogies. Don't you get bored not having any friends your own age? If you go to school, you'll be able to make plenty of friends..."

Hibari felt goosebumps break out all over his body the moment he heard that. He had the patience to play childish games with his little sister, but to expect him to mingle with a bunch of brats? He couldn't bring himself to do it.

"No, no, no, Second Uncle, stop right there. I raise both hands in favor of sending Tsunade to school; it'll be just the thing to cure her habit of causing trouble at home all day..." As he spoke, Hibari glanced at little Tsunade, who was busy teasing the bear cubs, and laughed. "Now there are three bear cubs."

"Besides, sending Tsunade to school will keep her in check, so Hashirama doesn't keep taking her to places she shouldn't go." Hibari's tone was firm. "As for your point about the Senju Clan needing to take the lead, having Tsunade, our bona fide princess, attend will carry plenty of weight."

"As for the second point, honestly, I really don't want to hang out with that group of brats."

He paused, counting off on his fingers.

"At most, there might be one or two I could tolerate, like Orochimaru—he's at least good for a laugh. As for the others, besides Tsunade, I really have nothing to say to them."

Seeing that Second Uncle Tobirama still wanted to persuade him, Hibari quickly cut him off.

"And the final point, Second Uncle! If you really make me go to that so-called Ninja Academy on schedule, it's a pure waste of time!" He wore a look of deep grievance. "Those basics, which couldn't be more basic, I mastered eight hundred years ago."

"Just think about it, I've even developed S-rank composite ninjutsu and A-rank seal-less ninjutsu. Why would I need to learn that stuff?"

He leaned in closer, putting on a pitiful expression.

"Instead of wasting time there, I'd rather stay by your side and continue my training. You can't just push me out as a sacrifice for your political goals; the ailments in my body haven't even fully healed yet!"

Listening to his airtight, seamless string of excuses, Second Uncle Tobirama and Sarutobi Sasuke exchanged a look and both chuckled.

"How about that, Sarutobi?" Tobirama looked at his old friend with a smile. "Didn't I tell you this kid wouldn't agree to go to school?"

Sarutobi Sasuke shook his head helplessly.

"It seems I was worrying for nothing. I kept wondering if Hibari, always hanging around us old folks, might feel..."

"Not lonely! Not lonely at all!" Hibari quickly interjected, shaking his head like a rattle. "I'm happy enough as it is!"

Well, after all that fuss, it turned out this was Sarutobi's idea. Hibari felt a warmth in his heart, though he also wanted to laugh.

"Since you're so insistent, we'll drop the school matter." Second Uncle Tobirama glanced at him and said slowly, "I guessed you'd refuse anyway. But there is one thing you must keep up with, or I'm cutting your allowance for three months!"

"What thing? What pace?" Hibari frowned, sensing something ominous.

"You don't have to attend classes on time, that's fine." Second Uncle Tobirama said sternly. "But as you said, there are 'political' considerations behind establishing this Ninja Academy. As a member of the Senju Clan, enjoying the privileges of the family, you have to step up when it's time to contribute."

"Right now, the Senju Clan needs to take the lead."

He paused, his tone brooking no argument.

"So whether you want to go or not, your name must be associated with the school. And you have to find time to go for 'advanced studies' to put on a show for the other clans in the village, to show them we are serious about this school and not just playing around!"

"Can't I just be a teacher then?" Hibari had a sudden inspiration. "I know all the basics!"

"Nonsense!" Second Uncle Tobirama glared at him. "Think about it yourself. If we really did that, what would the other clans think? Would the Uchiha lot send a few brats who know some 'basics' to be teachers too? Would the school even be able to function then?"

"That's right, Hibari." Sarutobi Sasuke chimed in with a smile. "If you, the 'village's number one genius,' act as the representative and show your face at the school, the effect will be completely different."

"Once others see you've gone, they'll be rushing to send their own little ones who aren't as good as you. Once that happens, won't the school be up and running?"

To get Hibari to agree, the old man even put the "number one genius" label on him.

But thinking about it, at Hibari's age, he had first created the seal-less Rasengan, then completed an S-rank mission, and recently developed an S-rank composite ninjutsu with Sarutobi Hiruzen... There were other geniuses in the village, but none who produced results as quickly as he did. Calling him the number one genius wasn't much of an exaggeration.

Seeing that Second Uncle Tobirama's reasoning was sound and that Grandpa Sarutobi was willing to put his old face on the line to flatter him, Hibari felt it would be truly unreasonable to refuse again.

Just as Second Uncle said, as a member of the Senju Clan, he enjoyed the benefits, so he had to contribute when needed. There was no such thing as a free lunch.

Thinking this, he sighed, preparing to agree. But out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of Yaoji hiding in the corner like an invisible man, and a sharp glint flashed in his eyes.

"Since Second Uncle and Grandpa Sarutobi have both put it this way, it would be ungrateful of me to refuse." Hibari said with a sincere face. "I accept. However..."

He changed his tone and pointed to the corner.

"What do you think of Yaoji? It should be fine if he goes to school, right?"

"I'll kick your lungs out, Hibari! I'm saying it agai—" Yaoji exploded out of his "stealth" state, opening his mouth to curse.

"I understand the logic." Hibari interrupted him with a grin.

Second Uncle Tobirama glanced at Yaoji, then back at Hibari, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

"That's a matter for the two of you to settle; I don't care. As long as one of you gets the job done for me, that's all that matters."

After lunch, Hashirama went out for a walk with Uzumaki Mito. Sarutobi Sasuke and Sarutobi Hiruzen didn't leave, but instead stayed in the courtyard to enjoy the shade and chat with Second Uncle Tobirama.

On the other side, Hibari was helping little Tsunade feed fish to the two new bear cubs. Little Tsunade found it novel and giggled from time to time.

Once the cubs were fed, Second Uncle Tobirama beckoned to Hibari and little Tsunade from the pavilion.

Seeing this, Hibari took little Tsunade's hand and walked over, plopping down on a stone stool and speaking without ceremony: "Come on, Yaoji, pour some tea for me and Princess Tsunade."

Yaoji, who was busy brewing tea for Second Uncle Tobirama and the others, felt his face turn black.

"I'll say it again, we are one and the same! The suffering I'm enduring now will eventually come back to haunt you. Do you have any bottom line left?"

"That hasn't happened yet, so let's enjoy it while we can... I'm not even afraid myself, what are you panicking about?" Hibari replied nonchalantly, not taking it to heart at all.

After a few jokes, Yaoji finally poured the tea. Only then did Hibari ask: "Second Uncle, what are your orders? Are you sending me on a mission? Feel free to leave it to me!"

Second Uncle Tobirama smiled, exchanged a look with Sarutobi Sasuke, and then said: "It's like this. Didn't you mention buying books for the village children a couple of days ago? And that idea about establishing a system?"

Hibari was stunned for a moment, then nodded. "That did happen. What about it? Don't tell me you want to dump that heavy responsibility on me? You guys are giving me too much credit."

Sarutobi Sasuke laughed: "You kid actually have some self-awareness."

"Haha," Second Uncle Tobirama took over, looking at Hibari with a smile. "We discussed it today and felt that it really is time for some changes. So, the first step must start with the children."

"We plan to establish a Ninja Academy, aimed at the children in the village, to teach them some basic ninja knowledge!"

This statement stunned Hibari again. If he remembered correctly, the Ninja Academy wasn't supposed to be established until Tobirama became the Second Hokage, with Princess Tsunade, Orochimaru, and Jiraiya being the first batch of students.

Why was Second Uncle Tobirama thinking of doing this so early?

Then he thought about it—perhaps it was because after he arrived, the things he stirred up had an impact?

In any case, Hibari never expected that his buying books for Orochimaru, along with the "theft of a massive amount of silver," had touched Hashirama enough to get him involved, which in turn accelerated the pace of starting the school.

Coming back to his senses, Hibari said: "That's a good thing! You're telling me this... is it because you're short on teachers? Sigh, although I feel my virtue and talent aren't quite enough, if you're really short on people, I can reluctantly agree."

Watching Hibari's "modest" act, Second Uncle Tobirama and the Sarutobi father and son all laughed.

"You kid really do have self-awareness, knowing your virtue doesn't match your position and your talent isn't enough. So we didn't think of that." Second Uncle Tobirama said with a chuckle. "I've already agreed with Hiruzen; he will go there to be a teacher for a while."

"Then why are you telling me this...?" Hibari's tone actually carried a hint of regret when he heard he wasn't being asked to be a teacher.

Second Uncle Tobirama looked at Hibari first, then at little Tsunade, who was squatting beside him teasing the two bear cubs.

Then he lowered his voice and said: "I was thinking that once the Ninja Academy is established, you and little Tsunade should go in as students."

Hibari's eyebrows shot up the moment he heard this, and he was just about to open his mouth to refute—

But Second Uncle Tobirama raised a hand to signal him to listen first. "Listen to me finish. Firstly, you two are representatives of the Senju Clan. There's a lot involved behind this Ninja Academy, and it needs our Senju Clan to take the lead. Your Grandpa Sarutobi is on our side too, which is why Hiruzen is going to be a teacher."

He paused and reached out to pat Hibari's head. "Secondly... although you're certainly smart, you never have friends your own age around you. Don't you feel bored hanging around us old fogies all day? If you go to school, you'll be able to make plenty of friends your own age."

Hibari felt goosebumps break out all over his body. He had the patience to play childish games with his precious little sister, but to expect him to mingle with a bunch of brats? He couldn't bring himself to do it.

"Forget it, Second Uncle! I raise both hands in favor of sending Princess Tsunade to school; it'll be just the thing to cure her habit of being idle and acting like a bear cub at home..." Saying this, Hibari glanced at little Tsunade, who was busy teasing the bear cubs, and laughed: "Now there are three bear cubs."