I'll Take This On!

"Besides, sending her to school will keep Lord Hashirama from dragging her off to places she shouldn't be. As for your point about the Senju Clan leading the charge, isn't having a genuine, direct descendant like Princess Tsunade enough?"

Hibari shook his head like a bobblehead. "A proper princess showing up to hold down the fort is definitely enough weight. As for that second thing you mentioned..." He curled his lip. "I really don't want to hang out with that bunch of brats.

At most, someone like Orochimaru is tolerable enough for me to tease for a bit of fun. As for the rest, aside from Tsunade, I really have nothing to talk to them about."

He spoke with absolute finality, yet Tobirama still wanted to persuade him further.

However, Hibari didn't give him the chance, immediately adding another sentence with a hint of grievance in his tone: "Besides, Second Master, if you really make me go to that school on schedule, it's a complete waste of time! I mastered those basic-beyond-basic things ages ago.

Just think, I've even developed S-rank composite ninjutsu and A-rank hand-seal-less ninjutsu; why would I need to learn that stuff? If I have that spare time, I'd rather continue training with you.

You can't just push me out to be sacrificed for your 'political goals.' My own injuries haven't even fully healed yet!"

Hearing him speak so logically yet stubbornly, Tobirama and Sarutobi Sasuke, who was standing nearby, exchanged a glance and actually chuckled.

Tobirama looked at his old friend with a smile: "How about that, Sarutobi? Didn't I say this kid definitely wouldn't go?"

Sarutobi Sasuke shook his head helplessly, looking a bit embarrassed: "It seems I was worrying for nothing. I was just wondering if Hibari, always hanging around us old fogies, might feel..."

"Not lonely! Not lonely at all!" Hibari quickly cut him off, patting his chest with a loud thud. "I'm happier than I could ever be!"

After all that, it turned out this idea had been proposed by Grandpa Sarutobi. Hibari felt a sudden warmth in his heart and wanted to laugh; it turned out the old man was just worried he was lonely.

"Alright, since you're so insistent, we'll drop the school matter." Tobirama waved his hand; he hadn't held much hope for it anyway.

However, he changed his tone, narrowed his eyes at Hibari, and threatened him with a cheerful smile: "But there is one thing you must keep pace with, or I'm cutting off your allowance for three months!"

Hibari frowned: "What thing? What pace?"

"You don't have to attend classes on time, that's fine." Tobirama put away his smile and spoke seriously. "But as you said, running this Ninja Academy has 'political' considerations behind it.

You are a member of the Senju Clan, enjoying the family's privileges, so you must step up when it's time to contribute. Right now, the Senju Clan needs to lead by example.

So, whether you like it or not, your name must be attached to the school. And you have to find time to 'pursue advanced studies,' just to put on a show for the other clans in the village, to let them know we are serious about running this school, not just playing around!"

"Then can't I be a teacher?" Hibari's eyes lit up. "I know all the basics!"

"Nonsense!" Tobirama glared at him. "Think about it yourself. If you open that door, what will the other clans think? Will those Uchiha bastards also send a few little brats who know some 'basics' to be teachers?

How would the school even continue to operate then?"

Sarutobi Sasuke also chimed in from the side, smiling like an old fox: "That's right, Hibari. If you, the 'village's number one genius,' go to the school to show your face as a representative, the effect will be completely different.

Once others see that even you are going, how could they have the nerve not to send their own little ones who aren't as good as you? Once that happens, won't the school's popularity just take off?"

To get Hibari to agree, the old man even pinned the title of "number one genius" on him.

But thinking about it carefully, at Hibari's age, he had first created the hand-seal-less ninjutsu Rasengan, then completed an S-rank mission, and recently worked with Hiruzen to create an S-rank composite ninjutsu... There were other geniuses in the village, but none who could stir up as much trouble and produce results as quickly as him. Calling him the number one genius wasn't an entirely unreasonable exaggeration.

Seeing that the Second Master's reasoning was sound and that Grandpa Sarutobi had even sacrificed his old face to praise him, Hibari would be truly ungrateful if he refused again. Just as the Second Master said, as a member of the Senju, he enjoyed the benefits, so he had to contribute when needed; there was no such thing as a free lunch in this world.

Thinking of this, Hibari sighed, preparing to concede.

But as his eyes darted around, his peripheral vision caught the guy in the corner trying his best to shrink into invisibility, and a plan immediately formed in his mind.

Hibari's face immediately filled with a sincere smile: "Since the Second Master and Grandpa Sarutobi have put it this way, it would be too ignorant of me to refuse. I'll take this on! However..."

He deliberately dragged out his tone and pointed his finger toward the corner. "What do you think of Yaoji? It should be no problem to have him go to school, right?"

"I'll kick your lungs out, Hibari! I reiterate..." Once Yaoji heard this, he instantly exploded out of his "invisible" state, jumping up and down, ready to start cursing.

"I understand the logic!" Hibari interrupted him with a grin, looking completely innocent.

Tobirama glanced at the frantic, jumping Yaoji, then back at the mischievous Hibari, a knowing smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

"That'll be a matter between the two of you then." He said slowly, looking as if it had nothing to do with him. "I don't care about the details, as long as one of you gets this done for me properly."

The matter of the Ninja Academy was as difficult or as easy as one made it.

The difficulty lay in the fact that it was carving meat out of the bowls of the major clans, shaking the very foundation of the entire ninja training system, which was bound to meet resistance, or rather... pushback.

It was simple because once the key issues were settled, the school could open immediately!

After all, it wasn't a massive construction project; just zoning a plot of land, putting up a few buildings, stocking the teaching materials, and finding a few reliable teachers would be enough to get the operation off the ground.

Tobirama's actions were incredibly swift; he had just finished talking to Hibari the day before, and the next day, the notice was posted at the entrance of the Hokage Building. The news spread like it had wings, and within half a day, it had traveled throughout the village, becoming the primary topic of conversation for every household.

The ninja profession, while dangerous—often requiring one to put their life on the line—was a tangible path for the common people of Konoha to change their family's fortunes.

Just think, once this Ninja Academy was established, how many civilian experts would emerge in the future? Among the "Sannin" who shook the ninja world, weren't Jiraiya and Orochimaru products of such training?

Even the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, was of genuine civilian origin!

So, as the news spread, the way people greeted each other in the village changed. "Did you hear? The village is going to open a Ninja Academy! I'm thinking of signing up my brat; what are your plans?"

The other person would usually slap their thigh: "Ha! How could I not have heard? My little rascal is getting shoved in there too!"

Meanwhile, the prominent, influential clans in the village naturally received word as well.

In the Nara Clan's estate, the heads of the Yamanaka and Akimichi clans were gathered.

The Ino-Shika-Cho trio had always been of one mind, so close they were practically inseparable; when faced with such a major event, they naturally had to get together to coordinate.

It had always been the Nara Clan providing the ideas, with the Yamanaka and Akimichi clans following suit; that was how it had been when they first joined Konoha.

In the courtyard, the head of the Yamanaka Clan, Yamanaka Kiyono, sat opposite Nara Lvxun, staring at the shogi board. Akimichi Kira sat nearby, the snack plate already more than half empty.

"You know why I'm here today." Yamanaka Kiyono placed a piece, his voice low. "How should we stand on this? Your Nara Clan needs to provide a plan."

Nara Lvxun held a piece, thinking for a moment before placing it firmly. "There's no choice. We follow whatever is said from above."

Akimichi Kira, who had been burying his head in his snacks, looked up, his cheeks still bulging: "Lvxun, you mean... we're really going to hand over our family's secret techniques? This..."

"Whether we hand over techniques is a matter for later." Yamanaka Kiyono interrupted, his expression darkening. "I'm worried that once this path for civilian ninjas opens, the meat in our bowls won't be as tasty in the future."

Nara Lvxun laughed, shaking his head: "What you're saying makes sense, but that's not a reason for us to go against the grain. The Hokage's ability to govern the village might not match his ability to fight, but who is standing behind him?

It's Lord Tobirama! With that Second Master's methods, since he dared to put this plan out there, it means the Senju Clan has already prepared their countermeasures and isn't afraid of flipping the table."

He picked up his teacup, took a sip, and slowly placed another piece on the board: "Besides... this policy is too popular. You can go out and walk around; the whole village is cheering for it." He tapped the board with his finger. "Checkmate."

Yamanaka Kiyono looked at his checkmated game, his expression sagging; he had lost to this old fox again.

Nara Lvxun didn't wait for him to speak, continuing: "Just like this game, the general trend has also 'checkmated' us. Kiyono, think about it, what is the most important thing in Konoha? It's people! It's the hearts of the people! And whose hands are those hearts in now?

They're in the hands of the Senju Clan! If anyone jumps out to sing a different tune now... there's no need for the Hokage to act; just by leaking a list in the shadows,

do you believe people will be blocking your door every day to curse you? I, for one, don't want to be pointed at whenever I go out, and if I get hit by a few rotten eggs... our Ino-Shika-Cho trio can't afford that kind of shame."

Yamanaka Kiyono was silent for a while, his brows furrowed so tightly they could crush a fly: "So according to you... we have to raise both hands in favor?"

"Not only in favor, but we have to beat the other clans to it and be the first to show our loyalty!" Nara Lvxun's mouth curled into a fox-like smile.

"This way, we not only curry favor with the Hokage but also earn a reputation among the common people... Who knows, if this move is played well, there might even be some unexpected gains."

Akimichi Kira, who had been focused on his snacks, immediately perked up: "Unexpected gains? What kind of gains?"

Nara Lvxun looked at the two of them and spoke slowly: "Right now, the village has just found its footing, and the troubles outside have only just been settled. Next, the Hokage and his core group of advisors

will surely shift their focus from the outside to figuring out how to get things in order within our own backyard.

Once these internal developments start, with the current manpower at the Hokage Building, how could it possibly be enough?"