The Original Will of Fire

During the First Great Ninja War, Konoha did not send underage ninja to the front lines to fight.

Perhaps this was the last bit of kindness Senju Tobirama, who had grown up amid war, left for Konohagakure. Or perhaps it was because Kumogakure was the only village truly fighting Konoha in this war, so the pressure on the front-line forces was not too great.

At the same time, in order to set an example, nearly all of the Senju Clan's elite rushed to the front lines. Senju Tobirama personally donned his armor and took the field, leading his Shadow Guard Squad as they remained active on the front lines.

What Senju Tobirama did was undoubtedly a good thing for Konoha, but for the Senju Clan, it was nothing short of a disaster.

A war would claim countless lives. Especially for the Senju clansmen fighting as the main force on the front lines, having eight out of ten return alive would already be a blessing.

Not to mention...

When Senju Hashirama was still alive, he had taken the lead in order to help Konoha's ninja clans integrate into Konoha as much as possible. He had actively encouraged members of the Senju Clan to marry Konoha civilians.

This greatly accelerated the integration of the various ninja clans into Konoha, but it also diluted and dispersed much of the Senju Clan's bloodline.

If, at such a time, large numbers of pure-blooded Senju clansmen died in the war as well, then the Senju Clan's future...

"Chiba, hurry up and eat." Uzumaki Mito looked kindly at Chishima Chiba. "You haven't touched your chopsticks for ages. Is today's food not to your liking?"

"No, Grandma. I was thinking about something." Chishima Chiba decided to intervene. "Grandma, did something happen? A lot of the uncles and aunts I know in the compound aren't home..."

Uzumaki Mito fell silent. She wanted to speak, but did not know how to put it.

"Eat first. Don't talk at the table."

Uzumaki Mito could only invoke table manners, while Chishima Chiba could only give up for the moment. He nodded and focused on eating.

After eating his fill, Chishima Chiba washed and put away the dishes. After informing Tsunade, he headed straight for the courtyard where Uzumaki Mito lived.

Knock, knock, knock.

Chishima Chiba knocked on the door and called out, "Grandma."

"Come in, Little Chiba. I knew you were coming." Uzumaki Mito's kindly voice came from within.

Pushing open the door, Chishima Chiba entered with a smile. "How did Grandma know I was coming?"

"You may be clever, but you can't fool me." Uzumaki Mito waved Chishima Chiba over. "Come here. Let me check your schoolwork."

"Coming!"

Chishima Chiba nodded and jogged over, sitting beside Uzumaki Mito. His obedient and sensible appearance made her smile even more warmly.

Over the next hour or so, aside from checking Chishima Chiba's schoolwork, Uzumaki Mito also taught him several new, simple Sealing Jutsu.

Chishima Chiba learned quickly, and Uzumaki Mito was very satisfied. But as the lesson drew to an end, what had to come would come.

"Grandma, did a war break out?"

At his words, Uzumaki Mito was briefly stunned. Still, she downplayed the matter, unwilling to let Chishima Chiba come into contact with the cruelty of war too early.

She herself had grown up during the war-torn Warring States Period. She wanted to do everything she could to shelter her descendants for a little longer.

"Chiba, your attention should be on your studies right now. Work hard to become stronger instead of distracting yourself over speculation."

"Grandma, I know, but don't treat me like a child."

Chishima Chiba spoke seriously, but his physical age was right there for all to see. Uzumaki Mito could only regard him as a child.

She could not help smiling, her eyes full of affection. "Yes, Little Chiba isn't a child. But shouldn't you be going to sleep now? Otherwise, you won't be able to get up tomorrow, and you won't be able to wake Tsunade either."

"Grandma!" Chishima Chiba felt rather helpless, but he still refused to give up. "If a war really has broken out, then the Senju Clan is in an extremely dangerous position. It may not show over the next two years, but ten or twenty years from now, the Senju Clan might..."

"Enough!" Uzumaki Mito's expression abruptly changed, and she snapped at Chishima Chiba, something she rarely did.

Then she came to her senses. Apology appeared on her face, but her words remained forceful. "These are not matters you should be considering right now. Don't say any more, and don't think about them anymore. Do you understand?"

"But you're the only one who can make decisions for the Senju Clan now!" Chishima Chiba stubbornly raised his chin, unafraid of Uzumaki Mito.

He continued, "For the Senju Clan's future, and to preserve as much of its bloodline as possible, please put an immediate stop to intermarriage with outsiders."

Uzumaki Mito did not immediately respond. She simply looked Chishima Chiba over with great seriousness. After watching him for a long while, she finally spoke slowly.

"Why do you say that, Little Chiba?"

"Because I can already sense what Grandpa Tobirama intends to do." Chishima Chiba told the truth. "When Grandpa Tobirama repeatedly asked me to change my surname to Senju, I knew something was wrong."

"And when I saw that only a handful of familiar faces remained in the compound today... I vaguely understood something."

"Go on. Grandma is listening." Uzumaki Mito became serious. She was no longer prepared to treat Chishima Chiba as a child.

"Grandpa Tobirama wants the Senju Clan to serve as the vanguard in order to protect the village!"

"This is the responsibility he should bear as Hokage. No one will blame him. Even the clansmen who die in battle will not blame him."

Uzumaki Mito's eyes darkened slightly. "This was also your Grandpa Hashirama's wish. They want to hold up the sky for you, so that you will never be touched by the flames of war."

"At the very least... they wanted to wait until you were grown before letting you face that cruel and inhuman war."

At this point, the emotional Uzumaki Mito's eyes reddened slightly. "Child, intermarriage with outsiders cannot stop, because your Grandpa Hashirama and Grandpa Tobirama understand the consequences. But what they care about more than that is the village's future..."

"Even if the descendants born from those marriages no longer bear the Senju name, Senju blood still flows within them. The Senju Clan will not truly perish."

"Likewise, even if their bloodline is diluted and they cannot reach the heights possible for those with pure Senju blood, they will no longer be civilians without the power to protect themselves."

"Sacrificing one family for everyone is a cruel decision, but... I respect the decision of those two brothers and the entire Senju Clan. I will not halt the intermarriage policy."

Having said that, Uzumaki Mito wiped her eyes and smiled. "Old people tend to ramble. Once we start, we can't stop, and I even cried... Haha, how embarrassing. Little Chiba, I hope you don't mind."

"Not at all. My thinking was too narrow..." Chishima Chiba was deeply shaken. Though he could not achieve such selflessness himself, his heart could not remain calm.

"People of our generation are all fools. We won't ask you to blindly imitate us." Uzumaki Mito spoke half-jokingly. "If you truly want to repay the Senju Clan for its kindness, then take good care of Tsunade, and look after the remaining younger members of the Senju Clan as well. That... will be enough."

Uzumaki Mito spoke lightly, but every word landed heavily in Chishima Chiba's heart.

"I understand, Grandma."

"Mm. Go back and rest early. Children shouldn't worry about adult matters. Study hard and become stronger. Once you've grown up... then you can make the decisions."

Chishima Chiba turned to leave, but just as he was about to step over the threshold, he turned back and asked one more question.

"Grandma, if someone arbitrarily changes the definition and inheritance of the will left behind by my two grandfathers for the village, you'll stand with me, won't you?"

"Not just me. The entire Senju Clan, and even all descendants who do not bear the Senju name but still carry Senju blood within them, will support you."

"Thank you, Grandma."

"Silly child... Go get some rest!"

Nodding rapidly, Chishima Chiba left Uzumaki Mito's room and gently closed the door for her.

On his way back, Chishima Chiba looked up at the waning moon in the sky, and a decision had already formed in his heart.

The Will of Fire should not be defined and interpreted by Sarutobi Hiruzen!