Konoha: My peaceful life was betrayed by the system.

As he spoke, two lines of bloody tears streamed down his face, and his voice began to sob.

The three-tomoe Sharingan in his eyes spun and condensed, eventually forming a shape similar to a shuriken.

"The Mangekyou Sharingan, hahaha, I never thought I would awaken the Mangekyou Sharingan just before I died."

The old man's voice was somewhat manic, and it was hard to tell whether he was happy or sad. Fortunately, this was the edge of the clan's territory, and only his lineage lived here.

"Looks like it's not my time to die yet!"

The old man turned to look at his grandson, who lay on the bed like a skeleton, his eyes burning with hatred!

"I will make you all pay the price!"

……

One day later.

Early in the morning, Tori, Jiri, Hiruzen Sarutobi, and others gathered above the Hokage Rock.

This was the third day since Toru and the others returned to the village after completing their mission, and the task that Hashirama had assigned them had finally come to an end.

Although everyone still looked somewhat insecure, the panic and helplessness they had felt before were completely gone.

Just as Hiruzen was about to ask his other companions about the Will of Fire, Tobirama used the Flying Thunder God Technique to bring Hashirama to the group.

Good morning, kids! Hahaha.

Seeing that the Hokage was in a good mood today, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

If the Hokage is in a bad mood, they're afraid that if they say something that might offend him, they might get beaten up!

Tobirama's expression remained unchanged, revealing nothing of his feelings: "You should know what day it is today, right?"

Upon hearing this, everyone immediately stood up straight and responded in unison.

"Let's hope your answers today won't disappoint us."

Although Tobirama said that, he only wanted to put some pressure on them, as these children had been training with him since they were young.

Tobirama could pretty much guess what each child would say.

Since he and his elder brother were jointly teaching the disciples, one of them had to play the bad cop; otherwise, the children would have no one to fear and would be uncontrollable.

"Monkey, you go first!"

Seeing that Hiruzen Sarutobi was still trying to hide, Tobirama was the first to point him out.

Hiruzen was on the verge of tears, but he had no choice but to grit his teeth and continue.

"My will of fire is to protect."

Hashirama's lips curled slightly upon hearing this, but he concealed it well and it went unnoticed.

"What is protection?" Tobirama asked.

"Because I love the village and everyone in it. Every time I return to the village after a mission and see people's smiling faces, I feel full of energy."

"That's why I want to protect the village and everyone in it!"

Tobirama nodded. Although Hiruzen's Will of Fire was somewhat similar to his older brother's, he knew that Hiruzen wasn't saying this on purpose to please anyone; it was simply his will.

I hope you will always remember what I said today!

"Next, Danzo."

Danzo, who had been called out, stepped forward. Although he possessed his own Will of Fire, he wondered if saying this would offend the two lords.

"My will of fire is suppression."

Upon hearing this word, both Hashirama and Tobirama were taken aback, and then Danzo continued.

"The so-called suppression means enhancing the overall strength of the village, making other villages submit through strong power, and preventing them from having the idea of ​​being our enemy."

After Danzo explained, the two brothers remained silent for a long time, which made Danzo even more uncertain and nervous.

Hashirama and Tobirama felt that Danzo's ideas were a bit too forceful, but their starting point could be considered correct.

Because that's the current situation in the ninja world.

Because of Hashirama, Konoha holds an absolute position among the Five Great Shinobi Villages; no one dares to bare their fangs at Konoha! All of this is due to Hashirama's power.

"Danzo, your idea is good, but there needs to be a bottom line: you can't harm anyone in the village! Do you understand?"

Tobirama's tone was serious, with a hint of warning in it.

Upon hearing this, Danzo bowed deeply and said, "I understand, Master," before returning to the group.

Following that, Koharu, Homura, Akimichi Torifu, and Uchiha Kagami each recounted their Will of Fire, and although their presentations had some minor flaws, they all successfully passed the test.

However, Hashirama told them to go back and think about it carefully and improve it.

"Your turn to draw wind from the clouds."

Chapter 39 Dead Branches and Tender Buds

"Your turn to draw wind from the clouds."

Takefusa let out a breath and stepped forward. He was still a little puzzled when he saw Hiruzen and the others looking apprehensive while they were talking about the Will of Fire.

But when he actually stood before the two guardian deities of Konoha, ready to explain his Will of Fire, he felt a little nervous.

"Don't be nervous about taking the wind. Tell me what your own Will of Fire is like."

Hashirama offered a slightly comforting remark, expressing his deep affection for this disciple of his.

From the very first time they met, the child showed an intense love for the village.

From that time on, Hashirama began to observe and gather wind, whether intentionally or unintentionally.

And Toru did not disappoint Hashirama's expectations. As soon as he entered the Ninja Academy, he showed his extremely high talent in ninjutsu. Toru was also always able to easily mediate disputes among his classmates.

He also has his own unique insights into the relationships between various families and villages.

The more Hashirama thought about it, the more he anticipated what Torifu would say.

"Wherever the leaves dance, the fire grows."

Everyone looked at Toru with a hint of confusion. The Hokage had clearly stated that everyone should comprehend their own Will of Fire, but Toru was...

"The withered branches and leaves will turn into nutrients to nourish the tender buds in early spring."

Everyone looked at Tokiwa with a mixture of understanding and confusion, while Hashirama and Tobirama looked on with satisfaction.

Young people may not understand the meaning of the wind's words, but they do, because they are the withered branches that are about to become nourishment.

"Why do you say that?" Hashirama asked deliberately.

Take a few steps forward and stand on the Hokage Rock, overlooking the entire Hidden Leaf Village.

He then turned around, the wind on the mountaintop ruffling his snow-white hair, but it could not extinguish the fiery will in his heart.

"I am my teacher's disciple, and I have an obligation to inherit my master's will, but I also have my own Will of Fire!"

"Konoha Village is a tree that is growing strong, we are tender new buds, and our master, Tobirama-sama, and our elders are the branches that shelter us from the wind and rain."

"But one day, the branches will dry up, rot, and eventually wither away, but they will turn into nutrients to nourish the new buds."

"And in the future, we will become branches, sheltering our descendants from the wind and rain. One day, we will also wither and turn into nutrients."

"But as long as we can see the tender shoots that we have been protecting grow strong, we will not be afraid even if we face withering."

"Everyone will eventually grow old, and the times keep changing like a surging torrent, but only Konoha will continue to prosper."

After the story of the will to take the wind was told, someone started clapping.

Judging from everyone's eyes, it was clear that the applause came from the heart, not from mockery or anything like that.

Among them, the most hardworking was Zhili. Looking at Toki, who was full of confidence on the Hokage Rock just now, Zhili couldn't help but feel a sense of pride.

It's like saying, "Look, this is my best friend, Uchiha Osamu! Look how outstanding he is!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi and the others were once again impressed by Torifu. At first, they were somewhat jealous of Torifu, wondering why he could gain the First Hokage's favor and be directly accepted as a disciple.

Now they truly admire Qu Feng from the bottom of their hearts.

As Hashirama looked at the confident and spirited young man on the rock face, he couldn't help but recall how he and Madara had dreamed about the future here when they were young.

The two had once agreed to build a village of their own at the foot of this cliff, and now the village is on the right track and is thriving, but their old friend is nowhere to be found.

Hashirama walked up to Toki and patted Toki's head.

"As expected of my disciple, Hashirama Senju! Torifu, you will definitely become a great ninja in the future!"

Hashirama praised Toki without reservation, because he knew that even if he were gone someday, the village would still prosper.

Hashirama rarely spoke to Torifu about his Will of Fire, nor did he require him to inherit his will.

But this six-year-old boy had already inherited his own will and comprehended it!

What a genius!

Toru was very happy to receive Hashirama's praise. His will had been recognized by his master. Toru's words today came from his heart and were not empty talk to gain attention.

Because Toki has already planned out the future path: to marry at the right age, have a few children, teach them well, and become an elder of Konoha to keep the village on the right track.

Living a simple and ordinary life like this would be perfectly fine. If one could take a few lovable kids as disciples and leave behind some successors, that would be even better.

Even if it weren't for that, Qu Feng wouldn't force it.

"Alright, Tsufeng, you can go back now. It's Zhili's turn."

After bowing to the wind-blown pillar, he returned to the group.

While clapping enthusiastically, Chiri seemed to have forgotten that he was supposed to take the stage after the wind.

It was only when she was called out that she suddenly realized! With the pearl of wind-taking preceding her, her will would definitely seem ordinary.

If I were to be criticized by Lord Hashirama for this, that would be terrible, especially since Chiri is currently the only unregistered person!

Everyone else had a master, but she was just training by the Hokage's side, and she only benefited from the wind.

Chiri stepped forward timidly and began to recount her Will of Fire with a hint of nervousness.

"My Will of Fire is to integrate and unite."

Seeing that no one reacted particularly strongly, Chiri relaxed a little and continued.