He was in Konoha, and his domineering aura was overflowing.

We didn't have the means before, but now things are better.

Having made up his mind, Isogen smirked and turned his head. The enormous Hokage Rock, carved into the towering cliff, came into view, meeting his gaze as if he were looking across time at a sunny, cheerful little boy who had grown up under the Konoha sun.

Senju Hashirama, Senju Tobirama, and Sarutobi Hiruzen.

Fifty strings of music inspire solemn respect.

He saw it; it was the tenderness and expectations of the seniors for the juniors. In order not to let down these expectations, he made a decision.

'The Will of Fire? It disappeared 20,000 years ago.'

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Hinata.

Hinata Mizuki, who had been relaxed, walked timidly down the somewhat empty corridor.

Soon after, she stopped in front of an open doorway.

"..."

"Come in." An old and majestic voice came from the house, which resembled the gaping maw of an abyss.

Hyuga Mizuki trembled at first, her heart pounding with anxiety, but she still stepped inside.

The room was simply furnished, its rustic style revealing the profound weight of the Hyuga clan's ancient heritage.

Besides Hyuga Mizuki, the only other person in the room was a dignified old man wearing clothes embroidered with the Hyuga clan crest, kneeling facing the table.

Hinata Mizuki stepped forward timidly, her lips trembling slightly, her hands moving rapidly: 【Grandpa】

"Hmm." Hinata Arashi nodded slightly, his eyes in the dim light falling on Hinata Mizuki's shrugging shoulder.

"You came back a little later than usual today."

[A private Marseille event!]

A one-stop service including bowing and apologizing.

A hint of helplessness flashed in Hinata Arashi's eyes.

"Alright, go do your own thing, and remember not to fall behind in your studies."

After Hinata Mizuki left, a figure emerged from the darkness, knelt on one knee, and calmly recounted everything that had happened during the day.

When Hinata Arashi heard that Hinata Mizuki was being bullied, he remained unmoved. When he heard that someone had stepped in to help Hinata Mizuki, he took it all in stride. But when he heard that person's hesitation and encouragement, Hinata Mizuki actually took action, and Hinata Arashi finally made a move.

"She really did hit him?"

His eyes held a mixture of surprise, a hint of delight, and a touch of excitement.

"To be precise, Miss Mizuki only pushed me with a gentle fist technique."

"That's enough."

If Hyuga Mizuki were still here, she would be surprised to find that her usually serious grandfather was showing a relaxed and happy expression.

Although not much, there is some.

Hinata Arashi's originally calm mood was gradually filled with joy.

He knew his granddaughter's personality best. Because of her congenital defect, inferiority and timidity were almost the underlying traits of Hyuga Mizuki, his only granddaughter.

He had tried countless times to correct it, but the sense of helplessness caused by his congenital defect manifested in every aspect of his life.

The most direct example is the crucial friendships formed during childhood.

The world of children is not simple.

Situations like Hinata Mizuki's are undoubtedly at the very bottom of the contempt chain.

Even if she has Hyuga Arashi behind her, the elders of the Hyuga clan can't change that. They can't expect a child to never leave the house from birth, can they?

Moreover, even so, given the state of the Hyuga clan, there must be many branch families secretly eyeing Hyuga Mizuki, a special case who lacks self-confidence and is insecure.

We can't afford to mess with a well-developed main family, so why can't we afford to mess with this cowardly one who can't even speak properly?

In addition, the child lost both parents at a young age and was only cared for by his grandfather. However, despite the close relationship between grandparents and grandchildren, there were many things that the grandfather simply could not handle, and the child was also insecure and sensitive.

So the more you try to take care of it, the more deadlocked it becomes, a one-track mind blocking both ends.

"Has the child's identity been verified?"

"He's from an orphanage, but he moved out a month ago and has been living alone. According to the information we've gathered, he's had several interactions with Uchiha Fugaku from the police department. He used to be just an ordinary student, but recently he's become quite well-known at the Ninja Academy."

"Orphanage..."

Hinata Arashi's eyes were gleaming.

The dark implications of the orphanage are known to all ninja clans. Logically, ninja clans should avoid interacting with it to prevent attracting the dark attention of Konoha.

But then again...

The restoration of the Hyuga clan was not a secret among the upper echelons. Allowing the branch family to join, given that the main family could not possibly join the darkness, was less a persecution of the Hyuga clan and more a disgusting act, and the disgusting one was himself.

"Give that child some money under the guise of financial aid, not too much at first, and don't reveal your identity. You can handle the rest."

"Yes."

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Chapter 5 Roadblocks on the Way to School

That night, a typical detached house was lit up with a gentle light.

Isogen lay on the sofa, flipping through the medical books he had bought with his stipend.

The enhanced Yin attribute works tirelessly at this moment, constantly generating new inspiration by combining it with the knowledge learned from books.

For example, making laxatives.

He was an orphan, but an orphan disguised as a member of a hero's family.

After his parents died, he inherited the estates of his two relatives and then moved into an orphanage.

There was no other way; he was only a few years old at the time, and we couldn't expect a child who wasn't even as tall as a platform to take care of himself.

Fortunately, the orphanage does not restrict entry conditions; any orphan can enter regardless of their reason.

As for worrying about being targeted by Danzo, the founder of Konoha.

Wu Shixian laughed.

Do you really think people will accept anyone? Someone like him, with no family background and no special talents, who is just an ordinary product with nothing special except for his good looks, is definitely a waste of food in Danzo's eyes.

If Danzo were to come knocking on his door, all he could say was, "You old man have quite the appetite."

Relying on his mature mindset from his previous life, he stumbled and struggled, growing up like a weed stubbornly sticking out from the cracks and corners of a wall, and eventually entered the Ninja Academy.

"My body has grown enough, I can try practicing ninjutsu now."

Fifty Strings planned the next step.

In this life, both of his parents were ninjas, one a chunin and the other a genin. They were still ninjas, and among their belongings were an inheritance, a stipend, and several scrolls of ninjutsu.

He has only practiced physical techniques so far.

At first, he also planned to target ninjutsu, since the most impressive thing in this world is all kinds of world-destroying ninjutsu.

Then he got to work, and then... nothing happened.

It's the same principle as having a top-tier cultivation technique from your past life openly available online for people to view, yet still making 99% of people sleepy.

In a situation where there is no mentor, no talent, and no background, the only option for someone to learn the ninjutsu on the ninjutsu scroll on their own is to elevate their pillow when sleeping at night.

In fact, ordinary students who graduate from the Ninja Academy basically only master the Three Body Techniques and basic ninja skills.

In peacetime, one can slowly grow stronger by pleasing the ninja leader; in times of war, it all depends on skill and cunning.

If one could become a strong person simply through unwavering will and hard work, then all the ninja academy students who officially graduate as genin would be flying in the sky.

It is now the 37th year of Konoha, the Second Shinobi World War has come to an end, and undercurrents are still flowing between the major ninja villages, creating a turbulent and unpredictable situation. At least the most chaotic period has come to an end.

According to the original timeline, the next full-scale ninja war will break out between 48 and 50. The relatively peaceful period of about ten years is enough for me to spread the will of conquest to most of the ninja world.

The premise is to survive.

'It's a pity I was worried about something unexpected and didn't dare to ask Dean Nonou about my interest in studying with her. I wonder how she's doing now.'

With regret for the missed developmental opportunities and worry for Yakushi Nonou, Isogen's mind gradually sank into the vast sea of ​​books until he became delirious.

Oh right, now that I'm physically fit, I can try out my old ideas once the funding arrives.

……

The next morning, the sky was bright and clear.

Fifty-stringed arias, still full of energy, chewed on a loaf of bread, his eyes scanning the path to school, looking for someone to choose from.

"That won't work; I just used willpower on that two days ago."

"That won't do; he looks like an old man about to graduate."

"Um... I haven't seen him much, let me ask around."

A mental storm raged, and Isogen suddenly twisted his body to dodge the hand that almost slapped his shoulder.

"Your reactions have gotten faster, Yu Ge."

A bright, cheerful laugh, tinged with a hint of surprise, appeared.

"Minato, you actually went to school with me today?"

The future fourth generation Minato is about to graduate.

Minato Namikaze's attention was drawn back, and he smiled broadly: "I got so engrossed in thinking about a problem related to ninjutsu yesterday, but seeing you puts my mind at ease."

As Isogen's best friend, he knew very well his friend's timing skills. He was a 'terrifying presence' who would step into the classroom a second before the bell rang, leaving the homeroom teacher watching him intently but helplessly.

"When are you planning to graduate?" Isogen asked casually.

"It should be soon. Graduating sooner will allow me to contribute to the village sooner," Minato said with a smile.

The Second Shinobi World War was a brutal war, with many powerful figures, including Kato Dan of Konoha and the son and daughter-in-law of Granny Chiyo of Sunagakure, falling to their deaths. The major ninja villages suffered heavy losses and are now licking their wounds and recovering their strength.

Konoha suffered equally great losses, a fact that Minato Namikaze could discern from everyday details, which is why he wanted to graduate early to contribute his strength to the village.

Moreover, he not only wanted to graduate early himself, but also wanted to take Isogen with him to graduate with him.

I feel helpless about this fifty strings.

What do people do after graduation?

Cannon fodder?

Only those within the family know their own situation. In Minato Namikaze's view, his rapid progress over the past month was simply due to his previous concealment of his abilities. However, Isogen was very clear-headed. If both of them had data panels, his current paper stats and yin-yang attributes might look similar to Minato Namikaze's.

But that was the level of normal development for Minato Namikaze as a commoner genius; he embarked on a different, more promising path.

Compared to wandering around the still chaotic ninja world, where he might be slaughtered by one or two powerful rogue ninjas from some unknown corner of the world, the peaceful life of Konoha suited him better.

Minato Namikaze is a hero unit in development; he is a late-game talent-type player who hasn't fully developed yet.

Seeing that Ichigen didn't want to delve deeper into this topic, Minato Namikaze sensibly didn't bring it up again.

Although he didn't understand why Isogen had such strong physical skills that he had never shown them before, Little Sun knew the boundaries.

Secondly, he didn't want to suddenly develop a 'serious illness' in his sleep one day, and not even be able to finish a roll of tissues, only to helplessly reach out a hesitant hand to the person across the hall while shedding physiological tears.

Just then.

"Hey, stop right there!"

The sudden provocation shattered the peaceful atmosphere on the way to school.

A ninja academy student who looked more mature but was indeed an upperclassman blocked their way, looking at Igarashi with hostility.

"So you're the one who bullied my brother?"

younger brother?!

The fifty strings of my fingers instinctively straightened, but after a quick glance, they relaxed again.