บท 23: What is the Will of Fire
Sigh!
With a barely perceptible sigh, Asuka walked down the clan's street, rubbing his greasy stomach. The morning vitality had vanished almost completely.
Although he had eight-pack abs and no excess fat, and despite looking like he had nothing to do with the term "greasy," the eggs this morning were just too oily.
He now felt like his stomach was a deep fryer, with gastric juices boiling and frying the remaining food.
"Good morning, Asuka-sama!"
"Morning!"
"Hey, little Asuka, do you want some cucumbers? Looking at the oil on your face, you must have been eating a lot of greasy food recently. Auntie has some very large cucumbers today, and I can give them to you for a discount."
"This is sweat, sweat from the morning exercise.
Also, the cucumbers here don't look naturally grown; they look like they've been soaked in water and swollen.
After a while, I'll suggest to the Clan Head that we organize a matchmaking event in the clan. Auntie, stop messing with cucumbers in the early hours of the morning; it's quite exhausting."
"Asuka-nii, do you want some candy?"
"There's your saliva on the candy. Clean it first."
"I've licked it."
"There's still saliva on it. Put it in your mouth and lick it."
"I've licked it."
"There's definitely still some."
Seeing Asuka teasing the child like a fool, Yugao, who was following behind, involuntarily rolled her eyes.
This sensei was quite different from the cold aloof Uchiha she had imagined. Not to mention that sensei's appearance was top-notch in the village, even his temperament was at the highest level in the village.
He seems even more normal than a typical person.
At 180cm (5.9 foot) tall, he is indeed very tall even within the entire Konoha village. her current height was 165 cm (5.4 foot), rounding up to 170 cm (5.57 foot) and with some tiptoeing, could reach 175 cm (5.7 foot), finds the difference between 175 and 180 cm negligible.
After calculating that her height is almost the same as sensei's, Uzuki Yugao let out a small sigh of relief. The last bit of pressure she felt from Asuka was completely eliminated by rounding up.
Looking at his casual clothes, the genuine smile on his face, and the bloody tooth in his hand, it really does seem like he's not like a typical Uchiha.
She wondered who gave sensei the "darkened" codename; it was a complete misrepresentation.
"Tsk, tsk, I told you kids shouldn't eat candy. Did you lose a tooth?"
Seeing the child about to cry, he quickly summoned a family bucket and stuffed it into the little kid's arms, sighing.
"Did nothing in the morning and ended up giving away a family bucket."
Seeing this, Uzuki Yugao's lips curled up, her eyes turn into crescent shapes as she smiled.
"Sensei, you really are different from them."
Asuka stood up, stretched his thighs, and glanced at the smiling Yugao before explaining.
"Actually, there isn't much difference.
Uchiha clan members, like ordinary people, can cry, make noise, and laugh. But after they lose certain things, their smiles gradually decrease.
An ordinary person's smile will diminish by half once they become a Genin, and will lose the other half when they become a Chunin. By the time they become a Jonin, they almost lose the ability to smile."
"So, Sensei, what about you?"
Yugao looked at Asuka with curiosity. She had just reviewed her memories and found that, as her sensei said, Uchiha people's smiles decrease as their strength increases. But since her sensei was already a Jonin, why was his personality so different from others in the Uchiha clan?
"Me!"
Asuka looked around at the passing clan members and lowered his voice.
"Mainly, I just got numb. The first time I went to the battlefield, I was completely numbed by it. Corpses in various poses were scattered across the plains, flies everywhere, and I was even assigned to a corpse collection team.
Later, as I saw familiar comrades dying one after another on the battlefield, although my strength didn't improve much, my thoughts were uplifted.
In simple terms, I understood life better."
???
Uzuki Yugao stared blankly at Asuka. She opened her mouth to say something but didn't know what to say.
From what sensei meant, was he scared when he went to the battlefield for the first time?
Then, after seeing too many scenes, did he become numb?
And after the numbness wore off, did he develop in another direction?
Thinking about the village legends of Uchiha Clan's powerful members having unstable mental states, she couldn't help but fall into deep thought about her sensei, who seemed "mentally super normal."
Should she believe the legend that has been circulating in the village for decades or trust her sensei's word?
"Stop daydreaming and come with me to broaden your horizons."
Asuka waved to Yugao behind him and then turned to head towards the square in the center of the clan's area.
"Coming."
After replying, she jogged a few steps and closely followed Asuka.
She wondered what the sensei wants her to see when he says he will take her there to broaden her horizons..
When she reached the center of the Uchiha Clan Compound, she was instantly stunned.
Before her stood three enormous statues in the middle of the vast and grand square.
The central statue was familiar to her; it was the Uchiha clan's emblem.
To the right of the emblem was a statue of a fan??
And what was the statue to the left of the emblem??
Looking at the statue that resembled a war god and the Sharingan in its eye sockets, Yugao jogged up to Asuka, panting heavily.
"Sensei, what is that tall war god statue?"
War god??
Asuka blinked in confusion, then followed her finger to the statue on the far left, and realized.
"Oh, you're talking about that one. That statue represents a crucial force during the Warring States period that could stand against the Senju Clan. Some powerful Uchiha clan members could forcefully manifest a huge chakra into this imposing war god for battle, even at the cost of their eyesight."
"Then sensei, can you do that?"
"No!"
Asuka shook his head decisively. Even if he could use it, he wouldn't do so lightly.
Don't ask why; the answer is he has no brothers and his eyes are prone to blindness.
To be honest, one of the reasons why those transmigrators want to become Uchiha Clan members and awaken Susanoo is at least 70% due to this factor.
"Let's go!"
Waving to the wandering Yugao, Asuka led her straight to the northeast corner of the square, stopping in front of an old-fashioned building.
"This is..."
Looking up at the house that seemed older than her grandfather, she turned her gaze to Asuka with a look of confusion in her eyes.
"This is the Uchiha Clan's clan academy. Before the Academy was established, children in the clan would learn Ninjutsu here. Later, when the Second Hokage established the Academy, children of the appropriate age would go to the Academy for village training. Those who were not yet of Academy age would still come here to receive some education, to cultivate their sense of belonging to the family.
For example, Uchiha Clan's history, glory, and so on."
"Sensei, you still teach at the clan academy?"
"I'm temporarily filling in for a while. The old man who used to teach the cultural subjects got sick a few days ago, became dizzy and unstable, and after being ridiculed by the elders, they ended up fighting. Now he's in the hospital."
After saying this, Asuka opened the door and led Yugao to sit at the podium, quietly waiting for the clan children to arrive.
Asuka took out his copy of Ninja Academy Will of Fire Course Details and placed it on the desk.
This book was a special gift from the system, containing annotations and insights from various Ninja Academy senseis. Memorizing it would completely remove Danzo's surveillance.
In other words, those who memorized this book would catch Sarutobi Hiruzen's attention and gain some recognition.
However, who studies early in the morning?
After flipping through a few pages, Asuka set the book aside. After so many years of schooling in his past life, morning reading and running were simply inhumane; not only were they exhausting, but having to memorize a bunch of stuff during morning runs was pure torment.
After the children had clocked in at the classroom, Asuka checked the time, stood up, and said, "It's not even seven yet. Follow me."
He then pushed open the classroom door and led the group of children to the three stone monuments in the center of the square.
Breathing in the fresh air outside and glancing back at the old academy classroom, Asuka muttered discontentedly.
"Has the Clan Head embezzled all the money? This classroom has been used for over fifty years; it smells musty as soon as you enter."
"Asuka-sensei, is there still that chicken?"
Chicken??
Seeing the eager expressions on the Uchiha children's faces, Uzuki Yugao looked at her sensei with confusion and asked, "What chicken?"
As soon as she asked, she saw Asuka perfunctorily form a few hand seals and slap the ground, and a cloud of white mist appeared instantly.
When the mist cleared, more than twenty buckets of fried chicken suddenly appeared on the ground.
At this moment, sensei handed one of the buckets to her and asked, "Yugao, would you like a serving?"
"No, no thanks."
Uzuki Yugao quickly waved her hand, her face turning pale.
Looking at the familiar red paper bucket and white lid, she felt a tightening in her stomach and instinctively took a couple of steps back.
Since the last time she ate this, she hadn't touched fried food at all.
Feeling nauseous and needing to use the restroom.
Smack! Smack!
Asuka clapped his hands to draw the attention of the three- and four-year-olds and began speaking.
"Last time, I finished talking about the history of Konoha's founding and the origin of its name. Today, I plan to explain to you the core spirit of Konoha, which is the so-called Will of Fire.
While you eat, listen to what I'm going to tell you."
In an era when entertainment for children is scarce, there is nothing better than listening to stories. The knowledge in textbooks is so dull and boring that even adults dislike it, let alone children.
Asuka then picked up a piece of chicken, took a couple of bites, and continued.
"The Will of Fire can be traced back to the intentions of Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara. Before Konoha was founded, there was no such concept as the Will of Fire. After they became friends, Senju Hashirama proposed establishing a village to protect children and keep them away from war. Uchiha Madara, believing that this would better protect his own people's children, agreed with his idea."
"So, the Will of Fire in Konoha can be simply summarized as protecting the future generations."
Hmm~ hmm~
As the children ate with their mouths full of oil, they listened attentively to Asuka's explanation of the Will of Fire.
Though the people in the ninja world mature early, and they might not fully understand the deeper meanings of what their sensei is saying, they can grasp the surface meaning.
"Later on, as the situation developed, the Will of Fire gradually evolved, but it has always remained centered on the idea of [protecting future generations]."
As he spoke, he noticed Uchiha Itachi's solitary figure appearing on the other side of the square, as if waiting for someone.
It's said that this guy, starting from age two, was somewhat of a loner, not playing with children of the same age by age three, and began following his father to the battlefield at age four, contemplating the meaning of life.
Indeed, quite precocious.
When he was four, Asuka was still playing Ninja Wars with other children his age.
"Little Clan Head!"
Asuka waved at Uchiha Itachi and, seeing him look up at him, shouted,
"Little Clan Head, what is your Will of Fire?"
Upon hearing this, Itachi showed a hint of surprise in his eyes. He looked at the smiling Asuka, thought for a moment, and then recited the knowledge he had read from a book.
"In the place where Konoha dances, the fire also continues endlessly. The firelight will continue to illuminate the village and make the new leaves sprout."
[Alright, go play somewhere else. How old are you to want to burn yourself? You must want to burn us.]
Asuka waved his hand dismissively, then looked down at the children and said in a low voice,
"That's nonsense. Don't listen to him. What he just said is the Lord Third's Will of Fire and has nothing to do with us."
"Asuka-nii!"
At this moment, a childish voice suddenly came from the crowd. A little girl stood up, wiggling her fingers and mumbled.
"But I heard my older brother say that his Will of Fire is also this."
"No! No!"
Asuka shook his head, his gaze unintentionally looking towards the Kannabi Bridge, and continued,
"Lord Third's Will of Fire is his Will of Fire, not yours, and not Uchiha Madara's Will of Fire. Each of us needs to have our own Will of Fire."
???
Now, not only the children did not understand, but even Uzuki Yugao, who was eavesdropping, was confused.
Does the Will of Fire differ by person??
What about the Will of Fire promoted in Lord Third's Ninja Academy graduation speech??
"Ah!"
Asuka sighed lightly, then placed his hands behind his back and looked at the group with a serious expression, saying earnestly,
"Uchiha Madara's Will of Fire, you can understand as the Will of Fire that rules the ninja world."
"He once sought to unify the ninja world through military force to secure a lasting peace for future generations.
Senju Hashirama's Will of Fire, you can understand as the Will of Fire that balances the ninja world. He aimed to balance the military power between the villages by distributing Tailed Beasts, making the major ninja villages wary of each other to prevent wars.
Senju Tobirama's Will of Fire, you can understand as the Will of Fire that strives to make Konoha great again. He founded the Ninja Academy, developed Ninjutsu, and took measures to weaken the clans to unify Konoha and make it the most powerful village in the ninja world, protecting future generations from the troubles of war.
As for the Third Hokage and the Fourth Hokage, let's not discuss them for now.
Personally, I agree more with Uchiha Madara. Only unification can bring lasting peace."
"Asuka-nii, what is our Will of Fire?"
Looking at the little boy who spoke, Asuka shrugged and said casually.
"Our Uchiha are the founders of the Will of Fire. As long as you don't stray from the core principle of [protecting future generations], your Will of Fire can take many forms.
Your Will of Fire can be absolute, willing to go to any lengths to eliminate potential threats. Some of our Konoha Elders play it like this, but their personal desires often cloud their intentions, making their Will of Fire less pure and eventually leading to their downfall.
Your Will of Fire can also be laid-back, where you work diligently while on duty and relax and enjoy yourself during off-hours. It can be said that the laziest person might end up with the most relaxed outcome, but this doesn't deny that they are also making their own effort to protect future generations.
So, you don't need to forcefully adopt someone else's Will of Fire. If you feel that your current Will of Fire doesn't suit you or causes you distress, then look at others' Will of Fire and take some inspiration."
"We study the Will of Fire to protect our descendants, not to sacrifice our clan and future generations because of some people's decisions.
Look at the comrades around you; these are the people you need to protect with the Will of Fire.
To sacrifice one's own family for the greater good is the act of a sage.
To sacrifice one's entire family for the greater good is the act of a great sage.
To sacrifice an entire clan and even desecrate ancestral graves for the greater good is the act of a fool."
Glancing deliberately at Itachi, who had left with Uchiha Shisui, Asuka sneered inwardly.
From now on, he needs to instill some concepts in the younger generation of the clan to prevent future traitors from emerging among them.
He also needs to educate them about resisting moral coercion and the topic of "love" as portrayed in the Hokage.
Soon, he will also discuss the issue of whether the Clan Head should get a divorce.
"Education is of utmost importance and must start from a young age.
Asuka looked down at the confused children, his lips twitching slightly as he decided to change his approach.
He then raised his hands and shouted.
'Fools don't get a bucket.'
Instantly, the bewildered children below became excited, raising their chicken wings and shouting in their high-pitched voices.
'Bucket!'
'Bucket!'
'Fools don't get a bucket.'
'Bucket!'
'Bucket!'
'Clan Head gets a divorce and eats a bucket.'
'Bucket!'
'Bucket!'
Daylight will always have its blind spots. For example, underground.
In a certain underground cave in the Land of Grass, a candlelight flickered on the nearby stone wall, bringing a glimmer of light to the dark cave.
'Madara-sama.'
'Why did you wake me up again this time?'
A deep and aged voice echoed through the cave.
"Madara-sama, there is more news about you."
Huff!
Taking a deep breath, Madara slowly opened his eyes. After his eyes roamed for a while, he took the intelligence report from White Zetsu.
The time he spent waking up was getting longer each time. He wondered when he might fall into a sleep from which he would never awaken.
Only a little over four months left to live?
Looking down at the report in his hand.
Hmm?
Madara blinked in disbelief, and after the Sharingan rolled around in his eye socket a few times, he looked at the note again.
The note claimed that he, the old man, was going to rule the ninja world, hoping for eternal peace?
"Ha~ ha~ ha~ ha~, it's a pity Hashirama doesn't agree with me. He always insists on the ninja villages... cough~ cough~"
After the wild laughter, Uchiha Madara began to cough violently. Clutching the report tightly with one hand, he gazed deeply at the location of Konoha.
[If that idiot Hashirama were to see the current ninja world and Konoha, I wonder if he would agree with my ideas.]
Folding the note, he looked at the grinning White Zetsu and instructed:
"Gather intelligence on Uchiha Asuka."
"Huh?"
White Zetsu scratched his head, confused.
"Didn't we gather information on potential replacements for Madara-sama when he left? You said he was a disgrace to the Uchiha and burned that person's information."
???
Uchiha Madara tilted his head and glanced at White Zetsu. His usually expressionless face showed a hint of bewilderment.
Did he actually overlook an Uchiha who suited his tastes? Has Hashirama's cells made his brain as foolish as Hashirama's?
Just as Uchiha Madara was doubting the cells, another White Zetsu appeared on the ground beside him, speaking in a high-pitched voice.
"Madara-sama, don't worry about that idiot. When we were gathering intelligence, Uchiha Asuka was training in Medical Ninjutsu."
Oh.
Hearing this, Madara immediately remembered. That guy seemed to be the only one in the Uchiha clan who was both a combat-type Jonin and a Medical Jonin. With that much extra energy, his Mangekyo Sharingan would have awakened long ago.
Then, he darkly looked towards Konoha, his tone suddenly becoming cold.
"I said there's no way I could be influenced by that idiot Hashirama."
ps: The two chapters are combined, so they won't be separated.
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