Shisui happily chomped away at the secret-recipe grilled fish Seiji had made for him.
For the little prodigy of the Uchiha, today had been his first taste of being thoroughly beaten down—but his older brother's heartfelt care drowned out the sting of defeat. For Shisui, family love was far more intoxicating than pain.
"Brat."
The voice of Tobirama Senju slid into Seiji's ear."I know you can hear me. You and this Shisui kid… you're both Kagami's descendants, aren't you?"
Seiji's ear twitched. Still smiling at Shisui's delight, he chuckled back at the Second Hokage inside him:"Oh? So the Hokage who betrayed the Will of Fire finally speaks. Weren't you the one bragging you could tell an Uchiha at a glance?"
He smirked."Guess away, then."
Tobirama's eyes narrowed, teeth grinding audibly.
Shisui's face was practically a carbon copy of Uchiha Kagami's.But Seiji? Even among the Uchihas, his looks were almost unfair. Too sharp, too striking—he didn't quite match Kagami's bloodline features.
"Hmph. Then let me be direct," Tobirama finally said, with rare sincerity in his voice."Since you are Kagami's descendant, I want you to inherit his will. He was the only Uchiha I ever acknowledged. If you'd told me sooner, perhaps our quarrels could have been avoided. Don't stray from the right path, boy. If you're wrestling with the village-Uchiha conflict, I can advise you."
Seiji's smile turned razor-sharp."Tobirama Senju giving the Uchiha advice? That's like a weasel volunteering to babysit chickens. You planning to help us… or just speed up our extinction?"
His projection appeared before Tobirama, finger raised, silencing the man's voice. Only then did Seiji continue, calm but biting:"I've figured something out since our first little spat. The Will of Fire itself isn't the problem. The problem is the people enforcing it."
"You. Sarutobi Hiruzen. Shimura Danzō. You clutched the right to interpret the Will of Fire in your own hands and used it as a blade to smear your enemies. The Uchiha, once Konoha's greatest contributors, now treated like lepers in their own village. A weapon indeed."
Tobirama glared silently, eyes like ice, his denial written all over his face.
"Watch carefully," Seiji went on. "That same Will of Fire, when monopolized by a few, won't just burn the Uchiha. It'll scorch the very civilians you swore to protect. Do you believe that, Tobirama? Care to bet on it? It won't be long before it happens."
With a snap of his fingers, Seiji restored Tobirama's voice.
"Don't underestimate people, brat," Tobirama growled, folding his arms, posture ironclad."Impossible. The Will of Fire is Konoha's guiding principle. As the Hokage leads, every shinobi of that lineage follows it to the grave. Just as I once stayed behind to cover my comrades, my students will sacrifice themselves for the village's future. They'd never harm it."
Seiji laughed softly, lifting a single finger."Then let's gamble. Two years. If nothing happens as I said, I'll grant you any request."
"But if I'm right… you'll kneel. Dogeza. You'll apologize and repent for your crimes."
This time, Tobirama—the cold, calculating Second Hokage—answered without hesitation."Fine, brat. Be a man and keep your word."
"You too, Lord Second."
When their conversation ended, Seiji sent Shisui off to bathe and sleep. Then he cut Tobirama's live feed, stretched out on his bed, and thought.
The system's "bonus period" was almost over. His opening act—binding Tobirama's soul, provoking him with sharp words—had run its course. The Second Hokage had calmed, adjusted, and accepted reality.
Even when Seiji flaunted his water-style and genjutsu talent, so uncannily similar to Tobirama's own, the rewards were scraps at best. The trick wouldn't work anymore.
He remembered the Water Dragon Fang he'd unleashed on Shisui. That had been to shock the boy, yes—but more importantly, to stir Tobirama's emotions. The system had rewarded him through Shisui, but Tobirama? Nothing.
So, that path was closed. He'd need a new strategy.
"Heh. As expected of Tobirama Senju. But every fortress, no matter how strong, falls from within…"
Seiji's eyes gleamed. That bet wasn't for nothing. At this point in time, Sakumo Hatake was still alive.
Seiji could hardly wait. When Tobirama saw his beloved student hounded to death by public opinion—forced into suicide despite being the Leaf's White Fang—the look on his face would be priceless. The system's reward? Even richer.
"Shisui's only six. He's not much use to me yet. Better set him aside…"
No—what he needed were new targets.
Among his peers, only a handful were worth attention: Uchiha Obito, Hatake Kakashi, Might Guy.
Sarutobi Asuma, Ebisu, Genma Shiranui? Not even worth the trouble.
But if he looked upward, the Leaf right now was a treasure trove.
Minato Namikaze. Kushina Uzumaki. Tsunade. Orochimaru. Jiraiya. Sakumo Hatake. Fugaku Uchiha. Hiruzen Sarutobi. Danzō Shimura…
Nearly ten Kage-level shinobi in one village, not to mention countless elite jōnin!A golden age. The village was ablaze with brilliance, poised to dominate the shinobi world.
And yet, within a few short years, all those pillars of Konoha would crumble—dead in battle, driven to suicide, defectors, exiles. Only Danzō and Hiruzen would remain, like puppets with no strings, mumbling their duet on Konoha's hollow stage.
Seiji had no interest in rewriting their fates. He only cared who among them could become his next sparring partner—his next tether.
In the shinobi world, he trusted no one but himself. Not even Shisui. True power meant never needing to lean on others.
These Kage-level shinobi weren't just valuable for their techniques and strength as potential rewards. Many of them could stir emotions in Tobirama—chipping away at the Second Hokage's calm.
To get their attention, Seiji needed two cards.
First, undeniable strength and talent.Second, a version of the Will of Fire worth remembering.