"Good, Asuma."
Uchiha Seiji laughed from the heart, his smile full of appreciation. "Because honestly, I was thinking the exact same thing."
He leaned forward slightly, eyes glinting. "So tell me—what do you think Konoha's higher-ups would actually do if faced with the situation I just described?"
Seiji had never intended to give Asuma a straight answer. Instead, he asked guiding questions, steering him step by step. This way, whatever conclusion Asuma reached wouldn't feel forced on him—it would be his own. And because of that, it would sink deeper, hit harder, and stick.
"I… I don't know!"
Asuma frowned, unease flashing in his eyes.
Would Konoha's leadership really reject a peace deal if it meant sacrificing some of their own shinobi?
Deep down, Asuma already knew the answer. But the thought clashed violently with who he was—the Hokage's son. That ugly possibility was too much. A village like that… was nothing like the Konoha he believed in.
Forget the so-called Will of Fire—if that were true, Konoha would be nothing more than a machine that fed its own children to the flames. A village where anyone could be condemned with the Will of Fire branded on their head… and then sent off to die.
Seiji watched Asuma's panic with quiet amusement, but his words came soft, almost comforting.
"Asuma, I don't know the answer either. The future hasn't happened yet. We can guess, sure, but we can't claim certainty."
He tilted his head slightly, his gaze sharp. "But if just imagining it unsettles you, that means you're already dissatisfied with the way things are."
"In this world, if you want to change something? Having the right ideas is only second place. What really matters is strength—the kind that makes the worms too scared to open their mouths."
Seiji tugged lightly at Asuma's sleeve, noticing the scorch marks. "You've been training fire chakra transformation, haven't you?"
Asuma scratched his head, embarrassed. "Yeah… that's right. The Sarutobi clan's specialty is fire release."
Seiji nodded knowingly, then raised a single finger.
A crimson flame curled up from his fingertip, dancing through the air like a living thing.
Asuma's eyes widened, locked on the fire. This wasn't basic chakra control—it was the advanced form of fire-nature transformation!
"Seiji, you're not only a master with water chakra, you've got fire down too?" Asuma's voice was full of admiration, before he smacked his own forehead. "Right… Uchiha."
Seiji chuckled and shook his head. Then, with a few taps of his fingers, more flames flickered into being, each one small and playful.
Asuma gawked as the tiny flames swirled together. In an instant, the scattered sparks merged into a roaring fire dragon, coiling in the sky and bellowing with life.
It circled Seiji's head, its gaze regal yet strangely gentle as it stared at Asuma.
"Asuma, I'm grateful," Seiji said softly, his face warmed by the firelight. "Grateful you were honest with me today. In a stifling village like this, finding someone who sees the world the way I do… is rare."
"But like I've said, if we want the village to change, strength has to come first."
His Sharingan spun open, its scarlet glow softened by the fire. "If you trust me, relax. Let me use these eyes to draw out your potential."
Asuma stared into Seiji's gaze, stunned. "This… this is the Sharingan? It's nothing like the stories…"
He felt the warmth of Seiji's chakra wrapping around him, and nodded fiercely. "Do it, Seiji!"
The tomoe whirled violently.
Inside the genjutsu, Asuma became Seiji. He raised his hand, summoning little flames, watching them grow, gather, and merge into a great fire dragon that blazed against the darkness.
He felt himself in those flames—like a small spark pushing to become something greater, something radiant.
When he finally opened his eyes, Seiji was standing there with a dragon swirling calmly in his palm.
"Asuma—catch."
Without thinking, Asuma reached out. The fire dragon lunged into his hand, and he almost yelped in shock before hearing Seiji's steady voice.
"Trust yourself. You can do this."
The lingering warmth of the genjutsu flared back in his memory. Gritting his teeth, Asuma forced his hand forward—
—while Seiji subtly adjusted the chakra flow.
"I did it! Seiji, I did it!" Asuma shouted, face shining with joy. At the end of the day, no matter the heavy thoughts rattling in his head, he was still an eight-year-old kid. To hold power like this—it was everything. His respect for Seiji soared higher than ever.
Forget Sarutobi clan tutors. None of them compared to Seiji.
Seiji watched the boy bouncing with excitement, chuckling as he dismissed the dragon and folded his hands.
"Asuma… a lot of things in life look impossible. But if we want change, we have to at least dare to try."
He looked Asuma dead in the eye. "Right now, we're just academy brats. Changing the whole village? Nearly impossible. But just because something's hard doesn't mean it shouldn't be done."
Asuma grew solemn, nodding firmly. "I get it now, Seiji. Honestly, I've even thought about running away… becoming a missing-nin, just to escape this mess I can't stand or fix. But with you here, I think… I think I've found the courage."
Seiji shook his head gently. "I'm no genius, Asuma. Just stumbling forward, same as you. I misjudge things too. You're my friend, and I need you to remember this: don't take my words as gospel."
He leaned in. "Think for yourself, Asuma. Observe. Question. Seek out what you believe is right."
Asuma froze. The raw honesty hit him harder than any speech about ideals ever could. Warmth and bitterness welled in his chest. In this whole village, only Seiji spoke to him like this.
Seiji extended his hand. "Let's keep pushing forward—together."
Asuma grabbed it without hesitation. "Together, Seiji!"
[Detected: Sarutobi Asuma has developed strong admiration for the host. Binding as Rival Target!]
And as Asuma's emotions spiked, deep in the valley, Madara Uchiha and Tobirama Senju—still lingering in Seiji's body—felt the ripple too…
Another Monday, ORZ.[Detected: Author craving for a long holiday. Fast-forward to vacation!]