Where the leaves dance, the fire burns ever brighter.
Rihito Sato flipped curiously through the book in his hands, The First Hokage and the Will of Fire. It recounted the cruelty of the Warring States era and how the First Hokage brought peace to the world. Uchiha Madara was mentioned only in passing, depicted as little more than an irrelevant figure casually defeated by Hashirama.
Was this Tobirama's work? Rihito mused. Even at this stage, were they already erasing Madara's influence? Clearly, the goal was to subtly mold the Uchiha clan's thinking.
This history book was stuffed with bias. Scheming Tobirama, Rihito thought with a smirk.
He read on. Soon the text devolved into platitudes: Konoha is one family, sacrifice the small self for the greater whole, the sacrifices of the old illuminate the road for the young. The message was clear, village above the individual, always. To be a shinobi was to sacrifice oneself for comrades and the next generation.
No wonder Hashirama's final resolve when killing Madara had been, "No matter who it is, if they threaten the village, I won't show mercy."
But then came the question: who defined the village? Who defined the individual?
Without concrete guidelines for action, the Will of Fire was little more than lofty rhetoric. With constant war, it was no surprise their political theory and cultural education lagged behind.
The academy distributed all textbooks at once, from first through sixth year. In theory, a genius with the talent to self-study could graduate in a single year.
Aside from ideological works like The Will of Fire, the rest were practical shinobi manuals: Chakra Analysis, A Brief Discussion of Genjutsu, The Basics of the Three Techniques, An Introduction to Seals, The Twelve Hand Signs, Mathematics and Ninja Tools, Common Poisons, Codes and Concealment…
Thanks to the system, when Rihito opened a textbook it was as though he'd clicked on a skill book in a game. A translucent interface spread before his eyes.
Chakra Analysis , Progress 7%… 14%… 28%… 100%. System learning complete: You can now use chakra for basic offense and defense.
A Brief Discussion of Genjutsu , Progress 7%… 36%… 67%… 100%. System learning complete: You have mastered basic visual genjutsu, able to slightly alter the surrounding environment.
An Introduction to Seals , Progress 8%… 46%… 87%… 100%. System learning complete: You have mastered beginner-level sealing techniques, able to temporarily seal an opponent's chakra.
One round of books later, Rihito had absorbed everything. Under the system's power, knowledge carved itself into his mind, instantly mastered. In the blink of an eye, he'd become the equivalent of a fully trained genin. In terms of knowledge, he could already apply for graduation.
His fingers trembled slightly as he thought, If only I'd had a system back in my school days! Just flipping through a book would've been enough, the system doing all the hard work. Getting into a top tier university would've been a breeze.
Programmers, med students, and law students would all cry tears of blood. With a system, goodbye bald heads and endless cramming!
As Rihito devoured textbooks, Tsunade frowned beside him. Her pretty face was full of doubt as she tilted her head.
From her perspective, Rihito was flipping pages at lightning speed, barely letting her glimpse the contents before moving on. Yet he wore a thoughtful look, as though genuinely absorbing the material.
He's faking, right? No one can read like that…
But Tsunade's instincts told her Rihito wasn't the type to put on a show just to impress a girl.
Curiosity won out. She pressed her hand down on his, stopping the page mid-turn.
Rihito blinked, baffled, turning his head toward her with a giant question mark practically floating over him.
"You really understood that?" Tsunade asked earnestly.
"What else would I be doing?" Rihito shot back.
Not convinced, Tsunade snatched the book from his hands. If he was bluffing, she would expose him. Rihito only shrugged, signaling he didn't mind.
"What does the Rat hand sign represent in ninjutsu?"
Facing him directly, her brown eyes searched his expression.
"The Rat sign marks the beginning. It's tied to Water Release, symbolizing stillness before a sudden surge."
Rihito formed the sign, two fingers raised like a sword, the other hand covering them like claws, and smiled.
"And the Ram sign?" Tsunade narrowed her eyes.
"The Ram represents the soul, linked to genjutsu. Most illusion techniques use it."
Rihito shaped the Ram sign. Chakra shimmered, and a simple genjutsu spread over him, his appearance now haloed with radiant filters, his features glowing faintly.
"And the Dog sign?" Tsunade pressed further.
"The Dog stands for permanence and sealing. Nearly all sealing techniques end with it."
Rihito formed the Dog sign, pressing his palm gently against Tsunade's shoulder.
Her body went rigid, chakra flow cut off. For a breath she panicked, paralyzed, powerless, before her energy returned in the next instant.
A sealing technique? He learned it just by reading?
Tsunade's breath caught. With a huff, she tossed the book back on the desk.
"Forget it. No fun."
It was impossible to trip him up. The boy was the real deal.
So Rihito was a genuine prodigy. The weight on Tsunade's shoulders grew heavier.
As the granddaughter of the First Hokage, the entire Senju clan expected her to protect Konoha's future. Other clans watched her too, waiting to see what she would become.
And yet, on the very first day, she'd been paired with this monster as a desk mate. Tsunade felt her stomach twist.
Fine. If I can't beat him in theory, there's always combat class. He might be a genius, but as a civilian he shouldn't know any advanced jutsu. That'll be my chance to win.
She clenched her tiny fists beneath the desk, steeling her resolve.
Rihito, on the other hand, stared nervously at her fists, half-afraid she might throw one at him.
He had a vivid impression of Tsunade's monstrous strength. In the original story, Jiraiya admitted she once punched him over a hundred meters for peeping.
Rihito decided then and there: never make her angry. He didn't have Jiraiya's thick skin. With his fragile stats, one punch from Tsunade and she'd be begging him not to die.
<150 P.S = 1 Extra Chapter>