The first page wasn't just a "definition" of the Will of Fire.
It was worse.
Shisui's own notes were written all over it—earnest, sincere, almost devout.
Rise above narrow clan-first thinking. Let the Will of Fire cover and guide the Uchiha. Help the clan fully merge into Konoha…
Leon read a few lines and felt like his eyes had been scraped raw.
"No thanks."
He tossed the notebook back like it was contaminated.
Honestly, it was impressive—how Shisui could dress up betrayal in such righteous-sounding words.
If Leon didn't know what the Will of Fire looked like in practice, he might've even been fooled.
Shisui's gaze darkened. A rare flicker of anger passed through his eyes.
Leon didn't care.
"If there's nothing else," he said evenly, "I'm leaving."
"Hmph."
Shisui put the notebook away, expression cooling.
"Lord Third ordered me to assess you for Jōnin promotion."
"If you pass, you'll become an official Jōnin of Konoha… and serve the village."
Leon nodded once. "I see."
So that was it.
Hiruzen still didn't trust him. And Shisui—brilliant as he was—was still being used like a tool.
Leon extended his Observation Haki slightly.
That faint feeling of being watched… returned.
Of course.
The old fox was using the Telescope Technique again.
Shisui inhaled, forcing down irritation.
Even a saint would get annoyed after being brushed off this many times—and Shisui wasn't a saint.
"Fine," he said, voice firm. "We'll go to a training ground."
"No," Leon replied. "Here is fine."
Shisui hesitated and glanced down at the stone beneath their feet—the First Hokage's carved face.
"This is Hokage Rock."
"I know."
Leon's lips curled slightly.
His eyes—still ordinary black—hardened into something sharp enough to cut.
Then—
A subtle buzz.
Pressure rolled off him.
Not the crushing domination of a "king"…
But something that still made the air feel heavy.
Like a beast waking up and stretching.
Shisui's skin prickled.
His muscles tensed instinctively.
Danger.
In Shisui's perception, Leon stopped being "that lazy Police taijutsu guy"—
and became a predator.
A monstrous one.
"How…?"
"Is this really just taijutsu?"
"His presence is getting stronger—fast!"
Hidden around them, the watchers felt it too:
Two Uchiha shinobi. Three Root agents. Three ANBU.
Their eyes widened.
Because Leon's pressure wasn't rising slowly.
It was surging in steps—each second heavier than the last—until it pressed down on their chests and made breathing uncomfortable.
The only reason they didn't collapse was simple:
They were strong enough to endure it.
Konohagakure — Hokage Office
Hiruzen watched through the Crystal Ball, pipe in hand, eyes narrowed.
"So the 'taijutsu specialist' has teeth."
He took a drag and exhaled slowly.
"Let's see whether Shisui can confirm it—whether Leon truly poured everything into taijutsu."
Beside him, Danzō wasn't watching Leon at all.
His attention stayed fixed on Shisui.
More precisely—
on Shisui's Sharingan.
Back atop Hokage Rock, Shisui's expression shifted again and again.
Leon's pressure was too intense.
Too sudden.
Just the force of his body and presence was enough to make Shisui feel weight on his shoulders.
Domineering. Fearless. Unflinching.
That was the impression Leon gave.
And what Shisui didn't know was—
this was the first time Leon had ever let his "taijutsu presence" leak in public.
He'd only unlocked 45% of the Whitebeard Template so far…
But even a fraction of that monstrous foundation was enough to be terrifying.
Leon steadied his breathing.
If you want to test me… then I'll give you a taijutsu specialist.
He'd thought it through.
You could dodge trouble once.
You couldn't dodge it forever.
If Hiruzen wanted Shisui to probe him, then fine—Leon would show just enough.
No Sharingan.
No ninjutsu spectacle.
Just taijutsu.
Because from Konoha's leadership's perspective…
An Uchiha who doesn't rely on the Sharingan is the "good" kind of Uchiha.
The more Leon leaned into taijutsu, the happier they'd be.
And besides—
the timing still wasn't right for anyone to move against him openly.
Not while the Uchiha clan was still standing in front as a shield.
So Leon wasn't worried.
Not even a little.
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