CHAPTER 259: CHAPTER 259: DECEPTION? NO—STAYING TRUE TO ONE’S ORIGINAL INTENT!

Kyoichi had timed everything perfectly—not because of luck, but because he already knew Tsunade had arrived. Besides...

Over at the village gates, Chiriku had just come too.

Meanwhile, it was about time to finalize the fourth member of Asuma’s squad.

After some thought, Kyoichi still felt that Yamashiro Aoba was the best fit. He wasn’t weak, was around Asuma’s age, and had solid skills in command, sensing, and overall combat capability.

As for the other team, he chose from the ANBU—a team currently training in the Flying Thunder Formation. That side was less of a concern. They’d nearly mastered the technique—even if they still needed shadow clones to use it, at least it worked.

Better to have it than not.

Assigning the Flying Thunder Formation team to guard the daimyō would allow them to teleport him instantly if danger struck. Maximum safety.

At the village gate...

Chiriku was holding his clearance pass and registering at the checkpoint.

"The village has arranged for you to join the ninja academy—though it’s not inside the village proper. Of course, if you’d prefer—Ah! Kyoichi-sama!"

The Chūnin guarding the gate stood up immediately upon seeing him.

Kyoichi waved casually.

"No need to stand. Chiriku, right? Come with me. You all can go back to your duties."

"Yes, sir!"

Chiriku gave a polite bow and followed Kyoichi through the village gate.

Kyoichi didn’t say much at first.

He took Chiriku on a casual walk through Konoha, letting him take in the surroundings and indulge his curiosity. After a while, they arrived at the former site of the Konoha Ninja Academy.

"Sir, what is this place?"

"This used to be the Konoha Ninja Academy. Now it’s been repurposed into a training ground and public park—residents can come here to relax or train."

What used to be the academy was now lush with greenery. The park had trees, trails, and hidden nooks for training.

At first, Chiriku didn’t quite get it.

But soon, he saw a number of people inside, working out vigorously—children, teenagers, even ninja in their forties or fifties. It was nothing like "recreation."

They were going all in with their training.

Chiriku was stunned.

"These people..."

"They’re Konoha’s shinobi. Some aren’t even officially ninja. The youngest ones are probably just three or four years old."

"Wha—?"

Chiriku’s eyes went wide.

Three or four...?

That young, and already training this hard?

Back at the Fire Temple, kids that age would mostly help with small chores—sweeping, tending the garden, that sort of thing.

But here...

Konoha’s kids weren’t like that.

They were training in taijutsu and even using ninja tools. Even the little ones were putting in serious effort. And—

These were civilian children, weren’t they?

"I’m not sure how monk-nin are trained," Kyoichi said, "but Konoha’s ninja have to start young."

He pointed to the forest and sighed, "If we could, who wouldn’t want a carefree childhood? But that’s not an option. We have too many enemies. Every other village wants to pull us down from the top."

"Uh..." Chiriku didn’t know how to respond.

"What did you imagine Konoha to be like?"

"Well... prosperous, maybe comfortable..."

Chiriku spoke honestly.

He was a monk, and still a child at that. He seemed quite sincere.

Kyoichi nodded slightly and continued, "They could have lived better. But for the sake of protecting the nation, they gave up their youth."

"Being a shinobi isn’t some glorious career. We use tactics, schemes—even assassination—whatever it takes to protect the Land of Fire."

"And the Hokage even more so. Have you heard of the Will of Fire?"

Chiriku shook his head—then hesitantly nodded.

He scratched his bald head and said awkwardly, "I’ve only heard bits and pieces. I don’t know if they’re true."

"Oh? What have you heard?"

Kyoichi smiled gently as he led Chiriku out of the village, sounding more like a kind older brother than a commanding superior.

Chiriku scratched his head again. "I heard travelers say... something like, ’Where the leaves dance, the fire will burn.’"

"Correct. There’s a second half to that: ’The fire’s light will shine upon the village—and new leaves shall bud.’"

Kyoichi said it casually, like a gentle chat.

They walked until they reached a place where they could see the Hokage Rock.

Chiriku silently mulled over the words.

The fire’s light will shine upon the village... and new leaves shall bud...

That part was new to him.

Then Kyoichi pointed at the four faces on the rock.

"The First Hokage was born with a Sage Body. He could’ve lived a long life—but to protect the Land of Fire and world peace, he died young."

"The Second Hokage invented the Flying Thunder God Technique and could dominate any battlefield. But he gave his life holding off the Gold and Silver Brothers to let an elite squad escape, dying in the Land of Lightning."

Kyoichi paused and sighed quietly, letting silence hang in the air.

Chiriku’s heart grew heavy.

He could feel...

The will and sacrifice behind each Hokage.

They were all great.

They gave up power, fame—even their lives—for the sake of their people and their village.

He bowed deeply toward the rock, then pointed at the third face.

"Kyoichi-sama... what about this one? What great things did he do?"

"Uh..."

Kyoichi stalled for a moment.

How do I hype up the Third Hokage...?

After some thought, he said, "During his tenure, we defeated an alliance of the four great nations. Konoha’s system matured under his leadership. In the end, he retired in glory—he made Konoha great again!"

"Amazing!"

Chiriku looked up at the Third Hokage’s face with admiration.

He had at least heard of him—after all, the Third wasn’t dead yet.

"I wasn’t strong at first, either," Kyoichi said, eyes on the Hokage Rock. His expression was full of complexity. "But when I realized the village and the nation were in danger... I felt an endless strength rise up within me."

"I believe that’s how the First and Second felt, too."

"Come on, let’s go see the academy. That’ll likely be your home for a while. We’ll do our best to teach you how to protect others."

"Yes, sir!"

Chiriku’s expression turned solemn.

Protecting the daimyō.

That was the purpose behind him leaving the Fire Temple, and the reason he’d come to Konoha to study.

He wouldn’t forget it.

But...

After everything Kyoichi had said, he now felt something deeper about Konoha—and the title of Hokage.

The Hokage wasn’t a symbol of authority.

He was a guardian.

"Guardian... That’s what Kyoichi-sama wanted to teach me, isn’t it?" Chiriku thought to himself.

At that moment—

He suddenly had a new understanding of Thousand-Armed Murder.

Guardianship!

That was its true essence.

It was created to protect comrades and the masses behind him—not to boost one’s own power or battle ego. This philosophy aligned with the teachings of the Buddha.

Chiriku bowed deeply once again.

"Thank you, Kyoichi-sama, for your guidance. I will remember it always."

"I heard you’re considered a candidate for the Sage Clan’s teachings, so I thought I’d offer a little help. You’ve got a compassionate heart—it suits the Sage Clan well. Keep it up."

Kyoichi gently patted his head.

Smooth little bald head.

He kept walking forward, and with a flicker in his peripheral vision, a system panel popped up.

[Completed: "Teach the Will of Guardianship"]

[Evaluation: Excellent]

[Reward: "Welcoming Approach: Thousand-Armed Murder"]

Kids really are easy to convince, Kyoichi mused.

Back when he talked circles around Asuma and Shisui, he never missed. But the stronger people got, the harder it became to fleece them.

So what was he doing now?

Staying true to his roots, of course!

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