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GSiN: Ch. 55
🕑 Added 2025-04-04 15:59:54 +0000 UTC---Ryouma's POV---
Excessive meetings are a bad habit, but Hiruzen seems unable to break them. With this thought, I stepped out of the Hokage's office with Tsunade. I rolled my shoulders, trying to work out the stiffness from sitting in that wooden chair for hours.
Did he actually enjoy these meetings, or was he just desperate for human interaction? At this rate, paperwork would kill more ninjas than enemy jutsu.
Initially, after confirming the two most important agenda items, I thought that would be the end of it.
However, he unexpectedly brought up a pile of miscellaneous proposals that required individual discussion and voting.
As a result, for the second half of the meeting, I became nothing more than an emotionless voting machine.
"Proposal for expanding Konoha Hospital's west wing?" he asked in that same monotone voice he'd been using for the past hour.
"Agree!" I replied automatically.
"Strongly agree," Tsunade added with actual interest. "The surgical facilities need upgrading."
"Adding new classes at the Ninja Academy?"
"Agree!"
"Setting up a barrier jutsu around the Konoha bathhouse?"
"Agr..." Under Hiruzen's intense gaze, I finally raised my hand. "Disagree."
Tsunade's sharp glare landed on me immediately. "Oh? And why exactly would you oppose that?"
"I mean... that would waste village resources on something the women can handle themselves. You've demonstrated that quite effectively with Jiraiya-sama."
Hiruzen coughed. "Moving on..."
The meeting dragged on until the afternoon before Tsunade and I could finally leave and return to the Senju residence.
---
A few days later, Minato and his team were fully equipped and ready to depart. Minato himself stood slightly apart, reviewing a map one final time, while Kakashi checked his equipment. Obito, predictably, arrived last, breathless but grinning.
My departure date was still a bit later, so today I brought Rin along to see Minato and his team off.
"Do you think they'll be alright without a medical-nin?" Rin asked quietly.
"Worried about your teammates?" I glanced at her.
"Of course! Especially Obito. His right stance is still unbalanced, and he's been favoring his left side since that training injury last week."
"Your observational skills have improved under Tsunade's tutelage," I noted, genuinely impressed.
"When I rejoin them, I'll be the best medical-nin they could ask for," she said with a grin.
After Rin became Tsunade's apprentice, she had too much to learn. Also, since she was now formally considered a medical-nin, she wouldn't be accompanying Minato's team to the front lines at Kumo.
"Kakashi, Obito, I have something for you two."
With that, I pulled out two custom-made kunai from the ninja tool pouch on my back. Hooking my fingers through the iron rings at the ends, I displayed them to Kakashi and Obito.
"These are custom-made kunai with Flying Thunder God coordinates inscribed on them. Take them."
"Consider them an insurance policy," I added. "If you're ever in a situation where retreat is the only option, channel chakra through these and I'll know."
I had now grasped the basics of the Flying Thunder God Technique.
Although not as proficient as Minato, with the help of Shukaku's chakra, I could transport larger objects and cover greater distances than him.
The two of them reached out to take the kunai I handed over.
Kakashi examined one closely under the sunlight. It looked identical to the Flying Thunder God kunai used by Minato, except that the marking inscribed on the blade was different.
"So different people use different Flying Thunder God marks, huh," he said thoughtfully.
Obito, on the other hand, weighed the kunai in his hand, examined the markings on the blade, and then couldn't help but comment: "The kunai is great, but Ryouma, your mark is a bit..."
"My mark is what?"
"N-nothing." Under my dangerous glare, Obito swallowed hard and quickly stopped himself.
Minato, standing nearby, couldn't help but step in after hearing his student's complaint.
"This mark is something Ryouma and I came up with together, Obito. If you think about it carefully, you'll surely understand its special meaning."
Minato then pulled out two kunai, one of which was my Flying Thunder God kunai that I had given to him earlier when seeking advice on how to master the technique.
Each kunai had a distinct inscription on the blade: Sword of Shinobi's Love, and Heavenly Justice Descends!
"'Sword of Shinobi's Love'? That doesn't sound like you at all, Ryouma," Kakashi read aloud, his eyebrow raising slightly.
"It's symbolic," I said defensively. "The kunai connects people across distance... like bonds of... you know what, just take it and don't die."
"Aw, you do care!" Obito grinned, dodging my half-hearted swipe. He then took another look at the kunai.
As the team prepared for final departure, Minato pulled me aside.
"You're heading to Kiri soon," he said, his voice low. "The Bloody Mist has gotten bloodier. Be careful."
"I've made preparations."
His expression turned serious. "It's not just the enemy you should watch for. Our own people have... competing interests there."
I thought for a moment, but kept my face neutral. "I understand."
"Just remember, everyone has an agenda in wartime," Minato added.
"Including you?" I asked.
A small smile crossed his face. "Especially me. I want my students back alive, and I want you back too."
After sending off Minato and his team, it wasn't long before the reinforcement unit I was leading to Kiri's frontlines was fully assembled.
Notably, among the members of this expedition was Fugaku.
In fact, he had been stationed on the Kiri frontlines last year but had returned to Konoha for reasons unknown. With Tsunade and Rin seeing us off, the mood shifted to something more formal.
"Konoha expects successful outcomes, Ryouma," Tsunade said, her tone official.
"The mission parameters will be fulfilled," I replied with equal formality.
Tsunade's expression softened slightly. "Come back in one piece, brat."
"No promises about the 'one piece' part, but I'll come back."
"Please watch for unusual symptoms if you're injured," Rin added earnestly. "The mist country has unique toxins that—"
"I'll be careful, Dr. Rin," I interrupted gently with a reassuring smile.
I finally set out toward Kiri, the place I had always wanted to visit.
---Third POV---
Walking along the forested paths surrounded by the massive trees characteristic of the Land of Fire, the air grew heavier with moisture as they moved southeast, the first hint that they were approaching Land of Water's influence.
Ryouma studied the team as they traveled. The two Hyuga cousins kept to themselves, speaking in half-sentences as if their Byakugan allowed them to skip unnecessary words. A trio of chunin from the Sarutobi clan stayed close to Fugaku, clearly intimidated by the Uchiha leader's reputation.
Fugaku suddenly adjusted his pace, gradually closing the distance between himself and Ryouma in a way that seemed casual to anyone watching.
"Ryouma, I heard that someone from the Uchiha clan was once part of your previous team."
Ryouma wasn't sure what Fugaku's intentions were but didn't really care. He replied casually, "Yeah."
Fugaku waited a few seconds and, noticing Ryouma had no intention of elaborating, continued, "What is your impression of the Uchiha clan?"
"Is there a purpose to this conversation, or are you just making small talk to pass the time?"
"Both, perhaps. The journey is long."
Seeing how persistent Fugaku was, Ryouma sighed. Well, there wasn't much else to do during the journey anyway, so he decided to humor him.
"I've only met two people from the Uchiha clan, and their personalities are completely different. So if you're asking me for a general impression of the clan, I can't really say."
Fugaku nodded slightly. Naturally, he had his own motives for seeking out this rising hero of Konoha.
As the Uchiha clan leader, he constantly pondered the future of his people.
After much thought, he had concluded that the best way forward was to align themselves with a "big tree."
Being a clever and perceptive leader, he had analyzed the situation and determined that Hiruzen would likely choose Minato as the Fourth Hokage. If the Uchiha could earn Minato's trust, the clan would enjoy a period of security during his reign, giving Fugaku time to change the attitudes of his clan members and integrate the Uchiha into Konoha more fully.
To this end, he had personally requested the Third Hokage to assign an Uchiha to Minato's team.
Hiruzen, who also hoped for the Uchiha to genuinely integrate into Konoha, agreed without hesitation.
Fugaku had initially wanted Shiori for the position, but to his surprise, Hiruzen chose Obito instead.
Looking at it now, it seemed fate was favoring the Uchiha.
Although Shiori didn't join Minato's team, she ended up as a teammate to Ryouma.
In Fugaku's eyes, Ryouma, who lived on Senju clan land, had clearly earned Tsunade's recognition and was already marked as part of the Hokage faction. Moreover, given that the Third Hokage often cited Ryouma's deeds to exemplify the Will of Fire, it was obvious that Hiruzen valued him greatly.
Coupled with Ryouma's extraordinary talent, it wasn't unlikely that he could become the Fifth Hokage someday.
And judging by Ryouma's earlier response, he didn't seem to share the innate bias against the Uchiha that many in Konoha held.
Though it was unusual for common-born ninja to look favorably upon clan ninjas, especially the Uchiha, Fugaku quickly surmised the reason, it must have been thanks to Shiori.
She must have influenced Ryouma's perception of the Uchiha.
Realizing this,he felt a weight lift off his shoulders, and a faint smile appeared on his lips. No matter what schemes Danzō might concoct, with Obito and Shiori as trump cards, he was confident he could establish connections with both the Fourth and Fifth Hokage.
Given enough time, he was certain he could change his clan's future. In this light, he couldn't imagine how the Uchiha could possibly lose.
Meanwhile, Ryouma, now drawn into the conversation by Fugaku, noticed that he had gone silent.
Feeling bored, he decided to reopen the dialogue.
"Fugaku-sama, you seem very concerned about how others perceive the Uchiha clan."
Fugaku froze for a moment and thought to himself, It's not 'others' I care about, it's just you and Minato.
But, of course, he didn't say that out loud.
"The Uchiha clan is one of Konoha's founding clans. Your position should be secure."
"History doesn't guarantee the future, Ryouma."
"So you're concerned about the clan's future then?"
"Every clan leader thinks about their people's future. I'm sure the Senju do the same," Fugaku answered diplomatically.
"I wouldn't know. I'm not Senju."
"Yet you live on their land, train with Lady Tsunade..."
"Are you trying to determine my political alignments, Fugaku-sama?" Ryouma asked directly.
A slight smile formed on Fugaku's lips. "Merely getting to know a comrade before battle."
"If you want my opinion on the Uchiha, here it is: Power doesn't equal trust. The Sharingan makes your clan formidable, but it's also why people keep their distance."
"An interesting perspective," Fugaku said thoughtfully. "Well, the Uchiha clan isn't great at communication, you know. That's why we're often misunderstood."
