Uchiha: Starting as Tobirama's Jinchuriki

Chapter 16 The Benefits of Identity, Qing Shui's Thoughts

Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at Aoshui in the crystal ball, his eyes full of admiration.

In his view, Qingshui was nothing like a narrow-minded, arrogant traditional Uchiha. His words and actions were filled with the dazzling Will of Fire.

He healed Might Guy's wounds and encouraged him. Even though Aozumi could overwhelm him with ninjutsu, he still fought him mainly with taijutsu. His words were mostly encouragement to his classmates. In the end, he made a very positive promise to be "lifelong rivals".

As for Nohara Rin, although Hiruzen Sarutobi felt that Aozumi's actions had a deliberately ambiguous element, he was happy to see this scene and did not think there was anything wrong with it.

Love is the strongest bond that binds a ninja's heart; it often represents the formation of a family…

Hiruzen Sarutobi was more than happy to see every Uchiha clan member interested in Konoha ninjas from outside the clan. That way, he wouldn't have to worry about anything, and after a few generations, the Uchiha would naturally become one with Konoha.

What moved him the most was what Aokiji said to Obito Uchiha: "Don't let emotions and power blind you. A ninja's clear and rational mind is the most precious treasure."

Combining Aoshiki's fighting style, which closely resembles Tobirama Senju's, with his clear understanding of the Uchiha clan, this is remarkable.

It gave Hiruzen Sarutobi a strange sense of déjà vu, as if a young Tobirama Senju had been reborn in Konoha, only this time as the Uchiha clan…

Hiruzen Sarutobi shook his head violently, quickly banishing the rebellious thought from his mind. Remembering his teacher's stern and cold gaze, he instinctively felt a chill run down his neck.

"If my teacher knew what I was thinking just now, I'd probably get a severe scolding if I met him after I died..."

Hiruzen Sarutobi shook his head with a smile, muttered a joke to himself, picked up the report about Aoshui that the Anbu had sent him, and began to read it intently, his expression becoming increasingly interesting.

After reading it, Hiruzen Sarutobi pondered for a moment, then slowly exhaled a puff of smoke: "Kagami, Uchiha Aokizuki is actually your descendant? If so, then the situation is different."

"No wonder Qing Shui is so fond of the Will of Fire, even imitating his teacher's fighting style. The root of the problem lies here, so everything makes sense. He's a model student with impeccable character..."

"Ever since your passing, the relationship between the village and the Uchiha clan has become increasingly tense. As your old teammate, I haven't been able to take care of your descendants. Please forgive me, Kagami..."

For a moment, the Hokage of Konoha, who was over fifty years old, closed his eyes, his mind filled with a jumble of thoughts.

Childhood friends, youthful teammates, descendants of friends, the entanglements between Konoha and the Uchiha clan…

After a long while, Hiruzen Sarutobi slowly opened his eyes and muttered to himself, "I still need to talk to this little guy in person before I can make any further plans."

"The Uchiha clan will soon know what happened today. Let's see how they react. A seven or eight-year-old genius with two tomoe, and this boy, Aokiji, who looks just like our teacher..."

"The Uchiha clan is truly a place where talented people emerge in large numbers. Their talent is truly enviable."

Recalling Aozumi's words, Hiruzen Sarutobi slowly smiled: "By the way, brat Aozumi said he's really looking forward to the assessment class on interpreting the Will of Fire. So this time, I'll personally set the questions and review the papers to see how well he can answer them?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi leisurely got up and walked towards the Ninja Academy, preparing to briefly serve as a test-setting teacher for half a day.

Even he himself didn't realize it...

Upon seeing Aokiji's identity as a descendant of Uchiha Kagami and his performance, Hiruzen Sarutobi changed his address for Aokiji from "Uchiha Aokiji" to the very affectionate "Aokiji brat," subconsciously recognizing him as "one of his own."

This is the benefit of having a certain status. People with connections, even in a world like Naruto where extraordinary powers exist, will have more opportunities than ordinary people...

However, risks and opportunities often go hand in hand.

#

"Brother, what are your plans for the future...?"

After the practical assessment officially ended, Shisui and Aoki walked home. Shisui frowned and said with some worry, "It won't be long before news of your situation spreads throughout Konoha..."

"An Uchiha who looks exactly like the Second Hokage and loves the Will of Fire—this is really sensational. From now on, the Uchiha clan and the higher-ups of Konoha will probably be paying attention to you."

"You understand, right, brother? The Uchiha clan's current attitude towards Konoha means they will definitely be very resistant to your performance and will send people to suppress you. As for the Konoha leadership, they may not accept you either."

Shisui's expression grew increasingly serious, and even his eyes became somewhat melancholy.

Qingshui glanced at Zhishui in surprise, then laughed.

Compared to Obito Uchiha, who wanted to destroy the world and forcibly restart everyone's timeline, and Itachi Uchiha, who personally slaughtered his own clan, Shisui, though also somewhat abstract, still had some principles.

His last words in the original timeline were: "I'm tired of missions. The Uchiha clan has no future if this continues, so I don't want to go on like this anymore. Let me rest."

Overall, after realizing the gap in combat power between the Uchiha clan and Konoha, and after being ambushed by Shimura Danzo, he became disillusioned with Konoha's Will of Fire and developed a sense of despair.

It could be considered cowardly, but in any case, Shisui was loved by his clan in the original timeline and never turned his sword against the Uchiha.

What's even more interesting is that when Qingshui stepped forward, he took the path that Zhishui originally wanted to try with even greater momentum...

Six-year-old Shisui seemed wiser than when he was fifteen, clearly seeing through the true colors of Konoha and the Uchiha leadership, and feeling immense worry for his older brother, Aoshui.

Perhaps, this is the nature of the Uchiha...

When something happens to them, their thinking tends to be extreme, but if it happens to their brothers, their minds become incredibly clear and efficient.

Qing Shui pulled Zhi Shui over and, with a smile, tucked him into his strong arms: "You still know? A mere six-year-old brat, you actually thought about doing something so risky?"

"Rest assured, my Will of Fire is flawless, I am a descendant of Uchiha Kagami, my specialty is the Second Hokage's Water Release, and I even publicly explained the relationship between the Sharingan and emotions..."

"The higher-ups in Konoha will be paying attention to this match. My persona is perfect, so you don't need to worry about me."

"As for the clan, I'll handle it. The Uchiha clan ninjas only care about fists, and coincidentally, I'm very good at dealing with them..."

Qing Shui pinched Zhi Shui's flushed face, his gaze deep and unfathomable.

He didn't care about the Uchiha clan or Konoha; he only believed in his own strength.

With the Ōtsutsuki clan eyeing them from beyond the heavens, the gains and losses of a single city or region will seem utterly laughable in the future.

But what Qingshui can guarantee is...

Along the way, the ninjas traveling with him, Qing Shui will at least ensure he has a better life than in the original timeline…

As for ninjas he harbors ill will, Qingshui will extract all their value, turning their ashes into fuel for future peace...

I woke up late...

I just woke up around 7 a.m., and I was thinking I'd go back to sleep...

Then I opened my eyes and it was almost ten o'clock...

I might have fallen under Qing Shui's illusion (shrug)... There will be another update later, a little later...

Chapter 17 Tonight, no one sleeps; the threads of fate are disturbed.

That night.

Qingshui sat in the rattan chair in the bedroom, closing his eyes to think about the events of the day.

"Kid, what exactly do you want to do..." Tobirama Senju's voice rang out like a ghost, but what was funny was that it also seemed to carry a hint of doubt that could not be dispelled or concealed.

Aokiji ignored him, while Tobirama Senju continued his analysis, "You say you believe in the Will of Fire? I don't believe you. A clever and dangerous brat like you can't possibly be blind to the essence of the Will of Fire..."

"Are you planning to infiltrate the Hokage faction and infiltrate to seek benefits for the Uchiha clan?"

"No... If that's the case, then why did you suppress that extreme brat named Uchiha Obito? Besides, you've been imitating my fighting style. Which of these two things would naturally lower your image within the Uchiha clan?"

"But the problem is, you evil brat who sealed me inside your body makes me believe you're truly devoted to Konoha, and that all my years of fighting across the ninja world have been for nothing..."

"But you are a descendant of the mirror."

Even the wise and composed Tobirama Senju was thrown into chaos at this moment.

From a purely pragmatic standpoint, Qing Shui's actions were absolutely disliked within the Uchiha clan.

Aokiji openly declared his admiration for the Will of Fire, displaying his genius, and even used Tobirama's Flowing Water Release, a technique most sensitive to the Uchiha clan, to sweep away Obito, who possessed two tomoe. He also criticized the Sharingan for causing Obito to lose control of his emotions...

There are so many symbolic meanings to explore here.

Moreover, even Tobirama Senju had to admit it.

If we set aside the fact that Qing Shui sealed his soul, and talk about other things, Qing Shui's character is truly impeccable, even to him.

He encouraged Might Guy to work hard, healed his injuries, made a pact with him to be his rival despite his genius, shared advanced ninjutsu with Rin Nohara, a commoner ninja with talent but no resources, showed great respect for Ikkaku Umino, an ordinary Chunin, and cared for his younger brother's feelings...

Qingshui's humility and gentleness are extremely rare, even among the Senju clan.

But all of this has to do with the very beginning. Tobirama Senju can't ignore the Seisui seal, because it was his soul that was sealed away...

Could it really be as Qing Shui described himself at the beginning?

He wasn't actually so twisted and insane that he appeared calm as an Uchiha...

He was just a good kid who went to bed early and woke up early and wanted to live a simple life. But when faced with the conflict between the Uchiha clan and the village, he was forced to study a secret technique to summon his own soul and seek help.

As Tobirama Senju thought about this, a huge sense of absurdity overwhelmed him, and he even felt a faint sense of guilt.

If that's the case, wouldn't he have personally caused a genius Uchiha with the Will of Fire to lose faith in the village?

Tobirama Senju shook his head sharply, ruling out this abstract possibility, and his gaze became firm again.

But his heart inevitably wavered, because his expectations of Qing Shui inevitably changed…

“Tobirama, I once read an ancient book, and there was a sentence in it that I really liked: ‘A gentleman judges by his actions, not his intentions.’” Aokiji appeared in front of Tobirama Senju, scrutinizing the Second Hokage with a complex expression, and slowly said, “It means that to judge a person’s likes or dislikes, you should not guess what they are thinking, but rather look at what they have done.”

"You are not only the Hokage, but also a scientific researcher, so you should understand that when you look at a person or a thing with a preconceived notion, you have already lost an objective perspective."

"As a ninja I once respected, I'm making an exception and reiterating this to you..."

"What I want to do is very simple: to let good people live a better life and let bad people get the punishment they deserve. With my justice, Uchiha Aoshui, I will punish evil and promote good, and bring peace."

Tobirama Senju silently watched Aoshui, but even with his keen eyesight, all he could see in those Sharingan eyes was sincerity.

"Kid, I'll keep an eye on you."

"Tobirama, I really need your wisdom to protect me. If you have anything to say to me, please feel free to speak at any time."

"Don't call me Tobirama! You brat, I'm your grandfather's teacher, from your great-grandfather's generation!"

"Alright, alright, Tobirama, he's a dead man, why bother with seniority?"

[From your lane opponent, Tobirama Senju, you have acquired the Swordsmanship Technique (Tobirama Senju Version)!]

The delightful sound of gold coins popping rang out, and Qing Shui, looking at Senju Tobirama who was still concerned about seniority, suddenly laughed.

That smile was exactly the same as the one Tobirama Senju had when he first met Aoshui, as if he had seen a bountiful harvest...

Tobirama Senju was startled when he heard Aozuki say to him, "Goodnight, Tobirama."

Darkness once again enveloped Tobirama Senju's vision.

As Qingshui slowly took off his clothes, he hummed a little tune in a good mood: "No matter how much, it's a harvest. Senju Tobirama's swordsmanship is not bad. It's time to buy a sword..."

"By the way, it seems there are quite a few good swords from the Warring States period in the family's collection. I'll go take a look tomorrow morning."

While Qingshui was drinking milk and doing warm-up exercises, she fell into a deep sleep.

That night, many people were unable to fall asleep for a long time.