Naruto Online: Hyuga Branch Family? Let's go all out!

Chapter 129 The Will of Fire, Did She Believe?

"How are you feeling?" Ning Yuan asked Shui Men. "Do you have a feeling of... fear?"

A person who was originally hostile and hateful was forcibly turned into one of their own by a single curse mark.

If you witnessed something like this with your own eyes, you would definitely feel scared!

"I'm not afraid, just amazed!" Minato shook his head. "It's truly incredible that a single ninjutsu can extinguish the hatred in people's hearts!"

"You think this eliminates hatred?" Ning Yuan was shocked. "This is changing a person's values; this is brainwashing!"

"That's not important!" Minato retorted. "Isn't the Will of Fire also a form of brainwashing? The education we receive from childhood allows us to kill others with a clear conscience; isn't that also a form of brainwashing?"

"It's simply that your brainwashing is visible, while Konoha's brainwashing is invisible. What difference does it make?"

"At least your brainwashing can make the world a better place!"

Ning Yuan remained silent; he realized where the problem lay.

He was born on Earth, and what he was taught here was that freedom of thought is inviolable. No matter if he was brainwashed by capital or the media on a daily basis, at least on the surface, his thoughts had to be free.

But in the ninja world, just surviving is difficult enough; survival is the first priority for humans!

Compared to survival, is freedom of thought really that important?

Go tell Haku not to be Zabuza's tool, that you are a free person.

Go tell Kimimaro not to be Orochimaru's tool, that he can have a free life.

See if they pay any attention to you.

Everyone in the root region must be marked with the seal of the severance of tongue-related calamities. Do you see anyone who objects?

It's just that the time travelers aren't willing to fight this; if it were a local, they would have happily joined Danzo long ago!

Freedom is something to consider only after the granaries are full, not something they need to consider at this stage.

"What if I were to place a curse mark on you as well? Would you be willing to accept it?" Ning Yuan asked.

Minato nodded, then promptly knelt on one knee: "I'm willing, I can accept it now!"

"Let's forget about it for now, let me upgrade the curse seal again!" Ning Yuan waved his hand.

Therefore, the existence of the cursed seal didn't actually need to be hidden from Orochimaru and Tsunade.

Orochimaru might be wary of this, but Tsunade probably doesn't care.

After all, Tsunade has probably played too many support roles. She is beautiful, but in reality, she loves to rely on others. She has some independent thinking, but she is not that independent.

"You can ask. After all, the brainwashing function of the cursed seal can be turned off. You can just use the knowledge transfer function, which is beneficial and harmless!"

The head of the secret service has already taken control of the first and second brigades, so the third, fourth, and fifth brigades are even less likely to resist.

Sarutobi Shinnosuke can easily separate them by issuing missions, and then use acquaintances to ambush them, thus crippling their fighting ability in the shortest amount of time.

Then, the cursed seal, medical ninjutsu—all in one go.

By mid-November, all 66 members of the five detachments of the Dark Division, plus the Dark Division chief, had become members of the Ning organization.

By the end of November, all the staff in key positions in the Hokage's office building, such as the Intelligence Department and the Mission Management Department, had been given cursed seals.

At the end of December, Ning Yuan personally imprinted the curse mark into Sarutobi Biwako's forehead.

From then on, he had complete control over all the high-ranking officials at Konoha Hospital.

At this point, all departments in Konoha, except for the Special Intelligence Department, were under the control of the Ning organization.

This level of control is even stronger than that of Hiruzen Sarutobi, because many people admire Hiruzen Sarutobi simply because he is the Third Hokage.

However, under the blessing of the cursed seal, these people are 100% loyal to the Ning organization!

When working for the Ning organization, they will only use 100% of their strength and will never be half-hearted, outwardly compliant but inwardly defiant, fickle, or cunning.

As a result, Hiruzen Sarutobi felt that Konoha's operations seemed to be running much smoother, and the staff in each department seemed to be holding back their energy, as if they were desperately trying to make Konoha better!

January 1st, the New Year in the ninja world.

After spending the New Year with the villagers on the street, Hiruzen Sarutobi returned home only to find that Biwako Sarutobi had not returned yet, and there wasn't even a hot meal at home.

My son and daughter-in-law aren't home either.

He wanted to find a place to freeload a meal, but after wandering around the clan, he was surprised to find that every clansman who had a post in the village was on duty that day!

Not a single person skipped their post!

"When did these people become so responsible?" Hiruzen Sarutobi felt that something was wrong, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

You can't say that it's wrong to work hard.

With nowhere to get a free meal, he could only cook something simple for himself, and then, at 2 a.m., Sarutobi Biwako finally returned.

"Has the hospital been that busy these past few days? Why are you back so late?" Hiruzen Sarutobi usually doesn't care about hospital matters, but these past few days have been too unusual!

"When is the hospital not busy, especially now in winter, there are so many people with colds and coughs!" Sarutobi Biwako said irritably.

"There's no need to be this late, why not let someone else treat him?" Hiruzen Sarutobi asked.

Isn't this how it usually is? Sarutobi Biwako sits in her office reading documents, leaving the treatment of patients to other medical ninjas.

"Oh, everyone else is treating patients while I sit idly in the office? How can I convince everyone if I do that? How can I continue to be the director of Konoha Hospital if I do that?" Sarutobi Biwako said.

Hiruzen Sarutobi stroked his chin. The logic was sound, but something didn't feel right!

Who dares to gossip about you?

"Did you hear something from someone?" Hiruzen Sarutobi asked. "You think you can ignore the villagers' gossip?"

"It has nothing to do with the villagers!" Sarutobi Biwako thought for a moment and said, "I just suddenly realized something!"

"What have you figured out?"

"The Will of Fire!"

"Huh?" Hiruzen Sarutobi was dumbfounded. He couldn't think of anything to use the Will of Fire.

"The art of dancing leaves and the ever-burning fire—the embers of our ancestors' burning will bless future generations to blossom and bear fruit!" Sarutobi Biwako said. "Is death on the battlefield the only form of blessing? Does healing the sick and saving lives count? Does passing on knowledge and skills count? Does educating and nurturing people count?"

"Ah, this..." Hiruzen Sarutobi remained silent.

"I believe it counts! It's not just ninjas who can embody the Will of Fire; doctors, teachers, farmers, shepherds, and merchants—as long as they diligently perform their duties, they all fulfill their responsibilities under the Will of Fire."

"I don't know when it happened, but I suddenly realized that anything that benefits this village, anything that is good for the villagers, any action, any profession, aligns with the requirements of the Will of Fire, and we should do it, carry it out, and support it!!"

Looking at his wife, who seemed to be radiating light, Hiruzen Sarutobi was completely numb.

No, how come all of a sudden, you know more about the Will of Fire than I do?

"Are you out of your mind? The Will of Fire is all a lie. All we need to do is take care of our Sarutobi clan!" Hiruzen Sarutobi's voice was low but earnest, as if he wanted to correct his wife's true nature.

Biwako Sarutobi didn't respond, but simply stared calmly at Hiruzen Sarutobi, making Hiruzen feel extremely uncomfortable. Then she said, "Perhaps, that was true before, but I'm 40 years old this year, and I don't know how many more years I have left. I don't want to die and look back on my life, only to find that it was all spent scheming and plotting for the sake of the Sarutobi clan!"

"After spouting empty platitudes my whole life, I suddenly want to see what the Will of Fire is really like!"

"Old man, are you going to oppose me?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi remained silent. He never imagined that the Will of Fire, which he had talked about his entire life, would one day actually convince his wife.

The key point is, judging from her expression, she genuinely believed it.

After a long silence, Hiruzen Sarutobi finally spoke: "Of course I support you! We've been married for so many years, who else would I support if not you? But I'm quite surprised by your sudden change of heart; I thought you'd become some kind of stranger!"

"It wasn't a sudden idea that came to me!" Sarutobi Biwako thought for a moment and replied.

"That's..." Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression was clear; there was indeed a reason!

"The Ninja Academy's medical class has ended, and then during the final exam, I saw an article."

"An article?" Hiruzen Sarutobi exclaimed in astonishment. "An article? Can it have this much impact?"

"You'll see when you take a look!" Sarutobi Biwako took out an exam paper from her bag and handed it to Sarutobi Hiruzen.

This is a medical ninja exam paper. Since medical ninjas and medical class students are managed by Sarutobi Biwako, he has never actually seen this exam paper before.

The handwriting was neat and elegant, very beautiful, but Hiruzen Sarutobi only glanced at it and then ignored it.

He flipped directly to the last page to read the essay.

The essay topic is: Explain your reasons for becoming a medical ninja.

Let's look at the content again.

Human civilization began with fire.

(End of this chapter)