Chapter 217: Do You Believe in Light? x Hiruzen Sarutobi's Probe
How to broaden one's horizons?
And how to gain insight?
Roy looked at Maha on the rocking chair. The old man seemed to see through his doubts and chuckled, "Simple. Use your full strength... and punch me."
People aren't born strong, nor born knowing everything. What people you meet, what things you experience... all will eventually be reflected in your cognition...
And "Nen" awakening is based on "Cognition."
The old and the young stayed quietly in the dim room. A corner of the curtain was lifted by the wind, revealing some light shining on the two...
Zeno, who hadn't gone far, and Silva, who helped Kikyo and called Tsubone to send her back to the bedroom, seemed to share a telepathic connection, stopping or looking through the heavy castle walls...
Roy was stumped by Maha's words and fell into deep thought...
Full strength? What is my full strength?
I have the traversing ability granted by the [Gate of Cognition], the Book of Imitation reproducing others' talents via [Magical Beast Encyclopedia], the Nen properties differentiated from Yin-Yang and Five Elements and their derived Ninjutsu, Shikai, Swamp Space, Sharingan, Genjutsu, and... Domain Swordsmanship reaching LV4...
Too much... too much... Is this a happy problem?
No, Roy knew his Great-Grandfather. The old man usually liked to joke, but never aimlessly!
Moreover, this is Kukuroo Mountain, the Zoldyck family castle passed down for nearly a century, Great-Grandfather's retirement room... Fighting here... isn't the old man afraid Roy would destroy this home?
Thoughts churned, brows furrowed... Roy was confused...
The boy lowered his head, extending his hands, staring blankly at his palms. Then his forehead hurt. Recovering, his handsome head was suddenly grabbed by Maha, who was standing on tiptoe.
"Child, forgot what you just said to your brother?" Maha stroked the boy's forehead. His shriveled body seemed taller in the sunlight... He looked at Roy meaningfully. "Love yourself before loving others."
"You said you broadened your horizons and met people. Great-Grandfather believes you. But..."
"What about you?"
"Where did you put yourself?"
"Where did you put the believers who follow you, believe in you, rely on you, and push you forward?"
BOOM! Thunder rose from flat ground!
A blast exploded in Roy's heart!
He looked down at Maha blankly, as if seeing the giant standing tall holding the hammer of thunder again. One strike...
Shattering the fog in his heart, piercing a bright hole, revealing thousands of rays of light blooming inside!
"I understand,"
"Tell me,"
"Great-Grandfather is telling me to clarify my mind and nature, and define my own position."
"And?"
"And..." Roy's confusion vanished, looking at Maha with unprecedented brightness. He smiled... a very brilliant smile. He asked back, "Great-Grandfather, do you believe in light?"
Maha smiled, very happily, very satisfied... A withered old hand slid from the boy's head to his shoulder, patting it heavily twice. "Of course!"
"My grandson, Maha's grandson, must be light, has to be light. Only light can bring hope to people, to life, to this world."
The old man released Roy, turning back to lie on the rocking chair. Watching the bright sun, birds and flowers, figures shuttling—Milluki, Canary, or butlers or beasts or masters, condensing the "Zoldyck Family" with different "identities" and "professions"—he said deeply and faintly, "A family is hard to manage, a team is hard to lead, let alone a city, a country?"
"Roy, if you as a leader have a blurred positioning of yourself, Great-Grandfather advises you to give up the path of [Faith] early..."
Revolution needs a program, just as Nen cannot be separated from the mind. Roy bowed respectfully to the old man. "Grandson has learned."
Maha waved his hand noncommittally, eyelids drooping again... Roy left tactfully, turning and closing the door softly.
Creeak~ The door opened and closed.
Footsteps faded away...
At some point, Maha's aura moved. A gentle phantom appeared hazily, watching the boy leave. Looking down, she glared at him, complaining, "The child is still young, can't we wait a bit longer?"
"No." Maha opened his eyes faintly, solemnly saying, "You saw it too, he doesn't have that much time."
Betty fell silent... She sat on Maha's lap. Unfortunately... as a wisp of "obsession" turned "Post-Mortem Nen" attached to Maha, she had no physical body, just a ghost...
Fortunately, a wisp of Nen light projected, wrapping her... Maha's hand coated with Ten took hers proactively, then pulled her into his arms... One human and one ghost snuggled together in this small room on this bright morning...
Betty, as in the past, pressed against Maha's chest listening to his heartbeat, feeling his heavy heart...
Looking up, cupping his face, she said, "Is it... someone projected to the lower realm?"
Maha frowned silently. Betty understood. "Is it... [God]?"
"He can't come down,"
"Then... His believer?" Betty frowned and pressed, "[God's Servant] or... [Angel]?"
"Not clear yet, Silva is checking."
"Whoever it is, crossing Lake Mobius and penetrating the human world isn't easy... Eighty percent of their power will be consumed at least..." Maha's weathered eyes flashed with a rare dangerous glint. Finally, he added...
"I can handle it!"
Betty was silent. She tried to smooth the wrinkles on Maha's face, but they reappeared, useless... She sighed faintly... Her old love had finally aged...
And she, a remnant soul, wanted to help but was powerless... If, if she could resurrect, if her thousands of comrades who died with Maha could resurrect...
Maybe Maha wouldn't be in such a difficult position alone...
Unfortunately, there are no "ifs" in this world...
Whoosh~ A gust of wind blew, swaying the willows outside the courtyard...
Simultaneously in the Naruto world in the same parallel spacetime.
Konoha, in the Hokage Building shaped like a huge rice cooker inverted over the village.
Hiruzen Sarutobi, returning to the office from the Ninja Academy, immediately ordered Anbu to summon Fugaku Uchiha to discuss... Roy's school bombing incident.
Unexpectedly, before his butt warmed the seat, he was shocked by the Severed Limb Regrowth Technique scroll suddenly handed over by Fugaku!
Hiruzen narrowed his old eyes, glancing at Fugaku, then lowered his head to read the scroll carefully. Waves churned in his mind, immediately recalling a "Forbidden Ninjutsu" named—
"Edo Tensei!"
This "S-rank" "Otherworldly Summoning Jutsu" developed by the Second Hokage, his teacher Tobirama Senju, could summon the souls of deceased ninjas back to the living world and resurrect them in physical form... It shone brilliantly with Tobirama in the Second Shinobi World War, making Chiyo sigh, and being evaluated as despicable yet coveted by the Second Tsuchikage Mu... Worthy of the "S-rank" name, even making him, the "Professor of Ninjutsu," marvel, but...
At this moment, in this office, it was far less shocking than the Severed Limb Regrowth in his hand!
Note that ninjas must form hand seals to connect with Chakra in their bodies to perform "Ninjutsu"... Even the First Hokage, the "God of Shinobi," couldn't avoid this. This shows the importance of a pair of hands to a ninja!
Especially considering... Konoha has many disabled people who lost limbs due to war and were forever cut off from the ninja path... Hiruzen Sarutobi slammed one hand down, pinning the scroll firmly on the desk. Then he looked deeply at Fugaku. "Fugaku, you really gave this old man a huge surprise."
"Severed Limb Regrowth lives up to its name. With this Jutsu, all disabled people in Konoha must owe you a favor from today on."
"Battlefield luck, Hokage-sama praises too much." Fugaku Uchiha remained rigid and cold, his face hiding unknown emotions.
But... battlefield acquisition? If enemy ninjas had this Jutsu, why hasn't anyone seen it used?
Hiruzen recalled the battle reports from the front lines. He didn't remember any report mentioning limb regrowth... or extraordinary self-healing abilities...
He suddenly thought of someone. Chuckling, he said calmly, "Tell me about Jin."
"At such a young age, not only is his [Fire Style] impressive, but he also independently developed this [Severed Limb Regrowth Technique]. Fugaku..."
Hiruzen stared at Fugaku's face, not missing a single micro-expression, praising, "You really gave birth to a good son."
Fugaku was startled internally but feigned anger at his son's failure. "Hokage-sama makes fun of me. Jin doesn't know the severity of his actions, destroying the school wall publicly. According to regulations, he must be severely punished!"
"When I return, I will immediately expel him and take him to the Police Force for trial and imprisonment!"
Really not him? Hiruzen looked suspiciously at the seemingly furious Fugaku. Ignoring his thoughts, he waved his hand with a chuckle. "A child, no need to be so serious."
"In this old man's opinion, not only should he not be punished, he should be encouraged..."
"I think, with his current ability, staying in school is a waste of talent. Allow him to graduate early."
"Hokage-sama, this... doesn't conform to the rules..."
"Rules are dead, people are alive. In necessary times, special cases are handled specially."
Hiruzen decided on the spot, allowing no rebuttal... He waved his hand, saying warmly to Fugaku, "You stayed up all night too. I grant you a day off to rest well. Once I decide on the Jonin sensei candidate, I will notify you and Jin separately."
Fugaku: "..., Yes."
He had to bow and retreat...
Creeak~ The Hokage office door opened and closed.
Footsteps faded away... After Fugaku left, Hiruzen sat alone at the desk with his back to the bright window. After a while, he opened the drawer, took out the scroll with Roy's detailed information, spread it out, looked at it silently for a while, subconsciously reached for the crystal ball... but withdrew his hand halfway...
"Hokage-sama's fire is just fire. Can't cover the Uchiha, can't protect the ninja world."
Just now, that boy, those eyes, those words, that fireball covering half the training field were still vivid in his mind, lingering... Hiruzen whispered, "Is it really not you?"
Lifting his brush, next to Roy's name... "Jin Uchiha" on the scroll, he added a sentence...
"Genius Uchiha with extreme talent and aptitude, suspected true developer of Severed Limb Regrowth Technique..."
Hiruzen paused. After "Perhaps...", he couldn't write further for a moment...
He knew clearly that the boy understood the Will of Fire, but whether this Will of Fire included the Uchiha... Hiruzen hesitated, just like when facing Roy on the training field...
"You're back?"
"Mm."
Returning home from the Hokage office, Fugaku came to the entrance. Taking off his shoes, he asked Mikoto, "Where's Jin?"
"Asleep,"
Mikoto took her husband's combat uniform, saying helplessly, "He said the noon sun is good, a perfect time for sleeping. He also told Itachi not to let anyone disturb him. Just like when he was little, loves sleeping."
Fugaku smiled. Wanted to wake the child up and talk to him, but finally gave up...
"Let him sleep."
"I'll eat first."
"Saved it for you." Mikoto sat with Fugaku at the table, chin in hand watching him eat. Thinking of the school matter, she asked, "What did Hokage-sama say?"
"Graduate early." Fugaku was concise.
Mikoto was surprised. "So early?"
Precisely because it's early... it's too eye-catching...
Fugaku put down his chopsticks, sighing faintly. "Before, I hoped he was a genius, not embarrassing the Uchiha. Now... I rather hope the fewer people know about him, the better."
"What's wrong?"
"Isn't it good for our son to be promising?"
"Good, of course it's good, just afraid of people overthinking." Fugaku recalled the sudden probe from Hiruzen in the Hokage office earlier... Fortunately, his reaction was quick enough, feigning anger to muddle through. He pulled out a tissue, wiping his mouth with a frown. "Jin cannot, absolutely cannot have any accidents. His importance to the Uchiha is incomparable to others."
"At least..."
"At this stage, I don't want too many eyes on him,"
"This is also the unanimous opinion of me and Uncle Yashiro..."
"And also the reason I took credit for Severed Limb Regrowth Technique this time, claiming it was obtained on the battlefield."
Mikoto: "Can we stop it?"
"Can't." Fugaku smiled bitterly. "He blew up the school and graduated early. It's hard not to be famous. Now it depends..."
"Who the Third designates as his Jonin sensei..."
Mikoto: "..."
Silence...
The woman never thought there would be a day she worried because her son was too outstanding. She sighed...
"Anyway, Anata (Husband), sleep first."
Mikoto winked playfully at Fugaku. "While the kids are asleep,"
She sat on Fugaku's lap, wrapping her arms around his neck. Fugaku: "..."
Finally a day off, and you...
☆☆☆
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