Torifū opened the system shop, and a dazzling array of goods reappeared before his eyes. Unlike last time, when he was hesitant and cautious, this time he had a "small fortune" to spend. He felt like a weasel let loose in a henhouse—he wanted to get everything!
But when he saw the sky-high prices, the nouveau riche aura shrunk back. Money was always the biggest pain point, no matter what!
"System, search for chakra-related items."
As Torifū gave the command, the items in the shop began to scroll up and down.
Soon, all the chakra-related items appeared at the very top for Torifū to choose from.
[Power Fruit] (Enhances chakra quality, increasing jutsu power – 2,000 Peace Points)
[1 Card of Chakra] (Roughly equivalent to the amount Hatake Kakashi possesses – 5,000 Peace Points)
After considering for a long time, these two items were the most suitable for Torifū at the moment. Most of the other things were bizarre, and some even reduced chakra! And this shady system merchant dared to sell them for ten thousand Peace Points!
Once he made up his mind, he no longer hesitated and spent 7000 Peace Points to exchange for these two items.
The moment they fused with his body, a wave of heat surged through him, spreading like wildfire until his skin flushed red and his body began to overheat.
Panicked, he sprinted to the bathroom, dumped a large bucket of cold water over himself, and finally felt a bit of relief.
Breathing heavily, he couldn't understand why this was happening. He hadn't felt this way even when first integrating bloodline limits. Maybe it was because both the amount and quality of his chakra had risen at the same time?
Luckily, the sensation didn't last long, and his body soon returned to normal. Glancing at the panel, he saw that his chakra level had risen to 2 units, and his strength had upgraded to jōnin.
This was expected—an increase in chakra often meant an increase in power. Still, excess chakra without the skills to control it could lead to instability. Proper training was key to aligning strength with chakra capacity.
Today had been an absolute jackpot. Torifū could now use Peace Points to exchange for items without fear of never reaching the 60,000 needed to face Uchiha Madara. His power had also seen a clear improvement—he felt much safer now.
Whatever came in the future, for now, there was still Uchiha Setsuna lurking who might strike at any moment. But now? If that guy dared to come, Torifū would destroy him without mercy.
Though he had a laid-back, live-and-let-live personality, Torifū wasn't someone who could be pushed around.
A breeze passed through, making him shiver, and he suddenly realized—he was still soaking wet!
He hurriedly stripped off his drenched clothes, dried himself, and crawled into bed, quickly falling into a deep sleep.
...
"Big Brother, are you really okay with this?"
Inside the Hokage's office, Tobirama wore a grave expression.
Hashirama waved him off. "Didn't you see that kid's strength? Sure, it was partly because Monkey got careless and didn't know his opponent well…"
"But a loss is a loss. On the battlefield, that could've been fatal."
Tobirama had no rebuttal. In truth, he and Hashirama had watched Torifū's entire match with Sarutobi Hiruzen from start to finish.
Initially, Tobirama hadn't believed Torifū could win. While gifted, Torifū's actual combat experience was limited. He expected Hiruzen to win easily.
But reality slapped him in the face. That unreliable Monkey had lost! Hashirama's smug grin almost reached the heavens.
Seeing his brother's dark expression, Hashirama couldn't help but laugh heartily.
"Hahaha, Tobirama, don't be so tense. I'll send a Wood Clone to follow them. Treat it as a trial by fire."
"But Big Brother, didn't you swear never to send children into battle again? How is this any different?"
Tobirama questioned him sternly. As someone who knew Hashirama best, even he was unsure what his brother was thinking now.
"If it were anyone else, I'd never agree."
Tobirama paused, about to respond, but Hashirama continued.
"Torifū is different. He's smart. In ninjutsu, taijutsu, chakra control, and intellect—he excels in every category!"
"To shelter such a prodigy in a greenhouse, protecting him from all hardship, would only be a waste."
Hearing that, Tobirama no longer pushed back. He spoke calmly, "You're right. I've been too rigid."
Hashirama stepped forward and patted his brother's shoulder. "You're not rigid. You just care too much about Torifū's safety."
Tobirama looked up at his brother's ever-familiar smile—a smile that could calm anyone's heart.
"Torifū is like you," Hashirama added. "He has incredible talent in developing jutsu. That's why you feel so protective of him. You're afraid this fragile sapling might break in the wind…"
"Just like… Itama and Kawarama."
"…Big Brother…"
Hashirama rarely mentioned their younger brothers, and for him to bring them up now meant a lot.
"Don't worry," he said softly. "I have a feeling Torifū will become an even greater ninja than I am."
"And before that happens, I won't let anything happen to him. After all, I am his teacher."
Tobirama nodded and said nothing more. Since his brother had made the decision, as both his sibling and subordinate, he had no right to stop it.
With a Wood Clone escort, the kids would be safe. Tobirama wasn't sure when it had started, but sometimes, he felt like all the children of Konoha were his own.
When he had spare time, Tobirama often visited the Ninja Academy to watch the kids train—dreaming of becoming ninja, fighting to protect the village.
And in those moments, a faint smile would appear on his face.
[T/N: And then he saw the Uchiha Kid…. Day ruined.]
That, he believed, was his true Will of Fire.
No matter how strong he and Hashirama were, they would grow old one day. Only by protecting the young saplings could the tree continue to grow.
And they—withered branches of the past—would one day burn their last bit of energy to become nourishment for the new generation.
That's why he'd tried to stop Hashirama from supporting Torifū's decision. In his eyes, letting a six-year-old go on missions while the elders still had strength left was a disgrace to them.
"Hahaha, Tobirama, to be honest—you'd probably make a better Hokage than me."
Hashirama laughed and patted his brother on the back.
Tobirama smirked. "Who knows? I've never been Hokage."
The two brothers shared a smile, then, without needing to say a word, returned to processing the mountain of documents left unfinished because of Kumotsuru Torifū.
Every little matter in Konoha had to pass through the Hokage's office. Without Tobirama's help, Hashirama might've dropped dead from exhaustion by now.
Yet no matter how many more papers piled up, Hashirama never complained.
Because this was the village he loved.