Chapter 96

The eastern horizon was tinged with the pale light of dawn.

By this time, Baisei was already soaking in the hot spring, eyes closed, enjoying the warmth. Steam rose from the water’s surface.

The temperature of the hot spring was around 40 to 45 degrees Celsius, neither too hot nor too cold, just right.

At that moment, Baisei heard the gentle sound of water being disturbed nearby.

He opened his eyes and saw a girl with long, straight black hair, her beauty dazzling. She was not wrapped in a towel, but the thick mist made her figure somewhat indistinct.

The rising morning light also created a kind of holy glow that obscured her, a light that hindered honest encounters between people.

She walked step by step, coming to stand behind Baisei, gently rubbing his back. The softness of her fingers and the smoothness of her skin easily broke through Baisei’s defenses.

"How does it feel?"

"Very comfortable."

"Then... do you want to do something even more comfortable?"

More comfortable? What could that be?

Is it that?

Baisei tried to suppress the agitation in his heart, which felt like it was about to leap out of his throat.

"Let’s continue what we didn’t finish last night. Let’s be honest with each other here."

The girl’s arms reached forward from behind, embracing Baisei’s body.

A faint, sweet fragrance filled his nostrils.

But his breathing suddenly became difficult.

He felt her hands slowly moving up, toward his neck.

"Wait, you’re hugging me too tightly, loosen up a bit..."

"Isn’t this what you wanted? So, become mine alone..."

Her hands tightened, making Baisei’s breathing increasingly difficult.

His face turned bright red, as if he were about to suffocate.

...

He opened his eyes, drenched in cold sweat, and looked at the sky, which was now tinged with the pale light of dawn. It was already morning.

"Really, to have such a strange dream. I said, how could Ruri turn into such a terrifying person? It was just a dream, so it’s fine..."

However, the feeling of being choked, the sensation of nearly suffocating, was indeed very real.

Baisei was unsure whether this was a pleasant dream or a nightmare.

After breakfast, Baisei took out the device Ruri had asked him to make yesterday and handed it to her.

"Here, this is the device you asked for to suppress chakra flow. Just wear it, and it will slow down the flow of chakra in your body to a snail’s pace. But since the user is a genin, don’t train too strictly."

Ruri looked at the three metal bracelets in her hand and nodded, indicating she understood.

"Also, be careful. The daily training time with these on shouldn’t exceed three hours. For a genin, two hours is enough. If you extend the time, you might have to send them to the hospital."

"Is it that serious?"

"If the flow of chakra is slowed down, normal life is fine, but forcing intense training in this state can easily cause physical damage over time."

"If I use this for training, will it be effective?"

Ruri asked with interest.

"In your case, these bracelets would break immediately. Your chakra is too strong. You would need a higher-level restriction bracelet."

"Make one for me."

"That’s no problem."

Baisei nodded.

This is similar to weighted training. If you train with weights in your daily routine, when you remove them during combat, your speed will definitely increase.

Training with restriction bracelets is like adding weight to your chakra. When you remove the bracelets, your control, burst, and flow of chakra, as well as the speed and power of your jutsu, will significantly improve.

However, the restriction bracelets designed for genin are clearly not suitable for Ruri.

The chakra burst of a jōnin is incomparable to that of a genin.

"I’ll be going now."

As she said this, Ruri stood still, staring at Baisei calmly.

Baisei was slightly taken aback but quickly understood. He stepped forward and embraced Ruri, and they began to kiss in the hallway.

Until they gradually ran out of breath, Ruri finally left, her face slightly flushed and satisfied.

After that, Baisei stayed in the laboratory.

He conducted experiments to mix chakra and natural energy while making the chakra restriction bracelets Ruri needed.

If the restriction bracelets were divided into ten levels, the ones he made before were only at level two. The ones suitable for Ruri would start at level eight.

From level six and above, only jōnin could adapt.

◎

In the Hokage’s office.

Ruri was there to receive a mission.

She took the mission scroll from the Third Hokage, Sarutobi, and opened it to read the content.

It was a C-rank protection mission, to protect a merchant from the Land of Earth who was transporting a batch of medicinal herbs from the Land of Fire to the capital of the Land of Earth for sale.

The mission reward was 40,000 ryō, which was relatively high for a C-rank mission.

The highest reward for a C-rank mission was 50,000 ryō.

"What do you think?"

Sarutobi looked at the Uchiha girl in front of him and couldn’t help but feel a sense of regret.

"No problem. If there’s an issue with the mission, I’ll interrupt it in time."

Ruri put the scroll away and said.

Sarutobi nodded in approval.

Ruri’s previous mission had been misrepresented, and she encountered a ninja conflict during it.

Upon realizing this, Ruri decisively led her three genin teammates to abandon the client, ignoring his cries and pleas, and returned to Konoha, leaving him to his fate.

The client who posted the mission must be honest; otherwise, it could easily lead to the loss or even death of Konoha’s ninja.

If basic honesty cannot be guaranteed, then interrupting the mission and abandoning the client is the right choice.

"Wait."

As Ruri was about to leave, Sarutobi’s voice came from behind.

"Is there anything else you need to tell me, Hokage-sama?"

Ruri turned around, neither humble nor disrespectful, her eyes showing no fear or reverence, just a professional demeanor.

Their relationship was purely that of a superior and subordinate, with no other connections.

Or perhaps, she simply didn’t want to engage in meaningless conversation with the corrupt village elders.

Like some of the Uchiha elders who still harbored the delusion of making an Uchiha the Hokage.

Their arrogance and naivety made her want to laugh.

No matter how you looked at it, they were a group of boring people, vying for power and influence.

The current Konoha was like a stagnant pool, lifeless and devoid of vitality.

"I was wondering if something happened to you. I feel like you’ve changed today."

Sarutobi was indeed curious about this.

Usually, he could only sense a cold and heavy aura from the genius jōnin, but today was different.

It was a very peculiar feeling, something Sarutobi couldn’t quite pinpoint.

"You’re overthinking it, Hokage-sama. If there’s nothing else, I’ll be going now. I have a mission to complete."

Ruri turned her back to Sarutobi and left, leaving this statement behind.

"..."

Sarutobi sighed lightly and looked out the window with a sense of melancholy.

Ruri’s attitude didn’t make him feel anything in particular. In fact, the reason for her coldness was closely related to the decisions made by the village elders.

But all of this was for the stability of Konoha.

Sometimes, it was necessary to protect some people’s interests at the expense of others to maintain the village’s stability and peace, otherwise, enemies would take advantage of the situation.

This was true for Danzō.

This was true for Shō.

He never expected Shō to respond in such a decisive way.

Even today, Sarutobi couldn’t understand why Shō chose to commit suicide.

He had no reason or motive to do so.

He just wanted to use Danzō’s power to exclude Shō from the position of Hokage. Shō would still be an irreplaceable elite jōnin in Konoha, and his status among jōnin was unshakable...

Countless questions plagued Sarutobi.

Unfortunately, with Shō’s death, no one could answer this long-standing question in his heart.

Therefore, Ruri’s cold and distant attitude toward the village elders was understandable.

But... Ruri would be a high-ranking figure in the Uchiha clan in the future, playing a crucial role in the Uchiha’s integration into the village.

Sarutobi looked out the window, in the direction of the Ninja Academy.

It had been a while since he last visited there.

◎

On his way to the medical ninja experimental class, Baisei saw a familiar figure standing in the corridor ahead, seemingly observing something, and his face naturally showed surprise.

"Hokage-sama?"

"Um..."

Hearing the voice from the side, the Third Hokage, Sarutobi, turned his head in surprise and saw Baisei approaching.

"I remember you..."

"Hokage-sama, I am Baisei Senju."

"Sorry, I’m getting old and my memory isn’t as good as it used to be."

Sarutobi smiled helplessly, looking very kind and amiable.

"You’re not that old, you’re still a few years away from fifty."

In response to Baisei’s comment, Sarutobi smiled and said, "You’re joking. I’ve been in this position for twenty years, and when the next Hokage takes over, I’ll finally be free."

Baisei smiled but didn’t say anything.

"By the way, why are you here, Hokage-sama?"

"Nothing important, just wanted to walk around a bit. How’s your work with Tsunade going? Are you getting used to it?"

"There’s nothing to get used to. I’m just doing what I can."

"Don’t be so modest. Medical ninjas are a crucial part of Konoha’s present and future. If I had agreed to Tsunade’s medical reforms earlier, the Second Great Shinobi War might not have been so devastating..."

At this point, Sarutobi’s face showed a hint of sadness.

The medical reforms were officially launched during the Second Great Shinobi War, not before it, when the village could have started training medical ninjas.

If the decision had been made earlier, the casualty rate among Konoha’s ninjas wouldn’t have been so high, and the prolonged conflict with the Sand Village might have ended sooner.

"This isn’t your fault, Hokage-sama. The war came unexpectedly for all of us. Saving as many lives as possible in the chaos is the responsibility and duty of medical ninjas. I chose this path for that reason. But I’m also grateful that you, Hokage-sama, have recognized the importance of medical ninjas and given us our current status in the village."

Baisei said this with firm conviction.

In the past, medical ninjas in Konoha were not highly regarded and their status was generally lower than that of combat personnel.

It wasn’t until the medical reforms that the village elevated the status of medical ninjas, a model that was later adopted by other villages.

Tsunade had worked tirelessly for the village’s development, and her contributions in this area were unmatched by anyone in Konoha.

Most of the new generation of medical ninjas in Konoha had been mentored by her to some extent.

These medical ninjas, trained by her, have saved countless lives in the village, which explains her revered status.

"This is all due to Tsunade’s efforts, not mine as Hokage."

Sarutobi shook his head and smiled, genuinely pleased to see his disciple’s high standing in the village.

Only with such a foundation can the village remain stable.

His three disciples have been invaluable in this regard.

Baisei stood there with Sarutobi, watching the students playing ninja games on the playground nearby, and said, "The children today are so fortunate, unlike a few years ago when they might be sent to the battlefield right after graduation."

"Yes, protecting these children is the greatest legacy of the First Hokage’s Will of Fire."

"The First Hokage was a great person and my role model. The Will of Fire he passed down is a noble and inspiring ideal for everyone."

Baisei said this with conviction.

Sarutobi smiled but didn’t say anything. After a while, he asked, "What do you think of the Uchiha?"

Baisei thought for a moment and said, "Some of them are overly arrogant, but I don’t think they are inherently bad. The Security Force often receives complaints from villagers."

At this point, he looked a bit frustrated.

Sarutobi laughed, "That’s true. The Uchiha also inherited the First Hokage’s Will of Fire. I hope that one day, the villagers will recognize the Uchiha clan and see them as part of the family."

"Are you here to ask about Ruri, Hokage-sama?"

Baisei carefully asked in return.

Sarutobi was silent.

"I’m really worried about her current state."

"I knew it. Why would a busy Hokage like you care about someone like me?"

Baisei laughed bitterly, giving the impression that he didn’t take it to heart.

"Don’t be so modest. Being recognized by a genius jōnin of the Uchiha clan is a testament to your excellent qualities. In my eyes, you are already an outstanding Konoha ninja who has inherited the First Hokage’s Will of Fire."

"Just a joke, Hokage-sama, please don’t take it seriously." Baisei smiled, then thought for a moment and answered, "Since Shō-sensei’s death, Ruri’s emotions have been unstable. To be honest, I was also angry about Shō-sensei’s death, but the dead are gone, and he wouldn’t want us to be like this."

"Shō was an excellent Konoha ninja..."

"Yes, because of that, I can truly understand Shō-sensei. He made that decision with deep love for Konoha. As his former student, it’s enough to understand and carry on his will. After all, passing on our teacher’s will is our duty and goal."

Baisei stretched out his hand, as if trying to grasp something in the sky.

Looking at Baisei’s bright, untroubled smile, a smile and gaze that only a pure and noble soul could have, Sarutobi was momentarily lost in thought.

He was impressed by how, at such a young age, Baisei could think with a broad and inclusive mindset.

This kind of thinking is a valuable quality for a Hokage.

Sarutobi had a feeling that this person might be able to truly integrate the Uchiha clan into the village, making them part of the family.

"It seems I was worrying for nothing."

Sarutobi smiled helplessly, feeling much more at ease.

He had indeed been overly concerned. With such an outstanding man with a Hokage’s mindset by her side, the Uchiha genius would not go astray.

Sarutobi had this confidence.

"I’ll be there on time for your wedding and bring a gift."

"Cough... Hokage-sama, you’re joking. That’s still a long way off for Ruri and me."

Baisei blushed.

"At seventeen, you’re not young. At your age, I was already engaged to Biwako."

Seeing Baisei’s slightly embarrassed reaction, Sarutobi smiled inwardly, finding him a charming and pure young man.

There was no need to worry about that Uchiha genius.

He looked forward to a bright future for the village, where everyone lived in harmony.

◎

"You’re really late today, almost late."

"Sorry, Tsunade-sensei. I ran into Hokage-sama in the corridor and chatted for a bit."

In the office, Baisei answered Tsunade’s question honestly.

"Sensei Sarutobi?"

Tsunade was slightly taken aback.

"Yes."

"What did you talk about?"

"Nothing much, just some trivial matters."

Baisei answered with a natural expression.

"I see."

Tsunade nodded and didn’t press further.

At 5:30 PM, after the experimental class ended, Tsunade hurriedly left, leaving Baisei to answer the students who hadn’t understood the lesson.

With Baisei’s theoretical and practical knowledge, teaching these students was more than sufficient.

Watching Tsunade leave, Baisei felt a bit guilty.

I’m sorry, Tsunade-sensei, for taking advantage of your kindness so many times. He sighed inwardly.

But to avoid more trouble, he had to do this.

He could get away with it today, but he couldn’t be sure about the future.

He couldn’t predict whether the Hokage would come to him for more conversations.

Baisei understood the principle that the more you talk, the more likely you are to make mistakes.

"Senior B