Multiversal Wanderer: Starting in Naruto-Chapter 60: Where The Leaves Fly

"If the chance ever comes, I'd love to learn the secrets of Earth Release from Lord Uchiha Xiuyu."

"Oh? Maybe surviving the Valley of the End is the prerequisite for everything that happens next."

The wind howled through the valley, blowing Madara's long hair as he stood unmoved.

"You're killing us here, Lord Madara?" Onoki asked, tension in his voice. freёweɓnovel.com

"No. I'm not interested in taking your lives. But since you ran into me, you might as well try to entertain me. That way, your chances of survival might improve—don't you think?"

Mu's expression hardened. He knew they wouldn't be walking away without a fight.

"Then forgive me for being reckless."

"Earth Release: Earth Dragon Spear!"

"Earth Release: Rock Pillar Spear!"

"Earth Release: Earth Dragon Bullet!"

Mu launched three Earth Release techniques back-to-back, but Madara effortlessly dodged each of them. His Three-Tomoe Sharingan could easily trace and predict the trajectory of those attacks.

Onoki stood frozen, unable to even lend a hand.

"Fire Release: Dragon Flame Song Technique!"

Several flaming dragons surged forward.

"Earth Release: Earth and Stone Wall!"

"Earth Release: Earth and Stone Wall!"

Both Mu and Onoki simultaneously poured out chakra, raising massive earthen walls to block the flames. The intense heat boiled nearby water into thick clouds of steam, which engulfed them.

"Master... is that the Fire Release of the so-called Ninja God?" Onoki asked between gasps, hot steam searing his lungs.

"We're unlucky today. But if we give it everything we've got, we might still walk away alive. Madara isn't even going all out."

"He's not?! That looked like full power to me!"

"Then tell me, my dear disciple—why do the other hidden villages call those three the Ninja Gods? It's because the gap between us is that huge."

Madara didn't continue his attack. When the fire dragon flames subsided, the rocky ground in front of Mu and Onoki had already been scorched into molten lava. The air around them felt like a furnace.

"Boring," Madara said coldly, staring at the two who cowered behind the stone wall. It wasn't even worth continuing. If he tried any harder, they'd be dead for sure.

"Go home. Konoha's not looking to form an alliance right now. The Five Great Nations have only just stabilized. Any new alliance would mess with the current peace talks. So coming to Konoha was pointless."

With that, Madara turned and left. But before walking away completely, he actually offered a rare warning to Mu and Onoki—something the old Madara never would've done. Maybe it was Xiu Yu's subtle influence. The rage that once defined Madara had softened, if only slightly.

Watching him leave with such ease, both master and student felt like they'd just dodged death itself.

"He's not exactly like the rumors say," Wu muttered. "They call him proud and extreme, but what I saw felt more like the arrogance of someone powerful. In the end, he even gave us a heads-up to give up on the alliance plan."

Although their trip hadn't accomplished its original goal, they gained something else entirely—an impression of Madara that was nothing like the legends. Mu even walked away with some rather "special" insight.

"Onoki, as long as Uchiha Madara and Uchiha Xiuyu are still alive, the Hidden Stone Village would do well to keep any foolish thoughts in check."

"Master, who the hell would be dumb enough to go against people like that?" Onoki muttered, still rattled. Just that one Fire Release technique was enough to make them feel hopeless. If it had gone on a little longer, they'd have been roasted alive.

"Let's go home, Onoki. If I ever get the chance, I'd like to get closer to the Uchiha."

"Huh? Why the Uchiha? Shouldn't we be trying to build ties with the Senju instead? After all, Hashirama Senju is the Hokage of Konoha."

"Hashirama might be Hokage, but even the first generation of Kage think he's too idealistic—too soft. I honestly don't get how a guy like that is still alive."

"After today, I'm not so sure the Uchiha's rep for being extreme is accurate. Maybe it's just power that makes people label them like that. In the ninja world, the bigger your fists, the more truth you hold."

"Yes, Master!"

---

The small scuffle in the Valley of the End didn't disturb Konoha's growing prosperity. By the time Madara returned to the village, the Ninja Academy had already been established, and its first entrance ceremony was scheduled for the next day.

"How are things going with the school-aged kids in the clan?" Madara asked.

"Reporting, Lord Madara—everything's been arranged. They'll be enrolled starting tomorrow."

"And the Uzumaki clan? With Xiuyu away, it's up to us to help them."

"Yes, Clan Leader. The arrangements for them have also been made."

"Good. Have Uchiha Fan and Uchiha Dan escort the kids to school tomorrow. We've already ensured that several Uchiha children passed the entrance exam. But make sure the kids don't get cocky. The Uchiha are part of Konoha now, and they need to study like everyone else."

"Yes, sir!"

---

The next day, on the vast playground of Konoha's newly built Ninja Academy, hundreds of children stood waiting for the ceremony to begin.

This was the first-ever academy intake in Konoha history, and the event had been meticulously prepared. It was a rare occasion made possible by a fragile peace.

The Uchiha and Uzumaki children stood quietly at the back. With their clan emblems prominently displayed, they would have drawn too much attention if they stood in front. Their families had advised them to stand out only through academic performance—not through flashy appearances.

The Senju clan took things even further. Most wore plain clothes without even a basic clan emblem. This was the result of an agreement between Hashirama and Tobirama—to gradually and completely merge the Senju into the fabric of Konoha society.

The Uchiha and Uzumaki couldn't help but admire this move, but admiration didn't erase the invisible line drawn by bloodline and heritage. While the Senju could tear down the barrier by merging with the general populace, doing so also allowed them to evolve alongside the civilians, maintaining their clan's growth indirectly.

As the saying goes, overcorrection can be just as dangerous as doing nothing at all. Whether it was the Senju clan's complete integration or the Uchiha's past self-isolation, both represented extremes.

But things were different now.

The Uchiha and Uzumaki clans had become firm allies—so close they could practically lean on each other. At the same time, both clans pushed for the inclusion of talented outsiders, knowing full well that complacency would lead to decline. The Uchiha had learned their lesson. Later down the line, someone like Minato Namikaze—civilian-born—would rise as a shining example of what could be achieved.

---------------

"Today marks the first day of the inaugural class at the Konoha Ninja Academy. All of you represent the future of our village. You've been given a rare opportunity to study in a time of peace, rather than shedding blood and tears on the battlefield. This is something to be proud of."

"...Where the leaves dance, the fire lives on!"

Hashirama's speech finally came to an end—thankfully. The whole thing had been written by Tobirama ahead of time. If left to his own devices, Hashirama probably wouldn't have said nearly as much.

Uchiha Madara, Izuna, Uzumaki Asaoka, and a few other family members were watching the opening ceremony from atop Hokage Rock. Thanks to several telescopes Xiu Yu had brought back from the Pacific Rim, the view was decent—though not quite as sharp as the Byakugan, of course.

"Fan, Dan," Madara called out, "take your teaching duties at the Academy seriously. You can teach anything except the Uchiha clan's secret techniques. And keep an eye out for talent. Some of our kids have gotten lazy now that we're at peace. Let's give them a little motivation. The promising ones—we'll consider bringing them into the Uchiha or Uzumaki clans."

"Understood?"

"Yes!" they responded in unison.

"Good. Now go attend the ceremony."

The founding of the Konoha Ninja Academy had become major news across the village. Crowds of parents had gathered to witness the opening day, excitement buzzing in the air.

After the initial ceremony, students were assigned to their classrooms. Given that this was the Academy's first intake and the Warring States era had only recently ended, the school avoided flashy introductions. The first lesson focused on chakra refinement techniques.

It didn't take long for the gap between clan children and civilian kids to become obvious. Most clan kids had already learned how to refine chakra at home. The only differences between them were the amount of chakra and their level of proficiency. Civilian kids, on the other hand, were starting from zero.

Even grasping the concept of chakra proved difficult for many of them. Chakra was a blend of physical energy from body cells and spiritual energy, the very foundation of ninjutsu. But most civilian kids didn't even understand what body cells were, let alone how to sense chakra.

By the end of the first day, not a single civilian student in Class 1 had successfully extracted chakra. It wasn't much better for the clan kids, either—only a few had succeeded, and those were considered exceptionally talented. But talent didn't always predict future potential.

A week passed. Still, none of the civilians in Class 1 had succeeded. The same pattern showed in the other classes too. Civilian kids were clearly starting from behind.

"Brother, you're aware of the situation at the Academy, right?" Tobirama said, brows furrowed. "It's been over a week, and not a single civilian has extracted chakra successfully."

He had expected the gap, but seeing it play out so starkly left him frustrated. Managing the whole village now was far more exhausting than just overseeing the Senju clan.

"I've heard," Hashirama said, sighing. "But what can we do? Civilian kids don't have the same foundation. Peace hasn't lasted long enough for families to properly recover. Many of these kids are still undernourished and weak."

He understood the reality well—this gap between clans and civilians could only be closed slowly over time, with sustained peace and opportunity.

"How are the clan children getting along with the civilians?"

"Brother, you're the Hokage. Why are you asking me?" Tobirama groaned, rubbing his temples. "I'm the one doing all the hard work here."

"Because you're way more competent than I am, Tobirama. Hahaha!"

Hashirama laughed freely, not the least bit embarrassed. He'd always relied on Tobirama to clean up his messes since they were kids.

"Well," Tobirama said, calming down, "the Senju clan is getting along fine with the civilians, at least on the surface. No major conflicts. The Ino-Shika-Cho trio is behaving too. The Shimura clan though—they're a bit rough."

"What about the Uchiha and Uzumaki clans?"

"Surprisingly, they're doing well. A few Uchiha kids even volunteered to help their civilian classmates with chakra refinement. Completely different from the image I had of them. The Uzumaki, well... their red hair draws attention. They've been teased and even beaten up a few times. But it's mostly just kids messing around. Nothing serious."

"Oh, and several elite ninjas from the Uchiha clan signed up to teach at the Academy. I sat in on one of their classes. They're good—really good. Clear with both theory and practical training. Honestly, both Uchiha and Uzumaki have been very cooperative this time."

"You see?" Hashirama smiled. "They're trying to be part of the village. Don't you think they're making an effort to integrate?"

"I still don't trust them completely, brother," Tobirama muttered. "What if the Uchiha have some hidden agenda?"

"Tobirama, can you stop targeting the Uchiha for once? Madara's never even brought up the time you nearly killed Izuna."

"Oh, and you're ignoring the part where Uchiha Xiu Yu beat me down?"

"If Xiu Yu wanted to kill you, you wouldn't have made it out of that fight. You know that, right?"

"Hmph. Guess that was my fault..." Tobirama grumbled, then turned and stormed off. "You're always defending outsiders!"

As Tobirama disappeared down the corridor, Hashirama glanced at the mountain of paperwork on his desk and groaned.

"Ugh... I don't want to deal with all these documents anymore. I need some fresh air. Wood Release: Wood Clone!"

Leaving his clone behind to handle the paperwork, Hashirama snuck out of the office.

---

Meanwhile, in Takigakure (Hidden Waterfall Village)...

"Kakuzu, this mission is top-secret. You are only allowed to open the scroll once you've reached the Land of Fire. Do you understand?"

"Yes," Kakuzu replied calmly. He was one of Takigakure's top shinobi, and the nature of the mission meant it was reserved for the elite.

With no time to waste, Kakuzu set off. Once he arrived in the Land of Fire, he unsealed the scroll as instructed.

> Mission Objective: Assassinate Hashirama Senju, the Hokage of Konoha.

Kakuzu froze. The name Hashirama Senju carried enormous weight across the ninja world. Even his own village had recently benefited from a tailed beast purchased from Konoha. So why would they now want the Hokage dead?

He didn't understand the reasoning—but it didn't matter.

A shinobi's duty was to complete the mission, not question it.

And so, Kakuzu began making his move.

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