Arima looked at the joyful scene in front of him, a sense of contentment rising in his heart.
It was already around two in the afternoon, and with sunset not far off, the temperature outside was dropping rapidly.
He needed to get all the students back as soon as possible. Any later and the journey would become difficult, increasing the chances of something unexpected happening along the way.
He gathered all the students and instructed them to clean up the trash and bury it on the spot.
Once everyone had regrouped, he led the group on the way back to the academy.
Along the road, he asked each of the winners what kind of ninjutsu they wanted to learn.
Among E-rank jutsu, the most common were the Clone Jutsu, Transformation Jutsu, and Substitution Jutsu. Normally, these wouldn't be taught until the next semester.
But as the saying goes, a head start leads to an advantage.
If they could learn these techniques early, especially under someone as skilled in ninjutsu as Arima, they would gain a significant edge.
Sure enough, the students each chose one of the three foundational techniques.
Then it was Jiraiya's turn. He had been waiting for this moment.
He was torn, should he choose the prize money to help his family's financial situation, or ask to learn the art of making grilled meat?
He voiced his dilemma to Arima.
Arima, touched by his filial piety, smiled and said, "Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach him how to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.
I can create a shadow clone to teach your mother how to grill meat every day until she masters it. How does that sound?"
Jiraiya agreed wholeheartedly. He knew he could never learn as quickly as his mother. If he tried learning from Arima himself, he'd probably forget half of it anyway.
Just then the sky, which had been clear just moments ago, suddenly turned dark as thick clouds gathered.
It looked like it might rain soon. With autumn rain came autumn chill, traveling under such conditions could easily make someone sick.
Arima quickly formed hand seals and used the Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu. His clones immediately began escorting the students home at top speed.
Just as he had anticipated, as soon as everyone had made it back, the first autumn rain of the year began to fall.
Originally, Arima had planned to take Tsunade home himself, but she threw a fit, claiming she could've gotten first place today and thus should be allowed to make a request, specifically, to sleep over.
She even argued that her brother still owed her a wish.
Arima couldn't help but laugh. Tsunade rarely acted this spoiled in front of him, and seeing her like this, he didn't have the heart to say no. Still, he needed to let Granny Mito know.
So he settled Tsunade in, then braved the rain to inform Mito.
Arima now visited Mito regularly to study sealing techniques, progressing from the Evil Sealing Method and Fire Sealing Method to more advanced techniques like the Four Symbols Seal, Eight Trigrams Seal, and Mito's ultimate technique, the Yin Seal.
However, there were some techniques, like the Adamantine Sealing Chains, that could only be used by those with Uzumaki blood.
He couldn't learn those unless he exchanged points with the system for an Uzumaki bloodline.
But he was hesitant. If his hair turned red, it would draw unwanted attention, so he continued to hold off.
Today had been a rewarding day for Tsunade. She lay in Arima's bed, surrounded by his scent, feeling a deep sense of comfort.
Ever since she could remember, she had always stuck close to him.
But after such a long day, fatigue caught up with her. Before Arima even returned, she had already drifted off into sleep.
When Arima got back, he found her sleeping soundly.
He tiptoed into the room, gently covered her with a blanket, then quietly checked the doors and windows to make sure nothing would disturb her rest.
He still had plenty to do tonight, first on the list was training in the Flying Thunder God Technique.
He had always felt that using it, especially while transporting someone else, was somewhat clunky. That could be a fatal weakness in combat, especially on the battlefield.
At the moment, he had 5,860 virtue points. If he used 5,000 to master the Flying Thunder God Technique, he'd be left with just 860.
Even the 1,000 points he had set aside for transplanting the Sharingan would be gone.
He also wanted to boost his hand seal speed to six seals per second, which would require another 3,000 points. Years of accumulation were about to be depleted.
But the upside was that he had truly become a ninjutsu man, mastering five-element chakra techniques, along with a vast array of sealing jutsu, medical ninjutsu, and Wood Release.
He wasn't particularly interested in clan-specific secret techniques, mostly because their characteristics were too obvious.
Using them as an outsider would make him stand out too much. Plus, many required specific bloodlines.
The temperature inside the training ground had dropped significantly.
Dressed in just a thin shirt, Arima repeatedly practiced the Flying Thunder God Technique.
If he could master it on his own, he could use those 3,000 points to boost his seal speed instead. That would be a win-win.
By the time he finished his training, it was nearly midnight.
Returning to his bedroom, he noticed an extra futon laid out beside Tsunade's bedding.
His mother had prepared it in advance. Arima was usually so self-reliant that people often forgot he was just ten years old.
He quickly bathed in the house's private bath, then climbed into bed.
Glancing at the sleeping Tsunade, her adorable face brought a soft smile to his lips. Before long, he too drifted off to sleep.
Around three in the morning, the house was quiet save for the sound of steady breathing.
Suddenly, Arima awoke with a jolt, he'd heard a noise outside.
He got up swiftly, dressed, and stepped out.
An Anbu stood at the door and said in a low voice, "Lord Arima, the Second Hokage requests your presence."
Arima raised a hand to signal for silence, then glanced back to make sure Tsunade was still asleep. Seeing she hadn't been disturbed, he nodded.
The Anbu vanished with a Body Flicker Technique, off to summon other Jonin. The Hokage was calling an emergency meeting.
Arima quietly changed into his Jonin uniform and looked once more at the sleeping Tsunade.
That peaceful face reminded him of what he was fighting for.
He created a Wood Clone to stay under the covers and keep watch, just in case something happened.
He had also marked the area around his house with Flying Thunder God seals so he could return instantly if needed.
Reassured, he made his way to the Hokage's office.
By 3:30 a.m., the conference room in the Hokage building was brightly lit, shadows flickering as figures gathered. Everyone waited in silence for the arrival of the Second Hokage.
When the door finally opened, Tobirama stepped in, with Arima following behind.
Arima's head only reached Tobirama's shoulder, and his youthful face was still soft with childhood, but not a single Jonin present dared underestimate him.
Tobirama took his seat at the head of the room, his gaze sweeping calmly across the crowd. Once he confirmed everyone had arrived, he spoke.
"War is coming."
His words sent ripples through the room. The Jonin began whispering to one another. They were no strangers to conflict, but since the founding of Konoha, this would be the first true war.
Tobirama continued, "According to intelligence from the Anbu, Kumogakure intends to provoke us.
Kirigakure and Iwagakure also show signs of preparing for war. This could become a full-scale conflict involving the four great shinobi villages."
"It's estimated that war could break out as early as next year or at the latest, within two years.
Starting now, we'll begin transitioning to a wartime state. Patrol schedules will follow the emergency plans. Jonin teams will begin border surveillance missions."
The coming war would be a turning point for the young Arima. He had once expected a peaceful period to grow and develop, but now he had to power up, fast.
He had to survive the battlefield. He had to protect his family... and Tsunade.
At the moment, he had two options to enhance his power.
First, to transplant the Sharingan. If he could awaken Mangekyo like Madara, his strength would skyrocket.
The second was to fully master the Flying Thunder God Technique.
On the battlefield, it would allow him to come and go like a ghost, unless sealed by a barrier. His combat prowess would soar.
As for Sage Mode, he had to wait until he was older. His granduncle hadn't explained why, only told him to obey.
But... where would he get a Sharingan?
He wondered if he should speak to his granduncle about it.
After all, Tobirama had always been wary of the Uchiha, even creating many techniques specifically to counter the Sharingan, secrets not known to outsiders.
Arima understood that during the Warring States period, the Uchiha and Senju clans had clashed often, becoming intimately familiar with each other's techniques and tactics.
The Uchiha had a history of internal rebellion, which made Tobirama especially cautious.
After much thought, he decided he had to discuss the Sharingan transplant with his granduncle. He didn't want mistrust to grow between them.
After the meeting, Arima followed Tobirama into the Hokage's office. Standing tall, he said firmly, "Granduncle, I want to transplant a Sharingan."
Tobirama, deep in thought about war preparations, was pulled from his musings by the sudden declaration.
He wasn't surprised. He had studied the Sharingan's lineage thoroughly.
Some Senju had attempted transplants in the past, but most had failed. Those who survived often couldn't deactivate the eyes due to incompatibility.
Tobirama knew Arima was determined and rarely wavered once he set his sights on something.
Now that this gifted descendant wanted to undergo a Sharingan transplant, he had to proceed carefully.
Arima added after a pause, "War is coming. I need more strength. My cell vitality is very close to grandfather's. I can handle the Sharingan's strain."
Tobirama was still hesitant. In his eyes, Arima was already close to an elite Jonin. That should be enough to survive the battlefield.
But Arima looked him in the eye and said, with unwavering resolve.
"I don't want to die. I need to protect my family, protect Tsunade. And I want to do everything I can to help more of our comrades survive this war. That's the best contribution I can make."
Tobirama was visibly moved. After a long silence, he finally said, "I'll perform the transplant myself."
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A.N: Hey everyone if you like this story then please leave some comments and reviews, as it feels no one is reading this story.
Extra chapters for 50 power stones or 10 reviews