Chapter 128: The Will of Fire

Each chapter is about an individual or a team’s heroic deeds, followed by analysis and summary.

After reading one chapter, the Will of Fire has already quietly taken root in the heart.

What is the Will of Fire?

No language is needed to describe it—figures and events simply arise directly in the mind.

Hashirama Senju, Madara Uchiha, Tobirama Senju…

These individuals may be dead, but they are not far removed; they might be your ancestors, or some still live in Konoha.

The book “Will of Fire” has forty-nine chapters; the final nine heroic stories were selected by Fujinaka Genma from secret Root archives.

Eight of them died in battle and sacrificed their lives; only one remains alive.

That one is Yakushi Hanare.

Yakushi Hanare is also a talent; Fujinaka Genma personally retrieved her to train Root ninjas in espionage while still letting her serve as director of her orphanage.

Such a talent must not be wasted.

Moreover, she is an outstanding medical ninja.

When everyone finished reading the entire “Will of Fire,” Fujinaka Genma spoke: “This is your first lesson—the highest achievement and greatest honor of a ninja are all within this book.”

“It could be the Hokage, an ordinary ninja, an Anbu ninja, or even a Root ninja who has lived in darkness all his life.”

“What is the meaning of our existence?”

“What self-worth must we realize?”

Fujinaka Genma’s gaze swept over them all, then said: “I want Itachi to reflect on these two questions after today’s training ends, write them down, and submit them to me tomorrow.”

“Yes, Fujinaka-sama!”

Sasuke Uchiha and the others responded in unison.

Next came other lessons.

The Root already had a meticulous system in place, which Fujinaka Genma did not alter.

What he reformed was the Root’s former method of training killing machines—the practice of turning ninjas against each other.

Evidence proves that an army with faith and ideals is the most elite.

Fujinaka Genma’s reform of the Root aims to forge such an army.

The next day, the instructor for political ideology class became Hiruzen Sarutobi.

The audience now included not only members of the Hyuga clan and Uchiha clan, but also newly joined ninjas and some original Root ninjas.

This is a mandatory course that will be extended to every Root ninja.

Meanwhile, the Root serves as a pilot program.

If the results are positive, Minato Namikaze will establish this course at the Ninja Academy.

Political education must begin with the young.

The Ninja Academy already has similar ideological courses, but Fujinaka Genma finds them insufficiently systematic, insufficiently profound, and insufficiently emphasized.

On the third day, the instructor for political ideology class changed again to Fujinaka Genma.

On the blackboard, he wrote two characters: GOAL!

Thought is the guiding principle of action; thought has now been established.

Concrete action must follow.

The concrete guiding principle is the goal—the steps to achieve it.

Without these, thought alone is useless—it is a castle in the air.

……

Busy days always pass swiftly.

On the tenth day after confirming the engagement, Fujinaka Genma quietly held an engagement ceremony with Hyuga Mio.

Hyuga Mio officially became Fujinaka Genma’s fiancée, and on this same day, her Caged Bird Seal was removed.

This was an unprecedented move by the Hyuga clan.

Evidence proves that no rule in the world is unbreakable.

If one seems unbreakable, it is only because Itachi are not strong enough!

Three months passed in the blink of an eye.

On this day, the first batch of new Root recruits under Fujinaka Genma’s leadership faced their evaluation.

This evaluation had been agreed upon beforehand by Fujinaka Genma, Minato Namikaze, and Hiruzen Sarutobi, to test the effectiveness of the new rules.

Thus, this evaluation was led by Minato Namikaze and Hiruzen Sarutobi, with Fujinaka Genma participating as a special observer.

Beyond assessing ability, the most important aspects were psychological and ideological evaluation.

Before the Forest of Death.

Fujinaka Genma looked at the forty men he had personally trained, his expression solemn: “Though this is merely an evaluation, a drill, I want Itachi to treat it as a real war.”

“This evaluation carries a mortality risk—I hope Itachi all survive it.”

“Yes, Fujinaka-sama!”

Sasuke Uchiha and the others responded in unison.

Fujinaka Genma nodded, then vanished.

Immediately, Minato Namikaze gave the order: “Form teams of four—depart now!”

“Yes, Fourth Hokage!”

As their responses echoed, Sasuke Uchiha and the others vanished in a blur of motion, streaking into the dense, vast Forest of Death.

The previously vanished Fujinaka Genma now appeared deep within the Forest of Death, and began forming hand seals.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Amid bursts of smoke, ten Shadow Clones appeared, then disappeared one after another.

Correct.

The enemies for Sasuke Uchiha and the others this time are Fujinaka Genma’s Shadow Clones.