Yuki Seisui was busy doing summons, but in Konoha, the villagers were all talking about the war on the frontlines.
"Damn it… the Four Great Ninja Villages are teaming up against us!"
"So what if they do?!"
"We are the strongest ninja village. Fighting them is like killing dogs!"
"Seisui-sama will surely lead us to victory!"
"Yes! And we have Seisui-sama—a single ninja capable of taking on an entire village!"
The people of Konoha were abuzz with chatter, some of them die-hard fans of Seisui. But most didn't mind—it was widely known in Konoha that Seisui could hold a village on his own.
Even commoners from the Land of Fire or other nations, who had never seen a ninja, had heard of the legendary "Ghost of the Konoha."
Yuki Seisui was Konoha's pride! So what if they boasted a little?
"What if the Four Great Ninja Villages attack together?" Akago muttered while walking through the streets, listening to the villagers. "We have Seisui-sama. One man alone could slaughter all those invaders!"
Beside him, Asami Kumo nodded vigorously, standing straight and exuding excitement.
"That's right! Seisui-sama's strength is unmatched!"
Akago and Asami Kumo hadn't known each other before. But after completing a mission together, they discovered a shared devotion to Seisui and naturally became allies. Though Akago had lost an arm and could no longer be a ninja, Asami Kumo never looked down on him and even helped him with small business ventures.
Together, they were among Seisui's most loyal supporters. The hundred ninja Orochimaru had assigned had mostly become his fans.
If Konoha had trending search terms, Seisui would surely top the list:
Yuki Seisui – The Ghost of the Konoha
Seisui-sama single-handedly suppresses a village
Hokage Office Expanded – Elder Danzo's Generous Funding
Four Great Ninja Villages Attack Konoha
While Asami Kumo and Akago enthusiastically explained Seisui's feats to the surrounding villagers, two dark figures watched from a corner, exchanging glances.
"Yes, Seisui-sama is Konoha's strongest!"
"Only he can lead us to greatness again!"
"But I think Elder Danzo is impressive too…"
"Elder Danzo isn't worth a finger of Seisui-sama!"
The village buzzed with discussion about the upcoming war, with certain agents blending in to inflate Seisui's reputation even more.
Meanwhile, in Konoha's underground base, Danzo sat at the main seat, his eyes dark with malice.
"Hiruzen… you want that evil Uchiha brat to become Hokage? I will never allow it!"
He slammed the table beside him, sending cups flying and shattering on the floor. Every time he thought of Seisui possessing the Mangekyo Sharingan, he fumed.
That naturally evil Uchiha, disguising himself as a civilian with the Uzumaki bloodline… utterly despicable!
"I've never liked that brat anyway. Turns out he's an Uchiha!"
"Uchiha, indeed remarkable," Danzo sneered, gnashing his teeth as he slammed the table again.
"You want to be Hokage? Let's see if I agree!" he muttered.
He knew all along that Hiruzen wanted to hand the Hokage title to Seisui. While he begrudged it, he intended to prove through his own actions that he was the rightful successor.
When he discovered Seisui's Mangekyo Sharingan, he ran to Hiruzen in glee—only to be disappointed. He had assumed Seisui would be suppressed, but Hiruzen had already known about it and still intended to support this "evil Uchiha brat."
This was unbearable.
"Hiruzen, you have no idea the disaster that would have befallen Konoha if I hadn't intercepted this brat!"
"No Uchiha shall ever be Hokage!"
"That's my decree!" Danzo's anger boiled over, and he stood abruptly. "If you insist on making this brat Hokage, I will elevate him to the top—but one failure, and the Hokage position is forever out of reach!"
"Hiruzen, the higher you are held in the hearts of the villagers, the harder the fall will be!"
Danzo muttered to himself, a cruel glint crossing his face.
"Yuki Seisui… hmph! Just a brat, with an evil Uchiha bloodline. How could he become Hokage? I, Danzo, am the rightful choice! I will prove the sensei chose wrong!"
Of course, Seisui had no idea what Danzo was scheming. Had he known, he would have laughed himself silly. Sometimes, being over-praised can kill—but if you rise to the top and never fall? Then it's no longer over-praise. Seisui was confident.
Feeling the shift in his ice chakra, Seisui found it strange. Ice Style was the Kekkei Genkai of the Kirigakure, inherited from the Yuki clan. In the original, only Haku wielded it. Ice Style combines water and wind chakra nature. Typically, it required hand seals, as even the Haku template Seisui had required them.
But with the fusion of two templates, the ice chakra integrated naturally—Seisui seemed to no longer need hand seals.
Concentrating, he extended his right hand. White mist gathered in his palm, forming a perfectly round ice sphere.
"This ability…"
He stroked his chin with his other hand. "Surpassing the master?"
What once required hand seals now didn't. For Seisui, this was trivial—he had plenty of chakra and could manifest anything with a clap of his hands. But this wasn't something that hand seals alone could explain.
One approach used ninjutsu to activate Ice Style. The other manipulated Ice Style directly, allowing for new skills. One uses—the other controls. The difference was significant.
Seisui tossed the ice sphere off the balcony. Even in the blazing summer heat, it didn't shatter. Under sunlight, it melted slowly, radiating cold that lowered the surrounding temperature.
"Looks like I won't fear heat anymore," he said with a smile.
At that moment, Uzumaki Kushina's voice came from below. "Seisui, what are you smiling at?"
Her tone was sharp, assuming he was mocking her teaching.
"Do you know what it's like to mock someone…"
Seisui interrupted, smiling at Kushina's octopus-like hair. "Kushina, I have a surprise for you!"
"Huh?" Kushina blinked, her hair normalizing as she looked at him in confusion.
Without hesitation, Seisui clapped his hands and shouted, "Ice Style: Academy Technique!"
Hearing "Ice Style," Tsunade, approaching the door, dashed outside.
Four ice pillars shot up from the ground around Kushina, growing until their tops intertwined. In moments, a pavilion of ice formed over her and her students.
"Is this Kirigakure's Ice Style?!" Tsunade was stunned, staring in disbelief at Seisui.
"Indeed!" Seisui stood on the balcony, arms crossed, brimming with pride.
"How do you even use Ice Style?" Tsunade asked.
"As is well-known, I am a Wind-and-Water chakra ninja. I developed other chakra natures, but by combining the original two, I created a Kekkei Genkai. Reasonable, right?" Seisui replied confidently.
"Reasonable," Tsunade nodded, quickly realizing, "Reasonable, you little genius!"
Kushina and the others nodded in agreement, though in reality, it was far from ordinary. Successfully fusing Kekkei Genkai was not that simple. It required precise chakra ratios, and failure could result in backlash or death.
Yet Seisui had four Kekkei Genkai at his disposal: the special dueling-space lineage, Sharingan, Uzumaki physiology, and Ice Style. Any one could create a powerful bloodline clan. He had all four.
Tsunade stared at him and whispered, "Monster."
The strength of the Uzumaki, the Sharingan of the Uchiha, the offensive-and-defensive Ice Style, and even a cheat tool like the dueling-space…