In life, there were ultimately only two things people sought—fame and profit.
For many people, one hundred thousand ryo was an enormous sum. Some people, upon receiving one hundred thousand ryo, might even have the chance to change their own fate.
Therefore, when many people saw the bounty, their eyes involuntarily lit up.
"What is the Will of Fire?"
For a time, countless people across the shinobi world began thinking about this question.
"Where leaves dance, fire burns on and on."
"Does that mean leaves are used to start fires?"
"Idiot. What's the point of simply lighting a fire? It'd be a waste if you didn't roast a couple skewers of corn over it."
"Roasted corn doesn't taste good at all. Roast potatoes instead."
"I think roasted Ton-Ton meat would be better."
"Roasted fish smells better!"
…
A middle-aged man looked at the children arguing and shook his head.
"Where leaves dance, fire burns on and on. What it refers to should be a cycle."
"Leaves burn and become nutrients, nourishing the great tree. The great tree grows leaves. Spring passes, autumn comes, and the leaves fall once more, burning and becoming nutrients again to nourish the great tree."
"Cycle after cycle. The great tree is the shinobi village."
"And what kind of leaves fall? Old leaves. Leaves that have already reached the end of their lives."
"If what burns are tender sprouts, then the great tree will die."
The middle-aged man wrote down his understanding and sent it to Sunagakure.
At the same time, many others did the same.
This was precisely the effect Rasa wanted.
If people thought about the Will of Fire, how could they possibly avoid thinking about Minato Namikaze and Hiruzen Sarutobi?
"Could it be that Hiruzen Sarutobi truly caused Minato Namikaze's death?"
"Even if he didn't, Hiruzen Sarutobi failed to act according to the Will of Fire and betrayed Senju Tobirama's expectations."
"The Will of Fire in Konoha has already become a false existence."
"Konoha is merely an ordinary shinobi village."
So someone asked,
"Since even the Hokage himself does not acknowledge the Will of Fire, why does Konoha preach the Will of Fire?"
Kakashi sat in front of the steps, also thinking about this question.
Back then, Kakashi had thought about Sakumo Hatake's death for a very long time.
For the sake of his comrades, Sakumo had abandoned the mission. Yet the comrades he saved had not thanked him for saving their lives. Instead, they had blamed him, asking why he had done such a thing and why he had abandoned the mission.
Rumors had covered the sky and earth.
Accusations had swept in like a flood.
At that time, Kakashi had not understood what kind of pressure Sakumo Hatake had been facing. For a time, he had even felt that Sakumo Hatake was too weak.
But now, Kakashi understood.
Rumors were knives.
They could kill.
They were even sharper than blades forged from refined steel.
After Sakumo Hatake's death, Kakashi reached a conclusion.
The mission was more important than comrades.
But later, there was Uchiha Obito's line—
I think Senior Sakumo was a hero.
Then Uchiha Obito had ignored the mission and risked his life to bring Nohara Rin back.
And after Nohara Rin became the Three-Tails' jinchuriki, in order to avoid causing destruction to the village, she had taken the initiative to crash into the kunai in Kakashi's hand and slowly collapsed against his shoulder.
Her body had gradually turned cold.
"What is the Will of Fire?"
"Does Father's suicide count?"
"Does Obito's death count?"
"Does Rin's death count?"
"And Minato-sensei's death…"
Deep confusion appeared in Kakashi's eyes.
"Who exactly controlled the Nine-Tails?"
A figure arrived beside Kakashi.
"Kakashi-senpai, do you mind?"
Uchiha Shisui pointed to the spot beside Kakashi.
Kakashi glanced at Uchiha Shisui and shook his head.
"Suit yourself."
Uchiha Shisui sat down beside Kakashi.
Shisui knew a little about Kakashi—the son of the famous Konoha's White Fang, a genius who had graduated from the Ninja Academy early, and Minato Namikaze's disciple.
Uchiha Shisui had once regarded Minato Namikaze as the hope who could save the Uchiha.
But Minato Namikaze was dead.
He had died during the Nine-Tails' rampage.
And in the Nine-Tails' enormous eyes, the pattern of the Sharingan had appeared. That made the Uchiha's already terrible situation become even worse.
Kakashi also knew a little about Uchiha Shisui.
A genius of the Uchiha clan.
Someone who had earned the title Shisui of the Body Flicker at a young age.
One of the few Uchiha who still remained in the village.
But Kakashi did not understand why Uchiha Shisui had come to find him.
To discuss what the Will of Fire was?
"Kakashi-senpai, do you want to become Hokage?"
Kakashi's expression stiffened. He turned mechanically toward Uchiha Shisui.
Kakashi had considered many possibilities.
But he had never imagined that the first words Uchiha Shisui would say to him—no, the first words after the greeting—would actually be this.
Become Hokage?
Was it appropriate to ask him that question now?
And more importantly, how was he supposed to become Hokage?
"Why are you asking that?"
Uchiha Shisui fell silent for a moment before saying only one sentence.
"Konoha needs young people."
The meaning behind those words was very simple.
Konoha's old men could no longer be relied on. Uchiha Shisui did not believe they should continue occupying the position of leaders.
Uchiha Shisui continued,
"And you, Kakashi-senpai, are the only person I believe could be qualified to become Hokage in the future."
"I can support you with everything I have."
Inside the Hokage Building, Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at Uchiha Shisui and Kakashi's figures within the crystal ball. His eyes flickered uncertainly.
Then he picked up the copy of Ninja World Weekly beside him.
"What is the Will of Fire?"
"Rasa… what exactly are you trying to do?"
"Do you truly think my Konoha does not dare go to war with you?"
"Again and again, you provoke this old man. You grow more excessive with each step."
Today, Hiruzen Sarutobi had already used the crystal ball to look at many places.
Many people were holding Ninja World Weekly and discussing it intensely. Without question, what could make them discuss things so heatedly was the bounty Sunagakure had offered.
Even inside Konoha, the situation was already like this.
Then what about outside Konoha?
Hiruzen Sarutobi simply could not imagine it.
"The rumor against Sunagakure had no effect at all."
"Chiyo took the initiative to step forward and make an announcement."
"Look at how united their village is. And yet these people in my Konoha always love internal fighting."
"And Danzo is incompetent as well."
Letter after letter was delivered to Sunagakure, gathered in the newspaper office's warehouse. The newspaper employees conducted the first round of screening, eliminating the terrible and repetitive submissions.
Only afterward would they be sent to the Kazekage Building for Rasa to make the final decision.
Rasa picked up one letter.
The signature on the letter was somewhat strange. It was not a proper person's name.
It looked more like a nickname.
"Tobi…"
A guess could not help flashing through Rasa's mind.
"Could this submission really have been sent by Uchiha Obito?"
"And he still wants to talk about the Will of Fire?"