Akimichi BBQ Restaurant.
The savory scent of grilled meat filled the air, mixing with the laughter of ninja finally relaxing after months of tension.
"Haha! Minato Namikaze really lives up to Lord Jiraiya's legacy! He single-handedly shifted the tide on two fronts!"
Inoichi Yamanaka raised a glass, toasting his subordinates. He had brought the core Analysis Team here to reward them for their grueling shifts during the final push of the war.
Gulp!
Tonbo stuffed an entire chicken wing into his mouth. Since he decided to woo Ayame, he had been living on ramen, so this free barbecue was a blessing from the gods.
Hearing the Captain's praise, Tonbo wiped grease from his mouth and nodded enthusiastically. "That's right! Senior Minato and Lord Orochimaru are monsters!"
"I heard a rumor," Seishi leaned in, lowering his voice conspiratorially. "Is it true that Lord Third proposed his retirement at the last council meeting? That he wants to step down once the peace treaty is signed?"
Smack!
Mawari Dokuraku rapped Seishi on the head with his tongs. "Don't spread gossip. We don't know who the Fourth Hokage will be yet."
Despite the scolding, Mawari's eyes flicked toward Inoichi, silently asking the same question.
Inoichi chuckled, swirling his drink. "Haha, you're not wrong to wonder. But nothing has been decided."
"It has to be one of them," Tonbo said with absolute confidence, flipping a slice of beef. "Either Lord Orochimaru or Senior Minato. No one else comes close."
"They both have the fame. One won the Battle of Kikyo Pass, the other won Kannabi Bridge. They are the heroes of the Third War."
Inoichi looked at Tonbo with approval. Sharp kid. To deduce the political landscape just from battlefield reports... he really belongs in Intel.
"Alright, drink up!" Inoichi cheered. "In a few days, the main forces will return. Prepare yourselves for the memorial service."
"Yes, sir."
The war was over. The survivors were coming home.
Training Ground 98.
Swish! Swish!
"Gaaah!"
A scream tore through the peaceful afternoon air.
Seishi fell to his knees, clutching his chest, his eyes wide with terror. He saw himself riddled with shuriken, blood pouring from a dozen wounds.
"Hey," Tonbo sighed, standing over him. "Can't you practice your Genjutsu release? You're a Sensor Type, aren't you? You should have a talent for this."
Tonbo formed the seal for Release.
The illusion shattered. Seishi blinked, the phantom pain fading, leaving him panting on the grass.
"I am practicing!" Seishi yelled, looking at Tonbo with genuine fear. "You're just a freak! How is your Genjutsu so hard to break? I knew it was fake! I disrupted my chakra flow! Why did it trigger again?"
"Is that so? Guess I'm just too strong," Tonbo scratched his head, feigning modesty.
In truth, his training was paying off. One glance, and Seishi had lost his mind.
"Tell me how you did it," Seishi demanded, getting back on his feet. "I followed the Academy protocols perfectly."
Tonbo tapped his temple. "Because I modified the Demonic Illusion: Hell Viewing Technique."
"I integrated principles from the Mind Transmission Jutsu. Instead of just projecting an image, I plant a 'memory seed' directly into your chakra network."
"As long as you accept the concept that you might be under a Genjutsu, the seed activates."
"It uses your own subconscious fear to cast the jutsu on yourself. So, even if you disrupt your chakra, if you still feel fear... the Genjutsu reboots."
Seishi's jaw dropped. "That... that means if the victim doesn't realize the specific mechanic, they're trapped in a loop forever?"
"Basically," Tonbo grinned. "It's a virus. But you deserve it. You're still a Genin because you lack conviction. If you were truly fearless, the seed wouldn't have anything to feed on."
"Who isn't afraid of dying?" Seishi pouted.
"Let me teach you the counter," Tonbo offered. "Every jutsu has a weakness."
"This technique relies on your subconscious. As a Sensor, you can detect the foreign chakra seed if you stop panicking and look inward. Find the seed, crush it with a focused pulse of chakra, and the loop breaks."
"Really? Try it again!" Seishi's eyes lit up.
Tonbo smiled. Hook, line, and sinker.
"Here it comes."
He formed a single seal.
Seishi was instantly plunged back into the nightmare. Shrapnel flew. Explosions rocked the ground. But this time, Seishi didn't scream. He gritted his teeth, ignored the visual horror, and focused on his internal network.
There. A tiny, alien pulse of chakra attached to his visual cortex.
Pulse!
The illusion vanished instantly.
"I did it!" Seishi cheered. "I beat you!"
"Good job," Tonbo nodded. "But don't get cocky. Next time, I'll hide it better."
Seishi wiped sweat from his brow. "Hey, Tonbo. Do you think you could beat Kakashi or Hayama Shirakumo now?"
They were the benchmarks. Kakashi was a Jonin at twelve. Hayama, another prodigy with a sword, had graduated early and was already a Tokubetsu Jonin.
"Beat them?" Tonbo snorted. "Those guys are monsters. Kakashi has a Sharingan now. Hayama cuts lightning."
"It's unfair," Seishi kicked a rock. "We're the same age. Inabi Uchiha is still a Chunin like you. Why is the gap so big?"
"Comparison is the thief of joy," Tonbo said softly, his expression turning philosophical.
He looked up at the sky.
"Winter has no breath, yet it freezes the rivers for a thousand miles. The wind has no voice, yet it shakes the leaves from the trees."
"We are all contributors to Konoha. No one is nobler than another; some simply have different talents and heavier burdens."
"If you want to compare, compare contributions, not combat power. Combat power is just a tool to survive and protect. It's not a measuring stick for your worth as a human being."
"We uphold the Will of Fire in our own way. That is the answer."
Seishi stared at him, stunned. He felt a sudden warmth in his chest. Tonbo's words washed away his jealousy, replacing it with a quiet pride.
"You're right," Seishi murmured. "I'm helping the village too."
They didn't know they had an audience.
Hokage's Office.
Hiruzen Sarutobi sat before his crystal ball, the image of the two boys rippling on the surface. He had checked in on Tonbo on a whim, needing a break from the endless peace treaty negotiations.
He heard the poem.
"Winter has no breath, yet it freezes the rivers..."
Hiruzen leaned back, a genuine smile crinkling his eyes.
"He truly is a child of the Will of Fire," Hiruzen whispered. "To understand the nature of duty so profoundly at such a young age..."
"Tonbo Tobitake. I was right to watch you."