Intensifying Training / What Gives You the Right to Boss Us Around? …

He had to get others involved in this, so Hiruzen Sarutobi casually walked over to Kagami Uchiha.

As he listened to Kagami endlessly extol the benefits of gaining experience and saw everyone nodding in agreement,

Hiruzen Sarutobi sneered. "I think this is completely unnecessary as well. We already train quickly enough in our daily lives. Rather than wasting time going out to gain experience, we might as well pack our training schedules even fuller."

His words drew quite a bit of attention, and everyone nodded in agreement. They did make sense.

No matter what, they could be considered outstanding talents. Naturally, they trained very quickly, and going out to gain experience would not actually make that much difference compared to training.

Everyone’s desire to go out and gain experience gradually changed. Of course, deep down, they simply did not want to trouble themselves too much.

After all, they had grown accustomed to comfort. Suddenly telling them to go out, suffer, and gain experience was indeed difficult for them to accept.

Kagami Uchiha looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi, who had suddenly come out to stir up trouble, and slowly exhaled.

Normally, he could have simply fought the guy, but they were in front of Lord Izayoi Sakamaki. Fighting would be far too crude and unsightly.

He was also the one who understood Izayoi Sakamaki’s thoughts best. He knew that at a time like this, he had to keep his composure.

However, Hiruzen Sarutobi thought his reaction looked like a guilty conscience, so he became even more brazen. "Everyone, tell me, what exactly is the point of going out to gain experience? Isn’t it just a waste of time?"

He took sarcasm to its absolute extreme, yet everyone still nodded along, feeling that his words made sense.

Indeed, for people like them who had never gained experience outside before, going out to do so was simply having too much free time on their hands.

Intensify Training

Seeing everyone’s emotions being stirred up, Kagami Uchiha was truly disappointed. He could not understand why they were like this. He had originally thought that all the Hokages were sensible people, that they would understand gaining experience was for their own good and support the decision. That was why he had decided to announce it as soon as possible.

According to his plan, once they decided to go out and gain experience today, they could pack tomorrow and set off the day after.

But reality had clearly slapped him hard across the face, leaving him so discouraged that he did not even know what to say.

Looking at Hiruzen Sarutobi constantly egging everyone on from the side, Kagami gritted his teeth in anger, yet he had to forcibly endure it. The feeling was truly unpleasant.

Kagami Uchiha even wanted to give up on these people. In his view, if they truly were unwilling, he would not force them.

Such things could not be forced. But when he thought of the danger they would soon face, how could he simply give up?

Thus, Kagami Uchiha took several deep breaths and tried his best to suppress the anger in his heart.

"Can’t you understand what has happened during this time? Was Tobirama Senju not strong enough? Do you not know how he died?"

Kagami Uchiha roared out those words. He truly wanted these brainless Hokages to think things through.

A few days ago, he had already told them that there were people stronger than Lord Izayoi Sakamaki, which meant there were many unknown dangers around them.

If they wanted the ability to protect themselves, or even protect the entire Hokage family, they had to train properly.

Gaining experience would let them fight in real battles. It was an excellent choice.

Seeing his faintly angry expression, everyone clearly recalled what had happened some time ago.

Hiruzen Sarutobi also remembered what Izayoi Sakamaki had said: there were people stronger than him.

Everyone fell silent for once. For a moment, no one spoke again, not even Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Because he did not know what reason he could use to refute him. After all, Kagami Uchiha had brought up the already deceased Tobirama Senju.

Seeing that they had all been intimidated, Kagami Uchiha gave Hiruzen Sarutobi a deep look.

He continued, "Right now, Lord Izayoi Sakamaki is indeed protecting us. But think about it. If one day he no longer protects us, do we truly have the ability to protect ourselves?"

"Or do we have the ability to protect the Hokage family?"

Every word he spoke was like a sharp blade stabbing into their hearts. Indeed, they did not have that ability.

Admitting one’s own incompetence was clearly a very difficult thing, so everyone fell even more silent than before.

Seeing Kagami Uchiha speak to them with such righteous indignation, Hiruzen Sarutobi felt deeply uncomfortable. What gave him the right to speak to them with such a superior attitude?

If Izayoi Sakamaki had said those words, that would have been one thing. But Kagami was merely a Hokage like them. Their statuses were the same.

Yet for some reason, he always felt that Kagami Uchiha carried himself as though he stood far above the rest of the Hokages.

Just like now, he was lecturing them passionately, spraying spittle everywhere, as though they had committed some unforgivable sin.

Hiruzen Sarutobi knew there was nothing wrong with what he said, but that attitude alone made him deeply annoyed.

Besides, he had lived comfortably for too long. He truly did not want to go out and gain experience again.

"Don’t be ridiculous. Even if that person is stronger, how much stronger could they possibly be than Lord Izayoi Sakamaki?" Hiruzen Sarutobi said with a smile…

There was a smile on his face, but not the slightest trace of amusement in his eyes.

"We have so many Hokages by Lord Izayoi Sakamaki’s side. How could we possibly be helpless? We can just protect one another, can’t we?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi spoke pointedly again. The Hokages, who had just felt that Izayoi Sakamaki’s words made sense, quickly came back to their senses.

That was true. With so many of them united, they would surely find a way to deal with any enemy.

They had really been misled by Kagami Uchiha’s grand speech just now. Thinking about it now, there was actually nothing to worry about.

Everyone’s tense hearts gradually relaxed. It was simply because Hiruzen Sarutobi’s words made too much sense.

Of course, it was also because Izayoi Sakamaki was powerful enough to give them plenty of confidence.

"Lord Izayoi Sakamaki, there is really no need to make things so complicated. With so many of us here, there is no need to fear them."

"We believe there is no need to waste time going out to gain experience. The experience Kagami Uchiha suggested is unnecessary for all of us."

Everyone began talking over one another. Seeing everyone’s emotions stirred up by him once more, Hiruzen Sarutobi’s eyes filled with satisfaction.

He wanted to see what Kagami Uchiha could do this time. Yet at that moment, he did not know that this experience trip had been proposed by Izayoi Sakamaki.

And now, he had naturally attracted Izayoi Sakamaki’s attention.

When everyone wanted to go out and gain experience, he alone had stirred them into believing there was no need for it.

In Izayoi Sakamaki’s eyes, people like that were the type who could be discarded.

Why Should He Control Us?

Looking at the Hokages below, who had been so easily incited by Hiruzen Sarutobi, Izayoi Sakamaki’s face grew irritated. He had thought this would allow him to find the Hokages with greater comprehension and weed out those with poorer comprehension.

He had not expected nearly everyone to be misled by Hiruzen Sarutobi’s few words.

But rather than saying they had been misled by him, it would be more accurate to say that these people only wanted to remain within their comfort zones and had no desire to go out and gain experience.

The strong survived while the weak were eliminated. In his view, aside from Kagami Uchiha, everyone present would likely have to be eliminated.

Kagami Uchiha’s expression had also changed from anxiety to indifference. As long as he had done what his conscience demanded, that was enough. How these people chose was their own decision and had nothing to do with him.

At this moment, his thoughts aligned closely with Izayoi Sakamaki’s. While the people below continued chattering away, Izayoi Sakamaki gave a light cough, drawing all their gazes to himself.

"I originally wanted to have you go out and gain experience to strengthen yourselves. But now it seems there is no need for that, since none of you support it."

The moment Izayoi Sakamaki finished speaking, several cheers erupted below. Everyone looked delighted, and the happiest among them was naturally Hiruzen Sarutobi.

He had quietly ruined Kagami Uchiha’s arrangements. To him, that was quite a satisfying experience.

But immediately after saying that, Izayoi Sakamaki added, "Although you do not need to go out and gain experience, you must increase the intensity of your daily training. I will watch over you at all times."

His words took an abrupt turn, and many Hokages sighed when they heard them.

Compared to being watched by someone else, they would rather train on their own. Thus, the Hokages once again began discussing things noisily, naturally saying that there was no need for Izayoi Sakamaki to supervise them.

"My lord is occupied with countless affairs every day. There is no need to waste your time on people like us. Besides, we will train on our own initiative."

"That’s right. My lord, surely you do not think we would not train voluntarily? Besides, among people our age, there are only a handful who can defeat us."

"We are the strongest Hokages of this generation. There is really no need to intensify our training. With the same training intensity as before, we can still leave those people far behind."

These people had grown used to slacking off. The moment they heard someone wanted to control them, their first reaction was naturally displeasure. They wanted to use all kinds of excuses to brush it aside, just as they had before.

But Izayoi Sakamaki had truly made up his mind this time. He completely ignored the Hokages chattering about how there was no need to increase their training.

He said coldly, "This matter is settled. Tomorrow, I will be there to watch you. You may leave now."

After saying that, he waved a hand forward. The Hokages vanished into thin air, directly teleported back to the houses where they lived.

Even Kagami Uchiha was no exception. Although he had not seen anything wrong with Lord Izayoi Sakamaki’s expression earlier, he could tell that his lord was definitely angry.

When the two of them had discussed things yesterday, they had already made the details of going out to gain experience perfectly clear. Yet he had never expected so many Hokages to oppose it.

No matter what he and his lord said, they could not ignite these people’s desire to strive. Kagami Uchiha felt that one could never wake someone pretending to sleep, so he said nothing further and returned directly to his room.

Hiruzen Sarutobi watched his retreating back and gave a cold snort. Being opposed by everyone certainly could not feel good, but this was only the beginning.

What happened today gave him an idea. If Kagami Uchiha made any decisions in the future, he would bring everyone together to oppose him. Once enough time passed, no one would listen to him anymore.

"Actually, going out to gain experience would be better for us. If my lord still chooses people to go out and gain experience, I would be willing to go."

Having achieved his goal, Hiruzen Sarutobi put on an act and said that as well. He truly wanted to play both the good guy and the bad guy.

After saying that, he returned to his room as well. The next day, these Hokages were awakened early by Izayoi Sakamaki, and only then did they realize that he truly intended to watch over them the entire time.

Izayoi Sakamaki had set an extremely demanding training regimen. The Hokages, who had grown accustomed to slacking off, could barely endure it. Only Kagami Uchiha remained steady from beginning to end.

He had tossed and turned all night, unable to sleep. Then he thought things through. No matter what these people did, he only needed to take care of himself first.

So even though he could not sleep, he did not waste time. He got up and trained for half the night.

Training through the night did not make him feel tired. Instead, it made his mind much clearer.

"My lord, isn’t this training a little too intense? If we keep training like this, I’m afraid the brothers will all fall apart."

One Hokage muttered those words, and many others immediately nodded in agreement.

Izayoi Sakamaki had long known they would have this attitude. Without changing expression, he said, "This is for your own good. Once you complete the training time I have set, I will no longer interfere with whatever you do."

As he spoke, he released a cold pressure that made all the Hokages shrink their necks and dare not say another word.

A Month-Long Vacation

The Hokages slowly realized that Izayoi Sakamaki might be angry, because he had not smiled at them even once throughout the day. His angry appearance was quite frightening in their hearts, so the Hokages hurriedly pulled themselves together and trained. No matter how bitter or exhausting it was, they endured it silently.

Of course, there was another reason. They knew that once Izayoi Sakamaki made a decision, no one could possibly change it. Rather than acting like troublemakers, they might as well train obediently and leave a good impression on him.

Everyone gritted their teeth and endured it, and the training time passed quickly. Before long, it was time to stop according to Izayoi Sakamaki’s schedule.

He simply told them to stop training, then vanished from where he stood. The Hokages also breathed sighs of relief and collapsed onto the ground, exhausted.

"Compared to going out and gaining experience, I think it is better to train in a place we are familiar with. Fortunately, Lord Izayoi Sakamaki made the right decision."

Hiruzen Sarutobi sat on the ground, wiping away sweat, yet he still did not forget to mock Kagami Uchiha a few times.

However, Kagami Uchiha was staring in the direction Izayoi Sakamaki had left, his expression unreadable. How could he have time to pay attention to him?

He did not understand why Izayoi Sakamaki had not forcibly required everyone to go out and gain experience. After all, he had forcibly required everyone to intensify their training. If he had been firmer and demanded that they gain experience as well, these people would not have dared to say anything.

"Lord Izayoi Sakamaki just said that we can do whatever we want for the rest of the day. How about a few of us go drink some wine in the courtyard?"

One Hokage who loved drinking cautiously suggested it. The moment Kagami Uchiha heard that, his attention snapped back.

He narrowed his eyes and looked disapprovingly at the wine-loving Hokage. That Hokage was named Yamamura No, and he was well-known as a drunken troublemaker.

Every time he drank, he had to cause some kind of disturbance. That was precisely why drinking was not allowed where the Hokages lived.

"Have you forgotten what you are like after drinking? If you cause some serious trouble, who do you expect to clean up after you?"

Kagami Uchiha spoke coldly. Yamamura No had merely been testing the waters to see whether it was possible. Seeing Kagami’s expression, he shrank his neck and did not dare say anything.

He was already in the wrong. Hiruzen Sarutobi, who was sitting beside him, seemed to seize the opportunity. He immediately stood up from the ground and faced Kagami Uchiha directly.

The two of them no longer looked like members of the same Hokage family, but more like enemies. The air around them was filled with tension.

The remaining Hokages, who had still been discussing what to do later, all fell silent. They stared at the two without blinking, wondering what they were going to do.

Both of them looked very unhappy. Yamamura No had never expected that one careless suggestion would lead to this outcome, so he hurriedly stood up to mediate.

"I was only saying it casually. I did not truly intend to drink. I know that the trouble I cause after drinking is not very pleasant."

He said this to Hiruzen Sarutobi. Knowing that Hiruzen had publicly stood up to confront Kagami Uchiha because of him, he felt somewhat moved.

"This has nothing to do with you. Lord Izayoi Sakamaki already said that we could spend the rest of our time freely. Why does he insist that we still follow the old rules?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi spoke coldly. It sounded as though he were speaking for all the Hokages, and everyone clenched their fists in shared indignation.

They were usually controlled by Kagami Uchiha. They could not even do anything slightly out of line. Clearly, they were all Hokages, yet he had turned himself into Izayoi Sakamaki’s watchdog. That was something everyone truly disliked.