I, Konoha’s Sage of Life-Chapter 396: Shutting Yourself Indoors Leads Nowhere

Chapter 396: Chapter 396: Shutting Yourself Indoors Leads Nowhere
"But... what exactly am I supposed to do?"
Shisui looked genuinely lost.
This was one of those things—the principles all make sense, but putting them into practice is another matter entirely.
People’s hearts are unpredictable.
If it were truly easy, Senju Tobirama wouldn’t have spent his entire life guarding against the Uchiha as if they were thieves. Even on his deathbed he still worried over them. Thanks to that paranoia, Danzō followed right in his footsteps... straight into the abyss.
And in the end—
The entire Uchiha clan was erased.
A tragic testament to the belief that "the only good Uchiha is a dead one."
Kyoichi himself didn’t have a perfect answer. He thought for a moment before saying, "Just do your best. In a clan that big, every generation will produce a few troublemakers. The more people you have, the more problems you’ll see."
"But the Hyūga don’t have those issues... maybe it’s because of their sealing techniques? Wouldn’t implementing something like that help stabilize things?"
Shisui was thinking of the Hyūga’s Caged Bird Seal.
Flawed as it was, it did seem to have kept the Hyūga relatively stable over the generations.
"You’re only seeing the surface. The Hyūga... their internal undercurrents have been flowing for a long time. What they lack is a decisive instigator. And besides—haven’t you noticed? The Caged Bird may protect the clan, but it also caps their potential."
Kyoichi smiled.
The Hyūga were supposed to be a clan on the same level as the Uchiha, yet in practice they had survived mostly by relying on numbers. In quality, they couldn’t compare to the Uchiha—or the Senju of old.
Why?
The Caged Bird Seal was both their making and their undoing. By restricting the branch families’ abilities and not sharing certain secret techniques, it also stifled the clan’s capacity for innovation.
Shisui fell silent, thinking it through.
"Picture this," Kyoichi continued. "Madara created one technique to escape death, but within your clan, another technique was developed specifically to counter it. Do you really think both of those jutsu were created by the ancestors thousands of years ago?"
"Of course not. Izanami was developed by a later Uchiha to restrain those who abused Izanagi. It was meant to settle disputes and prevent the jutsu’s misuse."
Shisui shook his head, instantly understanding.
But at the same time... he grasped what Kyoichi was really saying.
The Hyūga hadn’t produced a new jutsu in ages.
Gentle Fist and the clan’s secret techniques were practically ancient relics—passed down unchanged since the era of the so-called Heavenly Shinobi. Their arts held lineage, not evolution. There had been little to no meaningful advancement.
"Promote education. Open your secrets. The more people who learn, the more they innovate. And when others innovate, I can learn from them and refine my own ideas. That creates a virtuous cycle."
Kyoichi even brought up his own insights—specifically how he had derived aspects of Yin Release from Izanagi.
Shisui nodded lightly.
Konoha’s explosive growth over the past few years had happened precisely because Kyoichi had opened up many techniques. The most widely spread was the Breathing Activation Technique.. And he knew...
His teacher had already advanced his Seven Heavens Breathing Method to a Fifth Activation.
"You’ve always wondered what the Fourth Activation was," Kyoichi continued. "To put it simply, it’s a version of the Breathing Activation Technique. I recalibrated based on Jiraiya’s own breathing technique. It rapidly awakens the body’s Sage potential."
He didn’t hide anything.
The Fourth Activation had indeed been inspired by Jiraiya’s partial sage transformations—specifically the moment his skin began to take on sage characteristics.
Because Kyoichi himself had learned Mt. Myōboku’s Sage Mode through the system, deciphering it wasn’t difficult.
And in that state—his sage body, sage arts, and cellular vitality aligned perfectly. Techniques like the Frog Kata and Air Palm could be performed with effortless precision.
Only when ideas collide can new ideas be born.
Shut yourself indoors with a "mountain of treasure," and you might end up never receiving anything from it at all.
The Hyūga were a prime example.
Fortunately, this generation’s Hyūga Hiashi had already begun envisioning reform, working quietly with Hizashi to push the clan forward. By the time Hinata and Neji’s generation matured, progress would be unmistakable.
So...
Seals alone would never work.
Blocking is inferior to guiding.
Shisui scratched his cheek, finally nodding.
He hesitated for a moment, clearly wanting to say something but holding back.
"What is it?" Kyoichi asked.
He’d trained Shisui for a few years. He could read this kid like a book.
Shisui laughed awkwardly. "You noticed... I was wondering... Sensei, are you planning on leaving the village?"
"Hm?"
"I mean—none of this is really something I should be hearing right now, right? My strength is maybe on par with some tokubetsu jōnin. I’m nowhere near the level where I’d need this kind of advice. These sound like things you’d tell me or Inahori when we become clan heads someday."
Kyoichi smiled.
Shisui was sharp.
"Well, I have been thinking about stepping away for a while," he admitted. "Some internal contradictions and hidden players won’t move so long as Tsunade and I remain in the village."
He didn’t deny it.
Leaving wasn’t just about travel or relaxation—it was also about luring the shadows into motion.
And then eliminating them in one sweep.
Shisui nodded quietly and didn’t press further.
"Go on."
"Yes, sir."
Shisui left.
Kyoichi glanced at his system panel.
Today’s lesson wouldn’t bear immediate fruit. These weren’t things Shisui needed yet—but someday, he would understand.
Kyoichi stood and made his way down the path—only to spot someone near the academy grounds.
Yakushi Kabuto.
This Kabuto was entirely different from the one in the original timeline.
He had never entered Root. He had never followed Orochimaru. Instead, he’d stayed at the Academy and received a proper education.
He might one day become a fine researcher—or perhaps succeed Yakushi Nono and take over the orphanage.
Konoha was on track to grow brighter and brighter.
In the meantime, Kushina and Mikoto’s figures hadn’t changed too drastically, but their trips to the hospital had become more frequent. Both families were treating these unborn children with immense care.
A few more months passed.
Their bellies had grown noticeably.
Kyoichi even secretly sensed for abnormalities, but neither Naruto nor Sasuke seemed to possess anything unusual.
The mysteries of the Sage of Six Paths’ lineage were truly beyond comprehension.
He gave up probing.
During this period, Minato was extremely busy.
He had to care for his wife, and at the same time, he slowly began to realize Tsunade was giving him responsibilities beyond that of an ANBU Captain. More and more tasks resembled those of a Hokage. Sometimes she even taught him the finer nuances of the office itself.
As these responsibilities accumulated, Minato barely had time to think. Study, care for Kushina, study again—free time had become a luxury.
At the same time...
Tsunade increasingly arranged for him to appear in public, among civilians and ninja alike. His reputation grew steadily. Not quite at Kyoichi’s or Tsunade’s level, but...
If the two of them left, Minato would naturally rise to fill the void.
His transition into becoming the Fifth Hokage grew smoother by the day.
Months later—
Kushina and Mikoto had both moved into Konoha Hospital, ready to give birth at any moment.
And Jiraiya and Nagato quietly returned to the village.