Kazuki looked at the little boy and the giant fox, both trying hard to keep a straight face, yet visibly moved beyond words—and smiled with that same warm, ever-gentle expression.
No wonder only Black Zetsu was considered the smart one.
Even if Kazuki were to tell him the Mangekyō Sharingan technique called System was real, that beloved little brother—or sister—would believe it without hesitation.
But these two blockheads—Naruto and the Nine-Tails—were still doubting Kazuki's sincerity.
Why?
Why couldn't they just believe?
"All right, enough of that for now," Kazuki said, cutting off the moment with a calm tone. "You're both still far from having the power to live freely as you wish…"
He glanced at the Nine-Tails, one brow raised in amusement.
"So, little fox—are you learning or not?"
"If not, just say the word."
The Nine-Tails nodded furiously, instantly snapping out of its emotional funk. It broke into a wide, eager grin, practically wagging its tail.
"Kazuki-nii, yes! I want to learn!"
Whether Kazuki called it little fox, brat, or furball, the Nine-Tails had no objections. In fact, it felt oddly… comforted.
But while the Nine-Tails didn't mind at all, Naruto did.
"Fox! Did you just call him Kazuki-nii?! That's my thing!"
Naruto glared at the Nine-Tails, puffed up with righteous indignation. "You're not allowed to call him that!"
"Ha!" the Nine-Tails retorted, sticking out its tongue and making a face at him. "I said it, I said it! What are you gonna do about it? Kazuki-nii, Kazuki-nii, Kazuki-nii~!"
This time, even Kazuki couldn't help but laugh aloud.
These two childish fools…
"All right! Time to get back to training Dust Release," Kazuki said, clearing his throat as his expression returned to its usual calm.
He formed two compact Dust Release barriers and handed them—one to the Nine-Tails, one to Naruto.
The moment Kazuki handed over the Dust Release barriers, both Naruto and the Nine-Tails tensed up immediately. They didn't even have time to bicker—each threw themselves straight into the next round of training.
Boy and fox alike were secretly fired up, determined to outpace the other in mastering Dust Release—each wanting to prove they were the one most qualified to call him Kazuki-nii.
While Naruto and the Nine-Tails were focused on learning Dust Release…
Far away, Uchiha Itachi—driven by the Will of Fire and burdened by concern over the unstable state of the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki—was reporting to Hiruzen in the Hokage's office.
He was also briefing the Third Hokage on the current state of the Uchiha clan.
"…In short, Hokage-sama, the Uchiha hardliners are likely to set their sights on Naruto in his current unstable condition. That would be incredibly dangerous."
"At this point, we may need to resort to extreme measures to stop them," Itachi said solemnly, kneeling on one knee before Hiruzen.
"Itachi, I still remember when you first joined the ANBU. You were only seven back then…"
Hiruzen took a puff from his pipe, eyes distant with memory.
"But even at that age, you already thought with the mind of a Hokage."
"So… is there truly no peaceful solution left?"
The old Hokage exhaled heavily, smoke curling through the air.
"No matter what happens, the Uchiha are still part of Konoha. They're Konoha shinobi, members of this village…"
"Itachi, do you understand what I mean?"
Hiruzen still refused to resolve the Uchiha affair through force. His attitude of seeking a peaceful resolution left Uchiha Itachi silent, murmuring to himself with a sigh in his heart: 'This difference… this is the gap between us!'
'Even though the Uchiha clan is clearly eyeing the Nine-Tails jinchūriki and preparing for an armed rebellion, the Third Hokage still keeps in mind that the Uchiha are part of Konoha...'
'But what about the people within the clan? All they ever think about is seizing power, feeling oppressed, with no sense of the bigger picture. For the sake of a little personal gain, they're willing to destroy the peace of the entire village!'
Itachi slowly lifted his head and met Hiruzen's gaze.
And in the Third Hokage's aged yet still-clear eyes, the Sharingan that had instinctively activated in Itachi could only perceive a weighty gravity, deep concern, and genuine sincerity.
This man truly didn't want to see bloodshed between the Uchiha and Konoha.
"Itachi, I know you're doing this for the sake of the village, but we can't make a preemptive move against the Uchiha..."
Hiruzen lowered his pipe with a worried expression, then wearily rubbed his brow with force, as if exhaustion weighed down on him. He gestured for Itachi, still kneeling, to stand, and said slowly: "Konoha is different from the other hidden villages... We cannot strike against the Uchiha just because they show signs of rebellion. As long as they haven't taken that step, they're still our own people. And the Will of Fire absolutely forbids turning our blades on our own."
"Even though a preemptive strike might allow us to get through this crisis more smoothly, violating the Will of Fire over practical concerns would mean betraying our fundamental principles."
Looking at the reverence in Itachi's eyes, Hiruzen showed a helpless yet bold smile, as if trying to reassure him: "Fortunately, Uchiha Fugaku's plan is aimed at me. Overall, he doesn't intend to harm others. That means we can still keep the situation under control."
Itachi felt his heart surge.
What is the Will of Fire? This is the Will of Fire!
The Third Hokage had learned of the Uchiha's battle plan—to kidnap the leadership and forcibly replace the Hokage. If it had been the leader of any other village, they would've already flown into a rage and launched an internal purge…
No leader would take such a decapitation plot lightly.
But not the Third Hokage.
Not only did he refrain from anger, he even refused to strike first, just to uphold the principles of the Will of Fire… Even the fact that he himself was the target of the Uchiha's attack—he saw it as a good thing, because it meant innocent people wouldn't be hurt by mistake.
At this moment, in Uchiha Itachi's heart, Hiruzen almost carried the aura of a sage.
And by contrast—
The Uchiha clan, who constantly sought to seize power through force, appeared increasingly repugnant to Itachi.
Especially after the death of his closest friend, Uchiha Shisui—whom he had regarded as an older brother—these bastards even dared to accuse him of killing Shisui!
It wasn't just that their character was vile—their intelligence was appalling. In short, they were both stupid and wicked.
Did a clan like this really deserve to exist in Konoha, continuing to pollute the purity of the Will of Fire?
Uchiha Itachi pondered this grim question.
Meanwhile, Hiruzen observed Itachi discreetly, his expression calm, but a knowing smile flickered in his heart.
After decades of being tempered in the role of Hokage, his mastery of diplomacy and performance had become almost flawless…
Itachi, despite being a prodigy, was still far below the Third Hokage when it came to understanding human nature.
"Itachi," Hiruzen broke the silence again, his voice low, steady. "I've discovered the truth about Shisui's death. I'm sorry."
The moment the name Shisui was spoken, Itachi's emotions visibly shifted.
"Danzo went too far," Hiruzen continued, gravely. "I've already stripped him of his position as Hokage's advisor. I've ordered him to disband Root's squads. Once the Uchiha matter is settled, I will impose the strictest punishment upon him."
"He's been in the shadows for far too long. Root has become diseased, festering in the damp. It's time we purge it."
Hiruzen shook his head sorrowfully. "For something like this to happen… I, as Hokage, cannot escape responsibility."
"Hokage-sama… you've dealt with Shimura Danzo already?" Itachi exhaled a heavy breath, feeling a sudden lightness lift from his chest.
Konoha—was still worth protecting.
Even though Shimura Danzo had held a high-ranking position in the village, he had clearly been consumed by darkness. Thankfully, the Third Hokage had acted in time, cutting off Root before it became uncontrollable.
The Will of Fire was good—it was only in its execution, through the darker paths of the shinobi world, that problems had arisen…
In that instant—
Itachi recalled Shisui's final words:
"I wanted to use Kotoamatsukami to stop the coup, but Shimura Danzo took my right eye. He never trusted me…"
"He was willing to sacrifice everything, just to protect the village in his own way."
Only now did Uchiha Itachi truly understand something.
Until the very end, Shisui had never blamed Shimura Danzo. He had believed Danzo's actions—however extreme—were not driven by personal greed, but by a twisted desire to protect Konoha. Even taking his Mangekyō Sharingan had been, in Shisui's eyes, for the sake of the village.
At that moment, despite his deep-seated disgust toward the Uchiha, Itachi found himself, inexplicably, empathizing with Shimura Danzo.
Danzo wasn't like him. He hadn't grown up alongside Shisui like a brother. He didn't understand that Shisui was different from the rest of the Uchiha—he wasn't a narrow-minded clan hardliner, but someone who held a boundless love for the entire village of Konoha.
Given the overall disgraceful behavior of the Uchiha clan, wasn't it somewhat reasonable that Danzo had viewed Shisui with suspicion?
After all, Kotoamatsukami was far too powerful.
If Shisui had not been someone who truly embodied the Will of Fire—if he had been one of the Uchiha hawks—then the village would've suffered a devastating blow…
And now, after awakening his Mangekyō Sharingan—
Spurred on by overwhelming negative emotions, Uchiha Itachi had begun to spiral into something almost deranged, unconsciously aligning himself with Danzo's extremist path.
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