"Don't forget what our teacher always said—the Uchiha can never be trusted!"
Seeing Danzo once again bringing up the Second Hokage's anti-Uchiha rhetoric, the three of them felt powerless inside.
"I already explained this before," Hiruzen countered. "Times have changed. The reason our teacher treated the Uchiha this way was only because he feared another Madara arising. If that was the case, then why would he still separate the Uchiha from the village?"
After raising this first question, the Third Hokage continued his line of inquiry: "Our teacher himself discovered that hatred is the source of the Uchiha's power. Doesn't this approach precisely enhance their clan's strength? Doesn't it increase the likelihood of another Madara emerging?"
"…" x3
The three were completely stumped by these three consecutive questions from the Third Hokage.
This logical dead-end was something even the author left behind. Shouldn't a normal person trying to deal with a clan whose power comes from hatred aim to prevent them from feeling hatred in the first place?
Wouldn't treating the Uchiha like VIP guests have been more reasonable? Maybe after several generations, the Uchiha might even fade away on their own?
Or perhaps the Second Hokage's research was flawed from start to finish. With no other options, he simply chose to target the Uchiha clan. What else could these logical contradictions be besides fundamental reasoning errors?
"Hiruzen, are you questioning our teacher's research? Remember, he was the God of Ninja who created countless ninjutsu!" Danzo firmly defended the Second Hokage's policies.
If the Second Hokage's research truly proved incorrect, then his own rationale as a schemer for targeting the Uchiha clan would no longer hold up.
As for this, the Third Hokage responded steadily: "Then tell me, why did our teacher do this? Recently, I've been constantly thinking about the Uchiha situation. If we continue carrying out his established policies, eventually they will all rebel against the village one day."
"!!!" x3
The truth indeed left them nothing to refute.
The meaning within his words had become very clear—if their teacher, the Second Hokage, wasn't mistaken, then he had simply held a specific stance against the Uchiha clan. And if that was the case, then all those logical contradictions suddenly made perfect sense.
"So Hiruzen, you're planning to address the root of the problem? Can you guarantee the Uchiha won't…" Koharu didn't finish her sentence, but all three understood exactly what unspoken scenario she meant.
The Third Hokage once again laid out the facts clearly: "In Kazushi's generation, the Uchiha Clan leader shares aligned goals with Konoha, so there won't be any issues. As for the next generation's clan leader, it must certainly come from among his two children."
At this point, Homura realized: "So that's why you're determined to properly nurture young Shen Uchiha?"
"That's right. Although Shen Uchiha is only six years old, from what I know, many of the inventions he has designed can change the warfare practices in the shinobi world."
Then the Third Hokage laid out his vision for the future shinobi world. The rapid battlefield responses and strategic ideas he described left them deeply stunned.
"If this child is truly so important, then why did you send him out searching for the Sword of Kusanagi anyway?"
"The three missing ones have been unaccounted for decades — do you really expect them to start by demanding answers from the Eight-Tails?" Koharu, now fully aware of this troublemaker's significance, couldn't understand why he was still being sent outside the village.
Wouldn't it make more sense to protect someone like him within the village walls? In her mind, a talent capable of revolutionizing warfare was no less valuable than a jinchuriki.
"That's right, Hiruzen! He should be placed on equal footing with the jinchuriki. Forget about this 'weapon' changing the future of warfare — just his hand seals and chakra pathway improvements alone demonstrate his importance. Sending him out on missions is just too risky!" Adviser Menian stood up excitedly in agreement.
He dreaded what could happen if rival villages ever caught wind of this secret. Would they not immediately attempt to kidnap him?
Adviser Menian's concerns weren't unfounded. In the future, one particular ninja superpower did exactly that — they actually had the audacity to sneak into Konoha and abduct Kushina Uzumaki, the orphaned descendant of the Uzumaki clan. If it hadn't been for that one yellow-haired troublemaker, Konoha would've gained another enemy during the Second Ninja World War.
But this future was destined to change. Leaving aside whether some time-traveling individual might intervene, Konoha had already upgraded its surveillance systems multiple times through various incidents. If someone could still sneak into Konoha unnoticed, then either the guards were completely incompetent or there was an internal traitor at work.
Danzo knew immediately upon seeing the two anxious advisors that his plan to damage relations between the Uchiha and Konoha would fail. Narrowing his eyes, who knows what underhanded schemes he was already devising in that scheming mind of his.
"Do you expect we keep him in the village to cause more chaos? Today he even assigned himself a mission to mess around with music beats on the Kage Rock! Keeping him here won't help him grow at all. Besides, Konoha has grown too comfortable in its long stretch of peace."
While Third Hokage had grown accustomed to Shen's antics around Konoha, he had high hopes for the growth of this young prodigy.
The headache monster always believed that keeping him locked away like a jinchuriki wouldn't accomplish anything meaningful — a sentiment shared by Tsunade, who would eventually become The Fifth. Of course, a cynic might say this self-proclaimed strategist simply wanted the Heir to suffer a bit.
A genius blessed with both scientific and combat talents should develop in diverse directions. Currently, Shen seemed more gifted in scientific pursuits than combat abilities, but who could truly say this assessment was accurate?
Sending this troublemaker on this bizarre mission served not only to keep him from causing trouble in Konoha, but more importantly to let him experience the brutal realities beyond Konoha throughout the shinobi world. You can't talk your way into real peace.
Third Hokage's most important goal was to pressure Shen. He believed even the most mischievous child would mature after witnessing the harsh realities of the ninja world.
But was Shen truly fond of causing trouble? Fully aware of the upcoming plot, he already understood how horrifying the future wars would be. His seemingly reckless behavior was actually just an escape mechanism — he simply didn't want to confront these grim realities too soon.
"You're actually serious about cultivating him! Hiruzen, this isn't a small matter—you should discuss it with the village elders first!" Danzo immediately exploded after hearing his words.
However, the Third Hokage replied with an innocent expression, "Am I not discussing it with you now?"
Danzo quickly pressed further, "That's an Uchiha we're talking about! (a powerful shinobi clan known for their Sharingan eyes) What if he becomes another Madara in the future?"
"Another Madara..." Upon hearing these familiar words, the Third Hokage instantly fell into deep memory.
"Forget it, Hiruzen," Danzo continued. "Even the First Hokage—the founder of the Hidden Leaf Village—couldn't stop Madara Uchiha from leaving the village. The entire Uchiha clan shares the same nature."
"Danzo," the Third Hokage firmly stated with a serious expression, making this decision after long consideration, "I won't give up. Madara was born during chaotic times. Their upbringing is completely different. I believe Shen will never betray Konoha!"
In essence, the Third Hokage was making a gamble—betting Konoha's future on Shen's. Considering the improving relationship between the Uchiha and Konoha, that future didn't seem so bleak after all.
When there were no contradictions between differing positions, he believed the probability of winning this gamble would approach one hundred percent infinitely. As for that slim chance of failure, he already suspected it could only come from the interference of some scheming manipulator.
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