The Uchiha issue had never been simple. At its core, it began as a practical concern.
The uniqueness of the Uchiha Clan came from their history. Although they were one of the two founding clans of Konoha, they had allied with the Senju after defeat. Because of that, when facing the Senju, they always carried a subtle sense of inferiority.
Things became even more complicated after Uchiha Madara left the village and became a rogue ninja. From that point on, the Uchiha's position in Konoha grew increasingly delicate.
To address this, the Second Hokage implemented a dual approach of trust and control.
He accepted the talented Uchiha Kagami as his student, hoping Kagami would one day lead the clan toward a better path. At the same time, he established the Konoha Military Police Force and placed it under the Uchiha's control.
On the surface, it looked like trust. In reality, it functioned as a way to monitor and limit the clan's influence.
It was a careful balance. The Second Hokage intended to maintain control while offering opportunity, holding both firmly in place.
Given enough time, he might have succeeded in resolving the issue entirely. But fate did not allow it. He died on the battlefield, and not long after, Uchiha Kagami also passed away.
With Kagami gone, the balance collapsed. What remained was control without trust.
Leadership within the Uchiha shifted away from those aligned with the Hokage and into the hands of more radical figures, such as Uchiha Yama.
At that time, Hiruzen Sarutobi had just become the Third Hokage. Though he earned recognition through his achievements in the First Great Ninja War and the support of Uzumaki Mito, he was still young and lacked experience.
Burdened with managing the entire village, he struggled to maintain stability. As a result, efforts to integrate the Uchiha stalled, and in some ways, regressed.
What began as a practical issue slowly turned into a long-standing problem passed down through generations.
Later, Namikaze Minato rose to the position of Hokage. If he had lived, the situation might have been resolved during his time. But everything changed during the Nine-Tails attack, when he sacrificed his life to protect the village.
After that disaster, tensions shifted. The Uchiha's growing desire for influence clashed with their limited status within Konoha.
Hiruzen returned as Hokage, but age had caught up with him. Though he wanted to resolve the issue, he lacked both the decisiveness and the strength to act.
Meanwhile, his former teammate Shimura Danzo pushed for extreme measures. Unlike the Second Hokage, Danzo only understood the surface of those earlier strategies. His solution was simple and dangerous, eliminate the Uchiha by force.
Such an action would have shaken the entire village. Even the Second Hokage would not have chosen that path.
Then came Uchiha Shisui, Kagami's grandson. He was talented, level-headed, and trustworthy. Hiruzen placed his hopes on him, more precisely, on his Mangekyō Sharingan ability, Kotoamatsukami.
But once again, things went wrong. Shisui died.
In the two years that followed, the conflict between the Uchiha Clan and the village escalated beyond control. Rebellion became inevitable.
From the Uchiha's perspective, their reasoning was straightforward. The Fourth Hokage was gone, Orochimaru had defected, and both Jiraiya and Tsunade were absent.
Uchiha Fugaku had the strength and the status to become the Fifth Hokage. Why should he not take the position?
Even if he did not, the clan had been relocated to the outskirts of the village. Resentment continued to build.
Fugaku alone could not suppress it. Pressure from within the clan pushed him forward constantly. Turning back was no longer an option.
And deep down, he also desired the position of Hokage.
In the end, the Uchiha walked toward destruction through a chain of circumstances. Yet the root causes were clear, lack of trust from the village and growing arrogance within the clan.
If Hayashi did nothing, history would repeat itself.
Hayashi spoke quietly, his tone steady. "Uncle Hokage, can you tell me what happened between you and my father back then?"
He chose to appeal on a personal level.
The Third Hokage hesitated. It was clear he was still unsure whether to return authority over the Military Police Force.
After a moment, he nodded and fell into silence, his thoughts drifting into the past.
They sat together on the balcony, gazing at the Hokage Rock in the distance. As the evening light faded, the Third Hokage began to speak about the past, about the battles that nearly broke Konoha.
He spoke of the Second Hokage's sacrifice.
At that time, the Second Hokage had led twelve ninja to the Land of Lightning to negotiate an alliance. Instead, they were ambushed by six hundred Kumogakure ninja.
Only six survived, including Hiruzen.
As he spoke, his eyes grew moist, though he kept a faint smile.
"Not long after Lord Second Hokage fell, Sunagakure launched a large-scale attack," he said.
"Many clans opposed the deployment. They believed the enemy was too strong and refused to take the front lines."
"Some clan heads argued fiercely. Morale was unstable, and no one wanted to risk everything."
"Uzumaki Mito spoke to them. I was there, and the argument was intense."
"In the end, many clans withdrew their forces back to the village. Only a few remained."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"Then, your father, Danzo, Koharu, and others from our generation were entrusted with critical missions. We became the commanders."
"It wasn't just them who doubted us. I had my own doubts as well. But we went to the front, fought battle after battle, and won. The victories were beyond anything we expected."
"After that, I became the Third Hokage. Kagami told me he wanted to change the Uchiha Clan and asked for my help."
He sighed quietly.
"And then, there was no after that."
After a moment of silence, he looked at Hayashi.
"The situation now is similar to back then. The difference is, Kagami was not the clan head. You will be."
He nodded slowly.
"I agree to your request."
"What do you plan to do?"
Hayashi answered without hesitation.
"I will have the wall around the Uchiha compound torn down."
The Third Hokage paused, clearly surprised. The Uchiha compound had long been isolated behind a massive wall, a symbol of their separation.
Hayashi continued.
"With the Military Police Force reassigned, there will be many open positions among the ninja."
"The war is in its final stage. The village has accumulated many missions. I plan to assign these ninja to lead teams and carry out those missions."
Hiruzen narrowed his eyes slightly. "Lead teams?"
"Yes. Many Chunin and Jonin have gained experience during the war. They are capable of leading."
"There is also a new group of academy students about to graduate. Uchiha Jonin can serve as their instructors."
"And the children of your clan?" Hiruzen asked.
"They will still receive guidance within the clan, especially in using the Sharingan. That will not change."
"But their Jonin instructors will be assigned from across the village."
This detail mattered.
Training under the Ninja Academy system and learning from different Jonin would expose them to the Will of Fire. Over time, it could reshape the clan's mindset.
This was also the village's condition. Without it, Hiruzen would never agree.
Hayashi spoke again.
"Uchiha ninja will train children from other clans."
"And Uchiha children will become students of other Jonin."
"If people remain distant, nothing changes."
"But when they fight side by side as comrades, bonds will form naturally."
The Third Hokage let out a quiet breath.
"If you can truly achieve that," he said, "then I can finally feel at ease."