Fugaku Uchiha looked at his son and spoke slowly, "I was wondering... are you thinking about why we have to fight?"
This man, a veteran of countless battlefields known by the fearsome moniker "Wicked Eye," currently held a rare warmth in his gaze.
"Yes, Father," Itachi replied softly.
"To be honest, I don't fully understand it either."
Fugaku gave an answer that was slightly dazed yet firm: "I only know that I want to protect our home."
He reached out and, under Itachi's watchful eyes, gently stroked the boy's head.
"A long time ago, during the Warring States Period, our Uchiha clan was just one of many shinobi families. We were powerful, but fundamentally no different from the rest. You kill someone today, and someone else might kill you tomorrow. Even in sleep, you had to remain vigilant, never knowing if you would survive the night."
"That changed when our ancestor, Madara Uchiha, and the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, signed a pact."
Fugaku continued, "Remember, the Second Hokage had killed Madara's brother, yet Madara still agreed. He did it because the First promised to end the chaotic era. He promised to end the wars, give all shinobi a home, and ensure our children would never have to step onto a battlefield again. So, we followed Lord Hashirama through blood and fire, and eventually, Konoha was born."
"Later, when Madara broke with the First and tried to lead us away, our ancestors refused." Fugaku's eyes reflected the weight of history. "Because we believed Konoha was our home. Even at a great cost, we had to protect it."
"This is the home Senju and Uchiha spent their lives building. We are tired of endless fighting; we crave a peaceful life. This is the shared wish of the Uchiha. But now, the Senju clan has withered away. The heavy responsibility of guarding this home falls solely on our shoulders," Fugaku said seriously.
"Itachi, remember this: when you don't know what to do next, at the very least, protect those closest to you. That is a choice you will never regret."
Fugaku, usually the epitome of a stern father, rarely showed such emotion. While surprised, Itachi etched these words deep into his mind.
Protect those nearby? Protect Konoha?
Itachi was well aware of the resentment within the clan. Despite being co-founders, the Uchiha had been heavily suppressed by the Second Hokage's lineage. To the young prodigy, the Second's justifications felt like mere excuses to strip power and keep the Uchiha under permanent surveillance. They were founders who had never once held the seat of Hokage. Was the "veneration" promised by the Hokage line always meant to be this hollow?
Itachi didn't have the answer. Having studied Hiruko's "Scientific Outlook on Development," he wasn't prepared to blindly accept his father's traditional worldview.
"Work hard, Itachi." Facing his father's lecture, Itachi remained silent. He felt his father's perspective was incomplete—and perhaps not entirely correct.
The atmosphere grew heavy with unspoken thoughts.
Meanwhile, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, found himself checking in on Naruto Uzumaki whenever he had a free moment. The boy had been born successfully, and what a vibrant child he was!
Hiruzen watched Biwako bring Naruto into the room and couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement. The boy was only a few days old and already making a mess of things. Hiruzen let out a kind, grandfatherly laugh.
He remembered vividly what Hiruko had said: Naruto possessed the potential to rival the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju. He was the true inheritor of the Will of Fire and the future of Konoha. Being the child of Minato and Kushina, he had certainly inherited their extraordinary traits.
Biwako finished checking the baby and set him down, letting him "terrorize" the room until he finally tired himself out and fell asleep.
Knock, knock!
"Come in!"
Hiruko, having a rare moment of leisure, stepped in to visit Hiruzen. He sat down beside the Third, looking like a retired official as he poured himself a cup of tea.
"It seems your wedding with Tsunade will have to wait until after the war," Hiruzen said with a twinkle in his eye.
"Heh, that depends entirely on Tsunade's wishes," Hiruko replied casually before pivoting to business.
"I heard Asuma Sarutobi left the village recently to join a group called the 'Twelve Guardian Ninja.' They claim to be the protectors of the Fire Daimyo." Hiruko added offhandedly, "That organization has a strange rhetoric—something about how everyone should protect the 'King,' the most precious 'Jade' in the world."
The expressions on Hiruzen and Biwako's faces shifted instantly.
Hiruko had dropped the mention casually, but he wasn't really there to discuss Asuma's rebellion. Asuma was their son; his education was their business.
"Are you planning to move against the Daimyo?" Hiruzen's face turned grim.
"No, no. Not yet. The Land of Fire wouldn't be very stable without a Daimyo!" Hiruko smiled.
Hiruzen, the old man who had dedicated his life to Konoha, had become a man of stability and compromise in his later years. From what he had seen of Minato and Hiruko's actions over the past year, it was clear they intended to revolutionize not just Konoha, but the entire Shinobi World.
"You already know that a single hidden village cannot manage an entire nation. Why target the Daimyo?" Hiruzen hoped his words might slow Hiruko down.
A cryptic smile played on Hiruko's lips. "The Shinobi World needs change. I'm in no rush. But having a powerless Daimyo sitting above the heads of shinobi forever... that seems a bit 'sub-optimal,' don't you think?"
"You...!" Hiruzen wanted to argue, but found himself lacking a solid rebuttal.
The world Hiruko envisioned was still far off. But with the infrastructure of the basic transportation network nearly complete and communication between regions growing tighter, the wheels of change were already turning.
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