"I love reading,"
"I love learning,"
"If I go a single day without reading or learning, my whole body feels uncomfortable..."
These massive words seemed to faintly float above Roy's head. Hiruzen Sarutobi raised his eyes and watched the boy blink at him with "innocence," putting on the appearance of a diligent student... Then he recalled how the boy had once told him that his hobby was "learning in dreams."
Hiruzen took a puff from his dry pipe with a *smack* of his lips, looking deeply at the boy as he said, "Give me a reason."
"A reason to allow you to read the [Scroll of Seals]..."
It should be known that the [Scroll of Seals] was not something just anyone could study. Even those Jonin who had established immortal merits for the village would find it extremely difficult to catch even a glimpse of it.
After all, it was no ordinary ninjutsu scroll. It was a forbidden ninjutsu scroll sealed by the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, and entrusted to the successive Hokage for safekeeping. Within it... gathered the essence of the "ninjutsu" of past Hokage and Jonin, centrally recording—but not limited to—ninjutsu that posed extremely high risks to the caster or others, violated ethics, or possessed overwhelming destructive power.
Well-known examples included [Edo Tensei], [Multiple Shadow Clone Technique], and [Mutually Multiplying Explosive Tags]—forbidden techniques capable of altering the course of a battle or providing a massive boost to a ninja's abilities!
"Didn't I already say it... compensation for mental distress..." Roy said expressionlessly. "No one likes being peeped on. I believe you should understand this point, Lord Hokage."
Hiruzen looked at Roy in silence, not saying a word.
*Smack.* A mouthful of dry smoke slowly exhaled from the gaps of the old man's lips. Before it could even drift in front of Roy, it was automatically blown back by a gentle whirlwind that slowly stirred an inch away from the boy...
Hiruzen's eyes flashed. *'Wind Style?'*
Seeing this level of effortless control, it was obvious... the boy's mastery of [Wind Style] was also quite impressive...
Hiruzen's face was partially hidden in the smoke. After a long while, he slowly shook his head. "Roy, you know this is not enough."
The old man looked at the boy faintly and said, "I do not know where you heard about the [Scroll of Seals], but since you know of it, you must also understand... the [Scroll of Seals] is no ordinary [Ninjutsu Scroll]."
The implication was, he needed to offer more?
Roy was not surprised in the slightest. A hint of mockery outlined the corners of his mouth as he said, "Is the [Severed Limb Regeneration Technique] enough?"
"Please don't tell me, Lord Hokage, that a technique capable of solving the problem of war casualties and greatly salvaging the village's immediate combat power... is also unqualified..."
Hiruzen fell silent...
He was not some Hokage who only knew how to "fight on paper." He was a true veteran who had followed Tobirama Senju and survived the slaughter of the Second Shinobi World War.
How could he not know that a ninjutsu capable of "helping the disabled" recover their "hands and feet" and resume their path as ninjas possessed extremely precious strategic value?
The key issue was—
The boy's surname was Uchiha!
He was an Uchiha, a clan his teacher had once evaluated as "inherently evil"!
Even though Hiruzen had tried his best not to view the Uchiha clan through "tinted glasses," it was still very difficult to treat them the same as other major Konoha clans like the Hyuga, Akimichi, Nara, Yamanaka, and Inuzuka... The root cause...
Was still because this clan had held a dishonorable "historical criminal record" since ancient times.
Therefore, for no other reason than the four words "balance and stability,"
Hiruzen had no choice but to keep his guard up, tacitly approving the suppression plans secretly formulated by Danzo, Homura, and Koharu.
Furthermore,
Hiruzen believed that no matter who sat in the Hokage's seat in the future, they would act just like him, or perhaps... go even further than he did!
Leisurely time slipped through their fingers...
Silence filled the Hokage's office at this moment...
At that time, the red sun leaped over the horizon, recklessly blooming with radiance. It shone through the massive curved floor-to-ceiling windows of the Hokage's office, illuminating Hiruzen's contemplative face, half of which was hidden in the shadows...
It was unknown whether one minute or two had passed.
The old man gently set down the pipe in his hand and stood up alone. With his back to Roy, he faced the Hokage Monument. Watching the clearly carved faces of Hashirama Senju, Tobirama Senju, and himself bathing in the sunlight, he gazed deeply at Konoha...
Hiruzen finally spoke, "Jin, you are right. I must admit that the [Severed Limb Regeneration Technique] holds massive significance for the village, and even..."
"Based on my understanding of war and the future situation, [Severed Limb Regeneration] is more important than you or I can imagine. Therefore,"
Hiruzen slowly turned his head, looking earnestly at Roy as he said, "Both reasonably and emotionally, I should agree to your request."
"But before that, I must clarify one thing." The Hokage haori draped over Hiruzen's body swayed in the wind. At this moment, he no longer seemed like the Hokage, but rather an ordinary old man in the village, as he slowly asked Roy:
"Are you asking me in your capacity as an Uchiha, or..."
"Are you demanding this of me as a member of Konoha?!"
The words he had used to question the boy in the past—when the boy had blown up the Ninja Academy's courtyard wall with an extraordinarily powerful Fire Style—now...
Were spinning back like a "boomerang"... striking Roy.
Roy was slightly taken aback. He raised his eyes to meet Hiruzen's deep, sharp gaze. He had to admit... as the Uchiha clan, the reincarnations of [Indra], if they wanted to gain power, they had to push the limits of "madness, distortion, and darkness" to grow and strengthen amidst "pain"!
And this "madness, distortion, and darkness" was far from what Hiruzen hoped to see, and far from what... Konoha could accept... It even exceeded the scope of what a normal person could comprehend!
After all, no one wanted to give up their peaceful, normal lives to play with a bunch of "terrorists" who could explode at any given moment!
But just as "flowers" needed "green leaves" to match, and "light" needed "darkness" as a contrast,
The vast universe—whether it was the world of "Hunter," "Demon Slayer," or even "Naruto" and "Bleach," or even the ordinary world from his past life devoid of any "supernatural energies" like "Nen" or "Chakra"—
Was not some "singular," "binary" world. Instead, it was more like a multidimensional world of "Yin and Yang complementing each other, entropy increasing and decreasing with contradictions, yet opposing and unified," constantly cycling back and forth...
Therefore,
"Why must you draw such a clear line, Lord Hokage?"
The young man's black hair swayed in the wind. His clear, bright eyes looked straight into Hiruzen's, neither humble nor arrogant, and certainly not cowardly or shrinking back. He pushed his chair away and stood up alongside the old man, pacing over to the window to gaze far into the distance with him. Watching the sunlight hit the Hokage Monument, reflecting a brilliant and magnificent red... Roy stood with his hands behind his back. Under Hiruzen's piercing gaze, he spoke faintly:
"To be honest with you, Lord Hokage, a great man once told me: 'All creatures vie for freedom under the frosty sky!'"
"'To struggle against the heavens is endless joy! To struggle against the earth is endless joy! To struggle against humanity is endless joy!'"
"As long as one is a living creature, they must face endless struggles, unable to rest until death. Therefore,"
"Why don't you try to imagine, Lord Hokage... even if the Uchiha were gone, would Konoha truly be able to remain peaceful and tranquil? Would internal conflicts never arise again?"
Hiruzen's mouth opened and closed. For a moment, he stared at Roy in astonishment, unable to utter a single syllable...
He just stared blankly at the boy. His memories flipped open, constantly flashing back—the First War, the Second War, up until the current Third War... Endless slaughter, endless injuries, endless pain, endless fear. Ever since he had developed consciousness and cognitive abilities in his infancy, it had never stopped... It was as if Roy's words had pierced right through his mental defenses, articulating the endlessly struggling life of himself and the millions of ordinary people just like him!
After a long while, Hiruzen seemed to finally find the ability to organize his words. He asked with a hoarse voice, "Who is he?"
"Who is that great man? Is he also a teacher you bowed to in your dreams?"
Roy shook his head in shame and chuckled. "I would love to be his student, but unfortunately... I am not worthy..."
The boy straightened his back and slowly exhaled a breath from his mouth. "Didn't you want to know the answer, Lord Hokage?"
"I can tell you right now."
Roy gazed out the window at the Hokage Monument situated in the best spot in Konoha, saying calmly, "I can belong to Konoha, and I can belong to the Uchiha. Equally, I can belong to neither Konoha nor the Uchiha..."
"What do you mean?" Hiruzen frowned. Immediately after... he saw the boy blink at him and smile mischievously. "It's simple. If Konoha acts against me, then I am an Uchiha. If the Uchiha act against me, then I am Konoha. I am me. I belong to everyone, and I can belong to no one. Do you understand, Lord Hokage?"
"You..." Hiruzen's eyes widened. He stretched out a finger to point at Roy, but lowered it halfway, laughing out of sheer exasperation...
The old man laughed and scolded Roy, "Good kid, your bottom line is certainly flexible."
Roy shrugged, neither denying nor refuting it. He simply admitted it openly and generously, "All I want is more choices. Even if I don't use them, I can't be without them."
Hiruzen gave a rare nod and didn't reply further.
He just turned around, his back to Roy, and sat back down at his desk. Picking up the battle report sprawled across the desk, he began to read it, saying without lifting his head, "I understand."
"I don't need to point out where the door is for you, do I? Get out!"
Roy asked, "What about the [Scroll of Seals]?"
Hiruzen shot him an annoyed sideways glance. "I will be working from home tomorrow. Just come over yourself."
Roy smiled faintly. "Thanks!"
His body then merged into the light. With a flash, he used [Light Style] to escape toward the door...
*Creak.* The door that Danzo had previously slammed shut opened.
Roy stepped out of the light and was about to leave when he suddenly heard... Hiruzen say, "Can I frame that quote and hang it in my office?"
Roy paused his steps, turned back, and smiled at Hiruzen. "Please feel free, Lord Hokage. I think if that person knew, he certainly wouldn't mind..."
Hiruzen nodded. "Thank him for me."
"I believe he must be a truly remarkable person!"
"Of course!" Roy's expression turned serious, speaking with undeniable reverence. "Believe me, he is even more remarkable than you can imagine!"
Following a soft *creak*, he gently closed the door, turning into a beam of light and vanishing from Hiruzen's sight in an instant...
Leaving the old man all alone, sitting solitarily at his desk. After a long while, he lit his pipe again and took a drag. Suddenly, he smiled and murmured aloud, "I wonder if he smokes?"
*Smack.* Another smoke ring expanded in the wind, gradually drifting and dispersing until it faded into the air, disappearing completely...
*Dong.* At that time, it was nine o'clock in the morning.
As the clock hanging on the living room wall chimed the hour...
After leaving the Hokage building, Roy used [Light Style] to break the limits of space, covering a thousand meters with a single step. After about a dozen steps, in less than a few breaths of time, he had returned to his own home.
Perhaps he had been delayed in the Hokage's office for too long.
By the time Roy stepped into the living room and revealed his figure, Tsunade and Shizune were already nowhere to be seen.
Left in the small, cozy living room were Fugaku and Itachi, along with a prepared breakfast covered by a tray, faintly waiting for him.
"I'm back..." A faint smile hung on the boy's flawlessly handsome face.
He walked over to Itachi, crossed his legs, and sat down right next to the boy. He directly picked up the breakfast placed on the floor and began to eat, listening as Fugaku said, "Lady Tsunade has left."
"Did she say anything?"
"No, just that she would arrange for someone to buy a table and have it delivered later."
"No need for the trouble. Two-legged chairs are hard to find, but four-legged tables are everywhere..."
Roy swallowed his breakfast whole, casually took the tissue Itachi handed him to wipe his mouth, and reached out to tap the empty floor... Nen moved with his thoughts, splitting into two strands—[Water] and [Earth]. In the blink of an eye, they blended together seamlessly, condensing into [Wood Style]. It slowly molded into a square tatami table, appearing before the eyes of Fugaku and Itachi.
Fugaku and Itachi simultaneously glanced at Roy. It hadn't been that long since "this child" / "Big Brother" had conjured a "teacup," right?
Now, he could actually skillfully create a tatami table.
Fugaku silently watched the tatami table slowly land on the floor. Dropping the sentence, "Don't forget to train," he stood up, slipped on his Jonin flak jacket, and headed out the door...
"Aren't you going to ask me where I just went, Father? Who I met? What I said?"
Hearing the door, Roy turned his head to look at the entryway.
Having already opened the door, Fugaku pulled on his shoes and said without looking back, "There's no need for that. Whether I ask or not, you are my son. There's no need to waste the effort..."
Saying so, without waiting for Roy to open his mouth and say anything else,
The man directly closed the door, tied his Konoha forehead protector, and went to work...
Roy's clear, bright pupils pierced through the door, chasing after his not-so-broad back as he walked away. In that instant, it was as if he saw Silva. He stared blankly, lost in thought for a long, long time, until—
The corner of his clothes was tugged by Itachi.
He heard him say, "Big Brother, let's head out for training too. It's past nine o'clock; Shisui must be getting anxious waiting..."
Roy withdrew his gaze at the right moment, smiled, and rubbed Itachi's forehead, saying gently, "Alright."
Following that, he greeted his mother, Mikoto, and took Itachi with him. Together, they left the Uchiha clan compound and hurried toward the Southern Forest.
At that familiar training ground, they saw Shisui Uchiha, who was already practicing his sword alone...
"Big Brother, someone is targeting you!"