Late at night, in his Hokage Building office, the Third Hokage sat calmly in his chair, observing Shimura Danzo, who had suddenly appeared before him.
To be honest, seeing Danzo didn't exactly improve the Third Hokage's mood. Even the recent cheerfulness he'd been feeling vanished the moment Danzo appeared.
The Third Hokage understood his former comrade and friend's intentions all too well. Unless there was a pressing matter, Danzo would never willingly seek him out.
While it might not always be a disaster, it was never good news, and it almost always led to trouble!
After a tense moment of mutual staring, Danzo finally spoke, his face grim: "Hiruzen, I've heard that the Nine-Tailed Jinchuriki and—"
"Danzo, that child's name is Naruto. Uzumaki Naruto!" the Third Hokage interrupted sharply, his brow furrowing.
"Hmph." A sardonic twist curled Danzo's lips, but he didn't argue the point further. Since this wasn't his real purpose for coming, he simply continued in line with the Third Hokage's correction.
"I've heard Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke have been getting very close lately. Hiruzen, don't you realize how dangerous this is?"
"Danzo, I thought Root was disbanded. Where did you hear this?"
Instead of answering Danzo's question, the Third Hokage met his gaze directly and countered with a question of his own.
Danzo narrowed his eyes slightly, explaining calmly, "This isn't a secret, Hiruzen. Many people are aware of it."
Seeing the Third Hokage remain silent, seemingly accepting his explanation, Danzo continued, "Hiruzen, Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto must be forbidden from associating with each other. Otherwise, it will be very dangerous!"
"I don't see any danger in their connection, Danzo," the Third Hokage replied calmly. "Children's bonds are often the purest and most innocent, untainted by adult agendas or self-interest. That's what makes them so precious."
"But he's different. He's an Uchiha!" A shadow flashed across Danzo's eyes as he warned, "Don't forget, eight years ago, many witnessed the Sharingan in the pupils of the Nine-Tailed Beast that ravaged our village."
Upon hearing this, the Third Hokage paused slightly, his expression shifting to one of solemn seriousness. "Whether the Uchiha were truly responsible for the incident eight years ago remains unproven. Moreover, the Uchiha clan no longer exists. It's unfair to burden Sasuke with these suspicions. He's just a child."
"As expected, you remain soft-hearted, Hiruzen," Danzo's voice rose slightly, his tone dark. "Uchiha Sasuke may be a child now, but don't forget, Hiruzen, the Uchiha are inherently evil. Our teacher himself said so!"
Hearing Danzo use the Second Hokage's words to pressure him, the Third Hokage's expression darkened.
He met Danzo's gaze without flinching. "Teacher did indeed say those words," he retorted, "but you mustn't forget that humanity's most precious qualities lie in our capacity to suppress evil and cultivate good. Teacher believed that proper upbringing and relentless self-cultivation could extinguish the darkness within us and nurture the light in our hearts. It was precisely this belief that led him to take Kagami as his disciple. And Kagami was our comrade, Danzo!"
"But not all Uchiha are like Kagami, Hiruzen!"
When the Third Hokage mentioned Uchiha Kagami, Danzo's tone grew noticeably more complex.
"Get straight to the point," the Third Hokage said, cutting straight to the chase, unwilling to prolong the debate. "What's your purpose in coming here?"
Danzo narrowed his eyes slightly, replying bluntly, "Hand over Uchiha Sasuke to me. He'll become too dangerous in the future, uncontrollable!"
"Absolutely not!" The Third Hokage refused without hesitation, his voice leaving no room for negotiation.
Hearing his former comrade's resolute tone, Danzo felt a surge of irritation. "Give Sasuke to me," he said grimly. "I'll train him into a blade to protect Konoha, forever loyal to the village. This is the best outcome for everyone."
"Handing Sasuke over to you would only drag him into darkness, Danzo!"
"Where there is light, there must be shadow; light and shadow exist inseparably," Danzo countered calmly. "The sun-drenched Konoha inevitably needs the roots that support the great tree from below—the darkness of 'Root' hidden in Konoha's shadow!"
"Sasuke will become the sun-drenched Konoha. I believe that through the village's teachings and the bonds he shares with his comrades, he will become a mirror-like inheritor of the Will of Fire, a pillar supporting the village's future!"
The Third Hokage narrowed his eyes, his expression utterly solemn as he replied:
"Moreover, your Root organization has already been disbanded, Danzo. If Sasuke ever chooses to become Konoha's shadow, I will place him in the Anbu, not entrust him to you. In the Anbu, he may temporarily bow his head, but I believe he will eventually break free from the earth and grow into a towering tree, a pillar supporting Konoha!"
"You truly believe Uchiha Sasuke will become someone like Kagami?" Danzo asked, his surprise palpable. He couldn't fathom why his old comrade placed such unwavering faith in that Uchiha brat.
"Absolutely!" the Third Hokage replied, closing his eyes with an air of serene confidence.
His unwavering faith in Sasuke stemmed not only from their moonlight promise with Naruto but also from his own observations over the past few months.
Over the past few months, he had paid just as much attention to Sasuke as he had to Naruto—sometimes even more.
He noticed that after each training session, during his breaks, Sasuke would pull out the 'Will of Fire' and read it with complete focus.
That earnest expression couldn't be faked—at least, the Third Hokage, with his decades of experience reading people, couldn't detect the slightest hint of deception.
At particularly moving passages, Sasuke would unconsciously gesture with his hands, as if acting out the words.
This behavior clearly showed that Sasuke genuinely embraced the 'Will of Fire', as written by the First Hokage!
(Unaware Sasuke: ????)
Combined with Sasuke's moonlit promise to Naruto, which had deeply moved him, the Third Hokage believed that Sasuke was merely outwardly aloof but inwardly yearned for connection and cherished his comrades.
Shimura Danzo stood silently for a long time, watching the Third Hokage with his eyes closed. After a prolonged silence, he spoke in a low, deliberate tone: "Hiruzen, you're too—"
"Too naive?" the Third Hokage interrupted, his eyes snapping open before Danzo could finish. "But I trust my judgment!"
Danzo was taken aback.
'This guy actually learned to interrupt now?'
Shimura Danzo stared at the Third Hokage for a long moment, his gaze unwavering.
Seeing the Hokage's resolute expression, he remained silent for a while before finally saying, "Then our discussion ends here for today."
With that, Danzo turned to leave, leaning heavily on his cane. But as he reached the door, he seemed to remember something. Just as he was about to turn back and speak, the Third Hokage's calm voice cut through the air.
"Go back, Danzo. I won't regret this!"
Danzo fell silent.
"Hmph!" He snorted coldly, slamming the door shut behind him as he stormed out.