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The New Year had just passed, and the winter snow had not yet completely melted when a major piece of news spread through the Konoha Ninja Academy: the eldest son of the Uchiha Clan Head had graduated early.
Uchiha Itachi, at just seven years old, successfully graduated from the academy. Although he did not break any records, it was still a sensational event, especially considering his identity as the eldest son of the head of the Uchiha clan, the first noble family of Konoha.
The academy is a place where children from various clans and countless civilians study, making it one of the fastest channels for spreading news.
At the academy.
As a prodigy who graduated early, Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi happened to be passing by the academy when he heard about this and decided to personally award the child with a ninja headband.
In the classroom, numerous classmates looked at the seven-year-old Uchiha Itachi with envy and jealousy as he passed his graduation exam, even drawing the attention of the Third Hokage, who happened to be visiting the school.
"Uchiha Itachi, congratulations on your graduation."
Amidst the applause, the seven-year-old Uchiha Itachi put on the forehead protector, officially becoming a Genin of Konoha.
Looking at the young Itachi, the Third Hokage's face showed a hint of nostalgia, and he couldn't help but sigh, "Itachi, do you know what the Will of Fire is? What is your dream?"
The Third Hokage's visit to the academy at this time was no coincidence; after all, he had to review Itachi's application for early graduation.
Hiruzen Sarutobi couldn't help but feel a sense of reflection, seeing the mature gaze of the young boy in front of him. He couldn't let this prodigy go astray.
"Will of Fire? Dream?"
At just seven years old, Uchiha Itachi was already very mature, having been taught by his teacher, Uchiha Yoru, and frequently mentored by his older brother, Shisui. He felt a chill run down his spine.
It was undeniable that the seven-year-old Uchiha Itachi had the makings of a great ninja. His calm demeanor alone was enough to prove it.
Perhaps it was his usual poker face or his calm mindset, but Itachi glanced at the Third Hokage with a hint of suspicion.
Indeed! Shisui's words were right. His identity was destined to be extraordinary, and it would draw the attention of certain people. Some might try to use him as a leverage to influence Orochimaru's path to becoming the Fifth Hokage.
Indeed, the Uchiha clan had placed their bets on Orochimaru, and his bravery was widely known throughout the clan. Itachi, too, was influenced by this and held high hopes for the future Hokage. However, he was also critical of the Third Hokage, who clung to power and was unwilling to let go.
Itachi sighed inwardly, muttering, "Shisui, you were right. The Third Hokage's regime is corrupt."
"My dream is for the village to have peace."
Itachi smiled and spoke his dream. He wasn't lying; he was speaking the truth. The Third Hokage, seeing this, was momentarily stunned, then his old face broke into a kind smile. Perhaps Itachi was different from other Uchihas.
"Itachi, do you know what the Will of Fire is?" The Third Hokage sighed wistfully and then continued, almost to himself.
"Where the leaves flutter, the fire burns eternally. The flames will continue to illuminate the village and allow new leaves to sprout. I believe, Itachi, that you will become the flame of Konoha."
At that moment, the Third Hokage transformed into a master of indoctrination, tirelessly teaching the children in the classroom about the Will of Fire. The children's faces lit up with excitement and enthusiasm, a clear sign of brainwashing aimed at the young.
Itachi glanced around the classroom, seeing the fervent expressions on his classmates' young faces, and felt a chill run down his spine, a sense of fear.
This! This is so similar to what Night-sensei said. Some small countries, for their own interests, brainwash children as young as five or six, turning them into fanatical war machines.
Will of Fire?
Thinking of this, Itachi looked again at the Third Hokage, who was still speaking eloquently. He noticed the white hair at the Hokage's temples and felt a sense of shock. Children become ninjas and fight in wars, while the elderly enjoy power, all in the name of the village.
Is this what Shisui meant by the corrupt higher-ups?
At that moment, Uchiha Yoru, although aware of his influence on Itachi, had never imagined it would be so profound, especially with Shisui's presence.
He had originally asked Shisui to teach Itachi because they were close friends and mentors, and Shisui's thoughts were already changing. Naturally, he would also impart his own ideas to Itachi.
However, the two were so compatible, and with Itachi's mature wisdom, Shisui had unknowingly influenced Itachi deeply.
After his speech, the Third Hokage still felt a sense of satisfaction, but when he turned to see Itachi's determined expression, he smiled with relief.
"Ha ha, Itachi, you will surely inherit the Will of Fire of the village."
The Third Hokage had never imagined that a seven-year-old could have such a profound misunderstanding of the higher-ups. Seeing Itachi's determined expression, he thought the brainwashing had been successful.
However, Itachi, with his determined expression, had secretly resolved to change everything, to help Shisui and Night-sensei, and to change the corrupt system.
"Lord Hokage, rest assured, Uchiha Itachi will inherit the Will of Fire."
Looking at the Third Hokage's aged face, Itachi recalled the scenes he had witnessed on the battlefield, where young and innocent faces died in battle. He steeled his resolve and nodded firmly.
"Ha ha, Itachi, indeed, I have not misjudged you." The Third Hokage was filled with relief. Itachi had inherited the Will of Fire and had already determined his ninja path at such a young age.
In this misunderstanding, or rather, the Third Hokage's erroneous perception, he unknowingly planted a thorn in his own side.
The wise Third Hokage had already noticed Itachi's dissatisfaction with war and his ideas that were out of sync with the Uchiha clan. He never gave it much thought, unaware that Itachi's thoughts were so advanced that he had been led to an extreme.
Itachi looked at the Third Hokage's middle-aged face and the faint age spots on his cheeks, recalling Shisui's words about the corrupt higher-ups.
What were the Third Hokage's greatest achievements? Had he ever been on the battlefield after becoming Hokage? What notable accomplishments did he have? If anything, the Third Hokage's greatest strength was his long tenure in office.
In contrast, the students at the academy today barely knew about the First, Second, or even the Fourth Hokage. At that moment, Itachi felt a sense of fear, as if an unseen hand was manipulating everything, terrifying!
For the village! For the Uchiha! I must do something!
At that moment, Itachi's resolve was unshakable.
---
In the Hokage's Office.
In the afternoon, Hiruzen Sarutobi couldn't help but smile with satisfaction as he lit his pipe.
"Ha ha, it seems Itachi really has the potential to inherit the Will of Fire, as well as the descendants of Kagami."
Thinking of this, the Third Hokage puffed on his pipe, the white smoke obscuring his vision, but he smiled.
"Ha ha, it seems I need to meet with Shisui."
Uchiha Shisui, a descendant of Kagami, was someone he had met before. He was a pure-hearted ninja who had been thoroughly indoctrinated with the Will of Fire. Unfortunately, due to the chaos of the Third Great Shinobi War and the subsequent rise of the Fourth Hokage, he never had the chance to have a proper conversation with the boy.
"Lord Hokage, urgent report from the front lines!"
At that moment, a black shadow flashed into the Hokage's Office, a Root member appearing with the Body Flicker Technique.
The Third Hokage's brows furrowed as he slowly opened the report. However, when he read the contents, his frown turned into a relieved smile, and his office echoed with his aged laughter.
"Ha ha, good, Shinno has finally done a great service for Konoha."
The Land of Lightning was preparing to re-sign a peace treaty with Konoha. This news filled the Third Hokage, who yearned for peace, with relief and pride.
After all, Ape Fly Shinno was his son. Although many ninjas had helped and Nara Shikaku had provided strategic advice, none of this diminished Ape Fly Shinno's role as the overall commander.
"Good, have Shinno consult with Nara Shikaku at the front lines. Ensure that the negotiations with the Land of Lightning go well and confirm the meeting time as soon as possible."
"Yes!" The Root member bowed and disappeared from the Hokage's Office in a flash.
A smile spread across the Third Hokage's face. Looking out the window at the Hokage Monument, he sighed wistfully.
"Peace is coming, and I will ensure that the Will of Fire is upheld."
---
In the dark Root base.
Although this matter was confidential, it was not entirely secret and had reached the ears of Root's leader, Danzo.
Sitting in a dimly lit chamber, Danzo frowned deeply as he read the intelligence report.
"I didn't expect the Land of Lightning to be so quick to sign the peace treaty. This will greatly enhance Ape Fly Shinno's reputation."
Thinking of this, Danzo narrowed his one visible eye and tapped his fingers on the desk.
With such a significant achievement, Ape Fly Shinno's reputation would rise even higher. What about Orochimaru? His influence is already too strong.
With the support of the Uchiha and Hyuga clans, this would be the perfect opportunity to undermine Orochimaru's reputation and send him to the front lines. Ape Fly Shinno might not be able to handle this snake, and he might even be disgraced.
This way, without much effort, Orochimaru's reputation would be ruined, and the rising star of Ape Fly Shinno would be dimmed. Two birds with one stone. With these two potential Hokage candidates out of the way, the position of Hokage would be within reach! Ape Fly would step down, and he would use the peace treaty with the Land of Lightning as a key step to becoming Hokage.
Thinking of this, Danzo became increasingly excited, muttering to himself, "Orochimaru, it's your own fault for being too uncontrollable. You are too dangerous. I was planning to move against you next year, but this opportunity is too good to miss. You can only blame the strength of your supporters."
He had originally planned to cause some trouble during the negotiations with the Land of Lightning, hoping to tarnish Ape Fly Shinno's reputation, and deal with Orochimaru next year.
However, Orochimaru's influence had grown rapidly, especially with the Hyuga and Uchiha clans providing financial support. This made him anxious.
Even if this plan failed, Ape Fly Shinno still had a long way to go before becoming Hokage. The Third Hokage would need to pave the way for him for a few more years, but Orochimaru was different. With his reputation and strength, he would have become the Fifth Hokage long ago if not for the higher-ups holding him back.
"The Land of Water seems to be in turmoil. Perhaps I can send Orochimaru to guard the border with the Land of Water, and also deal with the Hyuga and Uchiha!"
Thinking of these two powerful clans, especially the Uchiha, Danzo narrowed his eye with a hint of ruthlessness. The Mist Hidden Village excelled in Water Release techniques, which were effective against Fire Release. This would help to reduce the Uchiha's influence.
Root began to move, and although the Third Hokage noticed, he was still complacent. In the end, he would have to pay the price for his complacency.
In the Konoha High Council Meeting Room.
The room was filled with the aroma of tea as Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado sipped their tea slowly.
"Koharu, Danzo's methods seem a bit excessive, actually starting to arrest ninjas within the village."
Homura Mitokado clearly showed his displeasure. They wanted to undermine Orochimaru's reputation, but this was going too far. Koharu Utatane nodded calmly but then sighed.
"Danzo's methods are indeed excessive, but he should give up. At his age, he shouldn't still be competing for the position of Hokage. However, since Ape Fly hasn't objected, he must have tacitly agreed. We should just wait and see."
As high-ranking officials in Konoha, they had all agreed on this plan and Danzo had not hidden it from them.
Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado nodded helplessly. Although they knew the Third Hokage had been somewhat lenient with Danzo's actions in recent years, they couldn't say much, as it was all for the good of Konoha.
However, they didn't know that in the Hokage's Office, the Third Hokage, smoking his pipe, sighed and shook his head when he saw the scroll presented by Danzo's Root. "Go, tell Danzo not to go too far."
He chose to remain silent, and he didn't want to see how Danzo dealt with his own student. In the Third Hokage's heart, he was still a teacher. He would let Danzo, Homura Mitokado, and Koharu Utatane handle this matter.
Thus, the Third Hokage did nothing, and Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane assumed he knew. This misunderstanding led Danzo to take a deep breath and inwardly exclaim, "Third Hokage, you are truly ruthless. I underestimated you."
The plan Danzo had sent to the Third Hokage was a proposal. Usually, he would send it, and the Third Hokage would warn and modify it. But this time, he simply accepted it. Danzo had been prepared to be more subtle after receiving the Third Hokage's response, but this was it?
Third Hokage! You are truly ruthless! I underestimated you.
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(End of Chapter)