Facing Lord Hokage, Uchiha Shisui did not want to lie.
"I... am indeed a bit lost in my heart..."
Sarutobi Hiruzen's expression darkened, but quickly returned to normal.
"Oh? What did that fellow Yagami tell you?"
Uchiha Shisui shook his head.
"It was just some casual discussion."
"It's just that his views aren't entirely without merit..."
Sarutobi Hiruzen expressionlessly blew out a smoke ring.
Smoke filled the stale, decaying air of the Hokage Office.
"For example?"
"For example, what is war, what is justice, what is good and evil..."
"Lord Hokage, Uchiha Yagamk seems to believe that our Konoha Village is not always on the side of justice, and has even committed wicked acts of invading other countries in the past..."
Sarutobi Hiruzen frowned deeply: "When?"
"Rain Village."
Sarutobi Hiruzen sneered inwardly.
But his face remained kind and benevolent, and his tone of voice became more earnest and heartfelt.
"Shisui, I can understand your confusion and bewilderment..."
"This Shinobi World is like an endless spiral of hatred, and ninja are merely tools struggling to survive within it, but even so, there are always some things that are higher than others..."
"What does Lord Hokage mean?"
"The Will of Fir."
Uchiha Shisui hesitated to speak.
Originally, he firmly believed in the so-called Will of Fir, but Uchiha Chiyu's words had dropped a bomb into his heart, which was as steady as a mountain and as calm as water.
Sarutobi Hiruzen could see his wavering.
"Shisui, can you not even believe in the Will of Fire now?"
"No, Lord Hokage, I will never do anything to betray Konoha Village. For the peace and stability of the village, I would not hesitate to sacrifice myself at any time, it's just..."
"It's just that you are not so firm anymore."
Sarutobi Hiruzen sighed: "Where the leaves of Konoha dance, the fire burns brightly."
"I often say this to you, and many people think it's just empty talk, a hollow phrase, just pretty nonsense..."
"In reality, this is the true feeling that has emerged from the depths of the hearts of the First Hokage, the Second Hokage, and myself, their successor."
"On the surface, this sentence talks about cherishing the new sprouts, caring for the younger generation, and protecting the village's future hope even at the cost of one's own sacrifice, but in a broader sense, it actually says more than that..."
Uchiha Shisui raised his head, his eyes full of thirst for knowledge, and he looked forward to the Lord Hokage before him helping him clear away his confusion.
"The Will of Fire, to put it in one sentence, is..."
"Everything for the greater good."
"Whether the older generation sacrifices for the younger generation, or ninja sacrifice for the village, they are all manifestations of the Will of Fire."
"The purpose of the First Hokage in creating the village was to eliminate barriers and gradually dissolve the so-called individuals and families into the collective of the entire village..."
"His ideal Konoha Village was a big family with no clans, where everyone was indistinguishable, only villagers and family."
"During the Warring States period, I was from the Senju Clan, and you were from the Uchiha Clan, constantly fighting each other for profit and hatred, never-ending, the entire Shinobi World was filled with smoke and war, and many children never even had the day they grew up..."
"After Konoha was established, the First Hokage, in order to eliminate the barriers between clans, proactively proposed to gradually abandon the Senju surname and integrate the Senju Clan into Konoha Village, and now his vision has truly been achieved..."
"Of course, not everyone, not all clans, have the breadth of mind and great strategy of the First Hokage, so Konoha Village still has many problems, and even extremely dangerous hidden troubles..."
Uchiha Shisui's heart trembled.
He naturally understood what Lord Hokage meant.
Konoha Village was jointly created by the Senju Clan and the Uchiha Clan.
Now the Senju Clan has already faded into the dust of history.
But the Uchiha Clan, on the contrary, has increasingly become a ticking time bomb that could explode at any time, threatening the peace and stability of the entire village.
The Will of Fire...
For the greater good...
Uchiha Shisui's heart became turbulent again.
Sarutobi Hiruzen sighed: "If all clans could detach themselves from their identity and standpoint to look at problems, if everyone could truly look at problems from the perspective of the village, Konoha Village would not be like this now, and the Shinobi World would not be like this now..."
"I am not a saint, and I cannot force everyone to be a saint. Even the First Hokage could only set an example and could not demand what others or other clans should do."
"However, I hope that day will come..."
"I truly hope..."
Uchiha Shisui's heart suddenly calmed down again.
He said solemnly: "Lord Hokage, I understand."
"People first love themselves, then their clan, and above that is the entire village..."
"But as long as one's capacity is large enough, they can break free from the limitations of the clan and look at the pros and cons, and the bigger picture, from a higher perspective and a broader view..."
"I, Uchiha Shisui, am first a ninja of Konoha Village, and second a member of the Uchiha Clan."
Sarutobi Hiruzen smiled with relief.
He gently blew out a smoke ring and nodded kindly.
"Good, very good..."
"It's good that you can understand..."
"The Uchiha Clan indeed has many historical problems, and the conflicts have even intensified in this generation. However, I have never believed that there is no possibility of completely easing and resolving them."
"The key to this is not with me, but within the Uchiha Clan itself."
"Especially, with the existence of two people."
"One is naturally you, Shisui, and the other is..."
"Uchiha Itachi."
Uchiha Shisui smiled slightly: "Itachi?"
"He is indeed the most special person..."
"Sometimes even I can't see through him..."
Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded: "Although Itachi is young, he already has the thinking of a Hokage, able to break free from the constraints of his clan and look at problems from the perspective of the entire village."
"With the two of you here, I believe that any problem of the Uchiha Clan, no matter how complex or intense, will have a day of peaceful resolution..."
Uchiha Shisui felt longing in his heart.
"I also believe that day will come..."
Sarutobi Hiruzen smiled: "As for what Yagami said about big countries and small countries, war and peace, justice and injustice..."
"Those are even grander issues, but precisely because they are too grand, they seem ethereal."
"If one day, everyone could cast aside their village and look at problems from the perspective of the entire Shinobi World, perhaps all conflicts could truly be resolved, however..."
"At least within a limited timeline, that is absolutely impossible."
"The First Hokage created the village to eliminate the barriers between clans, and he also said during the First Five Kage Summit that perhaps one day in the future, the Five Great Nations and the Five Great Villages would also be able to eliminate the barriers between their respective countries and villages, and then true peace would arrive..."
"But he knew that was an infinitely long, infinitely distant dream..."
"We can only take it one step at a time."
"You and I now, including that child Itachi, being able to rise above the clan and think about problems from the village's perspective, can already be considered transcending most people..."
"We cannot take too big a step. Each era has its limitations, and each era has its own tasks. We just need to do what needs to be done in our generation..."
"Yagami's words are high-sounding, but they are hollow, like castles in the air. Just listen to them, don't take them too much to heart..."
Uchiha Shisui let out a complete sigh of relief and showed a bright smile.
"Yes, I understand, Lord Hokage..."
"Good, that's good..."
"Although I have resolved my confusion, Lord Hokage, the extreme methods used by Uchiha Chiyu to carry out what he considers justice in his heart have also gained some recognition from the villagers and common people..."
"As for this matter... what do you think?"
(End of the Chapter)
(Likewise, no need to read)
--
Translator's Note: Brainwashing Done!