Half an hour after Yasu woke up, Sarutobi Hiruzen's arrival was completely unexpected.
Moreover, from Hiruzen's expression, Yasu actually saw a hint of kindness and amiability.
Yasu quickly brainstormed in his mind and immediately guessed several possibilities.
However, the most important thing for him now was to pretend.
Yasu was very clear that now was an opportunity.
If he could have a good conversation with Hiruzen this time, his future days in Konoha would be better.
Yasu pretended to excitedly wanting to get out of bed: "Hokage-Sama, why are you here?"
Hiruzen immediately stepped forward and pressed down on Yasu, who wanted to get up, and said gently: "Your injuries haven't healed yet, rest well, don't force yourself."
Yasu's eyes turned slightly red with 'gratitude', and he said with a choked voice: "Thank you, Hokage-Sama."
Hiruzen then sat on the chair next to the bed and sighed: "Yasu, you've suffered these years."
Upon hearing this, Yasu bit his lip tightly, and tears streamed down from the corners of his eyes, seemingly crying because of grievance.
Hiruzen looked at the tears on his face and asked: "Yasu, do you hate Konoha?"
Yasu immediately shook his head and said: "How could I hate Konoha? Back then, it was my father and mother who defected from Konoha. Konoha is willing to take in me, the son of traitors, and I am already very grateful. Before my mother died, she also told me to make up for their past mistakes in Konoha, so I will never hate Konoha!"
Hiruzen didn't say anything after hearing Yasu's answer, and his expression didn't change.
After looking at Yasu for a while, Hiruzen asked again: "Then do you hate the Uchiha?"
Yasu's expression suddenly turned gloomy, and he almost spat out a word from between his teeth: "Hate! The reason why my parents betrayed Konoha was all because of the Uchiha clan's arbitrary and dictatorial behavior, hindering my parents from being together."
"After I returned to Konoha, it would have been fine if they didn't acknowledge me, but they even bullied me wantonly, calling me a mixed-blood. Also, it was also because of the Uchiha that the villagers hated me."
"I clearly didn't want to be an Uchiha either. They don't want to acknowledge me, and I don't bother to acknowledge them either, but they were so excessive to me, causing me to be isolated by the entire Konoha, all because of them!"
This time, Hiruzen finally had a change in expression after hearing Yasu's answer.
Hiruzen sighed and said: "I have always felt guilty about your situation, Yasu. Although I am the Hokage, this is an internal matter of the Uchiha clan, and it is not appropriate for me, the Hokage, to interfere. I hope you can understand."
"But now, I will give you an opportunity, Yasu, to return to the Uchiha clan and become a true Uchiha, are you willing?"
Hiruzen looked at Yasu with a deep gaze.
But Yasu refused without the slightest hesitation: "I'm sorry, Hokage-Sama, I am unwilling!"
Hiruzen narrowed his eyes and asked: "Why?"
Yasu replied: "I don't want to join the Uchiha clan to begin with. Even if I rely on Hokage-Sama to join now, it won't change my current situation!"
Hiruzen asked in confusion: "But if you join the Uchiha clan, at least the villagers won't discriminate against you, and it will greatly improve your living situation. Don't you want to change your current situation?"
Yasu said unconvinced: "Hokage-Sama, I know why the villagers discriminate against me, just because I have half of the Uchiha clan's bloodline, and the Uchiha clan relies on the identity of the Konoha Police Force to act arrogantly in Konoha, making almost all the villagers hate them."
"And if I rejoin the Uchiha clan, perhaps the villagers won't discriminate against me on the surface, but they will still look down on me in their hearts..."
Hiruzen suddenly interrupted Yasu and said sternly: "Be careful with your words! The Uchiha clan's Konoha Police Force was founded by the Second Hokage, and the Uchiha clan is also contributing to Konoha. As a member of Konoha, Yasu, you cannot slander a ninja clan that contributes to Konoha!"
Yasu sneered in his heart.
This old fox, if he didn't know that he was troubled by the Uchiha clan now, he might have really believed that he was defending the Uchiha clan.
Yasu knew very well that Sarutobi Hiruzen was just putting on a show for him.
Otherwise, Hiruzen wouldn't have specifically mentioned that the Konoha Police Force was founded by the Second Hokage, and even said words like 'as a member of Konoha'.
Yasu said firmly: "Hokage-sama, I don't want to join the Uchiha clan, I want to become a ninja and then contribute to Konoha, one is to make up for my parents' mistakes, and the other is that I want to be recognized by all the village through my own efforts."
"And I want the villagers to know that I, Yasu, am not a member of the Uchiha clan, nor am I a traitor. I am a ninja loyal solely to Konoha, that's all!"
Hiruzen nodded with satisfaction: "To be recognized by all the villagers, that is a difficult task, have you made your resolve, Yasu?"
Yasu's expression was extremely firm: "I have already made my resolve, Hokage-Sama!"
Hiruzen now looked at Yasu like he was looking at an excellent junior: "Good, I believe you can do it, Yasu!"
"And since you don't want to join the Uchiha, then I won't force you. The house you lived in before is too remote. After you are discharged from the hospital, I will arrange a new house for you, closer to the Ninja School, so it will be more convenient for you to go to the Ninja School."
Yasu said gratefully: "Thank you, Hokage-Sama."
Yasu breathed a long sigh of relief in his heart.
Talking to Sarutobi Hiruzen, this old fox, is really tiring.
At the beginning, he directly asked him if he hated Konoha, how could he dare say any answer than no?
If he said a word of yes, Yasu was sure he might not live long.
The current Hiruzen is not the indecisive old man he would later become.
Perhaps Sarutobi Hiruzen might become kind and benevolent in his old age, but the current Hiruzen is in his prime, and his methods will definitely not be gentle.
Next, he asked Yasu if he hated the Uchiha clan. Yasu guessed that as long as he said he didn't hate them, Hiruzen would likely not believe him anymore.
Faced with the isolation and abuse of the entire village, and the Uchiha clan being the cause of all this, how could anyone not hate them.
And by saying that he hated the Uchiha clan, Yasu could take the opportunity to express his loyalty and show Hiruzen that he wanted to be a ninja of Konoha, not a ninja of the Uchiha.
This answer would definitely not be wrong.
As for Hiruzen saying that he wanted him to join the Uchiha clan, Yasu understood that all of this was nonsense.
Hiruzen this sly fox just wanted to confirm his true thoughts.
Now, letting him move to a place closer to the Ninja Academy meant that Sarutobi Hiruzen basically believed him.
If there were no accidents, after he graduates and became a ninja, he would become a ninja of the Hokage's faction.
Although Hiruzen wouldn't care about the villagers' and the Uchiha clan's discrimination against him, at least Yasu wouldn't be marginalized after becoming a ninja.
After all, even ninjas need connections.