Uchiha Hikaru used to have a goal: to bring peace to the continent.
But deep down, his mindset was more about enjoying the novelty of being in another world.
It was like playing a game—you needed a main quest to anchor your actions.
But Mito Uzumaki's words had shaken him. They made him truly understand what being a Hokage actually meant.
The founding of Konoha wasn't solely the achievement of Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju.
A thousand years of chaotic war had made every person on this land yearn for peace. Once someone stepped forward to lead, that spark of peace could spread to every corner.
So in truth, Konoha's founding was the result of the efforts of everyone in the Land of Fire—Mito Uzumaki included.
Although constrained by the era's vision and lacking the concept of unifying the entire continent, preventing true peace…
Compared to the chaos of the Warring States period, the era of shinobi villages was already a step forward.
To look at everything from a god's perspective would be far too arrogant.
The emergence of the shinobi village system was likely the best solution the people of that time could conceive.
Even if wars between nations grew crueler, compared to daily conflict in the Warring States, this was a vast improvement.
When order is established, it's the weak who benefit most.
The Hokage isn't just the village's leader—they're also the umbrella shielding the powerless.
So to become Hokage, one must earn the recognition of the majority.
Of course, overwhelming strength could also silence all opposition.
And as someone who had already lived one adult life, Uchiha Hikaru wanted both.
But what truly moved Uchiha Hikaru were the words Mito Uzumaki had just said.
What she was really telling him was this:
She trusted Uchiha Hikaru. Even if he chose to become Hokage one day, she would still support him.
His being an Uchiha wouldn't change that trust.
Hikaru never imagined Mito Uzumaki could be this open-minded.
After all, no matter how you look at it, Hashirama Senju's early death was influenced by Madara Uchiha.
Mito Uzumaki, standing nearby, smiled gently at him without saying anything more.
Her affectionate gaze made Hikaru feel a little awkward.
He recalled how confidently he'd just spoken, and suddenly couldn't keep a straight face.
His body might still be young now, but in his previous life, he'd been an adult.
Blurted out in the heat of the moment, his words now felt incredibly embarrassing.
It was like being in the second year of middle school again—peak chūni syndrome.
The kind of stuff you do or say during that phase always made him want to curl into a ball and disappear into the floor.
Still, after a short bout of awkwardness, he regained his composure.
"Big Sister Mito, aren't you even curious about what just happened?"
Mito Uzumaki nodded with a smile and said,
"I do want to know, but I want to hear it from you directly, Hikaru."
Whether it was the recent attack or what happened at the Hokage building, none of it was really a secret anymore.
So, seeing that she was interested, Uchiha Hikaru told her the whole story.
But he hadn't gotten far before being interrupted.
The moment he mentioned being attacked, Mito Uzumaki looked him up and down without waiting for the rest.
Seeing he was unharmed didn't fully reassure her, so she pressed further:
"You were attacked? Are you hurt?"
Though she interrupted, Hikaru felt a warm current pass through his heart.
People's subconscious reactions are honest. Mito's response made it clear she wasn't lying earlier.
"I'm fine. The attack was sudden, sure, but don't underestimate me just because I'm an Uchiha."
As he spoke, Hikaru activated his Sharingan, then pointed to his eyes and added:
"These eyes let me see the trajectory of their attacks. My Fire Style collided with their jutsu, and maybe they got scared someone else would show up, so they left."
In truth, the attackers were already reduced to ashes, so Hikaru could say whatever he wanted.
(Attackers: If you said you had the Mangekyō, who the hell would've attacked you? Wait… am I a ghost now? Oh, carry on then.)
Mito Uzumaki had already learned at the Hokage building that Hikaru possessed the Three-Tomoe Sharingan, but hearing that he'd fended off attackers with Fire Style still surprised her.
Judging from his current display of strength, ignoring his lack of battle experience, Hikaru already surpassed most Jōnin.
This level of talent reminded her of someone: Madara Uchiha.
But then she remembered Hikaru was an orphan, and a wave of pity washed over her.
She had heard that after Uchiha Izuna died at the hands of Tobirama Senju, his Mangekyō was transplanted to Madara.
And later, the changes in Madara's eyes had not escaped Tobirama's notice.
In fact, Tobirama had speculated about it in the scroll Special Notes on the Uchiha Clan.
He theorized that there must be a power beyond the Mangekyō, one that required transplanting a sibling's eyes.
There was no other way to explain how Madara, on the verge of blindness, suddenly regained his sight and grew stronger.
Still, Mito Uzumaki quickly pushed those thoughts aside.
She didn't want Hikaru to become someone who hurt his loved ones in pursuit of power.
Luckily, he had no siblings—so there was no temptation to begin with.
"You're amazing, Hikaru. I think even Madara wasn't as impressive at your age."
Hikaru scratched the back of his head shyly and said humbly,
"Madara awakened his eyes pretty late according to our clan records. He was more of a late bloomer. I can't compare to him."
Mito, of course, knew that. Madara didn't awaken the Sharingan until his teens, but afterward, his strength skyrocketed and he became Hashirama's equal.
Still, praise was necessary. Suppressive-style education clearly didn't suit a modest child like Hikaru.
"You really are gifted, Hikaru. You're the most talented person I've ever met."
"I'll be leaving Tsunade in your hands in the future. Please teach her well."
Those words made Hikaru recall a familiar dread—being saddled with someone else's kid.
Other people's child: Uchiha Hikaru, outstanding from day one.
So he quickly said,
"That's not it! I'll definitely train together with Tsunade in the future."
And before Mito could say anything else, he grabbed her hand and started walking ahead.
Hikaru's abrupt gesture made Mito giggle, but she followed his lead.
She picked up her pace and then reversed their positions, gently taking his hand.
"There's no need to rush, Hikaru. You don't even know where I live. Let me lead the way."
Not long after, they arrived at a beautiful courtyard.