Everyone was all smiles, ready to gloss the matter over, when Uchiha Yakumi couldn't sit still and spoke up in objection.
Hearing him, Namikaze Minato and Sarutobi Hiruzen froze for a beat, then, instead of displeasure, looked almost relieved: "Yes, that sounds more like the Uchiha."
"Don't worry."
Minato instinctively glanced at Sarutobi Hiruzen first; seeing no objection, he continued, "We will absolutely take the Uchiha clan's concerns seriously. So what do you have in mind, Yorin?"
His voice was gentle and his manner warm—worthy of the Yellow Flash, Konoha's little sun. Yorin felt that even if Minato said nothing and just stood among the crowd, public support for war and cohesion in Konoha would shoot up.
From his words, Yorin could hear sincerity and good faith.
Unlike the Third, showing early signs of senility, Minato truly wished to befriend the Uchiha.
Any rational and ambitious Hokage will choose to win over the Uchiha—let this powerful clan work for him, charge the front, capture cities—rather than suppress, suspect, and exclude them.
Unless that Hokage is so muddle-headed he can't read the situation.
Or his teacher nags in his ear day after day, branding a mental stamp there: \[Uchiha—evil by nature].
...
After Minato asked what he had in mind, the other two also turned to Yorin.
Elder Yakumi was practically waggling his brows with excitement—clearly hoping Yorin would open the lion's mouth and fleece them first, talk later.
The Third kept a smile on the surface, but there was a shade of scrutiny in his eyes.
Yorin's spiel about the Will of Fire had indeed boosted his favor a lot, but the specifics still needed observing.
"I don't need anything."
Yorin said, "This isn't the village's fault. So—
if I must say what I want, it's that in the future, once war breaks out between the village and Kumo, I want to be sent to the front against Kumo.
For the village, and for myself, I'll personally take back this justice!"
When Yorin said that, the Third's smile grew brighter.
A perfect answer—full marks. It showed Uchiha pride and resolve, and love for the village and the Will of Fire.
Confirmed: Uchiha Yorin is a good kid—the kind you can use to glare at Danzō, "I am the Hokage!"
"Oh right, I'm not the Hokage anymore."
Thinking of that, Sarutobi Hiruzen felt a bit of loss.
He liked Minato very much—quite satisfied with him—but stepping down from the Hokage's seat still left him wistful.
"You'll have that chance."
Like Sarutobi, Minato was very pleased with the answer.
He set a hand on Yorin's shoulder. "Konoha loves peace, but Konoha does not fear war. If the other villages truly want to attack Konoha, let them come. I will fight at your side."
"Lord Fourth!"
Yorin felt he could allow himself to be moved.
"I've told you, in private just call me Minato, Yorin-kun."
"Understood, Minato!"
"Yorin-kun!"
"Minato! I've decided—I'll start a newspaper. I'll show the whole world how much I love our village!"
"I'll be waiting to read it. I'll be your first subscriber!"
"Minato!"
"Yorin!"
"Minato!!"
"Yorin!!"
"Minato!!!"
"Yorin!!!"
Thus the two of the new generation, sharing love for the Will of Fire and the village, resonated—kindred spirits, feelings running high. Under the Third's gratified gaze—and Uchiha Yakumi's pained expression—they wrote a chapter of youth and friendship.
Uchiha Yorin and Namikaze Minato—aren't they, in their way, a Naruto/Sasuke substitute?
...
And so, the matter ended perfectly.
In the midst of all this harmony, the dumb system's task reward was happily issued. Yorin felt the chakra within him surge, increase, balloon...
Well, not that wildly. Mostly his baseline had been too weak—his total chakra was lacking—so the task reward felt like a lot.
In truth, to a chakra monster like an Uzumaki or the First Hokage, Yorin's gain was just a tiny hakimi.
Uchiha Yorin: "Hakimi or not, if it works, it works."
He was quite satisfied.
His chakra natures had been Fire, Wind, and Earth, and the overall pool was meager—so in fights he'd spit a few Great Fireballs, a couple Phoenix Sages, raise a few Earth Flow Walls. One Great Fire Annihilation or Dragon Flame Song Flow and he'd be out of blue.
Now the system-granted chakra, for Yorin, was like eating dry steamed buns all his life and suddenly finding meat in one.
That innate sense of being moved made him, for a moment, feel as if in his previous life he'd been from Shanxi.
...
Thus, the affair wrapped up cheerfully. Everyone felt pleased—except Uchiha Yakumi.
Watching, he found it odd:
"Was it really that moving? Why don't I feel anything? Never thought it—Yorin, with those bold brows and righteous eyes, turns out to be a Hokage-faction man. If an Uchiha is for the Hokage, is he still an Uchiha?"
Because of that, on the walk back from the Hokage Building to the Uchiha compound, Yakumi wore a sour face the whole way.
Only for Yorin's sake did he not bark in the street, "Shameful! Hand in your clan fan!!"
But once they were back in the compound, he couldn't hold it: "What was that just now?! Why didn't you take the chance to demand benefits from the Hokage?! Have you truly betrayed the Uchiha?!"
"I will never betray the Uchiha. Getting along better with the village better serves Uchiha interests!
Think—an Uchiha who completely trusts the Hokage and fully believes in the Will of Fire—that's the best!"
Yorin answered without hesitation; he didn't lower his head just because the other was an elder.
What he said, he truly believed.
To him, the Uchiha—and many in the Naruto world—were far too low-key, clueless about hype and operations.
Since the Hokage loves the damn Will of Fire so much, then the whole Uchiha clan should howl 'The Will of Fire!' in unison. Yelling is free. Yell it enough, and even unbelievers will believe.
Then even if the Hokage is unwilling, he'll have to pinch his nose and give the Uchiha benefits. Otherwise, when people see the largest clan—the staunchest believers in the Will of Fire—still living terribly and not trusted by the Hokage, the Will of Fire won't fool anyone; all Konoha will collapse!
An era where you can trade a few slogans for real cash doesn't come often. The next big wave won't be till the Cold War of US–Soviet rivalry!
Such a simple truth—how do you not get it?!