"I love reading,"
"I love learning,"
"If I don't read or learn for a day, I feel incredibly uncomfortable...."
The gigantic words floated faintly above Roy's head. Sarutobi Hiruzen looked up at the young man's "innocent" glance, blinking at himself with the appearance of a diligent student... recalling how he once told him, "I enjoy learning in my dreams"....
Sarutobi Hiruzen took a puff of his pipe and looked deeply at the young man, saying: "Give this old man a reason."
"A reason to allow you to read the Sealing Book...."
You must know, the [Sealing Book] is not something just anyone can learn from, not even the Jonin who have rendered immortal services to the village find it easy to take a glance at it,
After all, it is not an ordinary ninja scroll but a forbidden scroll sealed by the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, and handed down to subsequent Hokage for safekeeping, containing... the essence of ninjutsu from generations of Hokage and Jonin, concentrative recordings of, but not limited to, highly risky, unethical, or excessively powerful ninjutsu for the caster or others.
Famous ones like... [Edo Tensei], [Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu], [Mutually Multiplying Explosive Tags], etc., forbidden techniques that can change the tide of battle and significantly enhance a ninja's abilities!
"Didn't I already mention... mental distress compensation...." Roy said expressionlessly, "No one likes being spied on. I think Hokage-sama should understand this point."
Sarutobi Hiruzen silently looked at Roy and didn't speak,
"Pop~" the smoke from the pipe slowly drifted from the old man's mouth, but before it reached Roy, it was... counterblown back by the gentle whirlwind an inch ahead of the young man...
Sarutobi Hiruzen's eyes twitched slightly, Wind Release?
Judging by such ease in maneuvering, apparently... the young man's proficiency in [Wind Release] is not trivial....
Sarutobi Hiruzen's face was half obscured in smoke; after a moment, he slowly shook his head: "Roy, you know it's not enough."
The old man looked wistfully at the young man and said: "The old man doesn't know where you heard of the [Sealing Book], but since you know, you're surely aware... [Sealing Book] is not an ordinary [ninja scroll]...."
Implying, need more money?
Roy wasn't surprised in the least; he smirked mockingly: "Is [Limb Regeneration Technique] enough?"
"Hokage-sama, don't tell me, the technique that can solve war casualties, substantially salvaging the village's immediate combat power... isn't qualified...."
Sarutobi Hiruzen fell silent...
He wasn't a Hokage who only "talked on paper"; he was a true veteran who survived following Tobirama Senju through the Second Shinobi World War,
How could he not know the strategic value of a technique that could enable the disabled to regain "limb" and resume the path of a ninja?
The key is——
The boy bears the Uchiha name!
He is from the Uchiha, whom his former teacher rated as "born evil"!
Even though Sarutobi Hiruzen tried his best not to look at the Uchiha Clan with "colored glasses", it was hard to regard them as equivalent to the Hyuga, Akimichi, Nara, Yamanaka, or Inuzuka clans of Konoha... The reason being....
Because this clan has, since ancient times, an inglorious "historical record",
Therefore, for nothing else but "balance" and "stability,"
Sarutobi Hiruzen had to be cautious, acquiescing to the suppression plan devised in secret by Danzo, Homura, and Koharu,
And,
Sarutobi Hiruzen believed that anyone occupying the Hokage seat in the future would act like him, or even... go further than him!
Time quietly slipped through the fingers....
Silence pervaded the Hokage's office at that moment....
The red sun rose over the horizon, radiating dazzling glory, shining through the large, curved floor-to-ceiling window of the Hokage's office, reflecting on Sarutobi Hiruzen's pensive face, half hidden in the interplay of light and shadow.....
It's unclear whether a minute or two passed,
The old man gently put down the pipe in his hand, stood up all alone, turning his back to Roy, facing Hokage Rock, looking at the sunlit images of Hashirama Senju, Tobirama Senju, and his face clearly on the rock wall, deeply gazing at Konoha....
Sarutobi Hiruzen finally spoke: "Roy, you're right, I must admit, [Limb Regeneration Technique] is of great significance to the village, even...."
"In my understanding of war and future situations, [Limb Regeneration] is more important than you and I can imagine, so,"
Sarutobi Hiruzen slowly turned back, seriously looking at Roy and said: "In both sentiment and reason, I should agree to your request,"
"But, before that, the old man must clarify one thing," Sarutobi Hiruzen, in his robe as the breeze stirred it, at this moment didn't appear as the Hokage, but rather as an ordinary old man in the village, slowly asked Roy:
"Are you asking this as a member of the Uchiha, or..."
"As a part of Konoha, requesting of the old man?!"
In the past, when the young man had blown up the academy wall with an inconsistent Fire Release, he questioned him with those words... Now,
In a "boomerang" fashion, they spun around... hitting Roy,
Roy was slightly taken aback, lifting his gaze to meet Sarutobi Hiruzen's deeply perceptive eyes; he had to admit... as an Uchiha of the incarnation of Indra, to gain power, one must go to the utmost "mad, distorted darkness," which allows for growth in "pain" and strengthening!
And this "mad, distorted darkness" is far from what Sarutobi Hiruzen wishes to see, and far from... what Konoha can accept... it's beyond what a normal person could comprehend!