Facing the Hokage, Uchiha Shisui had no intention of lying.
"I… honestly feel a bit confused…"
Sarutobi Hiruzen's expression darkened for a moment, but he quickly returned to his usual calm.
"Oh? What exactly did that Qianyu fellow say to you?"
Shisui shook his head.
"It was nothing more than some casual discussion."
"It's just that… some of his ideas aren't entirely without merit."
Hiruzen exhaled a slow ring of smoke, his face expressionless.
The haze spread through the stale, aged air of the Hokage's office.
"For example?"
"For example… what is war, what is justice, what is good and evil…"
"Hokage-sama, Uchiha Qianyu seems to believe that Konoha has not always stood on the side of justice. That we've even committed acts of aggression against other nations in the past…"
Hiruzen frowned.
"When?"
"The Hidden Rain Village."
Hiruzen let out a cold chuckle inwardly.
Yet his face remained kind and benevolent, his voice calm and measured.
"Shisui… I can understand your confusion."
"This shinobi world is like an endless spiral of hatred. Shinobi are merely tools struggling to survive within it."
"But even so, there are things that stand above all else."
"What would that be, Hokage-sama?"
"The Will of Fire."
Shisui hesitated.
He had once believed in the Will of Fire without question.
But Qianyu's words had landed like a bomb in his once-still heart.
Hiruzen could clearly see his wavering.
"Shisui… are you telling me that now, you can no longer even believe in the Will of Fire?"
"No, Hokage-sama. I would never betray Konoha."
"For the village's peace and stability, I would sacrifice myself at any time without hesitation."
"It's just that…"
"It's just that your conviction isn't as firm as before."
Hiruzen sighed softly.
"Where leaves dance, the fire shall burn eternally."
"I often say this to you all. Many people think it's just an empty slogan—pretty words with no substance."
"But in truth, this belief has flowed from the depths of the First Hokage, the Second Hokage, all the way down to me."
"On the surface, it means protecting the young, protecting the next generation—even sacrificing oneself to safeguard the village's future."
"But in a broader sense… it means far more than that."
Shisui raised his head, his eyes filled with longing for clarity.
"The Will of Fire, put simply, is this—"
"Everything is done for a greater good."
"Whether it's the older generation sacrificing for the younger, or shinobi sacrificing for the village—it is all an embodiment of the Will of Fire."
"The First Hokage founded Konoha to eliminate conflict between clans, to allow individuals and families to dissolve into the collective of the village."
"In his ideal Konoha, there would be no clans, no divisions—only villagers and family, one great household."
"During the Warring States era, you were Uchiha, I was Senju. We killed endlessly for hatred and利益. The entire shinobi world burned in war, and countless children never lived to adulthood."
"After Konoha was established, the First Hokage even proposed abandoning the Senju name so that his clan could fully merge into the village."
"And his vision… truly came to pass."
"Of course, not everyone possessed the First Hokage's breadth of mind and foresight."
"That's why today's Konoha still has many problems—some of them deeply dangerous."
Shisui's heart trembled.
He understood what the Hokage was implying.
Konoha had been founded jointly by the Senju and the Uchiha.
Now, the Senju had faded into history.
But the Uchiha clan had instead become a ticking time bomb—one that could explode at any moment and threaten the village's peace.
"The Will of Fire… for the greater good…"
Shisui felt his heart churn again.
Hiruzen sighed.
"If all clans could set aside their identities, if everyone could view matters from the village's perspective…"
"Konoha—and the shinobi world—would not be as they are today."
"I am no saint. Nor can I demand that everyone become one."
"Even the First Hokage could only lead by example—he could not force others to follow."
"But I still hope…"
"I truly hope…"
Shisui's heart slowly settled.
He spoke solemnly.
"Hokage-sama, I understand now."
"People love themselves first, then their families, and only after that the village."
"But if one's capacity is large enough, they can rise above clan limitations and view the greater picture."
"I, Uchiha Shisui, am first a shinobi of Konoha—and only second a member of the Uchiha clan."
Hiruzen smiled with relief.
He exhaled another ring of smoke and nodded gently.
"Good… very good."
"As long as you understand."
"The Uchiha clan does have many historical problems, and in this generation those contradictions have intensified."
"But I have never believed that reconciliation is impossible."
"The key does not lie with me—but within the Uchiha themselves."
"Especially with two individuals."
"One is you, Shisui."
"And the other is…"
"Uchiha Itachi."
Shisui smiled faintly.
"Itachi, huh?"
"He really is… special."
"Sometimes even I can't see through him."
Hiruzen nodded.
"He may be young, but he already thinks like a Hokage—able to break free of clan boundaries and view issues from the village's perspective."
"With the two of you, I believe that no matter how complex or fierce the Uchiha's problems become, one day they will be resolved peacefully."
Shisui felt a quiet yearning rise in his heart.
"I believe that day will come as well."
Hiruzen smiled again.
"As for what Qianyu said—about major powers and minor powers, war and peace, justice and injustice…"
"Those are questions too vast. Because they are so vast, they often become hollow."
"If one day everyone could abandon the village perspective and view the world as a whole, perhaps all conflicts could truly be resolved."
"But within a finite timeline, that is simply impossible."
"The First Hokage once said that perhaps someday, even the Five Great Nations and Five Great Villages could abandon national divisions and achieve true peace."
"But he also knew that such a dream was unimaginably distant."
"So all we can do… is take things one step at a time."
"You and I—and Itachi as well—already stand above most people by being able to think beyond clan interests."
"We must not move too fast. Every era has its limits, and its own responsibilities."
"As for Qianyu's words—grand and stirring though they may be—they are ultimately empty, like castles in the air."
"Listen if you wish, but don't take them too much to heart."
Shisui finally let out a long breath and smiled brightly.
"Yes… I understand, Hokage-sama."
"Good. That's good."
He hesitated briefly, then asked,
"Still… Hokage-sama."
"Uchiha Qianyu uses extreme methods to carry out what he believes is justice—yet he has gained recognition from some villagers."
"How… do you view this matter?"
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