Giving the Third Hokage a Hard Time

A little earlier.

The Third Hokage wandered aimlessly through the streets of Konoha.

He was pondering how to handle the Uchiha and Hyuga Clan situation.

Without a clue, he gradually focused his gaze on the Hokage Rock.

"I'll go take a look there. It's been many years since this old man has been there..."

"Whoosh..."

After a dash, he leaped towards the mountain range at the top of the Konoha Hokage Rock.

"This world is cruel, so I want to find a way to achieve true peace..."

After arriving at his destination, the Third Hokage heard a firm but clearly childish voice.

"Is that Shin and Nao? Why are they..."

"No, I hope we can find it together. I'm not the kind of arrogant guy who can't tolerate anyone behind me..."

The content of their conversation quickly stopped the Third Hokage's inner doubts.

He had heard this conversation more than once before.

Back when the First Hokage Hashirama Senju was still alive, he often chatted with him and his teammates about past events.

And this passage appeared many times in Hashirama Senju's memories of Madara.

Only the wording was slightly different.

Every time Hashirama Senju spoke of this, his face was full of regret.

He also said that if he had agreed to Madara's words back then, the other party wouldn't have left the village.

"It seems this child also knows this story. Chiyuki must have told him..."

After figuring out the key, the Third Hokage continued to think, "An arrogant guy? That's a fitting description of Uchiha Madara..."

"Madara doesn't want anyone standing behind him, but Shin doesn't want no one standing behind him. This child's dream is the same as Madara's, but his approach is completely different..."

"Who's there?"

Shin had actually noticed someone eavesdropping on his conversation with Nao long ago.

He just didn't know if the person was there with malicious intent.

"He's been discovered? An Uchiha whose thinking is the opposite of Madara's..." At this moment, the Third Hokage remembered his deceased teammate, Uchiha Kagami.

"I've already found you. If you don't come out, I'll attack!" Shin re-formed the hand seals, condensing a Great Dragon Fire Technique in his throat.

"No, no, no, this old man's body can't take that." The Third Hokage, noticing the hand seals, quickly appeared in front of the two.

He also sighed, "Great Dragon Fire Technique, it's been a long time since this old man has seen a member of the Uchiha Clan use this Fire Release."

"It's Hokage Uncle! I thought it was some child-trafficking kidnapper." Seeing that it was the Third Hokage, Shin cheekily quipped.

After all, five years old is the age when children are mischievous.

"Cough, cough..." These words choked the Third Hokage.

"Huh? Why would Hokage Uncle come here?" Nao asked the Third Hokage, but her eyes glanced unkindly at someone, making sure they wouldn't be noticed.

Sensing the gaze beside him, Shin instantly came up with a plan, "That's right, Hokage Uncle, this is where the Uchiha Clan used to live..."

"Uncle, you're not here to cause us trouble, are you?"

The Third Hokage shook his head in denial, "No, this old man came here with his teammates before..."

"Whenever this old man has worries, he comes here to relax."

"I see." Shin's brain quickly weighed the pros and cons.

He decided to drop a hint, "It's Senior Kagami, right? But it's really a pity that he had the Mangekyo Sharingan, yet he was still ambushed and killed."

"Child, how do you know about Kagami..." The Third Hokage stopped talking.

What was top secret to Konoha didn't mean it was top secret to the Uchiha.

After a moment, his expression became slightly agitated, "Ambushed? Who told you about Kagami being ambushed?"

"He's hooked..." Shin began to guide him step by step, "That's what the clansmen say. If it wasn't an ambush, who could kill Senior Kagami under the gaze of the Mangekyo Sharingan?"

"But judging from the results, the Mangekyo Sharingan is nothing more than that."

The Third Hokage quickly thought.

Uchiha Kagami awakened his Mangekyo Sharingan when the Second Hokage Senju Tobirama chose to hold off the enemy alone and die in order to protect his six disciples.

Then, the First Shinobi World War broke out.

Kagami was the only one of these six disciples who died on a mission.

Moreover, he died young.

"By the way, Hokage Uncle, do you know who ambushed Senior Kagami?"

Shin gritted his teeth and said, "As a fellow clansman, if I have the chance, I would like to avenge him."

Third Hokage paused, considering, "I really don't know. Whoever ambushed Kagami must have been far stronger than him."

"Oh..."

"So, is the scene a complete mess? I've heard that when top-tier ninjas go all out, they can devastate the surrounding terrain!"

"Hmm?" The Third Hokage looked at Shin, surprised.

He had a feeling that the things this child said were remarkably truthful.

Perhaps it was childish innocence? Or maybe because he was an outsider, he could see things more clearly than he could?

"Shin, who is Uchiha Kagami?" Nao, clueless, seized the moment to make her presence known. "From what you guys are saying, he sounds pretty amazing."

"Perfect assist..." Shin was very pleased.

She's a true friend; she knows how to set me up.

Nao, however, felt a chill run down her spine from his gaze.

She just knew he was plotting something.

"Senior Kagami? The Uchiha Clan says he was the Second Hokage's personal disciple. As for how strong he is, I don't really know..."

After a brief explanation, Shin continued, "My old man said that the Mangekyo Sharingan, which is above the Sharingan, has a different ability in each eye..."

"Supposedly, the two abilities you get are based on your true desires when you awaken it."

His innocent appearance didn't give him away. "I think my old man said there's a third ability, but when I asked him, he wouldn't answer."

"Susanoo? Kagami only went on solo missions after he awakened it..." The Third Hokage's expression was as if he'd been jolted awake.

He continued to ponder.

The Susanoo, with its combined offense and defense, even just the skeletal form, couldn't be easily broken through by ordinary ninjas.

Not easily, which meant that if Kagami stepped into a carefully laid trap, he wouldn't be completely helpless.

The Third Hokage recalled his teacher, Senju Tobirama's, views on the Uchiha.

He seemed to understand something.

"Huh? Each eye has an ability that you can choose?"

"Not choose, but abilities that manifest based on your inner desires..."

"Like, if when I awakened the Mangekyo, I was thinking about trapping my enemies in my Illusion Arts, then maybe I'd get two different Illusion Arts?"

Shin explained, "But my old man said that the Mangekyo, like the Sharingan, greatly reduces your Chakra consumption when you awaken it."

"I'm so jealous of the Sharingan; it can even evolve beyond that..." Nao's mood turned a bit gloomy. "Shin, do you think the Byakugan can evolve too?"

"Maybe? Since they're both one of the Three Great Dojutsu, it's unlikely that only the Sharingan can evolve."

Shin, of course, knew that above the Byakugan was the Tenseigan, which was comparable to the Rinnegan.

The Three Great Dojutsu should really be just two.

The Rinnegan and Tenseigan are the pinnacle of the Sharingan and Byakugan.

But the requirements to awaken them are quite demanding.

Either you need the Chakra of an Ōtsutsuki alien, or you need to fuse a large number of eyes.

The Third Hokage, while outwardly smiling and listening to the two children chat, was inwardly experiencing a storm of thoughts.

With Kagami's Mangekyo abilities, he wouldn't have been so easily ambushed.

There were no traces of the Susanoo being used at the scene.

The Flying Thunder God Technique hadn't been leaked, so the culprit could only be someone Kagami knew well.

Even...

He didn't dare to think further, because the conclusion he was reaching was terrifying.

So terrifying that he would be ashamed to face the long-dead Uchiha Kagami.