Third, You're Still the Ruthless One!

The New Year had just passed, and the winter snow had not yet completely melted when a major piece of news came from the Konoha Ninja Academy: the eldest son of the Uchiha Clan Head had graduated ahead of schedule.

Uchiha Itachi graduated from the Ninja Academy at the young age of seven. Although he did not break history, it was still a sensation. The main reason was his identity. After all, he was the eldest son of the head of the Uchiha Clan, the Konoha's Premier Noble Clan.

The Ninja Academy is home to children from almost every clan and countless commoners, making it naturally the fastest channel for information to spread.

Ninja Academy.

As a genius who graduated early, the Third Hokage happened to be passing by the Ninja Academy and overheard this, so he decided to personally award the child a ninja Forehead Protector.

Inside the classroom, countless students watched with envy and jealousy as the seven-year-old Uchiha Itachi passed his graduation exam, which even caught the attention of the Third Hokage, who happened to be at the school.

"Uchiha Itachi, congratulations on your graduation."

Amidst countless applause, seven-year-old Uchiha Itachi donned the Forehead Protector befitting Konoha Ninja, officially becoming a Genin of Konoha.

Looking at the young and inexperienced Uchiha Itachi before him, the Third Hokage revealed a hint of reminiscence and couldn't help but sigh, "Itachi, do you know what the Will of Fire is? What is your dream?"

The Third's coincidental arrival at the Ninja Academy was actually deliberate, as Uchiha Itachi needed his approval to review his application for early graduation.

At this moment, Hiruzen Sarutobi couldn't help but show a look of emotion. The precocious gaze of the boy before him made him feel somewhat sentimental. He couldn't let this genius go astray.

"The Will of Fire? A Dream?"

Although Uchiha Itachi is only seven years old, his precocious mind, coupled with the guidance of his teacher Uchiha Yoru and the frequent reminders from his older brother Shisui, sent a chill down his spine.

It has to be said that Uchiha Itachi, at only seven years old, possessed the natural talent of a powerful ninja; his calm and collected demeanor alone speaks volumes.

Perhaps it was his usual expressionless face, or perhaps it was his calm demeanor, but Uchiha Itachi glanced at the Third Hokage and couldn't help but feel suspicious.

As expected! Brother Shisui was right. His identity destined him to be extraordinary, and he would attract the attention of certain people. Perhaps someone would try to find a breakthrough through him, thereby affecting Lord Orochimaru of becoming the Fifth Hokage.

Indeed, the Uchiha Clan has now placed its bets on Orochimaru, so the entire clan naturally speaks of Orochimaru's bravery. Itachi, too, is inevitably influenced and filled with hope for the future Hokage. At the same time, he harbors reservations about the Third Hokage, who currently holds power and is unwilling to relinquish it.

With a sigh, Shisui Uchiha Itachi muttered, "Shisui-nii, you were right. The Third Hokage's regime was already corrupt."

"My dream is for the village to be peaceful."

Uchiha Itachi smiled and spoke his dream. He wasn't lying; what he said was the truth. The Third Hokage was taken aback when he saw this, and then a kind smile appeared on his old face. Perhaps Itachi was different from other Uchiha.

"Itachi, do you know the Will of Fire?" The Third sighed wistfully, then muttered to himself.

"Where the Konoha dance, the fire will never die. The Kakkō will continue to illuminate the village and allow new leaves to sprout. I believe you will one day become the flame of Konoha."

At this moment, the Third Hokage had completely transformed into a cult leader instilling his political ideology, lecturing on the so-called Will of Fire in the classroom. For a moment, the children in the classroom all showed excited and agitated expressions. This was blatant brainwashing targeting minors.

As Uchiha Itachi glanced around the classroom, seeing the fanatical expressions on the young faces of his classmates, he felt a chill run down his spine and a sense of dread washed over him.

This is so similar to what Teacher Yoru said: some small countries, for their own benefit, brainwash five- or six-year-old children, turning them into fanatical war machines.

Will of Fire?

Thinking of this, Uchiha Itachi glanced at the Third Hokage, who was giving a long and eloquent speech. He noticed the white hair peeking out from Hokage Hokage's temples and was immediately alarmed. The children were becoming ninjas and participating in the war, while the old man was enjoying his rights and was doing it all for the good of the village.

Is this the corrupt upper echelons that Brother Shisui was talking about?

At this moment, although Uchiha Yoru knew that he had affected Itachi, he never imagined it would be this significant, especially considering Shisui's presence.

He originally intended for Shisui to teach Itachi for two reasons: firstly, the two were already close friends and mentors in the original story; secondly, Shisui's thinking had begun to change, so naturally, teaching Itachi would also transmit his own ideas.

Unexpectedly, the two of them arrived because they were too compatible, and with Itachi's precocious wisdom, Shisui managed to manipulate Itachi's thoughts so deeply.

When the Third finished his speech, he still felt like he hadn't said enough, but when he turned around and saw Uchiha Itachi's determined expression, he immediately smiled with satisfaction.

"Hehe, Itachi, you will surely inherit the Will of Fire of the village in the future."

At this moment, the Third never imagined that a seven-year-old child could have such a distorted understanding of the higher-ups. Coupled with this determined expression, he thought the brainwashing was successful.

However, unbeknownst to them, beneath Uchiha Itachi's resolute expression, he secretly resolved to change everything, to help his brother Shisui and Teacher Yoru, and to transform this corrupt system.

"Rest assured, Hokage-sama, Uchiha Itachi will definitely inherit the Will of Fire."

Looking at the Third's aged face, Uchiha Itachi recalled the scenes he had witnessed on the battlefield, where young and inexperienced faces lay dead. He immediately made up his mind and nodded firmly.

"Hehe, Itachi, as expected, I was right about you." The Third Hokage was filled with satisfaction. Itachi had indeed inherited the Will of Fire, and at such a young age, he had already firmly established his Nindo.

A misunderstanding, or rather, the Third's flawed understanding, led him to unknowingly plant a thorn in his side.

The wise Third had long noticed Uchiha Itachi's dissatisfaction with the war and even his incompatible ideas with the Uchiha Clan. At this moment, he never gave it much thought and had no idea that Itachi's current thinking was too advanced and had been led astray to another extreme.

As Uchiha Itachi looked at the Third Hokage's middle-aged face and the faint age spots on his cheeks, he thought of Shisui's words expressing his dissatisfaction with the corruption of the higher-ups.

What were the achievements of the Third Hokage, the strongest Hokage? Did he personally go to the battlefield after becoming Hokage? What were his notable achievements? Perhaps the greatest strength of the Third Hokage was his long reign.

In contrast, almost none of the students at the Ninja Academy knew about the First, the Second Hokage, or even the Fourth Hokage. At that moment, Uchiha Itachi felt as if a pair of hands were in the dark, and this fear made him feel suffocated. It was terrifying!

For the village! For the Uchiha! I must do something!

At this moment, Uchiha Itachi's conviction was unwavering.

The Hokage Office.

Back in his office that afternoon, Hiruzen Sarutobi couldn't help but smile with satisfaction, and lit his pipe with delight.

"Heh, it seems Itachi really might inherit the Will of Fire, and also be a descendant of Kagami."

Thinking of this, the Third Hokage puffed out smoke, the white smoke obscuring his vision, but he still smiled.

"Hehe, it seems I need to get to know Shisui better."

Uchiha Shisui, a descendant of Kagami, was someone he had met before. He was definitely a ninja who had been simply influenced by the Will of Fire. Unfortunately, he was too busy with the Third Shinobi War and eventually had to step down and become the Fourth Hokage, so he didn't have a chance to have a proper talk with this kid.

"Hokage-sama, urgent report from the front!"

Just then, with a whoosh, a dark Anbu member who had appeared in the Hokage Office using the Body Flicker Technique.

Upon seeing the urgent report from the Anbu, the Third Hokage slowly opened the letter with a furrowed brow. But when he read the contents, his furrowed brow immediately relaxed, and his aging laughter echoed throughout the office.

"Hehe, good, Shinnosuke has finally done a great service for Konoha."

The Land of Lightning is preparing to renew its peace treaty with Konoha. This is the urgent report from the front lines. The Third Hokage, who has an endless longing for peace, is naturally filled with joy and pride.

Because Shin'nosuke Sarutobi is his son. Although countless ninjas helped him and Shikaku Nara was the strategist, none of this can erase the credit of Shin'nosuke Sarutobi as the commander-in-chief.

"Alright, let Shinnosuke at the front lines consult with Shikaku Nara as much as possible. We must make sure to reach an agreement with the Land of Lightning and confirm the meeting time as soon as possible."

"Yes!" The Anbu bowed his head and responded in a deep voice before disappearing from the Hokage Office in a flash.

A smile appeared on the Third's face. At that moment, as he looked out the window at the several portraits on the Hokage Rock, a melancholy expression suddenly appeared on his face.

"Peace is coming, and I will certainly carry on the Will of Fire."

The dark, shady Root Base.

Although this matter was classified, it was not something to be ashamed of, and naturally it reached the ears of Root leader Shimura Danzō.

Sitting Shimura Danzō looked at the intelligence report that had been sent to him and couldn't help but frown and speak in a deep voice.

"I didn't expect the Land of Lightning to be preparing to sign a peace treaty so quickly. In that case, Shin'nosuke Sarutobi of the Land of Lightning will have made a great contribution."

Thinking of this, Shimura Danzō narrowed his one exposed eye and tapped his finger lightly on the desk.

Having accomplished such a great feat, Shin'nosuke Sarutobi's Prestige will rise to a new level. But what about Orochimaru? Orochimaru's power is currently too great.

With the strong support of the Uchiha and Hyuga clans, if we seize this opportunity to damage Orochimaru's Prestige and then send him to the front lines, Shin'nosuke Sarutobi Orochimaru not be able to control this giant snake, and might even suffer humiliation.

In this way, Orochimaru's Prestige was destroyed effortlessly, and the rising star Shin'nosuke Sarutobi was also defeated. It was a win-win situation. Just imagine that two Hokage candidates were almost ruined at once! Then, the Hokage Position would be right in front of him! Sarutobi step down! The peace treaty with the Land of Lightning would be a key step for him to become Hokage.

Thinking about this Shimura Danzō felt increasingly pleased with himself, his expression becoming somewhat excited. He couldn't help but mutter, "Orochimaru, it's all your fault for being so uncontrollable, so dangerous. I was planning to take action against you next year, but unfortunately, this opportunity is now a once-in-a-lifetime chance. You can only blame the fact that the power behind you is too strong."

He originally intended to stir up trouble during this agreement with the Land of Lightning, hoping to create a situation where things were neither going well nor going badly, causing Shin'nosuke Sarutobi to lose prestige. He would postpone Orochimaru's matter until next year.

However, Orochimaru's power is currently expanding rapidly, especially since he is controlling Orochimaru's finances. But the Hyuga and Uchiha clans, the two oldest and most powerful Great Clans, have sided with Orochimaru and are constantly providing him with funds, which is making him somewhat anxious.

Even if they fail this time, it doesn't matter. Shin'nosuke Sarutobi Shinnosuke still has a long way to go before he can become Hokage Position. At least the Third Hokage will have to pave the way for him for a few more years. But Orochimaru is different. He has enough prestige and strength. If it weren't for the fact that the higher-ups were holding him back, Orochimaru would have already become the Fifth Hokage.

"The Land of Water seems to be in some turmoil. Perhaps we could transfer Orochimaru to defend the Land of Water, along with the Hyuga and Uchiha!"

The thought of these two Noble Houses, especially the Uchiha, Shimura Danzō narrow one eye, revealing a sinister look. Kirigakure's assassination techniques were particularly adept at Water Release, which was perfect for countering Fire Style, thus reducing the Uchiha.

The Root began to stir in secret, and although this movement did not escape the Third's notice, he was still careless and ultimately had to pay the price for his carelessness.

Konoha High Command conference room.

The Meeting Room was filled with the aroma of tea, Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura slowly sipped their tea.

"Koharu, Danzo's methods seem to have gone too far; he's secretly starting to capture ninjas within the village."

Mitokado Homura's face clearly showed some dissatisfaction. Although they wanted to damage Orochimaru's reputation, they had obviously gone too far. Utatane Koharu nodded calmly after hearing this, but then sighed and shook her head.

"Danzo's methods were indeed a bit excessive, but he should give up now. He's so old, what's the point of vying for the Hokage? But since Sarutobi didn't refute it, he probably acquiesced. So let's just wait and see."

As high-ranking members of Konoha, they Qidian agreed to this plan, and naturally Danzo did not hide these things from his old friends.

Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura nodded helplessly. Although they knew that the Third Hokage seemed to have been somewhat lenient with Danzo's behavior in recent years, they couldn't say anything, since it was all for the sake of Konoha.

Unbeknownst to them, in the Hokage Office, the Third, pipe in hand, looked at the scroll presented by Danzo and his Root, sighed softly, and shook his head, saying, "Go down. Tell Danzo not to go too far."

He chose to remain silent, and he also didn't want to see how Danzo would treat his own disciple. In the Third Hokage's heart, he was still his teacher. He decided to let Danzo, Mitokado Homura Utatane Koharu handle this matter.

The Third Hokage remained indifferent, while Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu assumed he knew. This misunderstanding, stemming from their overconfidence, caused Danzo of Root to gasp in shock, secretly exclaiming, "You ruthless Third Hokage Third Hokage! It seems this time you're truly going to condemn Orochimaru to eternal damnation!"

He ordered the Root personnel to send a plan to the Third Hokage. Usually, he would send it over, and the Third would then issue a warning and make some revisions. But this time, they simply acquiesced. He had prepared to wait for the Third Hokage's reply before taking a more subtle approach, but this was it?

Third Hokage! You're ruthless! I underestimated you.

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