In the lounge.
"I don't want to."
Qing Xuan's answer was exceptionally decisive. It was clear he hadn't hesitated in the slightest.
The Third Hokage wasn't surprised.
Ryuu Uchiha had been just as decisive when asked back then.
[Being Hokage is too exhausting. I just want to be a slacker.]
A hint of sorrow flashed through the old man's eyes, but he wasn't angry. He simply asked, "Why?"
He'd expected another answer about slacking off, but what Qing Xuan said next caught him off guard.
"When heaven is lacking, one must cultivate wisdom to prepare for opportunity. When earth is lacking, one must follow one's nature to seek advantage. By relying on both heaven and earth, one can turn perilous paths into proper ones. This is the pinnacle of human ability—the talent of a leader."
The Third Hokage stared, dumbfounded, as the child before him delivered one brilliant line after another.
Then he saw Qing Xuan lower his head sheepishly. "I'm not the sort of person who has the talent to be a leader, so I'm not suited to the position of Hokage. That's why I don't want it."
Uchiha Qing Xuan had used his own talent to prove he had no talent.
For a moment, even the Third Hokage didn't know how to argue with that.
The old man fell silent and took a long drag on his pipe. Only then did he realize that Uchiha Qing Xuan was different from his father—he was even more mischievous.
"That's a very good summary. I think you're quite talented, just like..."
Looking at Qing Xuan's young face, he thought of another Uchiha and said, "Just like Itachi. At only seven years old, he was already able to think like a Hokage."
Qing Xuan's words had struck a deep chord in the Third Hokage. He felt the boy might even be more talented than Itachi, especially since Qing Xuan had spent his life wandering the Land of Wind and had never received a systematic education.
And if he received the right guidance...
At that moment, the Third Hokage suddenly felt a desire to nurture such talent. Though the boy was still young, he couldn't help asking, "Have you thought about what path you'll take in the future?"
Qing Xuan had thought his meeting with the Hokage would be nothing more than a simple conversation. But as the discussion went on, he suddenly felt as nervous as he would during a civil service interview. The desire to secure a position made him take the matter seriously.
"You only live once, so there's no need to force yourself to choose a path you don't like. It doesn't matter if you live as you please or die as you please! But whichever path I choose, I won't forget to protect the people I cherish."
He carefully considered his wording, doing his best to give the answer the old man wanted.
"I like this village. I liked it from the moment I first set foot here! It's peaceful, stable, and full of life. Uncle Shikaku and the others rescued me from Sunagakure, Uncle Hizashi and the others brought me home, and Uncle Fugaku led the clan members out of the village to meet me. Uncle Nawaki bought me tasty snacks, and even the old lady selling food on the road gave me an extra skewer of dango because she thought I was cute..."
The more he spoke, the more moved he became. The Third Hokage could hear the sincerity in his words, and it brought him some comfort.
"These are things I never saw in the Land of Wind, and things I longed for deeply! To me, this feeling might be what family means. Everyone feels like family. In my eyes, this village is like one big household, and the shinobi of the village fight, risk their lives, and even make sacrifices to protect it and the people they love! It's like... like..."
Unable to find the perfect words to express what he felt, Qing Xuan scratched his head in frustration.
Just then, the old man's amused voice sounded beside him.
"Like this forest where leaves dance in the wind. Wherever leaves dance, fire burns. The light of the fire will shine upon the village and, in turn, allow new leaves to sprout..."
"Yes! That's it!"
Qing Xuan jumped up, striking his fist against his palm.
Then he met a gaze filled with warmth and hope.
"Uchiha Qing Xuan."
The Third Hokage looked seriously at the boy before him. Though the child was a little mischievous, his eyes had been clear and bright from beginning to end.
"Become my pupil!"
"Huh?"
Qing Xuan was a little dazed. He'd passed the interview, but what was this about becoming the Hokage's pupil? Had he overdone it?
"I could, but..."
Qing Xuan scratched his head and asked the old man uncertainly, "If I become your pupil, will Uncle Nawaki have to call me Junior Master?"
What sort of ridiculous title was that? The Third Hokage was a little baffled too. He looked the child over again, even beginning to wonder if he'd made his decision too hastily.
The warm sunlight grew scorching as noon gradually arrived.
After Qing Xuan left, the sound of a cane drew closer. Then the lounge door was flung open with a bang.
"Hiruzen..."
Noon sunlight poured through the doorway, outlining the newcomer in a thick shadow.
The commotion did nothing to distract the Third Hokage. His hand held steady as he gripped the brush, the characters beneath it vigorous and powerful.
Only after finishing the final stroke did he slowly raise his head and look back at the person striding toward him. He muttered under his breath, "Still as reckless as ever."
Danzo ignored the Third Hokage's words. His cane struck the floor with a series of sharp knocks, and his brisk steps and decisive bearing made him seem a man of action.
He got straight to the point. "You're taking Uchiha Qing Xuan as your pupil?"
The Third Hokage wasn't surprised. He placed the scroll he'd just written on the ground to dry, then sat beside it with one leg tucked up. He puffed on his pipe and narrowed his eyes as he admired his handiwork.
"Didn't you already know?"
Danzo found his relaxed attitude deeply irritating. He tightened his grip on his cane, and the visible left eye grew even more sinister.
"But he's an Uchiha! And we haven't found any trace of him over the past six years! He..."
"You want me to hand him over to you?"
A sharp question suddenly cut Danzo off. The old man, who had been relaxing just moments ago, had sat upright without him noticing. The sharpness in his eyes was something Danzo hadn't seen in many years.
"Hiruzen, you..."
This side of Hiruzen felt unfamiliar to Danzo. Even when Danzo had sent people to assassinate him a few years ago, he hadn't seen him wear such a stern expression.
But the Third Hokage gave him no chance to speak. Instead, he fired off a string of questions, his voice like that of a lion roused to anger.
"Just as you did with his father? Taking him to Root under the same pretext? Then turning him into a proper Root operative?"
At last, the resentment that had accumulated in the old man's heart over many years poured out. Even Danzo couldn't help changing expression under the sudden pressure.
And Hiruzen's words left him reeling.
[In my eyes, Lord Danzo is the best candidate for the Third Hokage!]
[Minato Namikaze is like a tree facing the rising sun. He's destined to stand in the sunlight and bask in its radiance! But I'm different from him... I don't have his personality, and I can't accept everything the way he can! Selfish, resentful, petty—that's who I am at my core! So I'm destined to never become Hokage! I can only take a different path, becoming the Root buried deep in darkness. That way, I can still provide the tree of Konoha with ample nourishment!]
[Lord Danzo! What exists between Minato Namikaze and me is different from what exists between you and the Third Hokage...]
At that moment, the boy's words seemed to echo in his ears across the passage of time.
"Ryuu Uchiha..."
Danzo murmured, "He was different. He belonged to Root by nature..."
"No! You're wrong!"
At that moment, the Third Hokage's voice was almost furious.
"He could have stood in the sunlight!"
Before you continue