Uchiha Dan had always been a source of conflicting feelings for Hiruzen Sarutobi.
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Tobirama Senju's order had been that Uchiha Dan must not train as a ninja, but should instead live an ordinary, peaceful life as a civilian.
But he'd overlooked one thing.
Hiruzen Sarutobi had only just taken office, stepping in suddenly after Tobirama Senju's unexpected death. He lacked prestige and his position was unstable, so he needed to borrow the authority of a powerful figure.
The best way to stabilize the situation was to firmly support and carry out every one of Tobirama Senju's orders.
That process was bound to lead to overcorrection.
Tobirama Senju probably hadn't expected his student to drive Uchiha Dan out of the Ninja Academy and the Uchiha Clan, or even assign an Anbu squad to watch him around the clock.
That was why Hiruzen Sarutobi had decided that keeping Uchiha Dan under surveillance wasn't worth the cost, and wanted to eliminate him.
The more value Uchiha Dan demonstrated, the less willing Hiruzen Sarutobi was to kill him.
Now, Uchiha Dan had proven even more valuable, and Hiruzen Sarutobi felt he'd become an even greater threat.
But all of that depended on Uchiha Dan and them having an irreconcilable conflict.
If Uchiha Dan knew nothing, how could he be a threat?
If Uchiha Dan were still part of the Uchiha Clan, Hiruzen Sarutobi might have been worried.
But the Uchiha Clan had driven Uchiha Dan out long ago. They had no ties left, only hostility.
Besides, there was Tsunade.
Tsunade was my student. With her as a bond, why couldn't I bring Uchiha Dan under my control?
Even if Uchiha Dan really did find out, the blame would fall on his own teacher, Tobirama Senju.
On the contrary, Hiruzen Sarutobi could tell Uchiha Dan with absolute conviction that he'd never wanted to eliminate him. In fact, he'd been protecting him in secret all along.
Because that was the truth!
There was only one thing that bothered Hiruzen Sarutobi a little: not long ago, Uzumaki Mito and Tsunade had joined forces to protect Uchiha Dan.
But now, it seemed Lady Mito had seen through something and acted for the sake of her granddaughter's happiness.
He believed Uzumaki Mito was capable of seeing certain things.
But she wouldn't tell Uchiha Dan.
After all, she was afraid that the truth would scare him off and leave Tsunade without a husband.
Besides that, Uchiha Dan was someone who repaid kindness in full. His devotion to his adoptive parents and younger brother made that clear.
And based on Hiruzen Sarutobi's analysis, Uchiha Dan wasn't petty or vindictive, either.
If Uchiha Dan really were that kind of person, with his strength and his ability to teleport, would Utatane Koharu still be alive after all these years of treating him that way?
Yet he'd put up with it all. He hadn't turned against her or attacked her; he'd only been unhappy.
So as long as Hiruzen Sarutobi showed him kindness in the right way, why worry about winning him over?
Thinking this through, Hiruzen Sarutobi felt his thoughts fall into place.
"Lord Hokage!" Uchiha Dan suddenly asked. "I... I want to know why you've kept sending people to watch me."
Seeing Uchiha Dan's earnest, slightly aggrieved expression, Hiruzen Sarutobi immediately came up with a plan.
"Sigh!" Hiruzen Sarutobi let out a heavy sigh. "This has to do with a chapter of Konoha's history."
"Huh?" Uchiha Dan looked utterly surprised. "Does this have anything to do with me?"
"Have you ever heard of Madara Uchiha?" Hiruzen Sarutobi asked instead of answering directly.
"Hiruzen, enough!" Shimura Danzō immediately cut in. "Let the past stay in the past!"
"I just want this young man to know the truth." Hiruzen Sarutobi spoke with righteous conviction. "It's been more than seven years. That's long enough. It's time for a change."
"You're going against our teacher's orders!" Shimura Danzō accused him angrily.
"In all my life, I've never once disobeyed my teacher's orders." Hiruzen Sarutobi seemed to have made up his mind. "But for the sake of the village, I'm willing to bear the blame for disobeying him this once."
What a load of crap.
Shimura Danzō cursed inwardly.
You're defying your teacher for the good of the village, and you think people will blame you?
It'll only raise your standing!
Even if the truth got out, Tobirama Senju would be the one people blamed.
Hiruzen Sarutobi, I never knew you'd stoop to dragging even your teacher out to take the fall for you.
Your shamelessness really has reached its peak.
And Uchiha Dan was someone I had my eye on. It turned out he really was a genius, and now you're jumping in to steal him from me?
"Hiruzen, you'll regret this!" Shimura Danzō roared, seething with frustration.
"I never regret what I do. Besides, I'm the Hokage!" Hiruzen Sarutobi played the hero to win Uchiha Dan's favor, then sternly reminded Shimura Danzō.
"You..." Shimura Danzō was once again so furious he couldn't speak for ten whole seconds. At last, he flung his sleeve and slammed the door behind him with a bang.
He'd had more than enough of this damn place.
"Lord Hokage, you didn't have to go that far for my sake!" Uchiha Dan's eyes grew moist as he spoke, deeply moved.
"My boy, you've misunderstood. I didn't do it for you!" Hiruzen Sarutobi shook his head. "Everything I do is for Konoha!"
Uchiha Dan was stunned by Hiruzen Sarutobi's performance and words.
A stirring, impassioned soundtrack seemed to suddenly play in his mind.
A beam of light shone from behind Hiruzen Sarutobi, making him glow with brilliance, so sacred and magnificent that he was almost impossible to look at.
So this was what it meant to be the very model of righteousness?
This was damn entertaining!
"Lord Hokage..." Uchiha Dan's voice caught in his throat. For a moment, he didn't know what to say.
"All right, my boy. You don't have to act this way." Hiruzen Sarutobi was very pleased with both his performance and Uchiha Dan's reaction.
"It's time you learned the truth." Hiruzen Sarutobi's gaze seemed to pierce through time and space, returning to the past.
"Madara Uchiha was the first clan head of the Uchiha Clan after it joined Konoha. He was also a close friend of the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju."
"The village had only just been founded then, and there was much to be done. But thanks to everyone's hard work, it flourished and grew ever more prosperous and powerful."
"I was just a child back then, much younger than you are now." Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled. "I remember thinking, 'Wouldn't it be wonderful if the village could stay this way forever?'"
"But some people just can't stand living in peace and stability. They have to stir up trouble!"
"Was that person Madara Uchiha?" Uchiha Dan played along dutifully.
"That's right!" Hiruzen Sarutobi continued. "Everyone was happy to see the village growing stronger, but Madara Uchiha couldn't get over the fact that he hadn't become Hokage."
"So he urged the Uchiha Clan to leave Konoha with him and establish a new village where he could become its Kage."
"Then... did anyone go with him?" Uchiha Dan asked curiously, looking completely absorbed in the story.
Hiruzen Sarutobi shook his head with satisfaction. "No. Not a single person. The Uchiha Clan wanted to live in peace, too. Who would want to keep fighting and roaming from place to place?"
"What happened next?"
"Then he left all by himself!" Hiruzen Sarutobi said angrily. "But even after he left, he still couldn't accept it. In Konoha's eighth year, he came back alone and declared that he would destroy Konoha."
"How could he do that?" Uchiha Dan said at once, clearly upset.
"Exactly! How could he do that?" Hiruzen Sarutobi said angrily. "Many people have asked the same question."
"But that really was what happened!"
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