The Hokage's Affinity

"Your grandpa chopped up my dad..."

The down-to-earth exchange between the Hokage and his advisor left not only the Inuzuka Clan and Aburame stunned, but even Uchiha Hono, who had been stiffly holding his neck high, unconsciously strained his ears to listen.

"That did happen, but wasn't that during the Warring States Period?"

Shimura Danzō narrowed his eyes. "If you're going to put it that way, your dad burned my uncle with Fire Release!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi's father was named Sasuke Sarutobi.

Though he could not compare to legendary figures like Madara and Hashirama, he was still considered quite famous.

During the Warring States Period, Shimura Danzō's grandfather had targeted Sasuke Sarutobi, wanting to kill the genius before he had fully matured.

The story between Sasuke Sarutobi and Danzo's second uncle had probably been much the same.

It was the Warring States Period, after all. Without blood ties serving as a bond of trust, ninja clans killing each other was all too common...

They might have been allies last year, only to become mortal enemies hacking at each other this year.

Besides, even blood ties were no guarantee.

It was nothing new for members of the same clan or cousins to kill one another.

"Heh heh, wasn't the Warring States Period just like that?"

"Which is precisely why the value and significance of the village stand out..."

Hiruzen Sarutobi said with emotion, "Whether Konoha or the other Hidden Villages, if you examine every ninja clan closely, who among them has never had a history of hostility with someone else?"

"But now, everyone has built a community where we help one another."

Uchiha Hono unconsciously nodded slightly.

Although the Uchiha had fought the Senju most fiercely, that did not mean they had good relations with the other ninja clans.

The proud and battle-hungry Uchiha, under the high-pressure environment of the Warring States Period, would sometimes kick even a dog they saw by the roadside. Once they had killed to the point of seeing red, they would not even spare their own people.

During the period when Izanagi was at its height, the Uchiha had even begun slaughtering one another in order to seize each other's Sharingan and strengthen themselves.

Hiruzen Sarutobi's words were meant to show that the hatred between the Senju and Uchiha was not all that unique...

The clans of the Hokage and the Hokage's advisor had once harbored hatred as well, yet weren't they getting along just fine now?

"The grudges and obsessions of the Warring States Period should be buried along with that brutal era."

"Standing united and looking forward is the belief we should uphold today..."

"I, as Hokage, do not dare make grand claims. But I can pound my chest and promise that I will treat every Konoha ninja fairly and do everything within my power to give everyone a better life."

Hiruzen Sarutobi took out a pack of cigarettes and slowly tore it open.

He had swiped it from his eldest son, Shinnosuke...

Though the Tobacco Pipe had become one of his trademarks, cigarettes were more convenient when he was out and about.

Uchiha Hono remained silent.

Other Uchiha might have argued upon hearing Hiruzen Sarutobi's words...

But as a member of the Patrol Force, he had personally experienced the village's support and regard...

Whether it was Hatake Sakumo personally visiting his home or the respect shown by the Inuzuka Clan and Aburame, all of it made this Uchiha from the Warring States Period feel respected.

Uchiha Hono had also heard from others that the Patrol Force's funding had been donated to the village by Hiruzen Sarutobi...

His stiff neck had long since relaxed. Uchiha Hono silently nodded and spoke in a hoarse voice. "Third, you're right..."

"I only hope you can remain this way."

"I will." Hiruzen Sarutobi pulled two cigarettes from the pack. "Want one?"

Uchiha Hono accepted it, then politely ignited a flame at his fingertips and lit Hiruzen Sarutobi's cigarette.

Hiruzen Sarutobi shielded the flame and patted Uchiha Hono's hand.

The two simply stood there and smoked. As the smoke drifted away, the heavy, tense atmosphere from earlier seemed to float off with it.

From a distance, Uchiha Hono and Hiruzen Sarutobi looked like a pair of old friends who had run into each other and stopped to chat.

Shimura Danzō ground his teeth to himself nearby.

Hiruzen really was smooth-talking, wasn't he?

Could he actually salvage such a terrible atmosphere...

Yet for some reason, watching Hiruzen Sarutobi and Uchiha Hono smoke together made Shimura Danzō inexplicably irritated.

You were the Hokage, and he was an Uchiha!

Did you have even the slightest awareness that you were Teacher Tobirama's student?

"Hiruzen, smoke less. Even if being Hokage brings you some pressure, you should restrain yourself."

"Smoking isn't good for you," Shimura Danzō suddenly said.

"Mm-hm, got it, got it. You're right." Hiruzen Sarutobi responded with a smile.

Shimura Danzō's face darkened. He then said to Uchiha Hono, "I am not targeting you. As part of the Patrol Force, carrying an odor on duty is negligence!"

Then he noticed another blind spot.

Right, couldn't Fire Release light cigarettes?

He refused to believe that with Hiruzen Sarutobi's nature transformation, capable of burning flames white, he could not do something so simple...

So when Hiruzen had been teaching him the concept of the Buffer Layer earlier, had he deliberately pretended to look for a lighter just to keep him hanging and make him light his cigarette for him?!

Damn it, he had only just realized that!

What Shimura Danzō had not expected was this.

Uchiha Hono nodded with utmost seriousness and did not argue.

"Advisor Danzo is right. This is my mistake. I will write an explanation to Lord Sakumo, request punishment, and guarantee there will not be a next time."

Uchiha Hono's way of thinking was simple.

Right was right, and wrong was wrong.

Pointing it out at this moment might seem provocative, but the issue being pointed out objectively existed, so there was no problem.

Shimura Danzō's lips twitched slightly.

You old Uchiha bastard, why was your attitude so good?

"I should reflect on this as well..."

Hiruzen Sarutobi stuffed the entire pack of cigarettes into Uchiha Hono's hands. "It did interfere with normal work. There won't be a next time."

Uchiha Hono accepted it and agreed, "Thank you, Lord Third!"

He thought to himself, I will tell the clan every detail of how the village truly treats the Uchiha.

A pack of cigarettes cannot buy me off. I will use these eyes of mine to see every truth... Yet his hands carefully put away the pack of cigarettes.

Uchiha Hono and Hiruzen Sarutobi happened to meet each other's eyes, and the two suddenly laughed.

Who knew what they were laughing about...

But Shimura Danzō's face darkened even further beside them.

Were you two that close?

After Uchiha Hono and the others resumed their patrol and walked away.

Hiruzen Sarutobi said, "Danzo, the resentment in the Uchiha Clan's hearts and their unease toward the village will not fade in a short time."

"What I said just now was for appearances. Though killing each other was the norm during the Warring States Period, the influence Teacher Tobirama brought about belonged to the era of nations and villages."

Shimura Danzō froze.

No, wasn't that what I was planning to say? If you said it, what was I supposed to say?

And I thought you genuinely believed all that!

"We must proceed step by step. We cannot relax our vigilance toward the Uchiha, but we need to do it more intelligently... Having the Anbu blatantly monitor the Uchiha is both useless and crude."

"Let the Patrol Force, Anbu, and Military Police Force interact under the guise of official duties. That will naturally allow our people to obtain intelligence while further strengthening the village's security."

At that moment, a thought unconsciously rose in Shimura Danzō's heart.

The one more like Teacher Tobirama seemed truly not to be himself, but Hiruzen Sarutobi...

"No, it's me! I am the one..." Shimura Danzō muttered.

"What did you say?"

"Nothing..." Shimura Danzō let out a long breath and once again warned himself inwardly that he absolutely could not admit defeat. There was much here that he could learn from.

"I said, it's the Hokage!"