Hokage Office.
All the Anbu members who had originally been assigned to protect Third Hiruzen Sarutobi had been temporarily dismissed by him and sent to patrol the surrounding area.
Only he and Qingguang were in the office now.
Hiruzen Sarutobi sat in his chair, hands clasped in front of him. "Qingguang, when did Danzo first tell you about the Wood Release Plan? You can tell me now. I won't tell anyone."
Seeing Qingguang's conflicted hesitation, he smiled and shook his head.
This child won't tell me, even when we're alone. Is he afraid I'll settle the score with Danzo?
"Don't worry. I've already stripped him of his position as Hokage Assistant. I won't target him or Root again."
"But Wood Release is a matter of great importance. All the intelligence must be recorded in the village archives. Even I, the Hokage, am no exception."
"That's good." Qingguang breathed a sigh of relief.
"Lord Danzo actually brought it up with me a year ago. Senior Orochimaru had already discovered that Yin Release Chakra could suppress Wood Release rampages to some extent. After that, he used my blood as a sample and confirmed it further."
"The risks have already been reduced to a controllable level. Even if it really fails, the worst that can happen is that I won't be able to be a ninja anymore."
"Half a year ago, after you issued the ban, the original plan was put on hold. I recently approached Lord Danzo and asked him to resume it, and he reluctantly agreed."
Qingguang spoke lightly, shouldering all the blame himself.
He was the real culprit. Danzo and Orochimaru had merely helped him.
Hiruzen Sarutobi wasn't surprised by Qingguang's explanation.
This child had never lied to him. The truth was probably just as he said; otherwise, Orochimaru wouldn't have reacted that way.
Still, he had certainly left some things out. Otherwise, he wouldn't look so uneasy right now.
Hiruzen Sarutobi fell silent for a long while. Then, as if he had made up his mind, he lifted his gaze and studied Qingguang's eyes.
"Qingguang, even though there are things you haven't said, I can more or less guess what Danzo told you."
Qingguang's mouth twitched. He lowered his head, looking as if he'd done something wrong.
"Qingguang, you're a kind child."
"The Shinobi World is in turmoil. Amegakure is on the verge of becoming the sixth great nation, and Sunagakure is pressing Konoha at every turn. They're even secretly developing ways to control the power of the Tailed Beasts. The village is in a difficult position, but things haven't gotten so bad that we need a young man like you to take such a dangerous gamble."
At last, Qingguang couldn't hold back. His worry burst out of him.
"Lord Hokage, I understand everything you've said, but the Uchiha..."
"Though I hate to admit it, the Uchiha are... They've disappointed me so much. I can't trust them anymore. Everyone's acting like they've gone mad, scheming to claim the Hokage Position. I don't even understand why they're doing this. We're all comrades in the same village. How can we be so hostile toward each other?"
Urgency, anxiety, and disappointment mingled in Qingguang's words.
His dark eyes were like a deep abyss, filled with confusion.
Qingguang's expression made Hiruzen Sarutobi's heart tremble.
Yes. No matter what, Qingguang was a member of the Uchiha Clan. The bond of blood couldn't be severed.
At that moment, Hiruzen Sarutobi seemed to make up his mind. He stood and walked to the bookshelf beside him, arranging the books in a particular order.
Click!
The mechanism's gears turned, revealing a row of sealed scrolls.
Hiruzen Sarutobi picked up a scroll marked in red and handed it to Qingguang.
"Lord Hokage, what is this?"
"Take a look. The truth that's been troubling you is in there."
"I don't know whether this is good or bad for you, but it's time you knew."
Qingguang unrolled the scroll and read its contents word by word. His expression grew more complicated, and his brows knitted together.
Only after reading the final character did Qingguang roll up the scroll again, lift his head, and close his eyes tightly.
"So something like this really happened in the past."
After resealing the scroll and putting it away, Hiruzen waited for Qingguang to regain his composure before sharing what he had in mind.
"Qingguang, these events have always been a taboo in the village. No one is allowed to speak of them. I've always been troubled by the Uchiha, too."
"When I became your guardian, it was partly because Kagami was my comrade. Another reason was that I hoped you could become a bridge between the Uchiha and the village."
"When Teacher Tobirama took your father, Kagami, as his student, he had the same idea. But Kagami sacrificed himself alongside our teacher to protect us and cover our retreat."
"Now, you're the Uchiha Clan's last hope. Konoha is surrounded by wolves, and if trouble arises within the village as well, we'll face utter destruction."
Uchiha Madara had defected, the Uchiha had been suppressed, they had lost the contest for the Second Hokage's position, and then the Third's position had slipped from their grasp. The Uchiha Clan's resentment had reached its breaking point.
Qingguang's expression was pained, but his eyes gradually grew resolute, returning to the steadfastness he'd always shown.
"Lord Hokage, you can rest assured. Starting tomorrow, I'll move back in with the clan and attend clan meetings."
"I know it'll be difficult, but I'll make sure the Uchiha reintegrate with the village. It's not only your wish—it was my father's dying wish, and it's my own resolve!"
"I'll find my own way to earn my clanmates' trust and make them willing to follow me, so we can help Konoha regain the glory it once had!"
Qingguang had regained his resolve. This was exactly what Hiruzen wanted to see.
The child was always like this. He never feared hardship. No matter how much he suffered or how hard he worked, he wouldn't shed a single tear.
Kagami, you have someone to carry on your legacy. You can rest in peace in the Pure Land.
That night, Qingguang packed up the belongings from his former residence and returned to Kagami's old home.
In a secluded corner of the Uchiha Clan's grounds, a small house stood buried in cobwebs and dust, slumbering beneath the night sky among a grove of trees.
Qingguang lifted his gaze to the new moon overhead.
How many years had it been since he'd returned to this place?
Hiruzen Sarutobi's behavior that day, and the purpose he'd finally revealed, had been just as Qingguang expected.
At this hour, that man would probably come looking for him soon.
Hand Seals.
"Wind Release: Gale Palm."
The technique was meant to boost the power of Shuriken. Now, it served as a fan, blowing the dust and cobwebs off the house.
As soon as he entered, he saw Danzo sitting inside the wooden house, his hair somewhat disheveled.
"Lord Danzo, sorry, I just—"
"No matter. A technique of that caliber couldn't hurt me. Don't forget, I was the one who taught you Wind Release."
Danzo didn't care about his disheveled hair. It was only an outward appearance, after all.
"Tell me. What orders did Hiruzen give you?"
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