Qingguang, the Uchiha Clan is counting on you (Seeking collection!)

Hokage Office.

All the Anbu members originally tasked with protecting the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, had been temporarily dismissed by him, now scattered nearby.

In the office, only he and Qingguang remained.

Hiruzen Sarutobi sat in his chair, hands clasped before him. "Qingguang, when did Danzo first start revealing the Wood Release Plan to you? You can tell me now. I won't tell anyone."

Seeing Qingguang's hesitant, conflicted expression, he shook his head with a smile.

This kid—even facing me alone, he won't speak. Is he afraid I'll settle accounts with Danzo?

"Don't worry. I've already stripped him of his position as Hokage Assistant. I won't go after him or his Root anymore."

"But the Wood Release is a matter of great importance. All intelligence must be recorded in the village's archives. Even I, as Hokage, am no exception."

"Good." Qingguang let out a relieved sigh, as if a weight had been lifted.

"Lord Danzo actually brought this up to me a year ago. At the time, Lord Orochimaru had already discovered that Yin Release chakra could suppress the Wood Release's rampage to a certain extent. Later, using my blood as a sample, he further confirmed this."

"The risk has been suppressed to a controllable range. Even if it truly fails, at worst, I just won't be able to be a ninja anymore."

"Half a year ago, after you issued the ban, the original plan was halted. It was I who recently approached Lord Danzo with this request, and he reluctantly agreed."

Qingguang's tone was light, as if he were shouldering all the responsibility onto himself alone.

He was the main culprit. Danzo and Orochimaru were merely accomplices assisting him.

Hiruzen Sarutobi wasn't surprised by Qingguang's explanation.

This kid never lied in front of him, and the truth was likely just as he said—otherwise, Orochimaru wouldn't have acted that way.

Still, he must have omitted some parts; otherwise, his demeanor wouldn't be so unnatural now.

Hiruzen Sarutobi was silent for a long time, as if steeling himself for a decision. He lifted his gaze and scrutinized Qingguang's eyes.

"Qingguang, though there are things you haven't said, I can roughly guess what Danzo told you."

Qingguang's lips twitched, as if caught doing something shameful, and he silently lowered his head.

"Qingguang, you're a kind child."

"The ninja world is unstable right now. Amegakure is on the verge of becoming the sixth great nation. Sunagakure is pressuring Konoha at every turn, even secretly developing ways to control the power of the Tailed Beasts. The village's situation is dire, but it hasn't reached the point where a young man like you needs to take such a risky, unorthodox path."

At last, Qingguang couldn't hold back. The worry in his heart spilled out in a rush.

"Lord Hokage, I understand everything you've said. But the Uchiha..."

"Though I hate to admit it, the state of the Uchiha Clan right now is... truly disappointing and unsettling to me. Everyone's gone mad, scheming for the position of Hokage. I don't even understand why they're like this. We're all comrades of the same village—how can they be so hostile toward each other?"

Urgency, anxiety, disappointment—all these emotions were tangled in Qingguang's words.

His pitch-black pupils were like an abyss, filled with confusion.

Qingguang's appearance made Hiruzen Sarutobi's heart tremble.

Yes, no matter what, Qingguang was still a member of the Uchiha Clan. The bond of blood and blood could not be severed.

At that moment, as if making a certain decision, Hiruzen Sarutobi stood up, walked to the bookshelf beside him, and arranged the books in a specific order.

Click!

The sound of a mechanism's gears turning rang out, revealing a row of sealed scrolls.

He picked up one of them—a scroll marked with a red seal—and handed it to Qingguang.

"Lord Hokage, this is...?"

"Take a look. The truth that's been troubling you is right here."

"I don't know if doing this is good or bad for you, but it's time you knew."

Unrolling the scroll, Qingguang read its contents word by word. His expression gradually grew complicated, his brows furrowing tightly.

Only after taking in the last character did he roll the scroll shut, lift his head, and close his eyes tightly.

"So... something like this happened in the past."

After resealing the scroll and putting it away, once Qingguang's emotions had settled, Hiruzen spoke his thoughts.

"Qingguang, these matters have always been the village's taboo. No one is allowed to speak of them. I, too, have long been troubled by the Uchiha situation."

"When I became your guardian back then, it was partly because Kagami was my comrade, and partly because I hoped you could become a bridge connecting the Uchiha and the village."

"Back then, Lord Tobirama took your father, Kagami, as his disciple with the same intention. But unfortunately, he sacrificed himself covering our retreat alongside the teacher."

"Now, you are the Uchiha Clan's last hope. The current Konoha has wolves eyeing it from outside. If problems arise within, it will face utter catastrophe."

Uchiha Madara had defected. The Uchiha were suppressed. The Second Hokage's succession had been lost. The Third Hokage's seat had slipped away again. The Uchiha Clan's resentment had reached its peak.

Qingguang's face showed bitterness, but his gaze gradually grew firm, returning to its former unyielding resolve.

"Lord Hokage, rest assured. Starting tomorrow, I'll move back to the clan and begin attending clan meetings."

"I know this will be difficult, but I will make the Uchiha reintegrate into the village. This isn't just your wish—it's my father's dying will, and my own conviction!"

"In my own way, I will make my clansmen trust me and be willing to follow behind me, so that together with Konoha, we can return to its former glory!"

Qingguang pulled himself together. This was exactly the scene Hiruzen wanted to see.

This kid was always like this—never afraid of hardship. No matter how much suffering he endured, how much sweat he shed, he never let a single tear fall.

Kagami, you have a worthy successor. You can rest easy in the Pure Land.

That night, Qingguang packed up the odds and ends from his old place and returned to Kagami's former residence.

In a remote corner of the Uchiha Clan, within a small grove of trees, a mansion thick with cobwebs and dust slumbered under the night sky.

Qingguang lifted his gaze to the crescent moon above.

How many years had it been since he last set foot in this place?

Hiruzen Sarutobi's behavior today and the goal he ultimately revealed were no surprise to him.

At this hour, that man was probably about to come looking for him.

He formed hand seals.

"Wind Release: Gale Palm."

A technique meant to enhance the power of shuriken, now used like a blower to sweep away the dust and cobwebs from the house.

The moment he stepped inside, he saw Danzo sitting in the wooden room, his hair slightly disheveled.

"Danzo-sama, my apologies, I just—"

"No matter. A technique of that level can't hurt me. Don't forget, I'm the one who taught you Wind Release."

Danzo paid no mind to his current hairstyle—such things were trivial.

"Speak. What orders did Hiruzen give you?"