Congratulations, You've Learned How to Answer Ahead of Time!

Late at night, inside the office of the Hokage Building, the Third Hokage sat calmly in his chair, watching Shimura Danzō, who had arrived unexpectedly.

To be honest, seeing Shimura Danzō did not put the Third Hokage in a pleasant mood; even the sense of contentment he had been feeling lately vanished the moment he saw this man.

The Third Hokage understood the mind of this former comrade and friend all too well; if there wasn't some specific matter at hand, Danzō would never take the initiative to seek him out.

While it wasn't necessarily always bad news, it was certainly never good, and it was almost always incredibly troublesome!

After the two stared at each other for a moment, Danzō spoke with a solemn expression: "Hiruzen, I heard that recently the Nine-Tails jinchūriki and..."

"Danzō, that child's name is Naruto, Uzumaki Naruto!"

Before Danzō could finish, the Third Hokage frowned and interrupted him directly.

"Hmph..." A sneer curled the corner of Danzō's mouth, but he did not continue to argue this point with the Third Hokage. After all, that was not his purpose for coming here, so he simply followed the Third's lead.

"I heard that recently Uzumaki Naruto and Sasuke Uchiha have been getting very close? Hiruzen, do you have any idea how dangerous that is?"

"Danzō, I recall that the Root organization has been disbanded. Where did you even hear about this?"

The Third Hokage did not answer Danzō's question, but instead looked directly into his eyes and countered.

Danzō narrowed his eyes slightly and explained indifferently: "This is not a secret, Hiruzen. Many people know."

Seeing the Third Hokage remain silent, seemingly accepting his explanation, Danzō continued: "Hiruzen, you must forbid the interaction between Sasuke Uchiha and Uzumaki Naruto, otherwise it will be very dangerous!"

"I, for one, do not see any danger in it, Danzō!" the Third Hokage replied calmly: "The bonds between children are often the most simple and pure; they are not tainted by the interests and agendas of adults, which is exactly what makes them so precious."

"But he is different, he is an Uchiha!" A shadow of gloom flashed through Danzō's eyes as he reminded him: "Don't forget, eight years ago, the Sharingan in the eyes of the Nine-Tails that ravaged the village was seen by many."

Hearing this, the Third Hokage paused slightly, his expression shifting to one of seriousness as he said earnestly: "Whether the events of eight years ago were truly the work of the Uchiha has yet to be clearly investigated. Furthermore, the Uchiha clan is gone now; these suspicions and burdens should not be placed on Sasuke. He is just a child."

"As expected, you are still so soft-hearted, Hiruzen." Danzō's voice rose slightly as he said in a deep tone: "Sasuke Uchiha is indeed a child now, but don't forget, Hiruzen, the Uchiha are born evil. The Second Hokage said so himself!"

Hearing Danzō use the words of the Second Hokage to pressure him, the Third Hokage's expression shifted slightly. He stared into Danzō's eyes and did not back down: "The teacher did indeed say those words, but you must not forget that the most precious quality in a person is the ability to suppress evil and perform good. The teacher believed more in postnatal education and constant cultivation to help people eliminate the evil within and let the goodness in their hearts bloom. It was precisely because the teacher believed in this that he took Kagami as a disciple, and Kagami was our comrade, Danzō!"

"But not all Uchiha are Kagami, Hiruzen!"

Hearing the Third Hokage mention Kagami Uchiha, a hint of complexity entered Danzō's tone.

"Speak plainly, what is your purpose in coming to see me?"

The Third Hokage had no intention of continuing to argue this point with Danzō and went straight to the heart of the matter.

Danzō narrowed his eyes and replied just as directly: "Hand Sasuke Uchiha over to me. He is too dangerous for the future; he is uncontrollable!"

"Absolutely not!"

The Third Hokage refused Danzō's request without a moment's hesitation, his tone leaving no room for negotiation.

Listening to the iron-clad tone of his former comrade, Danzō felt a flicker of irritation and said in a deep voice: "Hand Sasuke Uchiha over to me, and I will train him into a blade that protects Konoha, forever loyal to the village. That is the best outcome for everyone."

"If I hand Sasuke over to you, you will only drag him completely into the darkness, Danzō!"

"Where there is light, there must be shadow; light and shadow exist in relation to one another." Danzō did not deny this, saying indifferently: "The Konoha that bathes in the sun must have the roots that support the great tree from beneath the earth, hidden in the darkness of the village's shadow!"

"Sasuke will be the Konoha that bathes in the sunlight. I believe that under the village's guidance and the bonds of his companions, he will become an heir to the Will of Fire just like Kagami, becoming a pillar that carries the future of the village!"

The Third Hokage also narrowed his eyes, responding with an incredibly serious expression:

"Moreover, your Root organization has been disbanded, Danzō. If one day in the future Sasuke truly wishes to become the shadow of Konoha, I would only arrange for him to be in the Anbu, not hand him over to you. Because in the Anbu, he would only be bowing his head beneath the earth temporarily, but I believe he will eventually break through the soil and become a towering tree that supports Konoha!"

"You believe that strongly that Sasuke Uchiha will become someone like Kagami?"

Danzō was incredibly surprised; he truly could not understand why this old friend of his had such faith in that brat, Sasuke Uchiha.

"Of course!"

The Third Hokage closed his eyes, looking as calm and composed as ever.

His belief in Sasuke stemmed not only from the promise Sasuke and Naruto made under the moonlight a while ago, but also from the conclusions he had drawn from his observations over the past few months.

He had paid no small amount of attention to Sasuke during this time, sometimes even exceeding his focus on Naruto.

He discovered that every time Sasuke finished a period of training, he would take out the Will of Fire during his rest and read it with total concentration.

That earnest expression could not possibly be faked; at least, the Third Hokage, having spent years reading people, saw no trace of pretense.

Sometimes, when moved by the text, Sasuke would even unconsciously gesture with his hands.

This behavior was clearly an identification with the Will of Fire written by the First Hokage, coming from the bottom of his heart!

(Unaware Sasuke: ??????)

Coupled with the previous moonlight promise between Sasuke and Naruto, which had touched him deeply, he believed that the child was simply someone who appeared closed off on the surface but was deeply longing for bonds and valued his companions.

Shimura Danzō stood in place for a long time without speaking, watching the Third Hokage with his eyes closed. After a long silence, he said in a deep voice: "Hiruzen, you are too..."

"Are you trying to say I am too naive?"

Before he could finish, the Third Hokage reopened his eyes and interrupted him.

"But I trust my own judgment!"

Shimura Danzō was stunned.

This guy actually learned how to preempt an answer?

Shimura Danzō stared at the Third Hokage for a long while, and seeing his firm demeanor, he remained silent for a moment before saying: "Then let us end our conversation here for today."

After saying this, Shimura Danzō leaned on his cane and turned to leave, but as he reached the door, he seemed to remember something.

Just as he was about to turn back to say something, the calm voice of the Third Hokage reached him.

"Go back, Danzō. I will not regret this!"

Shimura Danzō: "..."

"Hmph!" Shimura Danzō let out a cold snort and slammed the door shut as he left.

Mini-theater:

The wooden door of the Hokage office is pushed open.

Danzō: Hiruzen, hand that child over to me. A child with talent like his can only fully realize his potential under my command, becoming the sharp blade of Konoha in the future!

Third: Impossible!

Danzō: Hiruzen, you are too naive. He is too dangerous and uncontrollable!

Third: Danzō, remember, I am the Hokage!

Danzō: (Squinting his eyes as he looks over) Hiruzen, you will regret this! (Slams the door and exits)