Flames Dance

Maple actually found the relationship between the five great nations and their hidden villages quite confusing. He had met the Fire Daimyo before, and the guards around him were indeed not weak—after all, the Guardian Twelve existed.

But compared to a ninja village like Konoha, forget twelve guards, even a hundred would be useless. If someone wanted to kill you, they could chop you up and serve you as a side dish in no time.

"Konoha, as the ninja village of the Land of Fire, has always fought for the Land of Fire, guarding vast territories. This is known throughout the ninja world.

What are you trying to say?" the Third Hokage asked, looking at Kaede.

This young man before him—he favored him somewhat. He was a bit older than Shisui, more mature, more steady. He had reviewed his records from the ninja academy, his teachers' and classmates' evaluations, and his recent mission reports. His strength was decent, he had a sharp mind, and most importantly, he lacked that annoying Uchiha attitude, that narrow clan-centric thinking. He was a good kid.

He was a suitable candidate to bridge the Uchiha clan and the village, much like his friend Kagami. But Shisui seemed to be Kagami's grandson... Which one should he choose?

Kaede looked up, meeting the Third Hokage's gaze directly. He knew the next question was a life-or-death one. "Then, Lord Hokage, do you intend to rely on Konoha's ninja to kill the Daimyo and rule the Land of Fire yourself?"

The Third Hokage's face stiffened. He put away his pipe, and anger immediately crept onto his expression. "Kaede, that is a dangerous signal. Why would you have such thoughts? This disappoints me."

Kaede quickly explained.

"What I mean is, Konoha possesses immense power, yet it willingly accepts the rule of the Fire Daimyo. Isn't this similar to the relationship between the Uchiha and the village? Even if the village fears the Uchiha clan's strength and their perceived emotional instability, has Lord Third ever considered what the Uchiha clan thinks? Have they truly ever intended to betray Konoha?"

The Third Hokage took out his pipe from behind him and lit it again. "You may continue."

This was a novel way of putting things. He had never heard such a comparison before. He was willing to give the young man before him another chance.

With the Third Hokage's permission, Kaede continued. "The Uchiha clan is like Konoha, and Konoha is like the Land of Fire. The two depend on each other for survival. Though their relationship is not always pleasant, neither can do without the other. What does Lord Hokage think?"

This wasn't him elevating the Uchiha clan. As the number one ninja clan in the ninja world, the Uchiha were still powerful, even if no top-tier ninja had emerged from them in recent years. In terms of Jonin numbers alone, they made up nearly half of Konoha's total. If Konoha lost the Uchiha, it would be like losing an arm.

The Konoha higher-ups all disliked the Uchiha, but none had ever considered personally wiping them out. If the village's leadership committed an act of annihilating a clan within the village, how would the other clans view them? The Will of Fire would cease to exist.

Even Danzo had used Itachi's hands to destroy the Uchiha clan. And at that time, the village leadership already knew the Uchiha were planning a rebellion. Even in such a critical situation, they still did not act themselves.

The Third Hokage studied Kaede carefully. He wanted to see the true thoughts behind this young man's eyes, but the boy before him was like a fog, impossible to read clearly. At this moment, he felt Kaede was not a suitable candidate.

Still, his understanding of the relationship between the Uchiha and the village was indeed impressive and worthy of praise. If he chose Shisui, he could at least reach Kagami's level. But if he chose Kaede, he didn't know what changes would come.

Perhaps he could completely resolve the rift between the Uchiha and the village, or perhaps he would sharpen the conflict between them. He hesitated, unsure which one to pick.

"Kaede, do you know why the First Hokage chose to attach the village to the Land of Fire when he founded Konoha?" The Third Hokage's gaze grew distant, as if recalling old memories.

He didn't wait for Kaede's answer, but spoke on his own. "It's because the number of ninja is limited. Compared to the entire ninja world, the number of ordinary people far exceeds that of ninja.

Moreover, ninja have no time to do trivial things like farming crops. Ninja require many resources, needing the support of the entire nation.

Of course, these are not the main reasons. The First Hokage experienced the brutal era of war. Together with your Uchiha ancestors, he pacified the ninja world. The cruelty of ninja warfare made him realize that the wars of ninja should not spread to ordinary people. So he established a ninja village, attached to a nation, unlike the Uzumaki clan, who founded Whirlpool Country.

The purpose of all this was simply the hope of bringing peace to the world. Unfortunately, war has escalated now. This is probably the last thing he would have wanted to see."

Kaede listened quietly until the Third Hokage asked, "Kaede, do you have any wishes?"

"I hope for peace in the ninja world, to live quietly with my family, and to see what the entire ninja world is like. I'm thinking of taking a world tour."

Kaede smiled as he replied to the Third Hokage. He knew the Third Hokage was starting to lean toward him.

"This is the true meaning of the Will of Fire. Kaede, where leaves flutter, fire follows. The flame will illuminate the village, allowing new saplings to sprout.

Only through the sacrifice of the previous generation can we secure a peaceful life for those who come after." The Third Hokage gestured for Kaede to stand.

Kaede obediently stood behind the Third Hokage and said, "But in my eyes, the true meaning of the Will of Fire is to protect, not to sacrifice. It's like a forest suddenly hit by a great fire. The trees on the outermost edge burn first, and their ashes form a firebreak, protecting the trees inside from being destroyed.

Our predecessors threw themselves into the flames not to sacrifice themselves to light up others, but to protect everything they loved behind them. Like the Hokage beneath this Hokage Rock—their sacrifices protected Konoha, protected this hard-won peace. Lord Third, this is my ninja way.

I am willing to become one of the thousands of ninja who protect Konoha, because here lies everything I love. For this, I will change the Uchiha, all for this hard-won peace."

"Kaede, you are the most unique Uchiha I have ever met. I hope you can hold fast to your ninja way. It's late today. Go back and rest. You'll be very busy in the future—consider this my encouragement. Work hard."

The Third Hokage patted Kaede's shoulder with a smile.

"Yes, Lord Third. I take my leave." Kaede turned and Shunshin'd away, turning into a black shadow that vanished into the night. He had given his all in this act. He hoped everything would go as planned.

"Homura, what do you think of Kaede? Is he the one we're looking for?" Matters like this required discussion with his advisor before a decision.

From the shadows emerged a middle-aged man about the same age as the Third Hokage. He had been observing Kaede from the darkness the entire time. He pondered the Third Hokage's question for a moment before replying, "I didn't find any issues with that kid. I was watching him the whole time—no abnormalities. He's a trustworthy Uchiha. But what about Kagami..."

Kagami was their friend. Originally, they had decided to make Kagami's grandson, Shisui, the candidate. But Shisui was too gentle, lacking Kagami's decisiveness. Faced with the stubborn Uchiha, he didn't quite meet expectations.

"Then let's decide this. Have Kaede and Shisui both enter the Anbu. Observe them for another year, then transfer Kaede to the Konoha Military Police Force. What do you think?"

The Third Hokage asked his old friend. Homura was a cautious man. On matters concerning the Uchiha, he preferred to hear his opinion over that of his other, more radical friend, Danzo.

"Let's do it that way, Third Hokage," Mitokado Homura replied.