The Philosophy of Struggle: All Things Under Heaven Are Free

I love reading.

"I love learning,"

"I feel restless if I don't read or study for a day..."

A few words seemed to float above Roy's head. Sarutobi Hiruzen looked up and saw the Sun-Earring Boy wink at him innocently, striking a pose like a diligent student... and then he remembered the boy telling him, "I like to study in my dreams"...

Sarutobi Hiruzen took a puff of his pipe, looked intently at the Sun-Earring Boy, and said, "Give me a reason."

"A reason to allow you to see the Scroll of Sealing..."

It should be noted that the [Scroll of Sealing] is not something just anyone can learn. Even for those Jonin who have rendered immortal service to the village, it is extremely difficult to even catch a glimpse of it.

After all, it wasn't just any ordinary ninjutsu scroll; it was a forbidden ninjutsu scroll sealed by the First Senju Hashirama, and entrusted to the subsequent Hokage for safekeeping. It contained... the essence of the "ninjutsu" of past Hokage and Jonin, and recorded... but not limited to... ninjutsu that posed an extremely high risk to the user or others, violated ethics, or possessed excessive power.

Well-known techniques such as... [Edo Tensei], [Multiple Shadow Clone Technique], and [Mutually Multiplying Explosive Tags] are forbidden techniques that can change the course of a battle and greatly enhance the abilities of Ninja!

"I already said... emotional distress..." Roy said expressionlessly, "Nobody likes being spied on, and I think the Hokage understands that."

Sarutobi Hiruzen silently watched Roy without saying a word.

"Puff~" A puff of tobacco slowly escaped from the old man's mouth, but before it could reach Roy, it was automatically swirled back by the breeze that gently rose an inch in front of the Sun-Earring Boy.

Sarutobi Hiruzen's eyes flashed, Wind Release?

Judging from his effortless control, it's clear... the Sun-Earring Boy's skill in [Wind Release] is quite impressive...

Sarutobi Hiruzen's face was obscured by the smoke. After a long while, he slowly shook his head. "Roy, you know, this isn't enough."

The old man looked at the Sun-Earring Boy with a somber expression and said, "I don't know where you heard about the [Scroll of Sealing], but since you know about it, you must already understand that the [Scroll of Sealing] is not an ordinary [Ninjutsu Scroll]..."

The implication is that more money is required?

Roy showed no surprise, a mocking smile playing on his lips. "[Limb Regeneration Jutsu] is enough?"

"Lord Hokage, please don't tell me that it... which can solve the problem of war casualties and greatly save the village's immediate fighting force... is not qualified..."

Sarutobi Hiruzen silent.

He wasn't just some armchair Hokage; he was a true veteran who survived the Second Shinobi World War alongside Senju Tobirama.

How could they not know that ninjutsu, which can help the injured recover their limbs and resume their Ninja journey, possesses extremely valuable strategic significance? The key is...

The Sun-Earring Boy's surname Uchiha!

He was the Uchiha was described by his teacher as "born evil"!

Even though Sarutobi Hiruzen tried his best to avoid prejudice against the Uchiha Clan, it was difficult for him to equate them with the major Konoha clans like the Hyuga, Akimichi Clan, Nara Clan, Yamanaka Clan, and Inuzuka... The reason for this is...

Or is it because this tribe has a shameful "historical record" since ancient times?

Therefore, for no other reason than the four words "balance" and "stability,"

Even Hiruzen Sarutobi had to be wary and tacitly approved of the suppression plan secretly devised by Danzo, Homura, and Koharu.

and,

Sarutobi Hiruzen believed that whoever sat in the Hokage position in the future would be just like him, or even... worse! Youyou slipped through his fingers...

Silence reigned in the Hokage's office at this moment.

At that moment, the sun leaped above the horizon, its rays shining brightly. Light streamed through the massive, arched floor-to-ceiling windows of the Hokage's office, illuminating Sarutobi Hiruzen's pensive face, half-hidden in shadow...

I don't know if a minute or two had passed.

The old man gently put down his pipe, stood up alone, his back to Roy, facing the Hokage Rock. He gazed intently at the sunlight, watching the clearly etched portraits of Senju Hashirama, Senju Tobirama the rock face...

Sarutobi Hiruzen finally spoke, "Jin, you're right. I must admit that [Limb Regeneration Jutsu] is of great significance to the village, even..."

"Based on my understanding of war and the future situation, [limb regeneration] is more important than you, more important than I imagined. Therefore," Sarutobi Hiruzen turned around, looking earnestly at Roy, and said, "both morally and logically, I should agree to your request,"

"But before that, I must understand one thing," Sarutobi Hiruzen, his Hokage Haori swaying in the wind. At this moment, he no longer resembled the Hokage, but rather an ordinary old man from a village, as he slowly asked Roy:

"Are you asking me this as Uchiha, or...?"

"You, as a member of Konoha, dare to make demands of me?!"

The Sun-Earring Boy once questioned him when he unleashed an extraordinary Fire Release that blew up the Ninja Academy wall... Now,

It was spinning like a boomerang... and struck Roy.

Roy paused slightly, looking up to meet Sarutobi Hiruzen's deep and sharp gaze. He had to admit... as Uchiha Clan, the reincarnation of Indra, to gain power, one had to go to the extreme of "madness, distortion, and darkness" in order to grow and become stronger through "pain"!

This "mad, twisted darkness" is far from what Sarutobi Hiruzen wanted to see, and far from what Konoha could accept. In fact, it's beyond the comprehension of a normal person!

After all, nobody wants to give up a peaceful and normal life to play with a bunch of "terrorists" who could explode at any moment! But just as "flowers" need "green leaves" to complement them, "light" needs "darkness" to set it off.

In this vast world, whether it's "Hunter x Hunter," "Demon Slayer," or even "Hokage" or "Soul Reaper," or even just the ordinary world you lived in before, devoid of any "Nen Qi" or "Chakra" or other "supernatural energies,"

It's not a "single" "two-dimensional" world, but rather more like a multi-dimensional world where "yin and yang complement each other," "entropy increases and decreases," and "contradictions exist, yet they are also unified in opposition."

so,

"Why does the Hokage have to be so clear about these distinctions?"

The Sun-Earring Boy's black hair swayed in the wind, his clear, bright eyes staring directly into Sarutobi Hiruzen's eyes. He was neither humble nor arrogant, nor timid or hesitant. He and the old man pushed back their chairs and stood up, walking to the window to gaze into the distance together. They watched the sunlight fall on the Hokage Rock, casting a brilliant, crimson glow. Roy stood with his hands behind his back, and under Sarutobi Hiruzen's intense gaze, he spoke softly:

"To be honest, Hokage, a great man once told me, 'All creatures under the frosty sky are free!'"

"To struggle with Heaven is endless joy! To struggle with Earth is endless joy! To struggle with Man is endless joy!"

"Every living thing must face endless struggles, which never cease until death, therefore,"

"Hokage Uchiha, would Konoha truly remain peaceful and tranquil, with internal strife never occurring?"

As Sarutobi Hiruzen and closed his mouth, he stared at Roy in astonishment, unable to utter a single syllable.

He stared blankly at the Sun-Earring Boy, his memories flashing back and forth: World War I, World War II, and now World War III... endless fighting, endless wounding, endless pain, endless fear—since the moment consciousness and cognitive abilities were born from the cradle, it had never ceased... It was as if Roy had struck a nerve, revealing his own life, and the lives of countless others like him, filled with endless struggle!

After a long pause, Sarutobi Hiruzen seemed to finally find the ability to organize his thoughts, and asked in a hoarse voice, "Who is he?"

"Who is that great man? Is he also the teacher you worshipped in your dreams?"

Roy shook his head sheepishly and chuckled, "I'd love to be his student, but alas... I can't..."

The Sun-Earring Boy straightened his back, slowly exhaled, and said, "Didn't the Hokage want to know the answer?"

I can tell you now.

Roy gazed out the window at the Hokage Rock, situated in the best part of Konoha, and calmly said, "I can belong to Konoha, I can belong to the Uchiha, and I can also not belong to Konoha, not belong to the Uchiha..."

"What do you mean?" Sarutobi Hiruzen frowned, then... he saw the Sun-Earring Boy wink at him and say with a mischievous smile, "Simple. Konoha is against me, then I am the Uchiha. Uchiha is against me, then I am Konoha. I am who I am, I belong to everyone, and I don't belong to anyone. Hokage -sama, do you understand?"

"You..." Sarutobi Hiruzen's eyes widened, his divine finger pointing at Roy, then he lowered it halfway, laughing in exasperation... The old man chuckled and scolded Roy, "Good lad, your bottom line is quite flexible."

Roy shrugged, neither denying nor refuting, and frankly admitted, "What I want is simply more choices, even if I don't use them, I can't be without them."

Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded, a rare occurrence, and said nothing more.

He simply turned away from Roy, sat back down at his desk, picked up the battle report lying on it, and began to read it without looking up, saying, "I understand."

"I don't need to point out the door to you again, do I? Get lost!"

Roy: "About the [Scroll of Sealing]?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen gave him a disgruntled look. "I'll be working from home tomorrow, so just come over yourself."

Roy smiled slightly, "Thanks."

The person merged into the light, their figure flashing, using the Light Release to disappear towards the door.

The door, which Danzo had slammed Danzo earlier, opened with a creak.

Roy stepped out of the light, about to leave, when he suddenly heard... Sarutobi Hiruzen, "May I frame that sentence and hang it in my office?" Roy paused, turned back, Sarutobi Hiruzen, saying, "Please do as you wish, Hokage. I think he wouldn't mind if he knew..."

Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded. "Thank him for me."

"I believe he must be a truly remarkable person!"

"Of course!" Roy's expression turned serious, and he said with no small amount of respect, "Believe me, he's even more remarkable than you think!"

With a soft "creak," the door closed gently, and it vanished in a flash from Sarutobi Hiruzen's sight...

The old man was left all alone, sitting at his desk. After a while, he lit his pipe and smoked again. Suddenly, he chuckled and murmured, "I wonder if he smokes?"

"Pfft!" Another smoke ring rose, expanding in the wind, gradually dissipating until it vanished completely into the air. "... Chang~" It was nine o'clock in the morning.

As the clock on the living room wall struck the hour...

After leaving the Hokage Building, Roy used [Light Release] to break through the limitations of space, covering a thousand meters in a single step. After about ten steps, he returned to his home in less than a few breaths.

Perhaps they lingered too long in the Hokage's office.

By the time Roy stepped out of the living room and revealed himself, Tsunade and Shizune had already vanished without a trace.

In the remaining small, cozy living room, Fugaku, with Itachi and a prepared breakfast covered on a tray, waited for him. "I'm back..." A faint smile graced the Sun-Earring Boy's handsome face.

He lifted his leg and walked over to Itachi's side, crossed his legs, and sat down next to the Sun-Earring Boy. He grabbed the breakfast that was on the floor and started eating, while listening to Fugaku say, "Tsunade is gone."

Did she say anything?

"No, we'll just arrange for someone to buy a table and deliver it later."

"No need to bother. Two-legged chairs are hard to find, but four-legged tables are everywhere..."

Roy finished his breakfast hastily, casually took the tissue Itachi handed him to wipe his mouth, and pointed at the empty floor. With Nen Qi, his Nen separated into two strands, namely [Water] and [Earth], which then merged in the blink of an eye, becoming inseparable, and condensed into [Wood Release], slowly shaping into a square tatami mat, which appeared before Fugaku and Itachi's eyes.

Fugaku and Itachi both glanced at Roy. It hadn't been long since "this kid"/"Nii-san" had conjured a "teacup," had it? And now, he could already skillfully make tatami mats.

Fugaku silently watched the tatami mat slowly fall to the floor, uttered a single sentence, "Don't forget your training," got up, put on his Jonin vest, and left. "... Didn't my father ask me where I went, who I met, or what we talked about?"

Roy heard the door open and turned his head to look at the entryway.

Fugaku, who had already opened the door, picked up his shoes and said without turning around, "There's no need for that. Whether you ask or not, you're still my son. There's no need to bother."

Before Roy could open his mouth to say anything more,

The man closed the door, fastened his Konoha headband, and went to his shift...

Roy's clear, bright eyes pierced through the door, following his not-so-broad figure as he walked away. In that instant, it was as if he saw Silva; he stood there, stunned, lost in thought for a long, long time, until...

The hem of his clothes was tugged by Itachi.

Hearing him say, "Nii-san ~ let's head off to training too. It's past nine o'clock, Shisui -nii must be getting impatient..." Roy timely withdrew his gaze, smiled, rubbed Itachi's forehead, and said gently, "Okay."

Then, after saying goodbye to his mother Mikoto, he took Itachi and left the Uchiha Clan's territory, heading towards the Southern Forest.

In that familiar training ground, I saw Uchiha Shisui, who was now practicing swordsmanship alone...

"Nii-san, someone's targeting you!"