"Itachi, why do you move like a ghost? When did you get here?"
Uchiha Itachi couldn't help but freeze at Uchiha Fugaku's question. "I just got here. You were so engrossed in your book that I didn't want to interrupt you."
Uchiha Fugaku naturally didn't believe a word Uchiha Itachi said. But he wasn't curious about Uchiha Itachi's reasons, and wanted to get back to his book, so he said, "All right, what is it?"
"If it's nothing, I'm going back to my book."
Hearing Uchiha Fugaku, Uchiha Itachi asked what he wanted to know. Of course, he wasn't about to admit he'd thought his father was reading the Liu Huang Book.
"Father, I was just curious about the book you've been reading so much lately."
Uchiha Fugaku asked helplessly, "You're that curious?"
Uchiha Itachi nodded furiously.
Uchiha Fugaku then told Uchiha Itachi what he had in mind. After all, he had already resigned from Konoha's Anbu and was now living simply as a member of the Uchiha Clan. Besides, he wasn't worried about Itachi letting anything slip—no one would believe him anyway.
"I plan to develop a Senjutsu of our own for the Uchiha Clan."
"Then I'll have everyone in our clan learn Senjutsu, gain the ability to enter Sage Mode, and make us a clan of sages."
?????
Uchiha Itachi was instantly stunned.
Sage Mode—was it the kind he was imagining?
That was Sage Mode! As far as he knew, only Hashirama Senju, the First, and the Sannin Jiraiya and Minato Namikaze, the Fourth Hokage, had ever mastered it.
And apart from records kept by the Senju Clan, no other clan even had the chance to learn it.
Let alone actually master it.
Now his father wanted to develop a way to learn Senjutsu. Wasn't that a little too fantastical?
After all, Uchiha Fugaku had never developed a single ninjutsu before.
And now he was taking on one of the hardest challenges imaginable: developing a ninjutsu for Sage Mode.
Honestly, Uchiha Itachi thought it was impossible.
But...
But his father's recent changes had made him a little less sure of himself.
After all, there was no denying what his father had accomplished lately.
The Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan he had awakened was proof enough.
Though he didn't believe it, Uchiha Itachi still didn't say it was impossible.
(He was really just afraid of denying his dad and getting smacked down for it.)
"Right. I'm sure you'll succeed, Father."
"I'm going to play ninja with Sasuke."
"Goodbye, Father."
Uchiha Fugaku watched Uchiha Itachi slip away and naturally realized he didn't believe him.
"Hmph. Just wait. Once I've figured out Senjutsu tomorrow, I'll really surprise you."
With that, Uchiha Fugaku returned to studying the Qi Refining Technique.
Hokage Building
"Old man, why did you call me back? What do you want?"
A figure wearing a Forehead Protector marked with the character for "oil" climbed through the window of the Hokage Office.
The man was Jiraiya, Konoha's hero—the Toad Sage.
Sarutobi Hiruzen couldn't help but smile wryly at Jiraiya, who had returned from outside the village.
Not one of his three potential Hokage successors had made his life easy. None of them wanted to become Hokage, and on top of that, they'd all gotten involved with women, gambling, and drinking.
First there was Jiraiya. Not only did he like writing the Liu Huang Book, he was always spying on people under the pretext of gathering material. Wasn't Tanzaku Town enough to inspire him?
Then there was Tsunade, the princess of Konoha, who was hopelessly addicted to gambling and buried under a mountain of debt.
And the one who had once seemed the most normal, Orochimaru, had gone down a crooked path. In the end, Danzo had turned him into a scourge of Konoha, and he'd defected.
As a result, Konoha couldn't find a suitable successor right now.
The village had plenty of capable shinobi, but none of them were yet qualified to become Hokage.
Kakashi was a genius, but he was still too young. And because of the White Fang of Konoha incident, his outlook had been warped, making him temporarily unfit to become Hokage. Might Guy had strength, but lacked both the aptitude and the reputation for the position. Nara Shikaku fell short in several respects: he lacked the reputation, and his strength wasn't enough, making him an even worse choice.
As for his second son, Sarutobi Asuma, whom he'd once placed his hopes in, he was an even less likely candidate. He'd gone completely astray and become a good-for-nothing, with no desire to become Hokage either.
In the end, Sarutobi Hiruzen could only choose the best of a bad lot and summon Jiraiya back.
Why not Tsunade?
(Tsunade: As if I'd give a damn about my teacher, Sarutobi Hiruzen.)
Sarutobi Hiruzen took a puff of his pipe and asked, "Do you really need to ask? The Anbu should have explained everything to you, shouldn't they?"
Hearing that, Jiraiya scratched his head and smiled. "I know. I just wanted to confirm it."
Sarutobi Hiruzen replied bluntly, "I plan to step down. I want you to take the Hokage Position."
Seeing how direct Sarutobi Hiruzen was, Jiraiya immediately answered, "No way, old man. You know my personality makes me unfit to become Hokage."
"Besides, becoming Hokage isn't what I'm meant for."
Sarutobi Hiruzen sighed. How could he not understand? But what other choice did he have now?
He spoke again. "You know someone has to inherit the Hokage Position. So either you agree to take it..."
"Or..."
Before Sarutobi Hiruzen could finish, Jiraiya cut in. "I understand. Either that, or you find Tsunade and persuade her to come back and take the Hokage Position?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen fell silent. Then he picked up his pipe and took a puff.
Jiraiya continued, "I still don't know what you were thinking back then, letting Danzo make a move against the Uchiha Clan."
"And even though I've been away from the village all these years, I know that without Shimura Danzo, the Uchiha Clan and the village wouldn't have ended up like this."
"But never mind. I won't say any more. Don't worry, old man. I'll bring Tsunade back."
"After all, you're my teacher, and for the village's sake, I believe Tsunade will return."
Jiraiya disappeared through the window again.
Sarutobi Hiruzen began smoking as well.
He wondered if things might not have turned out this way if Shimura Danzo hadn't gone after Uchiha Shisui back then.
After all, Uchiha Shisui had truly wanted peace for the village, and had already offered to help the village control the Uchiha Clan.
Maybe we really were all wrong.
Sarutobi Hiruzen shook his head, then walked to the window and looked out over the Konoha he had governed for so many years.
His thoughts drifted.
Where the leaves danced, the fire burned on.
But since we've already set down the wrong path, I'll use my own life if I have to, to undo the mistakes Danzo and I made.
The village can only belong to the village. It must never become an appendage of any clan—not the Senju, and certainly not the Uchiha.
Uchiha Fugaku, Konoha won't allow someone as powerful as you to be the only one of your kind.
I'll take you away and send you where you belong. You can stay there and behave yourself.
Before you continue