Taking a Disciple

Hyuga Shinichi replied after giving it some serious thought.

"Konoha was established by Lord Senju Hashirama to eliminate the boundaries between clans and achieve peace, so that children could grow up safely away from the chaos of war and everyone could live happily. I love Konoha very much, and I also want to protect the peace of the village."

"Hmm, the village is like a large family that needs people to guard it; someone must always step forward. I can sense that you are very impatient inside. Change cannot be achieved overnight; you must consider external factors."

Hyuga Shinichi had already guessed a little about the external factors Uzumaki Mito was referring to, and before he could dwell on it, he heard her continue.

"The village looks calm and peaceful now, but what about the outside? I can feel that the next war is not far off. The Land of Fire's reliance on its abundant geographical resources will only widen the gap between it and the other major nations, and the dissatisfaction of those other nations will only continue to grow."

Hyuga Shinichi stood to the side listening to Mito, growing more astonished by the moment. Although Uzumaki Mito never left the village, she saw the situation of the ninja world very clearly.

In the original story, it was the Land of Rain that initiated the war. Hanzo the Salamander felt that the development of the ninja world was unbalanced, and in order to compete for land, he declared war on the Land of Iron, Sunagakure, and Konoha, turning the Land of Rain into the center of the conflict.

"When that time comes, war will break out again. Shinichi, can you protect them all as you are now? When the time comes, the members of the Hyuga Clan branch family will certainly be sent to the battlefield to protect the main family."

"The Caged Bird curse seal restricts them, but it also protects the Byakugan from falling into the hands of others."

Hearing this, Hyuga Shinichi clearly felt his own weakness. Just like before, he could not change anything; war was not something that could be stopped just because he said so.

Hyuga Shinichi's mood sank. He walked to the railing in front of the two of them, stood on his tiptoes, and leaned his upper body over the railing.

"But Shinichi, your thinking is not wrong. To protect the things you cherish, you need power, and peace also requires power to maintain. However, it is easy to lose yourself on the path to gaining that power."

Speaking of this, Uzumaki Mito thought of the man who once stood alongside Senju Hashirama, only to eventually part ways and turn from a close friend into an enemy.

Hyuga Shinichi turned to look at Uzumaki Mito behind him; her eyes held both Konoha and himself.

"I see great potential in you. I didn't expect that at my age, I would have the urge to take on an apprentice. How about it, Shinichi? Would you like to become my disciple? I will train you and guide you until you grow into someone who can truly protect what you cherish."

Hyuga Shinichi stared blankly at Uzumaki Mito, who stood beneath the Hokage Rock of the First Hokage.

For some reason, the classic, stirring BGM "Douten" from Naruto began to play in his mind.

Seeing that Hyuga Shinichi was stunned and did not answer, Uzumaki Mito smiled and said in a joking tone.

"What? Do you look down on this old woman?"

"Ah? No, no! I am very willing to become your disciple, but wouldn't that be too much trouble for Mito?"

"I am not yet so old that I cannot teach an outstanding student."

Just like that, Hyuga Shinichi became the disciple of Uzumaki Mito. That very evening, she took him to the Hokage office to find the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen.

"Hiruzen, I've come to inform you that I am taking this child as my apprentice. Hmm? Danzō is here too? Then you two continue your conversation."

Uzumaki Mito finished speaking and led Hyuga Shinichi away. Before leaving, Hyuga Shinichi politely greeted and bid farewell to the two men in the room.

"Hello, Lord Hokage and Advisor. Goodbye, Lord Hokage and Advisor."

Sarutobi Hiruzen hadn't even reacted yet, and even if he had, he wouldn't have dared to disagree with Uzumaki Mito.

Moreover, the fact that Uzumaki Mito hadn't called him by his nickname, "Monkey," and had actually informed him, showed that she already respected him as the current Hokage.

"Danzō, what do you think?"

"What do I think? I see it with my eyes. If I remember correctly, that is Hyuga Shinichi, the two-year-old who just entered the ninja academy, right? I think it's quite good."

Sarutobi Hiruzen thought back to after their teacher Tobirama died. They returned to the village to rest for a few days, and then Shimura Danzō and Kagami Uchiha took a squad out to continue defending against the Land of Lightning.

Later, they were ambushed by the remaining forces of Kinkaku and Ginkaku. When they returned, except for him, the entire squad had been wiped out. He had dragged his severely wounded body back to Konoha, blind in one eye, before collapsing.

Later, he covered his blind eye and became a one-eyed man, and now he says he "sees with his eyes."

(This is the author's original addition. Not knowing how to handle Danzō covering one eye early on without raising suspicion, I had to rely on the ambush where he and Kagami Uchiha led the team and were wiped out. He brought back the only remaining Three-Tomoe Sharingan of the deceased Kagami. I believe the early Danzō truly acted for the sake of the village, though he later became too extreme and lost his way. The subsequent fate of Kagami's Sharingan became the beginning of Danzō's research into the Sharingan and his obsession with that power.)

Sarutobi Hiruzen could see it clearly; even Shimura Danzō wouldn't dare to stir up trouble in front of Uzumaki Mito, nor would he dare to do so behind her back.

As the wife of the First Hokage and the sister-in-law of his teacher, the Second Hokage, the usual protocols for controlling jinchūriki from other villages did not apply to Uzumaki Mito, nor would anyone dare to apply them.

Fortunately, Uzumaki Mito usually cooperated with the work and was able to suppress the Nine-Tails, so nothing untoward happened.

However, what Sarutobi Hiruzen couldn't understand was why Uzumaki Mito would suddenly want to take an apprentice. Could there be something special about Hyuga Shinichi?

Recalling how Hyuga Shinichi had shouted at the school gate that he would become Hokage, and his speech about the Will of Fire during the opening ceremony, he had been paying attention to the boy all along.

Seeing Hyuga Shinichi listening so earnestly to his speech, the sweat on his brow clearly showed he had been moved by the Will of Fire, his blood boiling with passion.

And there was that look in Hyuga Shinichi's eyes, radiating such intense emotion as he stared at him.

Could it be!

Has he made me, the current Hokage, the object of his admiration? Hahahaha, it seems my Will of Fire speech was very successful. As expected, only in this way can the village cultivate a new generation with firm beliefs.

Danzō, sitting to the side, didn't know what kind of madness Hiruzen was experiencing, wearing such a lecherous grin. He didn't bother with him, stood up, and left the Hokage office.

The current Danzō was very well-behaved and wouldn't do anything outrageous in the village, but his extreme hawkish philosophy would eventually diverge from Sarutobi Hiruzen's extreme dovish philosophy.

Hyuga Shinichi, walking down the road with Uzumaki Mito, would certainly have thought, if he had heard Sarutobi Hiruzen's inner monologue, "Yes, yes, that's exactly how you should talk; it would be best if every class of students were told that."

It was purely a "since I've been rained on, I want to tear up everyone else's umbrella" mentality.

"Shinichi, let's go. We'll go to the Hyuga Clan compound now to notify them, and by the way, you can pack your luggage and move in with me so it will be easier for me to teach you."

"Alright, Mito, please walk a little slower."

Hyuga Shinichi supported Uzumaki Mito, thinking to himself that the usually dignified Mito could also have such a domineering side. He couldn't help but think of the future "Red Hot Habanero," wondering if Mito would also have a terrifying appearance with her hair flying when she got angry.

"Shinichi, you aren't thinking about anything strange regarding me, are you?"

Crap! I forgot that Mito is the Nine-Tails jinchuriki and can sense malice; even if I was just imagining her in an unflattering light, she could pick up on that tiny sliver of ill intent.

"No, no, Mito is the best in my heart."

Hyuga Shinichi instantly put on the face of an innocent child, acting spoiled toward Uzumaki Mito to avoid actually angering her, because the moment she asked, he had felt a drop in air pressure that sent a chill down his spine.

Seeing that Hyuga Shinichi had stopped overthinking and was honestly helping her toward the Hyuga Clan compound, a smile touched the corners of Uzumaki Mito's lips.

He really is just a child after all.