All unfairness comes from a lack of ability!

Uchiha Hao was stunned when he heard those words. He didn't know what to say. He couldn't imagine that they had come from a six-year-old child. At the same time, though, he was even more certain that the death of Mirai's parents had deeply affected him. Uchiha Hao felt a little guilty. Over the past two years, he seemed to have neglected Mirai's growth; otherwise, he would have noticed how much he had changed.

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"Well said! All unfairness comes from a lack of ability!"

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Just then, a hearty voice came from the doorway. Everyone turned to look and saw the Third Hokage walk in, wearing his Hokage robes and carrying a tobacco pipe in his mouth. He was in his prime, not yet the old man he would become decades later. His eyes were bright, and he had all the presence of a Hokage.

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"Lord Third Hokage!"

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Uchiha Hao and the others bowed slightly. Though they looked down on the Hokage in their hearts, they still had to observe basic courtesies. After all, Konoha didn't belong to the Uchiha Clan.

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"Hmm." The Third Hokage gave a casual nod, then looked at Mirai and smiled. He stepped forward and asked, "You're Mirai Uchiha, aren't you? Could you explain what you meant by what you just said?"

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This man is so strong! The moment he saw the Third Hokage, Mirai felt a wave of pressure from him—an aura he hadn't even felt from Uchiha Hao. At the Third Hokage's question, Mirai breathed out softly and replied, "If you weren't too weak, how could someone kill you? Why were you weak? Because you didn't train hard enough as a child, and because your ancestors didn't give you a good bloodline. That made you weak. Whether you didn't train hard enough or your ancestors didn't give you a good bloodline, those were your own problems. They were your own fault. If you'd trained hard enough, or if your ancestors had given you better conditions for training, you would have been strong. Then no one would have killed you, and your killer wouldn't have been branded a murderer!"

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Mirai's words left both Uchiha Hao and the Third Hokage astonished. The Third Hokage even forgot about the pipe in his mouth. After a long moment, he came to his senses and gave Mirai a deep look. Then he asked kindly, "I heard your ideal is to never make a mistake. Is that because of what you just said?"

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The Third Hokage had reviewed all of Mirai's records before coming. He knew in great detail everything that had happened in Mirai's life.

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Mirai nodded without denying it.

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Uchiha Hao was nervous. He was afraid the Third Hokage might suddenly interfere with the Military Police Force's affairs. If that happened, Mirai would be in danger.

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"Mirai, you're still a child. I'll let this matter go because of your age, but you can't go back to school. The other children there are probably terrified of you. How about this? Starting tomorrow, I'll train you myself."

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Unexpectedly, the Third Hokage said nothing about the killing of the ninja. This left both Mirai and Uchiha Hao confused.

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"Ah! That dead Genin was an orphan. What a poor child." The Third Hokage suddenly sighed, his face full of pity.

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Mirai was stunned by those words, then understood what the Third Hokage meant. The dead Genin had been an orphan, so there were no relatives to make a fuss. And the only witnesses to the killing were three children; no one else had seen it, so it would be easy to keep quiet. As for the offer to take him on as a student, Mirai thought it over and grasped the general idea. The Third Hokage had always wanted to ease tensions between the Uchiha Clan and Konoha. As the Uchiha Clan's foremost prodigy, Mirai naturally held an important position among the clan. If the Third Hokage took him on as a student and trained him well, relations between the Uchiha Clan and Konoha could improve over the next decade or so. Of course, under normal circumstances, the Third Hokage wouldn't have made such an offer, because he knew the Uchiha Clan wouldn't agree. But things were different now. Mirai had committed such a serious crime that, by rights, he should have paid for it with his life. To protect the Uchiha Clan's greatest prodigy, Uchiha Hao wouldn't dare say no, even if he hated the idea. That was why the Third Hokage had come here and offered to take Mirai on as his student.

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As expected, becoming Hokage takes a certain amount of skill. Mirai nodded inwardly. But he didn't mind the Third Hokage scheming against him like this. The Third Hokage was known as the Professor of Ninjutsu and knew thousands of Ninjutsu techniques. If Mirai studied under him, he would surely grow much stronger, much faster. That was far better than wasting time at the Ninja Academy.

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"Mirai, are you willing to become my student?" The Third Hokage asked again with a warm smile.

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Mirai glanced at Uchiha Hao. When he saw Uchiha Hao nod reluctantly, Mirai replied, "I'm willing. I greet you, Teacher!" He bowed slightly, completing the formal gesture between master and student.

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"Good, good. Mirai, I still have some things to take care of today. Go and complete the paperwork to withdraw from school. Come to my place in three days, and I'll arrange your training." The Third Hokage nodded with a warm smile, then nodded to Uchiha Hao before turning and leaving.

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"That old fox! He actually took advantage of the situation!"

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As soon as the Third Hokage had left, Uchiha Hao couldn't help cursing. But after a while, he sighed helplessly. The Uchiha Clan was weak now and had no strength to stand against the Hokage's faction. Unless it was absolutely necessary, he didn't want to completely fall out with the Third Hokage. Thinking of this, Uchiha Hao looked at Mirai and narrowed his eyes, thinking, Mirai is the key to whether the Uchiha Clan can restore its glory from the Warring States era. I absolutely can't let the Third Hokage brainwash him. I'll have to prepare carefully!

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As clan head of the Uchiha Clan, Uchiha Hao was quite perceptive. He had some idea of what the Third Hokage was planning: he simply wanted to bring the Uchiha Clan completely under his control. Uchiha Hao would never let the Third Hokage get his way.

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Clearly, Uchiha Hao had misunderstood the Third Hokage's good intentions! The Third Hokage only wanted to ease the tensions between the Uchiha Clan and Konoha.

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"Mirai, come home with me for now. There's something I need to tell you!" Uchiha Hao was getting restless. There wasn't much time left, and he needed to make more preparations. He should tell Mirai a few things so the Third Hokage wouldn't sway him. After all, Mirai was still a child and could easily be led astray.

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After giving some instructions about the Military Police Force's work, Uchiha Hao took Mirai home.