Heart-to-Heart

"Alright, the outsiders are gone, let's continue our previous topic."

Sarutobi Hiruzen's words nearly made Uchiha Aoba laugh out loud.

It seemed the old man truly didn't consider him an outsider anymore; otherwise, he never would have spoken about Shimura Danzō like that in front of him, especially considering the decades of history between those two.

"Aoba, you don't mind if I call you that, do you?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen asked kindly.

"Of course not. Just as Jiraiya-sama said earlier, if you count it up, you are my grandmaster. You can call me whatever you like," Uchiha Aoba replied with a polite smile.

That was just how he was; he always responded to soft tactics, never hard ones.

Just like before, when Sarutobi Hiruzen maintained a strictly professional attitude toward him, Uchiha Aoba naturally reciprocated with the same distance.

But now that Sarutobi Hiruzen was extending an olive branch, he wouldn't keep up a cold, stiff facade.

"Since we are family, I won't speak in riddles."

Sarutobi Hiruzen picked up his pipe and took a puff. "As the greatest contributor to the war against Iwagakure, even if Jiraiya hadn't brought it up, I would have offered a ninjutsu from the Scroll of Seals as a reward."

"However, I think you understand the difference between choosing proactively and accepting passively."

"Old man, you..."

Jiraiya's expression shifted upon hearing this, as if he had realized something.

Namikaze Minato was the same.

Uchiha Aoba was no exception; he had a feeling that Sarutobi Hiruzen was about to open his heart to him.

So, he held his tongue, waiting for the other to continue.

Sarutobi Hiruzen waved a hand to silence Jiraiya, rose from his seat, and turned his back to the three of them to look out the window.

His tone was low.

"From the attitudes of Jiraiya and Minato, I can sense their trust in you."

"At this point, I won't hide things from you any longer."

"Third Hokage-sama!"

Namikaze Minato said anxiously, "I don't think now is the time to discuss this."

"No, Minato. My time is running out."

"Some things happened during my tenure, so naturally, they must end with me."

Sarutobi Hiruzen sighed.

He didn't mean he was about to die, but rather:

"Aoba, the Uchiha Clan is in an awkward position in the village. As one of the great families that founded Konohagakure alongside the Senju Clan, it shouldn't be like this."

"I must admit, as Hokage, I bear an inescapable responsibility for everything that has led to this."

Is he apologizing to me?

Uchiha Aoba raised an eyebrow, finding it hard to believe what he was hearing.

Could the Mangekyo Sharingan really be putting that much pressure on him?

However, hearing this, Uchiha Aoba couldn't remain silent. He spoke up, "Hokage-sama, there is no need for that. The Uchiha Clan reaching this point is not entirely your fault."

"There are reasons within ourselves as well."

"As the number one great family in the village—no, in the entire ninja world—the Uchiha are too proud. Coupled with the power of the Sharingan, many have lost themselves in that strength."

"Possessing power without the mindset to match it has made them arrogant and conceited."

Upon hearing this, a look of relief appeared on Sarutobi Hiruzen's face.

"Aoba, I am very pleased."

"As the leader of the new generation of the Uchiha Clan, not only do you refrain from blindly defending your family, but you can also clearly see their shortcomings. This proves that you will not become what I feared."

"Now, I can truly rest easy."

Jiraiya let out a breath and returned to his usual posture, teasing, "Old man, I told you that you were just overthinking things. You really are getting on in years."

"Indeed."

Sarutobi Hiruzen didn't deny it; instead, he looked quite calm. "So, I have decided. Once the negative fallout from this war is completely settled, I will abdicate and pass on the position."

"Minato, please prepare yourself. You will succeed me as the Fourth Hokage of Konohagakure!"

Jiraiya's jaw nearly hit the floor at these words.

"Old man, are you serious?"

Conversely, because Namikaze Minato already knew about this, he was able to maintain his composure despite the excitement in his heart. He said earnestly and seriously, "I will not let you down."

"I believe in you!"

As he said this, Sarutobi Hiruzen looked back at Uchiha Aoba. "As a rising star of the village and Minato's student, I hope you will be able to assist Minato in his work in the future."

"Furthermore, I would like to entrust you with becoming the bridge of communication between the Uchiha Clan and the village."

"Let the clan return to the embrace of Konoha."

Uchiha Aoba nodded in agreement: "Lord Hokage, please rest assured, everything will go as you wish."

"Good, good, good!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen laughed heartily.

He did not know that he had actually made the wisest decision of his life.

His laughter was merely the joy of finding a successor worthy of the Hokage position, as well as a powerful ally.

Afterward, Sarutobi Hiruzen signed a Hokage mandate and handed it to Uchiha Aoba, allowing him to view the Scroll of Seals and choose any forbidden jutsu.

After taking it, Uchiha Aoba offered a greeting and temporarily left the Hokage Office.

Following his departure, the entire office remained silent for a few seconds.

Jiraiya finally spoke up: "Old man, you were a bit impulsive today."

"Based on my and Namikaze Minato's observations, although Aoba is not the extremist type of Uchiha, he is still a ninja of the Uchiha Clan. The things you said earlier could easily have caused him dissatisfaction."

Sarutobi Hiruzen puffed on his pipe and said in a low voice: "I admit, there was a gamble involved."

"Fortunately, fate is still favoring us."

"I won the bet, didn't I?"

"Yeah, you won." Jiraiya gave a helpless, bitter smile.

"You're satisfied, but I was breaking out in a cold sweat. You weren't on the battlefield back then; you only heard about the abilities of the Mangekyo Sharingan from the Second Hokage."

"Namikaze Minato and I saw it with our own eyes, so we truly felt how troublesome that power is."

"Susanoo is absolutely worthy of being called both offensive and defensive."

Upon hearing this, Sarutobi Hiruzen couldn't help but be curious: "Tell me the specifics of the situation at that time."

And so, Namikaze Minato described the entire process, including the reaction of Ōnoki.

It is worth mentioning here that Ōnoki is ten years older than Sarutobi Hiruzen.

Therefore, when the former followed Mu to Konoha for an alliance during his childhood, he had seen Uchiha Madara unleash Susanoo.

As for the latter, he likely hadn't been born yet.

Even if he had been, he would have been only two or three years old, so his understanding of the Mangekyo Sharingan came entirely from what he was told by his master, Tobirama.

In short, Sarutobi Hiruzen's generation truly had never seen the Mangekyo Sharingan.

It could be said that Uchiha Aoba was the first ninja of the Uchiha Clan to go on a rampage with Susanoo on the battlefield in the decades since Uchiha Madara left Konoha.