Speaking from the Heart

"All right, the outsiders are gone. Let's get back to what we were discussing."

Sarutobi Hiruzen's words nearly made Uchiha Aoba laugh.

It seemed the other man really didn't consider him an outsider anymore. Otherwise, he never would have talked about Shimura Danzō like that in front of him. After all, the two had been friends for decades.

"Aoba, do you mind if I call you that?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen asked kindly.

"Of course not. Just as Lord Jiraiya said earlier, you're technically my grandmaster. You can call me whatever you like." Uchiha Aoba replied with a polite smile.

That was simply how he was. He always responded better to kindness than force.

Previously, Sarutobi Hiruzen had treated him strictly as a matter of business, so Uchiha Aoba had naturally returned the same attitude.

Now that Sarutobi Hiruzen was extending an olive branch, he had no reason to keep acting stiff and distant.

"Since we're family, I won't stand on ceremony."

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

"But there's a difference between choosing something yourself and having it chosen for you. I'm sure you understand that."

"Old man, you..."

Jiraiya's expression changed when he heard that, as if he'd realized something.

Namikaze Minato reacted the same way.

Uchiha Aoba was no exception. He had a feeling Sarutobi Hiruzen was about to speak frankly with him.

So he held his tongue for the moment and waited for the other man to continue.

Sarutobi Hiruzen raised a hand to stop Jiraiya, then rose from his seat and turned his back to the three of them, gazing out the window.

In a low voice, he said,

"From Jiraiya and Minato's attitude, I can tell they trust you."

"At this point, I won't keep it from you any longer."

"Lord Third!"

Namikaze Minato said anxiously, "I don't think this is the right time to talk about this."

"No, Minato. I don't have much time left."

"Some things happened while I was in office. It's only right that they be settled while I'm still here."

Sarutobi Hiruzen sighed.

He didn't mean that he was about to die. What he meant was—

"Aoba, the Uchiha Clan's position in the village is awkward now. As one of the great clans that founded Konoha alongside the Senju Clan, things shouldn't have turned out this way."

"I have to admit that, as Hokage, I bear an undeniable responsibility for how things came to this."

Was he apologizing to him?

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

Had the Mangekyō Sharingan really put that much pressure on the other man?

But after hearing this much, Uchiha Aoba couldn't stay silent. He spoke up. "Lord Hokage, there's no need to say that. The Uchiha Clan's current situation isn't your fault alone."

"The clan itself bears some responsibility, too."

"As one of the greatest clans in the village—no, in the entire Shinobi World—the Uchiha are too proud. On top of that, the power of the Sharingan has led many of them to lose themselves in their strength."

"They have power, but not the state of mind to match it. That's made them arrogant and conceited."

Sarutobi Hiruzen listened, then smiled with relief.

"Aoba, I'm glad to hear that."

"As the rising leader of the Uchiha Clan, you haven't simply taken your family's side. You can also see where it falls short. That proves you really won't become what I feared."

"Now I can truly put my mind at ease."

Jiraiya breathed a sigh of relief and returned to his usual manner, teasing, "Old man, I told you—you overthink things these days. You really are getting old."

"That's true."

Sarutobi Hiruzen didn't deny it. Instead, he seemed perfectly at ease. "So I've made up my mind. Once we've completely dealt with the fallout from this war, I'll step down and make way for a worthy successor."

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

Jiraiya was so shocked his jaw nearly hit the floor.

"Old man, you're serious?"

Namikaze Minato, on the other hand, already knew this was coming. Though he was thrilled, he managed to keep his composure and replied solemnly, "I won't let you down."

"I believe in you!"

With that, Sarutobi Hiruzen turned to Uchiha Aoba again. "As one of the village's rising stars and Minato's student, I hope you'll help him with his duties in the future."

"Also, I'd like to ask you to become a bridge between the Uchiha Clan and the village."

"Help your clan return to Konoha's fold."

Uchiha Aoba nodded. "Lord Hokage, you can rest assured. Everything will go as you hope."

"Excellent, excellent!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen laughed heartily.

He had no idea that he'd just made the wisest decision of his life.

His laughter came simply from finding an heir worthy of entrusting with the Hokage Position, along with a powerful ally.

Afterward, Sarutobi Hiruzen signed a Hokage's order and handed it to Uchiha Aoba.

It authorized him to view the Scroll of Seals and choose any forbidden jutsu he wanted.

After accepting it and saying his goodbyes, Uchiha Aoba left the Hokage Office for the time being.

Once he was gone,

the office fell quiet for a few seconds.

Then Jiraiya spoke. "Old man, you were a little impulsive today."

"From what Minato and I have seen, Aoba isn't one of those extreme Uchiha. But he's still a shinobi of the Uchiha Clan. What you said earlier could easily have offended him."

Sarutobi Hiruzen held his pipe between his teeth and said quietly, "I admit there was some risk involved."

"Fortunately, fate was on our side."

"I took the gamble and won, didn't I?"

"Yeah, you won," Jiraiya replied with a wry smile.

"You're satisfied, but I was sweating just now. You weren't on the battlefield, and most of what you know about the Mangekyō Sharingan's abilities came from Second's accounts."

"Minato and I saw it with our own eyes. We know just how troublesome it is."

"Susanoo is unquestionably a perfect balance of offense and defense."

Hearing this, Sarutobi Hiruzen couldn't help asking, "Tell me exactly what happened."

So Namikaze Minato described the whole battle, including Ōnoki's reaction.

One thing worth mentioning was that

Ōnoki was ten years older than Sarutobi Hiruzen.

So when the former had accompanied Mu to Konoha as a child to negotiate an alliance, he'd seen Uchiha Madara use Susanoo.

The latter, meanwhile, most likely hadn't even been born yet.

Even if he had been, he would probably have been only two or three years old. So everything he knew about the Mangekyō Sharingan came from what Tobirama Senju had told him after taking him as a student.

In short, Sarutobi Hiruzen's generation had never actually seen the Mangekyō Sharingan.

It was fair to say

that, decades after Uchiha Madara had left Konoha,

Uchiha Aoba was the second Uchiha Clan shinobi to unleash Susanoo on a battlefield and lay waste to everything in sight.