Konoha, Hokage Office, inside the Hokage's office
The Third Hokage solemnly handed the Sealing Scroll to Suifeng and said warmly, "Suifeng, your performance has truly been astonishing!"
"It's nothing, Lord Third Hokage. It was only what I should have done!" Suifeng replied with a polite but reserved air. He took the Sealing Scroll with both hands and asked, "Lord Third Hokage, can I only read it here?!"
"Yes. The Sealing Scroll contains forbidden techniques, and they must not be leaked. You may choose one technique to study here, but you can't take it with you!"
"Thank you, Lord Third Hokage!"
Suifeng nodded and opened the scroll.
Multi Shadow Clone Technique. Pass.
Impure World Reincarnation. Pass.
Mutually Multiplying Explosive Tags. Pass.
Spirit Transformation Technique! Hmm, I'll save that one for later!
Dead Demon Consuming Seal. No way.
Flying Thunder God Technique. This one might be worth a look. Damn, I can't understand it at all. You have to learn Sealing Jutsu first. Pass, pass.
Bringer-of-Darkness Technique.
When he reached the Bringer-of-Darkness Technique, Suifeng stopped turning pages and focused on reading. He did not try to hide any of this from the Third Hokage.
"Bringer-of-Darkness Technique?!"
The Third Hokage was a little surprised by Suifeng's choice. He had thought Suifeng would choose the Flying Thunder God Technique. After all, even if he couldn't understand it, with the Sharingan, he might be able to force himself to memorize this Space-Time Ninjutsu and study it slowly later.
But he hadn't expected him to choose a genjutsu.
Half an hour later, Suifeng handed the Scroll of Seals back to the Third Hokage, his smile growing brighter. "Lord Third Hokage, I'm done reading!"
"Have you memorized it?!"
"I have!"
"Good!" The Third Hokage said nothing more and returned the Scroll of Seals to its place.
"If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave!"
Suifeng spoke politely.
"No need to rush. Come, sit down. Let's have a chat!" The Third Hokage smiled with the kindly warmth of a grandfather next door. It reminded Suifeng of a certain kind and benevolent constitution mentioned in a Naruto fanfic he'd read in his previous life. If the Third Hokage weren't so ugly, that constitution would have been a sure thing.
Damn, I knew this was coming! Suifeng silently grumbled as he looked at the old man's face, already starting to crease like an orange peel. He put on a puzzled, confused, and slightly apprehensive expression. "Lord Third Hokage, d-do you have some orders for me?!"
"Nothing like that. I just want to talk. You're a Konoha Chunin now, and you're so powerful. You'll surely become one of Konoha's pillars in the future. I wanted to ask, how do you feel about Konoha?"
"Konoha? The village!" Suifeng looked even more confused. "Isn't Konoha our village? What is there to feel about?!"
"Uh, I mean, how do you feel about the village?"
"It's great! I like it a lot!" Suifeng said. "Is something wrong?!"
Well, that was awkward!
The Third Hokage realized that he was dealing with an eight-year-old boy. If he kept talking in circles, who knew when they'd get to the point? So he asked directly, "Then are you willing to protect Konoha?"
"Protect Konoha?!" Suifeng looked even more puzzled. "I'm a Konoha shinobi, of course I'll protect Konoha. Lord Third Hokage, is war about to break out again?"
"This...!"
The Third Hokage smiled as well. "Then what do you think of the Uchiha Clan?"
He realized that Suifeng was still too young to have thought very deeply about these things. It seemed he didn't yet know about the relationship between the Uchiha Clan and Konoha, so he probably wouldn't get much out of him. He might as well start by sounding out his basic attitude.
"The Uchiha Clan?!"
Suifeng thought for a moment and said, "They're not great. I don't like them!"
That answer caught the Third Hokage off guard. He visibly paused. "Why don't you like them?"
"They're all stupid as hell, yet they act like they're the greatest!" Suifeng said disdainfully. "Just like I used to. They really think the Sharingan makes them invincible. A bunch of idiots!"
"Heh!"
Looking at Suifeng's proud little face and thinking about the Uchiha Clan, the Third Hokage suddenly chuckled. Yes, wasn't the Uchiha Clan exactly as Suifeng had described?
"Losing to Kakashi last time must have affected you a lot!"
"It stopped affecting me after I beat him!" Suifeng said with a stern face.
"Regardless, the Sharingan of your Uchiha Clan is still a powerful kekkei genkai. It's only natural for you to be a little proud."
"Not natural at all! Every one of them, whether they're strong or not, walks around with their nose in the air!" Suifeng said, raising his fist. "They just need a good beating. Once I'm strong enough, I'll beat every last one of them without using the Sharingan. Then they'll behave!"
The Third Hokage was speechless.
Kids were the worst. They never followed the script and could shut down a conversation completely.
As he left the Hokage Office, Suifeng secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Something felt off. Why the hell hadn't the Third Hokage talked to him about the Will of Fire? He knew that one inside out.
Wherever leaves dance, fire burns on. So we should plant trees all over the world, then wait for them to mature and eat the fruit. See? What a reasonable, domineering ideology, upheld ever since the age of Kaguya Otsutsuki. And the Third Hokage hadn't said a word about it! What kind of heart-to-heart was that? What kind of brainwashing? One star. This Third Hokage was no good.
"Rin—!"
At Konoha Hospital, Obito, his body wrapped in white bandages, suddenly sat bolt upright in bed. A pair of tomoe appeared in his blood-red eyes.
"Obito, you're awake... You, you awakened your Sharingan!"
At his bedside, Wako had been startled awake too. Before she could react, Obito's eyes caught her attention.
"I awakened it? I awakened my Sharingan?!"
In an instant, the world before Obito's eyes seemed to become clear. Dust motes floating in the air and mosquitoes buzzing around all came into view, sharp and distinct.
A wave of joy surged through him, but the next moment his expression changed. "Aunt Wako, how's Rin?!"
"Rin? You mean the little girl from the orphanage? They're all fine. Suifeng saved them!"
"Good. That's good!" Obito finally let out a sigh of relief. Then, as if suddenly remembering something, he asked, "What about Suifeng and the others? Are they all right?!"
"Suifeng and the others are fine too. That Kirigakure assassin escaped," Wako said. "But...!"
"But what?!"
"But your injuries are serious. Doesn't it hurt to shout like that?!"
"Huh? Ah...!" His screams rang throughout the hospital.
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