The Uchiha Clan's Blind Swordsman

Sarutobi Hiruzen wore a kindly smile.

Indeed, that was the Uchiha child he held in high regard.

After all, one does not strike a smiling face.

"Uchiha child... is there something you need?"

At that moment, Sarutobi Hiruzen suddenly saw Uchiha Fugaku looking at him with a smile, and a sudden sense of foreboding washed over him.

"Tell me, Lord Hokage, do the heroes of Konoha not deserve to have a surname?"

In an instant, the scene fell into complete silence.

All attention shifted to Chiba.

Those who knew the truth stared at Chiba in utter shock.

Who said... the words of a child are always harmless?

Since Chiba bore the name of the Uchiha Clan and had been raised by them, he naturally did not want to bring trouble upon his kin.

It was precisely for this reason that he had sought the clan leader's opinion.

Only after receiving Fugaku's support did he step forward.

He intended to speak of things the village chose to turn a blind eye to.

He did not want the Uchiha Clan to end up like the current Senju Clan, existing only within the pages of textbooks at the Ninja Academy.

That was not glory; it was humiliation.

Stepping forward now to make his stance clear was better than anything else.

And so—

"Do the heroes of Konoha not deserve to have a surname?"

The sharpness of this question was no different than slapping Sarutobi Hiruzen in the face in public.

Yet, Chiba said it anyway.

Everyone was stunned, for this was practically an act of defiance against the Hokage of Konoha.

However, did Chiba care?

Why should he bother with the man's face at a time like this?

Sarutobi Hiruzen was practically ready to defecate on the heads of the Uchiha; was he supposed to hand him the toilet paper, too?

In such a moment, Chiba would only offer him a One Thousand Years of Death.

The kind involving a kunai with an explosive tag.

Sovereignty is never gained through concession.

This was something Chiba had learned from history before he transmigrated.

Reality might blind your eyes and obscure the future.

But history does not lie.

Power always grows out of the barrel of a gun.

Sarutobi Hiruzen ceased his impassioned speech.

His face still wore a smile, but the warmth behind it had vanished.

To say such things at this critical juncture—was it intentional or accidental?

Sarutobi Hiruzen was no fool; he could easily make a judgment.

Is this the show of force you have prepared for me, Uchiha Fugaku?

At this, Sarutobi Hiruzen's gaze bypassed Chiba and finally landed on Fugaku.

Although the words had come from Chiba's mouth, Sarutobi Hiruzen did not believe a five-year-old child could possess such foresight.

Ultimately, the spearhead was pointed at the head of the Uchiha Clan.

Facing Sarutobi Hiruzen's stare, Uchiha Fugaku did not look away this time.

He could not entirely agree with Chiba's words, but there were some things he felt Chiba had spoken of quite well.

Sometimes, there are things that one must fight for!

Even if there is no tangible benefit for us, at the very least, we must show an attitude, must we not?

That is correct. Represented by Chiba, the Uchiha are expressing an attitude.

An attitude of dissatisfaction toward Sarutobi Hiruzen.

This is the example that the head of the Uchiha Clan should set for the future of the Uchiha, for the children of the Uchiha.

At this moment, the members of every clan are watching Sarutobi Hiruzen and Uchiha Fugaku.

They know.

This is a power struggle between the Hokage and the Uchiha.

And the one who will ultimately back down is Sarutobi Hiruzen.

The various clans are shocked by Sarutobi Hiruzen's actions.

Because, in the eyes of the clans, Sarutobi Hiruzen has always dealt with internal affairs with thunderous methods.

Otherwise, he would never have been able to withstand the pressure from the various clans and firmly secure his position as the Third Hokage back then.

War, in the end, has forced Sarutobi Hiruzen to compromise.

The world of adults is filled with checks and balances everywhere.

The Uchiha chose to yield to the Hokage for the sake of peace.

And at this moment, Sarutobi Hiruzen chooses to avoid the Uchiha for the sake of war.

It is truly because Konoha in this period is far too short on manpower.

Short enough that Namikaze Minato must execute desperate missions, short enough that the Hyuga Clan must forcibly withstand the pressure from Kumogakure.

The reason Kirigakure is so low-key is by no means their intention.

Among the Five Great Nations, not one is a pushover.

It is precisely because the Uchiha Clan is on the front lines against Kirigakure that Kirigakure remains so low-key.

Even if it is no longer the Warring States period.

The reputations of the Senju and the Uchiha still ring loud and clear.

No one is truly willing to engage in a reckless, head-on conflict with the Uchiha.

Going head-to-head with the Uchiha Clan is not called bravery; it is called being thick-headed.

The power of the Sharingan has long since needed no proof.

A smile appeared on Sarutobi Hiruzen's face.

A kind and gentle smile.

He looked at Chiba and spoke.

"A hero of Konoha, of course, possesses a surname."

"It is just that, no matter which clan a ninja belongs to, they are ultimately our Konoha ninja, all of them people who inherit the Will of Fire."

"In my view, making such detailed distinctions on an occasion like this is, in the end, not good."

A very clumsy explanation.

However, this is not enough to satisfy the Uchiha Clan.

This is merely Sarutobi Hiruzen covering up his failure.

Sarutobi Hiruzen knows.

Since someone from the Uchiha has spoken up.

He must state Obito's surname and bestow upon this memorial the significance it should have had from the start.

Otherwise, he fears this will not end smoothly.

"Therefore, regardless of whether the surname is spoken or not, he... Uchiha Obito, will always be a hero of our Konoha."

Sarutobi Hiruzen, in the end, has conceded.

And as if to change the subject, Sarutobi Hiruzen continues.

"The fallen heroes are worthy of our remembrance."

"And the living heroes are even more worthy of our praise."

As for what Sarutobi Hiruzen says afterward.

There are not many among the high-ranking members of the various clans still listening.

Because they know that those are merely words of praise for the future Fourth Hokage.

And those are the things that the youths, who are willing to shed blood simply because of their hot-blooded nature, love the most.

The ninjas of the future, after all, need a target for their faith.

In the end.

The name of Namikaze Minato was chanted by the entire village.

His prestige even surpassed that of Hatake Sakumo during the Second Shinobi World War.

At the same time, everyone knew.

In the future, the relationship between the Hokage and the Uchiha would likely be far from peaceful.

Danzo watched all of this quietly, slowly exhaling a breath.

"Sarutobi Hiruzen, you have truly made a laughingstock of yourself."

"Uchiha Chiba, he certainly has some courage."

"However, it is somewhat blind courage, doing whatever Fugaku tells him to do."

"What a pity, he has ultimately been poisoned by the Uchiha."

"He is in dire need of some ideological re-education."

"Five years old; he can still be saved—"

After saying this.

Danzo turned and left with a smile.

Seeing Sarutobi Hiruzen make a fool of himself brought Danzo an inexplicable sense of joy.