That Kid Was Smarter Than You

The furious villagers' expressions gradually wavered.

Sarutobi Hiruzen puffed at his pipe without looking toward Hayato. Only after Hayato stepped aside did he suddenly speak. "A lot of things have been going around the village today. I don't know what happened. Did any of you witness it yourselves?"

Silence.

They had only heard rumors and come here after some people stirred them up.

Sarutobi Hiruzen looked back at the crowd. "You didn't see it, and neither did this old man. But someone heard about it."

"By the time a story has passed through three people, it's changed. After five, it's become an entirely different tale. Who can guarantee that today's story didn't come from just a few people? How many times has it been passed along? Has anyone added their own embellishments?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen lowered his pipe. "So I'd like to ask everyone to give me some time to find out whether these things are true."

An old man standing in front of Sarutobi Hiruzen spoke up. "All right, Lord Hokage has said his piece. Why are we still standing around here? Let's all go home and eat."

With that, he headed toward the back of the crowd, and everyone parted to let him through.

After the old man left, some people hesitated, but when they saw everyone around them gradually leaving, they had no choice but to disperse as well.

"Kakashi, starting tomorrow, send Anbu to the Uchiha to retrieve the records and interview witnesses," Sarutobi Hiruzen ordered, turning to Kakashi, who had stayed by his side the whole time.

"Yes." Kakashi nodded and withdrew.

"Thank you, Lord Hokage. The Uchiha are willing to cooperate with any investigation," Fugaku said, stepping forward.

The investigation in question was naturally the mind-reading technique of the Yamanaka Clan that had just been mentioned.

Sarutobi Hiruzen studied Fugaku's face for a long while.

He knew that Fugaku had brought it up again to show his sincerity. Even he was starting to wonder whether the Uchiha really harbored rebellious intentions.

However, Sarutobi Hiruzen also knew he couldn't accept the proposal—not for now, at least. It was a "last resort," and using it would mean putting the conflict between Konoha and the Uchiha out in the open.

The Uchiha would feel humiliated. After all, no shinobi clan would willingly let others peer into their minds. The Yamanaka Clan might not even dare take on the task, and more rumors would surely arise.

The shinobi clans in Konoha would be thrown into a panic. If even the Uchiha could be treated this way, what about the rest of them?

If something similar happened again, Sarutobi Hiruzen wasn't sure he'd still be able to keep the situation under control.

By then, even if he didn't want to act, he'd have no choice. But could Konoha withstand all that turmoil?

He glanced sideways at the Uchiha clansmen who had already moved some distance away, then looked Fugaku in the eyes.

"Fugaku, I know the Uchiha have been wronged, and I know the rumors circulating in the village are false. But you're the clan head. You should understand that the truth isn't all that matters."

Fugaku fell silent.

He understood what Sarutobi Hiruzen meant.

"What the villagers believe isn't the truth, but what they're willing to believe. I'm sending Anbu to investigate just to go through the motions, so the villagers can see that 'the Hokage is investigating.'" Sarutobi Hiruzen lit his pipe again. "I'll speak to Danzo personally and make him rein himself in."

"Afterward, I'll issue a notice about this matter, and then we'll put it behind us."

He looked at Fugaku. "Do you think this is enough?"

Fugaku was silent for a long while before slowly replying, "I don't think that's all you wanted to say, Third Hokage."

Sarutobi Hiruzen was taken aback. Then he smiled. Now he knew that Fugaku really had changed.

"You're... more perceptive than I expected."

Sarutobi Hiruzen looked Fugaku in the eye. "All right, I'll be direct."

"The village treated you unfairly. I failed to handle this properly. But as Hayato said, the village is also the home your Uchiha need to protect. How to balance those two things is a matter for your clan, a matter for you as its clan head—not for me."

"I'm old. All these years, I've been trying to bring the clans together, seeing if we could move your clan's settlement back into the village. But these things can't be done overnight."

"Danzo has been making so many moves because he's found opportunities in the problems that keep arising within your clan. We may resolve this incident, but next time he'll use a more covert method."

Fugaku's gaze flickered. He knew Sarutobi Hiruzen was telling the truth.

The rumors spread by Danzo might be false, but the soil that allowed them to grow was real.

Just as Sarutobi Hiruzen had said, there were things he had to do as clan head, and things Sarutobi Hiruzen had to do as Hokage.

Maintaining the status quo was all Sarutobi Hiruzen could manage right now.

He was no longer the Third Hokage in his prime. Dealing with Danzo was sometimes even more troublesome than taking on the Uchiha Clan. Danzo was no longer just one man; Root and the network behind him were part of the system that kept Konoha running. So Sarutobi Hiruzen had kept things as they were.

He was keeping the village from falling apart too quickly, giving the next generation a chance to grow until someone came along who could truly solve the problem.

Just as Danzo had once wanted Sarutobi Hiruzen dead, Sarutobi Hiruzen was now doing the same thing—waiting for this tumor to die of old age.

As Fugaku fell silent, Sarutobi Hiruzen suddenly spoke. "Hayato is impressive."

Fugaku's expression froze as he looked at Sarutobi Hiruzen.

"That kid is smarter than you. He knows perfectly well that the Uchiha can't survive by relying only on themselves."

Fugaku's brows twitched slightly.

"All right, it's getting late." Sarutobi Hiruzen clasped his hands behind his back and started toward the Hokage Building. He suddenly stopped. "Come by and have tea with this old man when you're free—not as the Uchiha Clan Head."

"What you do next is up to you."

Fugaku stood where he was, watching the Third Hokage's back.

"Let's go."

Fugaku spoke, then led everyone back toward the clan grounds.

Along the way, Fugaku had Hayato walk beside him. All the squad leaders trailed behind them.

Sarutobi Hiruzen had guessed correctly. Back when he was in the Police Force, Hayato had told everyone to follow his lead this time. They had acted out a scene in the Hokage Office according to his plan, but it had only been meant to serve as a warning.

That warning was the Mangekyo.

Fugaku glanced at the clansmen behind him and spoke. "The Third Hokage said something just now."

Hayato raised an eyebrow but didn't respond.

"The Third Hokage said you're clever. He said you know the Uchiha can't survive by relying only on themselves."

Hayato's expression turned peculiar. His actions had hardly been masterful. Sarutobi Hiruzen had probably been praising his approach. Though it seemed naive, it had aligned with Sarutobi Hiruzen's priorities as Hokage.

So that was it.

"It seems you understand," Fugaku said softly, watching Hayato's expression.

"When I saw that future before, the choice I made was simply to prepare for the possibility that one day the sky might fall, so the Uchiha could flee somewhere else."

"But now I think you might have a better idea. So what do you think I should do?"