Uchiha Xin silently made up his mind.
He intended to deliberately distance himself from Naruto and Sasuke.
To avoid drawing the Sage of Six Paths' attention.
With Gato's forces destroyed, the mission in the Land of Waves came to a successful close.
Team 7 set off back to Konoha.
After returning to the village, everyone resumed taking on assorted trivial D-rank missions, returning to an uneventful daily routine.
But Uchiha Xin knew full well that this brief peace would pass in an instant.
The tense, fiercely competitive Chunin Ninja Exams would soon begin as scheduled.
Inside the office on the highest floor of the Hokage Building.
On the eve of the Chunin Ninja Exams, Uchiha Xin was unexpectedly summoned for a private meeting with the Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Sunlight spilled through the enormous floor-to-ceiling windows onto the desk.
The Third Hokage sat in a spacious chair, puffing away at his pipe and exhaling a thick cloud of smoke.
"Xin, Kakashi couldn't stop praising you in his report."
The Third wore a kindly smile as he looked the boy before him up and down.
"You displayed extraordinary strength during the mission in the Land of Waves."
"You even subdued Zabuza with Genjutsu. Your talent truly is outstanding."
Uchiha Xin stood before the desk and lowered his head slightly, putting on a show of humility.
"You flatter me, Lord Hokage. I don't have any exceptional talent."
He raised his head, his gaze appearing utterly sincere.
"When my father was alive, he often told me that my aptitude was ordinary, nothing compared to the geniuses in our clan."
"The strength I have now is entirely thanks to Uncle Guy's regular instruction."
Uchiha Xin paused, bringing Might Guy directly into the conversation.
"My father once repeated something Uncle Might Guy said."
"He said a ninja doesn't need any flashy talent. Using your own two hands to protect what matters is enough."
The Third listened and nodded slightly.
Uchiha Xin doubled down, his tone growing impassioned.
"My father also always held the Fourth Hokage's famous words in high regard."
"He told me that the fire's shadow would shine upon the village. Wherever leaves dance, fire will burn!"
Hearing this classic expression of the Will of Fire, the Third Hokage looked somewhat moved.
In truth, Uchiha Xin remained extremely calm inside.
The moment he had stepped into this office,
he had keenly detected more than a dozen cold, watchful gazes hidden in the dark corners around him.
Those were the Anbu's elite.
He could sense the suspicion hidden behind the Third Hokage's smile even more clearly.
As a survivor of the Uchiha Clan who had suddenly revealed powerful abilities, how could Konoha High Command possibly not be on guard against him?
Without hesitation, Uchiha Xin activated the Illusion World's self-hypnosis ability.
Vast ocular power flowed through his mind as he forcibly altered his emotional fluctuations.
He thoroughly disguised himself as a hot-blooded boy brimming with love for the village, his eyes revealing sincerity without a trace of impurity.
This authenticity, radiating from the inside out, instantly broke through the Third's defenses.
Looking into Uchiha Xin's clear eyes, the Third Hokage's doubts were successfully dispelled.
He raised his hand slightly, making a discreet gesture.
Most of the oppressive atmosphere of vigilance in the office instantly dissipated.
Only two or three Anbu Ninja still watched him as a matter of routine.
The Third set down his pipe, leaned forward slightly, and looked earnestly at Uchiha Xin.
"Xin, since your father taught you the Will of Fire."
"Then tell me, what exactly is the village in your eyes?"
Uchiha Xin instantly became a champion of justice and straightened his back.
"Lord Hokage, the village is my big family!"
He looked straight into the Third's eyes, his voice ringing out.
"All the villagers are my family!"
"I'm willing to be like my father, to protect this big family."
"To protect every person in the village, I'm ready to give my life at any time!"
The Third Hokage was deeply gratified by this impassioned declaration.
Even the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes eased as he nodded repeatedly.
"Good boy, what a good boy. Having someone like you among Konoha's new generation is a blessing for the village."
The Third Hokage suddenly changed the subject, asking with a smile.
"Since you love the village so much, have you ever thought about becoming Hokage in the future and leading everyone?"
At this question, Uchiha Xin shook his head repeatedly in refusal without the slightest hesitation.
"Lord Hokage, I don't want to be Hokage!"
He pursed his lips and began complaining bluntly.
"Being Hokage means sitting in an office every day, dealing with piles of complicated paperwork."
"You can't even go outside. That sounds as boring as being in prison!"
Uchiha Xin spread his hands and teased mercilessly.
"Only an idiot like Naruto, who shouts his head off all day, would look forward to that kind of thankless job."
The Third Hokage burst into laughter at these words, and the atmosphere in the office became very relaxed.
He picked up his pipe again and took a puff.
"You certainly see the Hokage's work clearly, child."
"Since you don't want to be Hokage, is there anything you wish for? Let me hear it."
At this question, the casual look on Uchiha Xin's face instantly vanished.
He abruptly stood up straight, his eyes becoming utterly resolute, and loudly shouted something shocking.
"I want to marry Hinata and make her my wife!"
His words echoed through the spacious office.
The Third Hokage was completely dumbfounded.
His hand froze in midair with his pipe still raised, and he even forgot to exhale the smoke in his mouth.
He stared at the boy before him in utter disbelief.
At that moment, the Third thought of Naruto, who shouted about becoming Hokage every day.
That utterly self-assured tone, that undisguised ambition-they were practically identical.
The Third Hokage opened his mouth, completely at a loss as to how to respond to this outrageous wish.
Uchiha Xin quit while he was ahead, loudly called out, "Goodbye, Lord Hokage!" then turned and dashed out of the office.
Only after the door closed did the Third Hokage come back to his senses.
He shook his head helplessly and called toward the shadows in the corner of the office.
"Kakashi, you heard everything. What do you think?"
Kakashi slowly emerged from the shadows in the corner.
He still wore his mask, his dead-fish eyes drooping, his face looking as though he had nothing left to live for.
Kakashi let out a long sigh, unable to resist complaining.
"Lord Hokage, that kid Xin has become another Naruto-level headache."
Kakashi rubbed his temples, his tone full of helplessness.
"Hinata is first in line to inherit the Hyuga Main Family. Her status is incredibly prestigious."
"And Xin is the last survivor of the Uchiha Clan. His status is extremely sensitive."
Kakashi spread his hands.
"If those two get involved, the unresolved issues of those two great clans will collide with the Main Family's rules."
"This marriage would be an absolute nightmare to deal with."
Looking at the habitually unreliable Kakashi before him, the Third Hokage felt a terrible headache coming on.