Just thinking about how the big boss had been lurking beside him all these years, pretending to be a good guy, made Tōshirō's breathing grow rapid. He didn't snap out of it until Hiruzen Sarutobi gently reminded him.
"Tōshirō, are you okay? You're sweating a lot all of a sudden. Are you feeling unwell? Or is it the tailed beast inside you?"
"Huh?"
Tōshirō looked up and was met with Hiruzen Sarutobi's kind expression. He swallowed hard.
…It's nothing.
He was about to brush it off with a vague excuse, but realizing that might only draw more attention, he swallowed his words again. Instead, he said,
"I just got a little emotional… To think that beneath all this calm lies such a stormy undercurrent."
"I'm truly sorry about Uchiha Itachi…"
Hiruzen Sarutobi's voice was filled with remorse.
"As Hokage, I failed in my duty. If only I had acted sooner… Maybe, just maybe, things wouldn't have turned out this way…"
Tōshirō closed his eyes and slowly shook his head, cutting off Sarutobi's words with a calm and rational tone:
"Lord Hokage, you don't need to apologize. This was a choice Elder Itachi made on his own."
Hiruzen Sarutobi was very satisfied with that response. He immediately began to praise the late elder Itachi:
"For the sake of the village's peace, he willingly sacrificed his own precious life. He was a true inheritor of the Will of Fire."
"Yes. From now on, I'll carry on his will—to protect our clan and the village."
Tōshirō raised his arm and clenched his fist, his voice clear and resolute:
"I won't let anyone destroy the bond between the Uchiha and the village."
"Hearing you say that, I think Itachi can rest peacefully," Sarutobi said with a smile."May I ask—what do you plan to do next?"
Tōshirō pursed his lips and put on a thoughtful look before giving a clear reply:
"Next, I'll do my best to control the tailed beast's power within me. I'll help the village win the war—and earn everyone's recognition."
Hearing this textbook-perfect response, Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes lit up with approval. He praised him:
"You've inherited Itachi's Will of Fire and truly begun to transform into a real shinobi."
Tōshirō remained humble and cautious:
"You flatter me, Lord Hokage. I'm still far from being a true shinobi."
Just as Hiruzen was pondering how to guide Tōshirō toward his intended path, Tōshirō seemed to suddenly remember something and added:
"By the way, Lord Hokage, I recall you said earlier that someone is trying to sabotage the relationship between the Uchiha and the village?"
"Yes."
Hiruzen immediately seized the opportunity, sighing deeply and putting on a troubled expression:
"It's shameful to say… but I've never been able to come up with a good solution to this issue."
Tōshirō caught on to his struggle:
"Is it because my clansmen have already developed a rift with the village?"
Hiruzen sighed again and nodded.
Tōshirō placed a hand on his chest and volunteered himself:
"If it's possible, please let me take on this mission."
Hiruzen gave him a long, meaningful look:
"You?"
"Yes. I'm a member of the Uchiha. That makes me the most suitable person for this task," Tōshirō explained."I can use my identity to flush out the one secretly stirring up trouble behind the scenes."
Hiruzen, who had been worrying about how to lure Tōshirō into this mission, was inwardly delighted to see him volunteer. Still, he played it coy, feigning reluctance:
"No, that won't do. It's far too dangerous. If something were to happen to you… how could I ever face the late Itachi?"
"Please," Tōshirō pleaded, his eyebrows drooping with guilt."I want to do something for the village… to atone for the mistakes I've made."
Hiruzen gently reassured him:
"None of this is your fault…"
Tōshirō looked guilty and opened his mouth slightly.
"But… in the end, the Five-Tails used my body to commit those crimes."
Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed, acting like he was reluctantly giving in.
"Alright, since you're so determined, I won't stop you. But you must be extremely careful—don't let yourself be discovered."
"Thank you very much."
Hiruzen chuckled.
"But let me remind you—once a ninja accepts a mission, they can't back out halfway. Unlike last time."
Bringing up the past made Tōshirō laugh awkwardly.
"This time, I promise something like that won't happen."
"Good." Hiruzen's expression turned serious."But before you carry out this mission, you must first learn to control the power of the tailed beast. If the Five-Tails inside you runs wild, then all your efforts will be in vain."
Tōshirō nodded with resolve.
"I'll work hard to master control over the Five-Tails. No—I will control it, and I will protect Konoha."
"Hearing that puts my mind at ease." Hiruzen casually added,"But really, if only you had the Sharingan. The Sharingan can help control a tailed beast's power. If you had it, your odds would be even better."
Damn, this old guy's trying to probe me. Don't think I didn't catch that.
Ever since getting betrayed by that scumbag, Tōshirō now only fully trusted Tsunade. When it came to everyone else, he always held something back.
So he played along and sighed.
"As a member of the Uchiha clan, I've never even awakened the Sharingan. Instead, I awakened Ice Release. Honestly, it's a little embarrassing."
Hiruzen wore a kindly expression and comforted him:
"Don't sell yourself short. You're still young. Who knows? Maybe someday you'll awaken the power of the Sharingan."
Tōshirō waved it off.
"Nah, not happening. That's way too difficult. I already have Ice Release—if I awakened the Sharingan too, wouldn't that mean I have two kekkei genkai?"
"Well, you never know," Hiruzen said nonchalantly as he carefully watched Tōshirō's face, trying to read something from his expression.
Too bad—Tōshirō's poker face was flawless. He just shrugged.
Hiruzen exhaled a ring of smoke, using that moment as a natural end to the conversation.
"Alright. I've already taken up too much of your time. Now go with the escort to where you'll begin the next stage of your life—and start learning to control the tailed beast."
Tōshirō didn't leave immediately. He lowered his gaze, nodded, and opened his mouth as if about to speak.
Seeing him hesitate, Hiruzen smiled.
"Is there something else you want to say?"
"Actually… before I officially accept this mission, I'd like to ask you for a favor, Lord Hokage."As he spoke, Tōshirō seemed to want to rephrase, shaking his head and continuing,"No, not a favor… Just a small personal request."
Hiruzen chuckled.
"Ah, I was wondering why you were suddenly acting so serious. So you had something on your mind after all."
Tōshirō scratched his head in embarrassment and gave a sheepish laugh.
"Go ahead—what is it? If it's not too outrageous, I might consider it."
Tōshirō's pupils shimmered, clearly hesitant.
"It's about me and Tsunade…"
Hiruzen looked puzzled.
"You and Tsunade?"
Still pretending, huh… Tōshirō took a deep breath and summoned his courage.
"The truth is… Tsunade and I have been dating recently."
"Oh, dating huh…"
It took Hiruzen a second to process it. His eyes then widened in surprise.
"Wait—you and Tsunade are already in that kind of relationship? Since when?!"
(End of Chapter)
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