September 20th, Year 50 of Konoha. Main Gate of Konoha.
Dozens of meters high, the massive gate demonstrated Konoha's status as the greatest ninja village, making travelers and merchants passing through seem especially tiny.
Standing beside the giant gate, Torifu looked displeased at the sparse crowd.
The Northwestern Front had achieved far more than the Northeastern Front.
The war on the Northeastern Front ended through negotiation, at great cost in terms of concessions. In contrast, on the Northwestern Front, Iwagakure had been directly driven out of the Land of Fire.
If Konoha weren't exhausted from prolonged warfare already, Fugaku could have even led Konoha ninjas straight into Tsuchi no Kuni for complete victory.
Compared to that, Hiruzen hadn't even arranged a welcome ceremony for these returning heroes. This was truly shameless.
Seeing Torifu's expression darken, Aozora comforted him nearby, saying, "Grandfather Torifu, we Uchiha have made arrangements. We certainly won't let our meritorious comrades feel neglected."
While speaking, Torifu heard approaching footsteps. From the village direction came many villagers in twos and threes.
Torifu asked, "Did you Uchiha pay people to come?"
Although slightly against his principles, thinking about Hiruzen's overt actions made him understand Aozora's approach.
"No way!" Aozora shook his head. "We Uchiha wanted to celebrate the end of the war and thank the villagers for their support during those hard times. That's why we funded food distribution through the Police Force. We simply told them that today, ninjas from the Northwestern Front would return victorious. We hoped those who were available would come to welcome our heroes."
"Good job!" Hearing this, Torifu smiled.
Though it still had a whiff of being paid, freely distributing grain to villagers was genuinely good. Besides, they hadn't forced anyone. He had to admit, this time the Uchiha did rather well.
What surprised Torifu further was that when large numbers of villagers arrived, many Uchiha clan members also appeared.
Each held numerous colorful flags. Most bore Konoha's symbol, while others displayed various clan emblems—including even that of Torifu's own clan, the Akimichi.
The Uchiha distributed flags to these "spontaneously" arriving villagers, beginning to organize them to chant slogans.
Aozora waved over Kyudai, who was organizing clan members.
Aozora introduced, "Kyudai, this is Grandfather Torifu!"
Kyudai knew how to behave appropriately, addressing him politely, "Grandfather Torifu!"
Looking Kyudai up and down, Torifu remarked, "You must be one of Hachidai's kids. You've grown so big now."
After introductions, Aozora asked, "Kyudai, do you have extra flags? Bring me two."
Torifu added, "Give me three flags too. One each representing Ino–Shika–Cho."
"No problem. There are extras prepared."
After Kyudai spoke, he quickly fetched flags for both Aozora and Torifu.
Waving his flag playfully like a child, Torifu chuckled, "Aozora, you guys really know how to put on a show."
Just as all flags were distributed, dust clouds appeared in the distance. At the front rode Fugaku, leading the first batch of ninjas returning from the Northwestern Front.
Once the ninjas passed inspections and entered through the gates, Kyudai immediately raised his hand.
Shoo! Shoo!
Two huge ceremonial flares shot rapidly into the sky. After a thunderous boom, a shower of multicolored petals rained down. The villagers along the roadside erupted into loud cheers.
"Welcome back, heroes from the Northwest Camp!"
"Thank you, Lord Fugaku!"
"Thank you, Lord Shikaku!"
"Thank you, Lord Choza!"
"Konoha is invincible!"
"..."
Bathed in the golden cascade of flower petals and surrounded by deafening applause, Fugaku and the others felt their exhaustion vanish completely, replaced entirely by heartfelt joy.
Full of joy, they walked down the road, expecting to be greeted by the Hokage and then head to the big welcome ceremony at the plaza in front of the Hokage Tower.
However, to their surprise, Hiruzen Sarutobi, who was temporarily serving as Hokage, merely offered them a few words of praise before immediately dismissing everyone to return home.
This left the returning ninja feeling deeply disheartened, so much that many let out loud complaints the moment they got home.
Time passed, and night fell.
After finishing his report and entertaining guests for half the day, Fugaku finally had a moment to rest within the Uchiha Compound.
With his arms crossed over his chest, Fugaku gazed at the brand-new Hokage robe hanging on the coat rack, and despite his normally stern expression, he couldn't help but smile broadly.
Suddenly, a knock on the door broke the silence, followed by Itachi's voice from outside the study.
"Father, Teacher Aozora has arrived!"
Upon hearing this, Fugaku said, "Quickly invite him in!"
Soon after, Aozora entered the study together with Itachi.
The moment Aozora stepped inside, his eyes landed directly on the prominent Hokage robe and he couldn't help frowning slightly.
Smiling, Fugaku warmly welcomed Aozora inside. Once Itachi had left, Fugaku patted Aozora's shoulder and said, "Thanks to you, if I become the Fifth Hokage, your contribution will definitely be the greatest."
Although in recent months he had personally led Konoha ninja to many victories, his greatest achievement remained that initial surprise attack against Iwagakure's main camp—and that success heavily relied on Aozora's strategy.
Moreover, his prompt return this time was also made possible through Aozora secretly contacting Hiashi and Torifu.
Aozora smiled and accepted Fugaku's praise, then his tone turned serious as he spoke, "Lord Fugaku, speaking of the Hokage seat is still premature. I believe you understand the saying—'The longest journey begins with a single step.'"
Upon hearing this, Fugaku slightly furrowed his brows. After all, today was supposed to be a day of celebration and congratulations from everyone; Aozora's cold splash of caution stirred some discomfort within him.
However, Fugaku was generous in spirit and didn't let this affect his feelings toward the young man he held in high regard or toward the strategist he had come to rely upon.
He lifted his teacup and took a slow sip. The bitterness helped him calm down.
Fugaku reflected, "You're right, Aozora. I haven't officially become Hokage yet, so I should indeed be careful with my words and actions."
"Lord Fugaku, perhaps I was being overly cautious," Aozora quickly apologized. "But right now, this is the closest our Uchiha Clan has ever been to claiming the Hokage position. Although you yourself have remained level-headed, most other clan members are currently too optimistic."
"Thinking about how some of our clansmen acted recklessly today," Fugaku resumed his usual seriousness and said solemnly, "I'll ensure our people behave properly so the village won't find any opportunity to target the Uchiha!"
Aozora nodded slightly. He was impressed that Fugaku could maintain composure at a time like this.
"With the Clan Leader's discipline," Aozora said, "I believe Danzo and others won't find any faults with us Uchiha before the Jonin Confidence Vote. Of course, we still need to stay vigilant. You might want to personally build stronger connections with other Jonin before the vote."
Fugaku replied easily, "That goes without saying."
After Danzo's Village Defection, Fugaku and Aozora had worked together to gain support from other Jonin. This wouldn't be difficult now.
After a moment's thought, Aozora pulled a book from his sleeve and handed it to Fugaku.
Fugaku accepted the book and looked at its cover. Seven large characters were written there:
["The Uchiha Warrior of Love"]
He looked at Aozora in disbelief — how on earth was the Uchiha connected to being a 'Warrior of Love'?
Aozora said calmly, "Go ahead and take a look inside."
Following his suggestion, Fugaku opened the booklet.
"The Sharingan is Heaven-Gifted Eyes..."
"The activation of the Sharingan is meant to prevent tragedies..."
Thanks to his extraordinary vision, Fugaku absorbed the entire booklet in a single glance. The booklet mainly contained theories about Sharingan awakening previously summarized by Aozora, supported by numerous real-life examples.
After finishing the book, Fugaku remained silent for a while before looking up to ask, "Aozora, what do you think about the Mangekyo Sharingan costing vision and lifespan?"
The book only covered regular Sharingan, not mentioning Mangekyo at all.
Aozora showed slight surprise, "Don't you think using abilities beyond one's limits should come with a cost? Many kinjutsu in the village consume life energy too, like the Eight Gates. And the Eight Gates require rigorous training, but Mangekyo doesn't."
Fugaku continued, "Then what conditions do you think are required for awakening the Mangekyo?"
Aozora answered seriously, "I believe it's love, bonds, and perseverance.
If someone simply accepts reality when facing great tragedy, they will never awaken the Mangekyo.
Only those who refuse to submit to their circumstances, who possess the determination to change the world, can truly awaken the Mangekyo."
This time, Fugaku smiled and nodded emphatically, repeatedly saying, "Well said!"
If even the Mangekyo Sharingan could fit within Aozora's philosophy, it would certainly be worth promoting.
Previously, the Uchiha clan only emphasized the power of the Sharingan without explaining anything else.
The Uchiha knew well that awakening and evolving the Sharingan required strong emotional stimulation, often associated with losing close friends or family.
As for the Mangekyo, such knowledge rarely spread. Most clan members considered it merely legend.
Throughout history, nearly every Mangekyo wielder awakened their power only after enduring the anguish of losing someone dear.
If those truths ever came to light, some might go so far as to kill their own kin just to awaken the Mangekyo.
Aozora's interpretation directly removed this bloody aspect from history, revealing instead the profound love underlying the Uchiha clan's legacy.
Whether it was true or not was beside the point—it sounded convincing, and even impressively authoritative. It could easily serve as a foundational text for the Clan's younger generation to learn from—and even function as propaganda externally.
Fugaku said, "Aozora, this book of yours could easily become introductory material for the Clan."
Aozora replied, "It still needs some polishing. I brought it here hoping the Clan Leader would consider promoting it. I'm afraid the Third might try to make a move against the Uchiha soon."
Fugaku considered for a moment before nodding in agreement.
Aozora continued, "Clan Leader, there's something else I need to inform you about beforehand."
Curious, Fugaku said, "Go ahead!"
Aozora then laid out his plan to join Akatsuki with calm clarity.
Across from him, bright light fully exposed Fugaku's stunned expression.
Both the masked man who claimed to be Madara Uchiha and possessed the Mangekyo Sharingan, and Aozora's decision to join an organization bold enough to attack Konoha's camp left Fugaku reeling.
Even more shocking was how Aozora casually revealed the full scale of the Akatsuki's power.
In that instant, Fugaku—who had been riding high on confidence—felt immense pressure.
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