The Ninja Academy training ground, also known as the Ninja Academy playground, is an open area with dozens of wooden stakes standing upright.
These stakes are typically used by Ninja Academy students to practice "Body Techniques", "Ninjutsu", and "Ninja Tool Training" like "Shuriken Throwing" and are custom-made....
Sarutobi Hiruzen gently stroked Roy's back, with an old man and a young boy leaning against the lush wutong tree behind them, its branches full of tender leaves. They watched as one by one, small ninjas were summoned by Yukioka Yuu to perform the "Fireball Technique".
Speaking of Fugaku, speaking of Uchiha... Roy, formerly an "Outsider", is now known as the eldest son of Uchiha Fugaku, bearing the title of "Young Clan Leader". He couldn't deny... the stereotypes spoken by Sarutobi Hiruzen about the Uchiha, such as "rigid", "tense", and "cold", were not unfounded.
Inherent evil is the undertone of the Uchiha, based on their own [Bloodline Limit]. The darker, the stronger; the more extreme, the more distorted... this twisted interpretation of strength.
"Receiving strong stimuli" to awaken the eyes... "Transplanting" a close relative's eyes opens the "Mangekyo"... this is the essence of "Indra", this is "Yin Escape".
Just like the opposition and unity of "light" and "shadow", "yang" and "yin" are similarly so.
"I don't know about the other Uchihas, but for me," the boy didn't comment on Sarutobi Hiruzen's evaluation of his father, just smiled at the old man and said: "Though I am in the dark, my heart always strives for the light."
Sarutobi Hiruzen paused his hand on the boy's back, his eyes under the hat slightly startled, then looked at the boy and slowly shook his head: "This doesn't sound like something someone your age would say, who taught you?"
"You did." Roy tilted his chin slightly, motioning towards the "slogans" engraved on the school wall.
Sarutobi Hiruzen was momentarily stunned, only to recall that, in order to guide students towards the "Will of Fire", he had personally drafted a series of motivational slogans, instructing the school to engrave them and repaint them every year to prevent fading... catching himself, he met a pair of mischievous eyes.
"Teacher Yukioka has a great admiration for the Hokage," Roy said with a chuckle: "He always says the Third is the strongest Hokage of all time, even stronger than the First and Second...."
The boy paused, tilting his head innocently as he looked at Sarutobi Hiruzen: "Is that true?"
"Ahem... ahem..." Sarutobi Hiruzen's old face flushed, forming a fist and coughing lightly into it: "Every Hokage has his strengths and weaknesses, it's... difficult to compare..."
Hmm... indeed... if it comes to thickness of face, you, sir, might dare claim second place, while Hashirama and Tobirama wouldn't dare claim first.
"Fire Release: Fireball Technique!"
"Poof~" A fireball not much larger than a fist wobbled, extinguishing before hitting the stake, blown out by the wind midway.
Another small ninja sneaked a glance over, then sheepishly stepped down....
Yukioka Yuu shook his head and continued, "Yano!"
A young ninja named Yano stepped out, nervously glancing at Sarutobi Hiruzen, before starting to form signs with stumbles and bumps, initially making a mistake, but eventually succeeded on the second try, opening his mouth to release a fireball that didn't even make it out. It extinguished in his throat, awkwardly puffing out a plume of black smoke....
"Takuya... Kawasaki... Yuna...."
One after another... as Yukioka Yuu called out their names, some small ninjas performed the "Fireball Technique". Occasionally, a small ninja would shine, hitting the stake with a fireball and leaving a charred mark, exactly the batch that had been raring to go....
Sarutobi Hiruzen and Roy, an old man and a young boy, watched quietly. Suddenly, the old man asked, "Child, do you like Konoha?"
"Whirl~" A gust of wind rose, stirring the branches and leaves of the wutong tree behind them,
At that moment, the sun was about to climb to its zenith, casting sunlight through the leaves, forming spotty patches of light on Roy,
The boy, deep in thought, reflecting on the past, whether in the previous life living on earth as a corporate drone, or reincarnating as a Hunter, as the eldest son of the Zoldyck Family, growing up on Kukuroo Mountain... or awakening the [Gate of Cognition] and crossing into Demon Slayer, living as Kamado Eiichiro in the world of Evil Ghosts and Ghost Hunters... and now, as a member of Uchiha, growing up with Mikoto, Fugaku, and later having a younger brother, Itachi... Roy extended his right hand, catching a patch of light, feeling the sunshine circling his fingertips, warm and full of life...
He said gently yet firmly: "Of course,"
"As long as there's sunlight, I like it."
"Hehe..." Sarutobi Hiruzen winked at the boy: "Thank goodness you were born in Konoha, not the Water Country."
One of the Five Great Nations, the Water Country is shrouded in dense fog all year round, where it is impossible to even see a finger's length, let alone a ray of sunshine... Just thinking about staying in such a ghostly place makes it easy for Roy to understand why Kirigakure would pursue the "Blood Mist Policy", isolating the village, persecuting those with special abilities, systematically massacring ninja families with powerful [Bloodline Limits] like "Ice Release" and "Lava Release"... Ultimately, the environment shaped everything...
A place shrouded in darkness without sunlight for long is bound to breed psychological distortions and perversions.
"I also like the sunshine," Sarutobi Hiruzen, following Roy's lead, extended his right hand to catch a patch of light, letting it dance on his fingertips, deeply saying: "Many times, I thought about retiring, moving a small stool to the doorway, basking in the sun every day, watching you vibrant young ninjas come and go, one batch after another growing up, which wouldn't be a bad thing."