I, Uchiha: Split Konoha

Chapter 95 The Third Generation! You're ruthless enough!

The New Year had just passed, and before the winter snow had completely melted, a major piece of news came from the Konoha Ninja Academy: the eldest son of the Uchiha clan leader had graduated ahead of schedule.

Itachi Uchiha graduated from the Ninja Academy at the young age of seven. Although he did not break history, it was still a sensation. The main reason was his identity. After all, he was the eldest son of the head of the Uchiha clan, the most powerful clan in Konoha.

The Ninja Academy is home to children from various clans and countless commoners, making it the fastest channel for information to spread.

Ninja Academy.

As a genius who graduated early, the Third Hokage happened to pass by the Ninja Academy and heard about this, so he decided to personally award the child a ninja headband.

Inside the classroom, countless students watched with envy and jealousy as the seven-year-old Uchiha Itachi passed his graduation exam, which even caught the attention of the Third Hokage who happened to be at the school.

"Congratulations on your graduation, Itachi Uchiha."

Amidst countless applause, the seven-year-old Itachi Uchiha donned the headband of a Konoha ninja, officially becoming a genin of Konoha.

Looking at the young and inexperienced Uchiha Itachi before him, the Third Hokage revealed a hint of reminiscence and couldn't help but sigh, "Itachi, do you know what the Will of Fire is? What is your dream?"

The Third Hokage's coincidental arrival at the Ninja Academy was actually deliberate, as Itachi Uchiha needed to review his application form for early graduation.

At this moment, Hiruzen Sarutobi couldn't help but show a look of emotion. The precocious gaze of the boy in front of him made him feel somewhat sentimental. He couldn't let this genius go astray.

"The Will of Fire? A Dream?"

Although Itachi Uchiha is only seven years old, his precocious mind, coupled with the guidance of his teacher Yoru Uchiha and the frequent reminders from his older brother Shisui, sent a chill down his spine.

It has to be said that Uchiha Itachi, at only seven years old, was born with the aptitude of a powerful ninja; his calm and collected demeanor alone is enough to explain everything.

Perhaps it was his usual expressionless face, or perhaps it was his calm demeanor, but Uchiha Itachi glanced at the Third Hokage and couldn't help but feel suspicious.

As expected! Brother Shisui was right. His identity destined him to be extraordinary and would attract the attention of certain people. Perhaps someone would try to find a breakthrough through him, thereby affecting Lord Orochimaru's chances of becoming the Fifth Hokage.

Indeed, the Uchiha clan has now placed its bets on Orochimaru, and naturally, Orochimaru's bravery is widely known throughout the clan. Itachi is also inevitably affected and is full of hope for the future Hokage. However, he is also full of criticism towards the Third Hokage, who currently holds power and is unwilling to give up.

With a sigh, Itachi Uchiha muttered, "Brother Shisui, you're right. The Third Hokage's regime is corrupt."

"My dream is for the village to be peaceful."

Itachi Uchiha smiled and spoke his dream. He wasn't lying; what he said was the truth. The Third Hokage was taken aback when he saw this, and then a kind smile appeared on his old face. Perhaps Itachi was different from other Uchiha.

"Itachi, do you know the Will of Fire?" The Third Hokage sighed wistfully, then muttered to himself.

"Where the leaves dance, the fire will never die. The flame will continue to illuminate the village and allow new leaves to sprout. I believe you will one day become the flame of Konoha."

At this moment, the Third Hokage had completely transformed into a cult leader instilling his political ideology, lecturing on the so-called Will of Fire in the classroom. For a moment, the children in the classroom all showed excited and agitated expressions. This was blatant brainwashing targeting minors.

As Itachi Uchiha glanced around the classroom, he saw the fanatical expressions on the young faces of his classmates, and a chill ran down his spine; a look of fear crossed his eyes.

This! This is so similar to what Teacher Ye said: some small countries, for their own benefit, brainwash five- or six-year-old children, turning them into fanatical war machines.

Will of Fire?

Thinking of this, Itachi Uchiha glanced at the Third Hokage, who was giving a long and eloquent speech. He noticed the white hair peeking out from the Hokage's temples and was immediately alarmed. The children were becoming ninjas and participating in the war, while the old man was enjoying his rights and was doing it all for the good of the village.

Could this be the corrupt higher-ups that Brother Zhishui was talking about?

At this moment, although Uchiha Yoru knew that he had affected Itachi, he never thought it would be this big, especially with Shisui's presence.

Originally, he asked Shisui to teach Itachi for two reasons: firstly, the two were already close friends and mentors in the original story; secondly, Shisui's thinking had begun to change, so naturally, teaching Itachi would also transmit his own ideas.

Unexpectedly, the two of them came together because of their perfect harmony, and with Itachi's precocious wisdom, Shisui managed to manipulate Itachi's thoughts so deeply.

When the Third Hokage finished his speech, he still felt like he hadn't said enough. But when he turned around and saw Itachi Uchiha's determined expression, he immediately smiled with satisfaction.

"Hehe, Itachi, you will surely inherit the village's Will of Fire in the future."

At this moment, the Third Hokage never imagined that a seven-year-old child could have such a big misunderstanding of the higher-ups. Coupled with this determined expression, he thought the brainwashing was successful.

However, unbeknownst to them, beneath Itachi's resolute expression, he secretly resolved to change everything, to help his brother Shisui and Yoru-sensei, and to transform this corrupt system.

"Don't worry, Hokage, Itachi Uchiha will definitely inherit the Will of Fire."

Looking at the Third Hokage's aged face, Itachi Uchiha recalled the scenes he had witnessed on the battlefield, where young and innocent faces lay dead everywhere. He immediately made up his mind and nodded firmly.

"Hehe, Itachi, as expected, I was right about you." The Third Hokage was filled with satisfaction. Itachi had indeed inherited the Will of Fire, and at such a young age, he had already firmly established his ninja way.

A misunderstanding, or rather, the third generation's flawed understanding, led him to unknowingly plant a thorn in his side.

The wise Third Hokage had long noticed Itachi Uchiha's dissatisfaction with the war and his incompatible ideas with the Uchiha clan. At this moment, he never thought much about it and had no idea that Itachi's current thinking was too advanced and had been led astray to another extreme.

As Itachi Uchiha looked at the Third Hokage's middle-aged face and the faint age spots on his cheeks, he thought of Shisui's words expressing his dissatisfaction with the corruption of the higher-ups.

What were the achievements of the Third Hokage, the strongest Hokage? Did he personally go to the battlefield after becoming Hokage? What were his notable achievements? Perhaps the strongest point about the Third Hokage was his long reign.

In contrast, almost none of the students at the Ninja Academy knew about the First Hokage, the Second Hokage, or even the Fourth Hokage. At that moment, Itachi Uchiha felt as if a pair of hands were in the dark. This fear made him feel suffocated. It was terrifying!

For the village! For the Uchiha clan! I must do something!

At this moment, Itachi Uchiha's conviction was unwavering.

……

The Hokage's office.

Back in his office that afternoon, Hiruzen Sarutobi couldn't help but smile with satisfaction, and lit his pipe with delight.

"Heh, it seems that Itachi really might inherit the Will of Fire, and also be a descendant of Kagami."

Thinking of this, the Third Hokage puffed out smoke, the white smoke obscuring his vision, but he still smiled.

"Hehe, it seems I need to get to know Shisui better."

Uchiha Shisui, a descendant of Kagami, was someone he had met before. He was definitely a ninja who had been simply nurtured by the Will of Fire. Unfortunately, he was too busy with the Third Shinobi World War and eventually had to step down and become the Fourth Hokage, so he didn't have a chance to have a proper talk with this kid.

"Lord Hokage, urgent report from the front lines!"

Just then, with a whoosh, a dark figure appeared like a flea, it was an ANBU member who appeared in the Hokage's office using the Body Flicker Technique.

Upon seeing the urgent report from the Anbu, the Third Hokage slowly opened the letter with a furrowed brow. But when he read the contents, his furrowed brow immediately relaxed, and his aging laughter echoed throughout the office.

"Hehe, good, Shinnosuke has finally done a great service for Konoha."

The Land of Lightning is preparing to renew the peace treaty with Konoha. This is the urgent report from the front lines. The Third Hokage, who has an endless longing for peace, is naturally filled with joy and pride.

Because Sarutobi Shinnosuke is his son. Although countless ninjas helped him and Nara Shikaku was the strategist, none of this can erase the credit of Sarutobi Shinnosuke as the commander-in-chief.

"Alright, let Shinnosuke at the front consult with Nara Shikaku as much as possible. We must make sure to reach an agreement with the Land of Lightning and confirm the meeting time as soon as possible."

"Yes!" The ANBU bowed his head and responded in a deep voice before disappearing from the Hokage's office in an instant.

A smile appeared on the Third Hokage's face. At that moment, as he looked out the window at the several portraits on the Hokage Rock, a melancholy expression appeared on his face.

"Peace is coming, and I will carry on the Will of Fire."

……

The dark, shady base of roots.

Although this matter was classified, it was not something to be ashamed of, and naturally it reached the ears of Root leader Danzo Shimura.

Sitting upright in the dimly lit secret room, Shimura Danzo looked at the intelligence report that had been sent to him and couldn't help but frown and speak in a deep voice.

"I didn't expect the Land of Lightning to be ready to sign a peace treaty so quickly. In that case, Sarutobi Shinnosuke of the Land of Lightning will have made a great contribution."

Thinking of this, Shimura Danzo narrowed his one exposed eye and tapped his finger lightly on the desk.

Having accomplished such a great feat, Sarutobi Shinnosuke's reputation will rise to a new level. But what about Orochimaru? Orochimaru's power is currently too great.

With the strong support of the Uchiha and Hyuga clans, if we take this opportunity to damage Orochimaru's reputation and then send him to the front lines, Sarutobi Shinnosuke might not be able to control this giant snake, and might even suffer humiliation.

In this way, Orochimaru's reputation was destroyed effortlessly, and the rising star Sarutobi Shinnosuke was also defeated. It was a win-win situation. Thinking that two Hokage candidates were almost eliminated at once, the Hokage position would be right in front of him! Sarutobi would step down! The peace treaty with the Land of Lightning would be a key step for him to become Hokage.

As Danzo Shimura thought about this, he found it increasingly brilliant, and his expression became somewhat excited. He couldn't help but mutter, "Orochimaru, the only problem is that you're too uncontrollable and too dangerous. I was planning to take action against you next year, but unfortunately, this opportunity is once in a lifetime. You can only blame the fact that the power behind you is too strong."

He originally wanted to stir up trouble during this contract signing with the Land of Lightning, hoping to make things awkward and cause Sarutobi Shinnosuke to lose prestige, while the Orochimaru issue could wait until next year.

However, Orochimaru's power is currently expanding rapidly, especially since he is controlling Orochimaru's finances. But the Hyuga and Uchiha clans, the two oldest and most powerful clans, have sided with Orochimaru and are constantly providing him with funds, which is making him somewhat anxious.

Even if they fail this time, it doesn't matter. Sarutobi Shinnosuke still has a long way to go before he can become Hokage. At least the Third Hokage will have to pave the way for him for a few more years. But Orochimaru is different. He has enough prestige and strength. If it weren't for the fact that the higher-ups were holding him back, Orochimaru would have already become the Fifth Hokage.

"The Land of Water seems to be in some turmoil. Perhaps we could transfer Orochimaru to defend the border, along with the Hyuga and Uchiha clans!"

When he thought of these two powerful clans, especially the Uchiha clan, Danzo Shimura narrowed one eye, revealing a sinister look. Kirigakure's assassination techniques were particularly adept at Water Release, which was perfect for countering Fire Release. This way, he could reduce the Uchiha clan's strengths.

The roots secretly began to move, and although this movement did not escape the Third Hokage's notice, he was still careless and ultimately had to pay the price for his carelessness.

Konoha's high-level conference room.

The room was filled with the aroma of tea, and Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado were slowly sipping their tea.

"Koharu, Danzo's methods seem to have gone too far; he's actually starting to secretly capture ninjas in the village."

Mitokado Homura's face clearly showed some dissatisfaction. Although they wanted to damage Orochimaru's reputation, they had obviously gone too far. Utatane Koharu nodded calmly after hearing this, but then sighed and shook her head.

"Danzo's methods were indeed a bit excessive, but he should give up now. He's so old, what's the point of competing for the Hokage position? But since Sarutobi didn't refute it, he probably acquiesced. So let's wait and see."

As high-ranking members of Konoha, they all agreed to this plan, and naturally Danzo did not hide these things from his old friends.

Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado nodded helplessly. Although they knew that the Third Hokage seemed to have been somewhat indulgent towards Danzo's behavior in recent years, they couldn't say anything, since it was all for the sake of Konoha.

However, what they didn't know was that in the Hokage's office, the Third Hokage, with a pipe in his mouth, looked at the scroll that Danzo's Root had brought and sighed softly, shaking his head, "Go down and tell Danzo not to go too far."

He chose to remain silent, and he also didn't want to see how Danzo would treat his own disciple. In the Third Hokage's heart, he was still his teacher. He decided to let Danzo, Mitokado Homura, and Utatane Koharu handle this matter.

So the Third Hokage didn't do anything. Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu thought that the Third Hokage knew. This misunderstanding caused Danzo of Root to gasp in shock and secretly exclaim, "You, Third Hokage, are truly ruthless. It seems that this time Orochimaru is really going to be driven to his doom."

He ordered the Root personnel to send a plan to the Third Hokage. Usually, he would send it over, and the Third Hokage would then issue a warning and make some revisions. But this time, the Third Hokage simply acquiesced. He had prepared to be more subtle in his approach after waiting for the Third Hokage's reply, but this was the result.

Three generations! You're ruthless enough! I underestimated you.

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(End of this chapter)