I have a bunch of relatives who want to become Hokage.

With Itachi Uchiha by his side, Shingen Uchiha climbed the open-air staircase built on the Hokage Rock and reached the high ground.

Itachi Uchiha was a little excited as he climbed the high ground for the first time. He had never been up here before and was completely out of place among the mainstream brats of Konoha.

The feeling of looking down at Konoha Village from this high ground is different; this is the true highest point in Konoha territory, offering a panoramic view.

This high ground was vast and flat. To satisfy Itachi Uchiha's desire to fully appreciate the scenery of Konoha from here, Shingen Uchiha led him along the border.

We also encountered other Konoha ninjas along the way. It might sound a bit funny, but because the terrain here is flat and the visibility is excellent, many ninjas like to bring their families here to play and have picnics when they're not on duty.

They also encountered masked members of the secret service patrolling the area, and after both sides verified each other's identities, they were allowed to pass.

Don't be fooled by the mysterious masked appearance of the Dark Guard; in reality, infiltrators love to impersonate them. After all, with a mask and cloak on, who knows who's inside?

The secret service members themselves are aware of this kind of thing, and they have a corresponding procedure to coordinate with the security forces. The two sides work together to ensure that such ridiculous things do not happen.

After completing the "Heavenly King Covers the Earth Tiger" routine with the Anbu ninja for the fifth time, Uchiha Shingen noticed his temporary student staring at him curiously.

"what happened?"

"Brother Shingen, are those ninjas from the Anbu?"

"Yes."

"Won't blocking them like this interfere with their mission?" Itachi Uchiha glanced back several times, but the Anbu ninjas were long gone. "Perhaps it's an important mission."

“We’re all public ninjas, so of course we’ll follow the rules,” Uchiha Shingen said. “When you become a ninja in the future, it’ll be the same. Once you’re in a public position, you’ll follow the rules. If you encounter someone who’s complaining without a Hokage’s warrant, just arrest them. They’re either a spy or someone abusing their power for personal gain.”

"Brother Shingen, isn't this too hasty?" Itachi Uchiha was obviously imagining some nonsense. "The Anbu are special ninjas who carry out special missions for the village. They are all very powerful. If they have a conflict with us because of an emergency mission, the relationship between the clan and the Hokage will become tense."

Uchiha Shingen did not reply, but just looked at Uchiha Itachi.

As the head of the Uchiha clan and the head of the Konoha Police Department, Fugaku Uchiha's approach to educating his children was simply indescribable.

Don't even mention that he's only five years old. In the Naruto world, those who can become ninjas all have a high "wisdom" stat, and their mental maturity is much faster than on Earth.

However, Itachi Uchiha seemed not to understand that the Uchiha clan and the police department were two completely different entities, and he had no concept of the organizational structure of Konoha Village.

This child, who likes to consider things from the village's perspective, actually knows nothing about the village. On the contrary, he is the one who is tightly bound by family-centric values.

Fugaku Uchiha has to take the blame; as his father, he is primarily responsible.

Uchiha Shingen felt that he had figured out why his filial son would become so eccentric in the future.

“I know what I need to teach you.” Uchiha Shingen reached out and rubbed Uchiha Itachi’s head. “What you need to learn now is not ninjutsu. Don’t talk yet, just observe and listen.”

Uchiha Itachi obediently nodded, his sensitive nature alerting him to a change in Uchiha Shingen's attitude towards him.

Previously, Uchiha Shingen had been polite and distant, something Uchiha Itachi was familiar with and used to. But just now, Uchiha Shingen gave him the feeling of being somewhat like Uchiha Shisui.

As a sensitive child, Itachi Uchiha was somewhat at a loss for words when faced with this kindness.

He didn't want to be disliked, and he was also afraid of betraying other people's kindness with his inappropriate behavior or words.

Currently, only Uchiha Shisui can adapt to his rhythm.

Uchiha Shingen told him not to speak, which actually made him feel relieved.

Next, he obediently followed Uchiha Shingen's instructions, remaining silent and simply watching throughout.

Whether it was his imagination or not, when he suppressed the urge to ask questions and began to observe Uchiha Shingen's work simply from an outsider's perspective, he suddenly felt that he might have been making a mountain out of a molehill.

The ANBU ninjas who were stopped showed no impatience. On the contrary, they skillfully coordinated with Uchiha Shingen, who was dressed in ANBU uniform.

Those ninjas who came to gather inspiration or bring their families for fun, and were reminded by Uchiha Shingen to dispose of their trash in the designated area, didn't seem bothered at all. In fact, some even asked where the trash collection point was.

Just as Uchiha Shingen had told him, everything was done according to the rules, those who were enforcing them were patient and thorough, and those who were questioned or reminded did not feel offended in any way.

Two mischievous kids got into a fight and started crying loudly. Uchiha Shingen gave each of them a lollipop, and they happily decided to stop fighting for the time being, becoming very harmonious.

After touring the area, Itachi Uchiha suddenly felt that the security regulations established by the clan didn't seem to have anything wrong with them.

Time passed by without us even realizing it.

When another ninja from the security force appeared and began handing over the work to Uchiha Shingen, Uchiha Itachi was surprised to realize that it was already over.

Itachi Uchiha was actually quite familiar with the police force, after all, he was the son of the clan leader. Sometimes when Fugaku Uchiha took him to the headquarters, no one would say anything.

He also walked through the streets and alleys of Konoha with others and was very familiar with the law enforcement process of the police. Fugaku Uchiha even took him to see the police force's operation to capture spies from other villages.

But he had only ever observed from afar, never participating. Today's experience, however, gave him a different feeling.

Even though Uchiha Shingen didn't actually do anything, the places he walked through seemed different, with an added sense of comfort.

Uchiha Itachi saw Uchiha Shingen, who had finished the handover, turn around and glance at him, gesturing for him to follow.

Uchiha Itachi quickly followed, keeping close behind.

When Uchiha Shingen stopped, the two of them were standing directly above the First Hokage's face carving on the Hokage Rock.

Chapter Thirty-Six: Read a Book, Young Man

Uchiha Itachi stood on the edge of the fault line and looked out. Under the blue sky and white clouds, Konoha Village, surrounded by lush green forests, presented a completely different appearance from what he usually saw.

The city appears serene and tranquil from above, with rows of buildings stretching across the land. In the distance, crisscrossing paths lead to winding rivers that shimmer in the sunlight as they meander through lush green fields.

Uchiha Shingen looked at him, and the little bean sprout finally revealed a silly grin befitting his age!

"How is it? Isn't the view from here nice?" Uchiha Shingen asked with a smile.

"Yes!" Itachi Uchiha nodded repeatedly.

“If you climb high and look far, you can see more clearly than usual,” said Uchiha Shingen. “But if you only look into the distance and not down at your feet, you will fall and be smashed to pieces.”

Uchiha Itachi subconsciously looked down and saw the mountain wall, which looked as if it had been cut by a knife.

He wanted to ask a question as he was used to, but then he remembered Uchiha Shingen's advice to observe and listen more, so he closed his slightly open mouth.

This action was observed by Uchiha Shingen.

He decided to say more.

"Itachi, do you know what the significance is of the position you're standing in right now?"

"Even higher than the First Hokage?" Itachi Uchiha attempted to answer.

It's obvious that this answer can't be right.

Meeting Itachi Uchiha's expectant gaze, Shingen Uchiha didn't keep him in suspense.

"This is the birthplace of Konoha Village. It was here that Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha, as children, told each other about their ideals."

This is a history that Itachi Uchiha was unaware of.

His eyes widened.

What kind of ideal?

"Hashirama Senju hoped to build a village of his own, where children would no longer have to kill each other, while Madara Uchiha's wish was to protect his younger brother in such a village."

Itachi Uchiha was stunned.

He instinctively felt that this was real.

"But this very desire was the root cause of their later falling out," Uchiha Shingen continued.

"Why?" Itachi Uchiha couldn't help but ask, "Aren't their wishes the same?"

“Because what we want to protect is different.” Uchiha Shingen sighed. “What Senju Hashirama hoped for was that war would end forever, and that tragedies like his brother’s would never happen again. During the Warring States period, the average lifespan of ninjas and citizens was less than 30 years, mainly because opposing sides would deliberately hunt down each other’s children. When Uchiha Madara met Senju Hashirama, he had already lost three of his brothers, so his only wish was to protect his only surviving brother. And soon after, Senju Hashirama also only had one brother left.”

"Because...Uchiha?" Itachi Uchiha asked.

"Of course, the Senju clan and the Uchiha clan have been enemies for generations. Whenever they have the chance, they will hunt down each other's children. In the words of Senju Butsuma, the father of Senju Hashirama, this is a sign of respect for the enemy. Parents' love is to raise their children to be independent. All of Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara's brothers who died before reaching adulthood were killed by the other clan."

"Brother Shingen, how do you know all this?"

"I like reading," Uchiha Shingen replied casually. "Besides, of those two, it was Uchiha Madara who first proposed that the only way to stop the war was through mutual understanding. So it was also Uchiha Madara who wished to find a solution. His friendship with Senju Hashirama made him think that this path might be feasible, but you know the final result."

Itachi Uchiha glanced down again.

There was no image of Madara Uchiha there.

"Therefore, don't think that having a good ideal guarantees its realization." Uchiha Shingen looked at Uchiha Itachi. "When you believe that the path you are on is the right one, it is often a sign of failure."

"Brother Shingen, why are you telling me all this?" Itachi Uchiha asked.

“Didn’t I tell you? What you need to learn most right now isn’t ninjutsu.” Uchiha Shingen put his hand on Uchiha Itachi’s shoulder. “It’s history, the history of the Uchiha clan and the Senju clan of the forest, and the history of Konoha.”

Before he could finish speaking, Itachi Uchiha felt a dizzying sensation as everything before him seemed to lose its color.

When he came to his senses, he found himself standing on top of the First Hokage's human-faced stone statue.

“Look at this village.” Uchiha Shingen pointed to the street below. “Konoha Village is primarily a military base. Everything here serves the ninja army. Do you know how many ninjas Konoha has?”

Before Itachi Uchiha could answer, he continued, “There are no fewer than 20,000 ninjas of Chunin rank or higher, and the vast majority of them do not hold public office in Konoha. Compared to this number, the Anbu and the security forces are completely insignificant. All departments of Konoha, and even the Hokage himself, serve this group.”

“But… the Anbu is a department that carries out special operations for the village and doesn’t deal with ordinary ninjas.” Although Itachi Uchiha felt like he had seen a new world today, he still disagreed with this view.

“Itachi, in an organization, no department can be particularly important,” said Uchiha Shingen. “The purpose of a department is to serve the survival of the organization. The purpose of Konoha Village is to make the Konoha Ninja Army strong. If the Hokage cannot fulfill this function, then being betrayed by everyone is the best outcome for him.”

He put his hand on Itachi's shoulder again.

Then, the familiar dizziness once again assaulted Itachi Uchiha's mind.

The city vanished, and what appeared before him were a roaring waterfall and towering, enormous statues.

Uchiha Itachi stared blankly at the two statues, lost in thought.

This is the Valley of the End, far from Konoha.

The two statues were built to commemorate the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, and the Leaf Village's Shura, Madara Uchiha, on the battlefield of their final battle.

“Brother Shingen, you…” Itachi Uchiha recalled that feeling from before.

"It's just a support ninjutsu, don't worry about it." Uchiha Shingen pointed to the statue of Uchiha Madara. "If you think Uchiha Madara is an evil person, a dangerous element, then it means you don't understand the village or your own clan at all. But if you think the Uchiha clan's current situation is their own fault and that the Hokage Building is fair and just, then it means you are very ignorant. If you change your mind and think that the Uchiha clan's further demands on the Hokage Building are reasonable, then you really shouldn't be a ninja. With that kind of brain, I'm afraid you'll dig your own grave."

After saying so much, Uchiha Shingen also felt tired, and he looked at Uchiha Itachi.

"Can you digest all of this I'm saying?"

Itachi Uchiha seemed stunned. Upon hearing Shingen Uchiha's words, he reflexively shook his head.

"It's okay if you don't understand. You can go back and ask your dad. Then just read more books. When you understand the relationship between your clan and the police department, and the relationship between the Hokage and the village, you'll be a qualified Konoha ninja even without graduating from the Ninja Academy."

Chapter Thirty-Seven: The Return to Ordinary Life