Yes, the Hokage

As he spoke, he took out Jiraiya's book, "The Tale of the Rooted Ninja": "Take a look at this book."

This was a crucial tool in the original work for Naruto's successful verbal sparring with Nagato, and Fenglan had prepared it on the way here.

Nagato instinctively took the book and opened it, and Yahiko curiously leaned over as well. The two paused slightly when they saw the protagonist's name: "Naruto..."

“That’s right, Naruto, Nagato.” Feng Lan said seriously, “This is a novel created by Jiraiya based on you. He firmly believed that you were the prophesied child who could change the world, which is why he had such expectations.”

“Jiraiya-sensei…” Nagato’s eyes welled up with tears, and he choked back sobs, “So you’ve always believed in me this much…”

"So, do you still feel like you're not yourself?" After he calmed down a bit, Feng Lan continued, "You've always been you. Whether you've opened these eyes or not, you've always wanted to protect your companions and the prophesied child Nagato, who is also the one who protects the village."

"Mr. Fenglan... do you think so too?" Nagato murmured involuntarily, "Do you also believe that I can change this world?"

"Unfortunately, I am the same kind of person as the Second Hokage. We don't trust anyone and only look at the results."

Feng Lan's words made Nagato's heart tremble, but he then said, "But since Lord Jiraiya is willing to believe in you, I will do my best to protect you, help you control these eyes, and prevent anyone in Konoha from taking them away."

“This isn’t about trust… in my words, it’s about investment.”

“An investment…” Nagato murmured the word, then suddenly smiled. “Then, Mr. Fenglan, I will do my best not to let you down!”

Chapter 93 Times Have Changed

After a long talk with Yahiko and Nagato under the eaves in the rain, and watching Konan, who had recovered, take the two away, Fenglan breathed a sigh of relief and turned back inside.

The instant he turned the corner, he saw the First and Second Hokage leaning against the wall. Tobirama's expression held a mixture of admiration and apprehension, while Hashirama seemed to be thoroughly enjoying himself.

"Well done, Fenglan." Before he could even speak, Hashirama slapped him on the shoulder, the terrifying strength making half of Fenglan's body go numb. "You truly deserve to be the Fourth Hokage's chief advisor and the inheritor of the Will of Fire. With just a few words, you restored the confidence of two confused youths. Powerful, truly powerful!"

Clearly, Feng Lan's eloquent talk about friendship and bonds deeply resonated with the First Hokage.

"You little brat, you really know how to talk to people depending on who they are." In contrast to him, Tobirama looked coldly at Feng Lan, "No wonder Danzo couldn't beat you."

“Comparing me to Danzo is a bit hurtful,” Feng Lan said with a smile. “Personally, I think he can’t compare to me in any aspect.”

"He was more handsome than you when he was young."

"Forehead……"

Although he was annoyed by being overshadowed by the second Hokage's looks, the fact that the second Hokage would actually criticize him was a considerable gain. It seemed that Feng Lan's recent actions had satisfied him, since they had brought Konoha a lot of benefits.

So Feng Lan seized the opportunity and asked, "First Hokage, what do you think of Obito?"

"He's quite good, no, he's excellent!" Hashirama's attitude towards Madara is probably the same as Guo Jing's attitude towards Yang Kang—it's not that Madara has a problem, it must be that I didn't teach him well back then.

Now, seeing that Obito didn't turn evil even after activating the Mangekyou Sharingan, and could even use Wood Release to build rather than destroy, is something I never imagined when I was alive (because his Wood Release was too powerful).

The way he looked at Obito was probably similar to how Guo Jing looked at Yang Guo—this is my ultimate version of the loyal and courageous Kang Di!

"Big brother!" Tobirama knew what Feng Lan was up to as soon as he heard it. "He's an Uchiha."

"What's wrong with the Uchiha?" Hashirama's view of the Uchiha was completely different from Tobirama's, thanks to Madara's filter.

"The Uchiha clan could lose control at any moment!"

“Obito is different,” Fenglan interjected. “As long as Rin is still around, he will always be controllable.”

"What makes you think that?!" Tobirama's voice became stern.

[Based on my knowledge of the plot... well, I can't really say that.]

As Feng Lan was pondering how to respond, Hashirama spoke up: "Tobirama, do you know when I first met Madara?"

"Why are you suddenly bringing this up?" Tobirama frowned.

"The teachings we received from our father were always about the madness and evil of the Uchiha clan... but when we met that day, it was all just a waste of time." Recalling Madara, Hashirama's face seemed to be filtered through a soft light. "And then we..."

"Later he became the biggest threat to the village," Tobirama coldly interrupted his brother.

"He also became one of the founders of the village." This time, Hashirama did not back down. "He went astray because I... didn't have time to teach him how to live with this world."

[Ah, just like Guo Jing's attitude.] Feng Lan couldn't help but think to herself.

“But that child is different. Madara’s eyes only have power, but that child’s eyes... have someone else in them.” Hashirama had obviously noticed Rin’s presence as well, something Tobirama hadn’t, because he naturally viewed the Uchiha clan through a filter, the kind that makes them appear dark.

Tobirama paused for a few seconds: "You expect a child to judge the future? Brother, you're too naive."

“It is because of our naivety that we founded our village amidst chaos, and it is because of our naivety that we have Konoha today, isn’t it?” Hashirama smiled with relief. “Just like you said before, the village belongs to the living. I simply want to entrust my power to the living.”

Tobirama remained silent for a long time before finally speaking: "How much do you want to teach him?"

“Not much.” Hashirama spread his palms. “Teach him how to bring wood to life. What he lacks is not power, but someone to tell him how to control that power… just like Madara.”

"I've given up on you because you can't stop talking about Madara." Tobirama covered his forehead. "Fenglan!"

"I'm here." Feng Lan looked completely innocent, as if he wasn't the one who brought up the topic.

“That brat will become terrifying after he learns Big Brother’s skills.” Tobirama’s face became extremely imposing. “I need you to have a countermeasure. In case this guy gets out of control one day, someone has to be able to control him!”

This idea undoubtedly coincided with Feng Lan's: "That's no problem at all. You should have met my bodyguard, Uchiha Shisui."

"Use the Uchiha to counter the Uchiha?" Tobirama's eyes turned cold.

“I believe that only the Uchiha can counter the Uchiha.” This time, Feng Lan did not back down either. He and Tobirama and Hashirama had different views on the Uchiha. As mentioned before, the world is not black and white, but a delicate shade of gray.

Tobirama's lips twitched twice: "How do we counter this?"

"Shisui's kaleidoscope ability is called Kotoamatsukami." Although he said he would keep it a secret, Fenglan felt it was time to play this card to gain more benefits.

"They can even manipulate willpower... Even Madara couldn't do that... They really are the evil Uchiha." After hearing Feng Lan's description, Tobirama's first thought was, "Are you sure you weren't controlled by Kotoamatsukami?"

"Do I look like it?" Feng Lan smiled slightly.

“Hmm… indeed, someone controlled by the Uchiha clan couldn’t possibly be this calm.” Tobirama nodded.

“However, Shisui has already used Edo Tensei on Orochimaru. If we want to speed up the cooling process and reduce the side effects…” Feng Lan rubbed his fingers together.

"Are you kidding me?" Tobirama was amused by his amusement. "One Uchiha is one thing, but you're planning to inject your older brother's cells into two Uchiha with Mangekyou Sharingan?"

“This is the only way I can counter him right now.” Feng Lan spread her hands. “To be honest, Obito is already too strong. He’s so strong that no one except the Fourth Hokage can beat him. If this continues, the only one left is Kotoamatsukami.”

"Big brother, did you hear that?" Tobirama's brows were almost furrowed into a knot.

“I heard you, Tobirama.” Hashirama, on the other hand, seemed very calm. “That child is not Madara, but if you keep looking at him like you’re Madara… he will become Madara sooner or later.”

Feng Lan largely agreed with this statement. While the Uchiha clan's notoriety was partly due to their own actions, it was also inseparable from the suppression by the Second and Third Hokage. Ultimately, it was because they lacked the powerful strength of the First Hokage to contend with the Mangekyou Sharingan, especially the Susanoo, which is why they were so wary of them.

“Shisui is different from Obito.” At this moment, Fenglan also gave his assurance, “I have 100% trust in him.”

Although he had established a persona of not trusting anyone, he had no choice but to say something against his conscience in order to appease Tobirama.

Unfortunately, Zhi Shui happened to be passing by in the corridor next to him. Upon hearing these words, he trembled violently, and accidentally dropped the cup he was using for washing.

"Clang—!"

"Who goes there?!"

Because Tobirama and Furan were too focused on their work and hadn't used their sensory abilities, they immediately became alert upon hearing the sound.

Startled, Shisui instinctively turned and ran, not even having time to grab his water cup.

So when the three arrived, there was only a cup left on the ground.

"Holy crap, no way." Feng Lan was a little annoyed. Did Zhi Shui hear what she just said?

Tobirama stared silently at the cup on the ground, clearly recalling past events.

Hashirama laughed too. He knew what his brother was thinking. It was when he wanted Madara to become the First Hokage, his brother vehemently opposed it and, sensing Madara was outside the window, deliberately said many hurtful things.

When the two heard the sound and opened the window, all that remained outside was that leaf with the hole in it.

But now, the situation is different.

What was left behind was not a leaf symbolizing Konoha, but an ordinary water glass. The leaf was broken, but the water glass was intact despite being on the ground. Furthermore, the Uchiha boy did not leave in anger because he heard hurtful words, but because he was overwhelmed with excitement and bewilderment at being trusted.

"Tobirama," Hashirama said, looking at his younger brother, uttering that classic line, "Times have changed."

Chapter 94 Hashirama's Teachings

Nothing more was said that night. Perhaps sensing that Amegakure was now full of hidden talents, White Zetsu did not launch another attack.

The next morning, Zhishui hurriedly set off without even saying goodbye to Fenglan, which made the latter even more certain that her words from the previous night had been overheard, leaving her somewhat annoyed.

Obito went to the streets as usual to help build houses in Amegakure, but this time he seemed much more cautious, determined not to let Rin and Kakashi stray too far from him, so Hashirama didn't find a good opportunity to go over and talk to them.

As night fell, Rin and Kabuto were taken away by Tsunade for intensive training. Kakashi was also training diligently with Jiraiya. Although Obito was exhausted from building a house all day, he still silently practiced Wood Release. The attack on Rin by Hakujue made him crave more power. Since the advanced form of Susanoo might not even be able to withstand the Mangekyou Sharingan with Hashirama cells, then naturally he would practice Wood Release.

With the experience of building houses, he became more and more adept at controlling Wood Release, but sometimes he always felt something was off, a strange feeling of awkwardness.

This can be seen in the form of Wood Release. Obito's Wood Release doesn't have a single leaf; it simply kills branches. Although it can be used to build houses, it somewhat loses the vitality of life. The core concept of Hashirama's Wood Release is to transform chakra into life.

"Crack—!"

With a sharp crack, the piece of wood he was trying to control snapped in half. Obito frowned. He had tried to make the piece of wood more flexible, but instead, he lost its original sturdiness.

"Your chakra is too rapid." A calm and deep voice came from behind. "Wood Release isn't created by piling up chakra, but by drawing it out."

“First Hokage!” Obito turned around and saw the person who came, and hurriedly stood up.

"Sit down." The first generation waved his hand with a smile. Unlike Feng Lan's fake smile, his smile came from the heart.

He sat down next to Obito, palm up, and a tender green vine slowly emerged from between his fingers. It wasn't growing, but awakening, like a small snake just waking up from hibernation, slowly unfurling.

Obito's eyes flickered slightly; it was this feeling—this sense of life that his Wood Release lacked.

"Wood Release is a combination of water and earth chakra. Imagine your chakra as water dripping into the earth, rather than a fist that gathers together to try to break the earth."

Obito frowned and tried several times, but failed each time.

Hashirama wasn't in a hurry. He picked up the broken piece of wood that had fallen to the ground and said, "Wood Release is alive. Don't just treat it as a ninjutsu or a tool. Treat it as your good partner. It can help you attack enemies, protect your comrades, and you've even discovered its use in building houses, haven't you?"

"Just think of it as having a close friend inside you, someone you can call upon when you need them, and pour your feelings and love into them. I think no one understands how to love better than the Uchiha."

As he spoke, he demonstrated it again, and the wood he had created from Odotsu began to sprout new buds.

[They only used such a small amount of chakra...] Obito had already activated his Sharingan and was surprised as he watched Hashirama's actions.

"I'll give it a try too..."

He closed his eyes, and the image of the girl's smile flashed before his eyes. If Obito was to pour out his love, then the target had to be Rin.

Thinking of Rin, Obito's chakra flow softened, gently emerging from his palms instead of being forcefully pushed out, but flowing slowly along the warmth of his memories. He didn't follow Hashirama's guidance to imagine chakra as water, but instead treated it as a hand, gently stroking Rin's cheek.

Then, a miracle happened...

The vines sprouted from the palm of my hand, no longer dry and stiff, nor menacing. A few tender green leaves timidly unfurled from the nodes, like a newborn baby opening its eyes for the first time.

“This is… life.” Obito was stunned. Ever since he awakened Wood Release, he had been killing people. Even when he used it to build houses, it was only because he was following Feng Lan’s orders. But now, he deeply felt the life energy of Wood Release.

This feeling of new life is so wonderful, so different from death and killing.

"Your talent is truly remarkable." Hashirama smiled with satisfaction, his eyes filled with nostalgia as he looked at Obito. "Just like Madara back then, he could grasp anything at a glance, while I... sigh!"

"First Hokage," Obito asked after a moment of silence, "what kind of person was Madara exactly?"

After all, he was also a member of the Uchiha clan, so it was impossible for him not to be curious about this ancestor.

Hashirama remained silent for a long time, as if the question had pulled him back to a distant past. He didn't answer immediately, but instead picked up a dry twig from the ground and unconsciously toyed with it in his hand.

“Ban…” he began, his voice softer than usual, “The first time I met him, we were skipping stones on the river.”

"Skip the stone?" Obito was somewhat surprised.

"Yeah, back then we didn't know who the other was, or what would happen in the future." Hashirama's lips curled up slightly. "His skipping skills were terrible. I won, and he was very dissatisfied and said he wanted to play again, so we competed for an entire afternoon."

His gaze fell on the river not far away, as if the river was still there, and the shadows of two boys were still leaping on the water.

"Later we became friends, and then we became enemies." Hashirama's tone was calm, carrying the unique composure and vicissitudes of someone who had founded a village amidst chaos. "He was the kind of person who, once he decided on a direction, would never look back. He had conviction, strength, and enough reason to hate this world. But he also had a gentle side... it's just that he hid it too deeply, so deeply that he himself had almost forgotten it."

"Then why did he become an enemy of you and Konoha?" Obito couldn't help but ask.

“Because your Rin is still here, but his Izuna is no longer here.” A trace of sorrow flashed across Hashirama’s face. “So Madara can only pursue power, and when you use power, the first thing you think of is still that girl.”

Obito lowered his head, looking at the tender green leaf in his palm, the leaf gleaming softly in the firelight.

If Rin were dead... he didn't want to think about it, but such a thing had happened before. On the night he caught the snake, he really thought Rin had been killed. In extreme despair and rage, he awakened the Mangekyou Sharingan, and the only thought in his mind was to kill Orochimaru.

And what happens after Orochimaru is killed?

If Fenglan hadn't said "Lin is still alive" at that time, he probably would have stormed into the village and gone berserk, wanting to destroy everything he saw.

Was that the feeling Madara had when he left the village...?

Obito felt he was starting to understand Madara a little better, but understanding didn't mean forgiveness. No matter what Madara's reasons were, he would never let him get away with trying to hurt Rin.