Chapter 9: Is the Third Hokage a Good Person?
[Ding!]
[Question 3: How would you evaluate Hiruzen Sarutobi?]
[There is no standard answer to this question!]
[There is no punishment for answering!]
[In other words, whoever gives an answer recognized by the system will receive a reward!]
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[Uchiha Fugaku]: Hmph! Third Hokage! Let me ask you — how did the White Fang of the Leaf die? How did my Uchiha clan get wiped out? And why was Naruto, the son of a hero, treated like that?!
[Shimura Danzo]: Hmph! Your Uchiha clan wouldn't have been exterminated if you hadn't tried to start a coup!
[Uchiha Fugaku]: And why would we even plan a coup in the first place? Don't act like you don't know the answer!
[Tobirama Senju]: As expected, the Uchiha are inherently evil!
[Hashirama Senju]: Tobirama! Shut up! Let him finish!
[Uchiha Fugaku]: Tobirama Senju! In the end, you're the root cause of everything!
[Tobirama Senju]: What a joke! Me?
[Tobirama Senju]: Yes, I disliked the Uchiha clan, but once you became part of the village, I never tried to suppress or ostracize you.
[Tobirama Senju]: In fact, I created the Konoha Police Force and handed control over to your clan, so you wouldn't be excluded from the upper levels of the village's politics.
[Uchiha Fugaku]: I believed in the Second Hokage's judgment, but have you ever thought about what the police force's role actually was?
[Tobirama Senju]: Of course — to protect the safety of the villagers and maintain order!
[Uchiha Fugaku]: The idea wasn't wrong, but the mistake was that only the Uchiha were in the police force!
[Uchiha Fugaku]: Constantly enforcing laws made the villagers hate us even more!
[Uchiha Fugaku]: Over time, this built up mutual resentment. Our emotions affected how we enforced the law, and it became a vicious cycle!
[Uchiha Fugaku]: After the Nine-Tails incident, all fingers pointed at us. The long-standing distrust exploded!
[Uchiha Fugaku]: Under Danzo's push — and with your silent approval, Third Hokage — we were pushed to the outskirts of the village, far from the political center, and even placed under surveillance by the ANBU!
[Hiruzen Sarutobi]: I never gave Danzo approval for those actions!
[Uchiha Fugaku]: Hiruzen! You were the Hokage, weren't you?!
[Uchiha Fugaku]: If you hadn't repeatedly tolerated Danzo and kept compromising, Konoha wouldn't be in this mess!
[Hiruzen Sarutobi]: I…
[Fourth Kazekage]: Fascinating! Truly fascinating!
[Mei Terumi]: As expected of Konoha — always full of dramatic twists!
[Onoki]: The great tree that is Konoha has long been rotting at its roots.
[Onoki]: Isn't that right, Danzo?
[Shimura Danzo]: Hmph!
[Uchiha Madara]: Hashirama, this is the village you created?
[Uchiha Fugaku]: Since we're on the topic, I won't hold back anymore!
[Uchiha Fugaku]: Let me ask again — how did Sakumo Hatake, the White Fang, die?
[Hiruzen Sarutobi]: I regret his death deeply.
[Uchiha Fugaku]: And where did all that public condemnation come from? You expect me to believe the Hokage couldn't shift public opinion?
[Kakashi Hatake]: A close friend of mine once said — those who break the rules of the ninja world are trash, but those who abandon their comrades are worse than trash.
[Kakashi Hatake]: He was twelve when he said that.
[Obito Uchiha]: Some people have ended up only good at talking.
[Kakashi Hatake]: Obito! I'm sorry! I failed to protect Rin!
[Obito Uchiha]: Shut up, Kakashi! From the moment you killed Rin, you lost the right to say her name!
[Kakashi Hatake]: Obito! How do you know Rin died by my hand? Are you still alive? Where are you?!
[Obito Uchiha]: Enough! From the day Rin died, there has been no Uchiha Obito in this world.
[Rin Nohara]: Obito! Kakashi!
[Obito Uchiha]: Rin! I'm here!
[Kakashi Hatake]: Rin! I'm here!
[Rin Nohara]: Obito, Kakashi didn't kill me. I ran into his attack myself. Don't blame him. I'm just happy you're still alive (^_^)
[Obito Uchiha]: Rin…!
[Uchiha Fugaku]: Young people, let's talk about your business later!
[Uchiha Fugaku]: Third Hokage, what's your explanation?
[Hiruzen Sarutobi]: It was Danzo! Back then, White Fang's fame already surpassed the Sannin. Danzo always wanted to be Hokage…
[Uchiha Fugaku]: It wasn't just Danzo, was it? You wanted your own student to become Hokage too — that's why you let Danzo act as he pleased!
[Tsunade]: Old man? Is this true?!
[Hiruzen Sarutobi]: Yes, I admit I had that idea. I knew what Danzo was doing, but I never expected White Fang to die — I only wanted his reputation to suffer a little. I didn't expect it to go that far!
[Kakashi Hatake]: Sensei, take me with you.
[Minato Namikaze]: Sure! Go to Naruto's place first, I'll pick you up.
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[Uchiha Fugaku]: Let's talk about Naruto.
[Uchiha Fugaku]: As the son of a hero, you should know what kind of life Naruto has had, right?
[Kakashi Hatake]: Naruto's been living off instant ramen for years. Sometimes he even drinks expired milk. Compared to his peers, he's the shortest too! And who leaked that he was the Nine-Tails' jinchuriki?!
[Uchiha Fugaku]: Danzo, you have any idea?!
[Kushina Uzumaki]: You old geezer! Third Hokage, how do you explain that?!
[Naruto Uzumaki]: Mom! Grandpa Third was really nice to me!
[Naruto Uzumaki]: I eat ramen every day because I love it! And Grandpa Third often treats me to Ichiraku Ramen — my absolute favorite!
[Naruto Uzumaki]: As for expired milk, well… I don't really like milk anyway, so maybe that's why I didn't grow much…
[Naruto Uzumaki]: Grandpa Third even gave me pocket money — though I spent it all on ramen and paint, hehe…
[Kushina Uzumaki]: Why were you buying paint?
[Naruto Uzumaki]: Hehe, I'll explain that later!
[Naruto Uzumaki]: Also, Grandpa Third would have grilled fish and mushroom soup with me — not sure if the mushrooms were poisonous though…
[Naruto Uzumaki]: Grandpa Third is the person I admire the most!
[Kushina Uzumaki]: Hmph ♪ Alright, stinky old man, I'll let you off for now!
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[Uchiha Fugaku]: Hmph! Third, if you had stuck to your ideals, been less opportunistic, and hadn't indulged Danzo, you might have made a great Hokage!
[Uchiha Fugaku]: But I won't deny — you weren't all bad.
[Mei Terumi]: Seriously? You said everything already, what are we supposed to say now?!
[Fourth Raikage]: All that talking just for a reward. If someone didn't know better, they'd think you were standing up for justice!
[Uchiha Fugaku]: Can't it be both?
[Hashirama Senju]: Madara, this descendant of yours is quite something!
[Obito Uchiha]: And things are only going to get more interesting...
At the border between the Land of Rain and the Land of Fire—
Itachi stood beneath a tree, murmuring to himself:
"Uchiha Obito… Kakashi… A friend's Sharingan… A—"
(To be continued…)