What shocked Arima even more was the expression on Hiruzen's face — there was a trace of warmth and kindness.
Arima's mind raced, quickly running through countless possibilities.
But for now, the most important thing was to maintain his facade.
He knew very well — this was an opportunity.
If the conversation went well, his life in Konoha might become just a little bit easier.
Excited, Arima tried to sit up from the bed. "Lord Hokage… what brings you here?"
Hiruzen immediately stepped forward, gently pressing him back down. "You're still injured. Don't push yourself — get some rest."
Arima's eyes turned slightly red, as if deeply moved. He choked out, "Thank you, Lord Hokage…"
Hiruzen sat in the chair by the bed and let out a sigh. "Arima… you've suffered a lot over the years."
Hearing this, Arima bit his lip. Tears slipped from the corners of his eyes — as if from a lifetime of grievance.
Looking at the tears on his face, Hiruzen asked softly, "Arima… do you resent Konoha?"
Arima quickly shook his head. "How could I resent Konoha? It was my father and mother who defected — not me. The village was kind enough to take in the son of traitors. For that, I'm already extremely grateful. Before she died, my mother made me promise… to atone for their sins and repay the village. I would never hate Konoha!"
Hiruzen said nothing in response. His expression remained unchanged, unreadable.
After watching Arima for a moment, he asked again, "Then… do you hate the Uchiha?"
Arima's expression instantly darkened. He gritted out the word: "Hate."
"My parents betrayed Konoha because of the Uchiha clan's arrogance and interference — they tried to stop them from being together. After I returned to the village, the clan refused to acknowledge me — and worse, they humiliated me, calling me a half-breed.
Because of them, even the villagers despise me.
It's not like I ever wanted to be an Uchiha. They don't acknowledge me, and I don't care to acknowledge them either. But they still treated me like filth… and made me an outcast in this village.
Everything — all of it — is because of the Uchiha!"
This time, Hiruzen's expression finally shifted.
He let out another sigh. "Arima… I've always felt guilty about your situation. I may be the Hokage, but even I can't easily intervene in the Uchiha's internal affairs. I hope you can understand that.
That said… I'd like to offer you a choice. You can return to the Uchiha clan — become one of them, officially. Would you be willing to do that?"
Hiruzen looked at him closely, his eyes sharp.
But Arima didn't hesitate for a second. "I'm sorry, Lord Hokage. I refuse."
Hiruzen narrowed his eyes slightly. "Why?"
Arima answered firmly, "I won't grovel just to be accepted by the Uchiha. Even if I use your authority to rejoin them, it won't change how things are for me now."
Hiruzen frowned. "But if you were officially part of the clan, at the very least, the villagers might stop looking down on you. Your quality of life would improve. Don't you want that?"
Arima responded stubbornly, "I know exactly why the villagers hate me — it's because of my Uchiha blood. The clan uses their position in the Konoha Military Police to throw their weight around, and that's made them despised by nearly everyone in the village.
If I rejoin them now, maybe the villagers would stop insulting me to my face — but deep down, they'd still scorn me…"
Hiruzen suddenly interrupted, his tone serious. "Careful what you say. The Uchiha Police Force was founded by the Second Hokage. The Uchiha clan has contributed to Konoha — as a member of this village, you mustn't slander a clan that has made sacrifices for its sake."
Inwardly, Arima scoffed.
This old fox… If I didn't already know how troubled he was about the Uchiha, I might've actually believed he was defending them.
He could tell Hiruzen was putting on an act.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have specifically mentioned the Second Hokage founding the police force — or use phrases like "as a member of this village."
Arima spoke with resolve, "Lord Hokage, I don't want to join the Uchiha. I want to become a ninja and serve Konoha — to atone for my parents' crimes, and to prove myself through my own strength.
I want the villagers to see that I, Arima, am not one of the Uchiha… and not a traitor either. I'm a loyal shinobi of the Hidden Leaf. Nothing more, nothing less!"
Hiruzen nodded with satisfaction. "Earning the villagers' approval… that's a formidable task. Are you ready for the hardship, Arima?"
Arima's gaze was resolute. "I'm ready, Lord Hokage."
Hiruzen looked at him like one would a promising young man. "Good. I believe you can do it, Arima.
Since you don't wish to join the Uchiha, I won't press the matter. But your current home is too far from the academy. Once you're discharged, I'll have you relocated to a place closer to the school. That way, it'll be easier for you to attend classes."
Tears welled up in Arima's eyes once more. "Thank you, Lord Hokage."
Inside, though, Arima exhaled a long breath of relief.
Talking to this old fox is exhausting.
He opened with that direct question: "Do you hate Konoha?" What was Arima supposed to say?
If he'd answered "yes," he probably wouldn't have lived to see the next day.
This wasn't the gentle, elderly Hiruzen of later years — this was Hiruzen in his prime, and there was no way his methods were going to be gentle.
Then he asked if Arima hated the Uchiha. Arima was sure that if he'd answered "no," Hiruzen would have lost all trust in him.
After all, how could anyone not hate the clan responsible for turning them into a village-wide pariah?
But by saying he did hate them, Arima could steer the conversation toward showing loyalty — proving to Hiruzen that he wanted to be a ninja of Konoha, not a member of the Uchiha.
It was the perfect answer.
As for the "offer" to join the Uchiha? Arima saw right through it. Nonsense.
Hiruzen was just testing his true intentions.
Now that he'd been promised a new home near the academy, it was clear — Hiruzen had basically accepted him.
If everything went as expected, once Arima graduated and became a ninja, he'd be considered part of the Hokage faction.
Even if the villagers and the Uchiha continued to discriminate against him, he wouldn't be left to rot on the sidelines.
Because even in the ninja world — connections mattered.
.