Facing the Hokage, Uchiha Shisui did not want to lie.
"I… I am feeling a bit uncertain in my heart…"
Sarutobi Hiruzen's face darkened briefly but soon returned to normal.
"Oh? What did that fellow Chiyu say to you?"
Shisui shook his head.
"Nothing more than some casual discussions. It's just that… some of his views aren't entirely without merit."
Hiruzen exhaled a ring of smoke. The swirling haze spread through the stale air of the Hokage's office.
"For instance?"
"For instance, what is war, what is justice, what is good and evil… Hokage-sama, Uchiha Chiyu seems to believe that our Konoha hasn't always been on the side of justice. He says we've committed acts of aggression against other nations in the past…"
Hiruzen's brow furrowed. "When?"
"The time with Amegakure."
Hiruzen let out a silent scoff in his mind.
However, his outward expression remained kindly, his tone growing all the more earnest.
"Shisui, I understand your confusion and doubts. In this ninja world, hatred spirals on forever, and a shinobi is merely a tool struggling to survive within it. Even so, there is something that surpasses all else…"
"What do you mean, Hokage-sama?"
"The Will of Fire."
Shisui hesitated. He had always believed in the so-called Will of Fire, but Uchiha Chiyu's words had rocked the calmness in his heart like a thrown bomb.
Hiruzen could see his wavering resolve.
"Shisui, have you begun to doubt the Will of Fire itself?"
"No, Hokage-sama. I would never do anything to betray Konoha. If it's for the sake of the village's peace and stability, I'd give my life without a second thought. It's just that…"
"It's just that you're not as certain now."
Hiruzen sighed.
"Where the leaves dance, fire endures. I often say this to everyone. Many people think it's empty talk—just a nice-sounding platitude. But in truth, it stems from the genuine feelings shared by the First Hokage, the Second Hokage, and myself, their successor.
"On the surface, the Will of Fire speaks of caring for the young, sacrificing oneself if necessary to protect the future of the village. But in a broader sense, it encompasses even more."
Shisui lifted his gaze, eyes filled with a thirst for understanding. He hoped the Hokage before him would dispel his confusion.
"The Will of Fire, if I had to sum it up in one phrase, is this: 'Everything is done for a greater good.'
"Elders who sacrifice themselves for their juniors, or shinobi who sacrifice themselves for the village—these are all manifestations of the Will of Fire. The First Hokage's goal in founding the village was to break down barriers so that individuals and clans would gradually merge into the collective whole of the village.
"In his vision of Konoha, there would be no clan distinctions or rivalry—just a big family of villagers. In the Warring States Period, you might be from the Senju, I might be from the Uchiha, and we would fight endlessly for the sake of hatred or gain, leaving the ninja world engulfed in war. Countless children never even had the chance to grow up.
"But after Konoha was established, the First Hokage sought to eliminate the rifts between clans. He voluntarily proposed discarding the Senju name so that the Senju could blend fully into Konoha. And indeed, his vision has largely been realized now.
"Of course, not everyone and not every clan has the breadth of mind or foresight that the First Hokage did. So, in present-day Konoha, there are still many issues and even grave hidden dangers…"
Shisui felt a shudder in his heart. He understood exactly what the Hokage was implying.
Konoha was jointly founded by the Senju and the Uchiha. Today, the Senju have long since faded into history, while the Uchiha have instead become a ticking time bomb, threatening the peace and stability of the entire village at any moment.
The Will of Fire…
All for a greater good…
Shisui's heart trembled again.
Hiruzen sighed.
"If all clans could detach themselves from their own identities and standpoints, if everyone could truly view things from the perspective of the village, then Konoha wouldn't be like this today, and neither would the ninja world. But I'm not a saint, and I can't force everyone to be saints. Even the First Hokage himself could only lead by example—he had no power to demand the same of others.
"Still, I believe there will come a day… I truly hope…"
Shisui's mind gradually found calm once again. He spoke in a steady voice:
"Hokage-sama, I understand now. People naturally love themselves first, then their clan, and only then the entire village… But if someone's capacity is large enough, they can rise beyond the limits of their clan, looking at the bigger picture and the greater good from the village's standpoint.
"I, Uchiha Shisui, am first and foremost a ninja of Konoha, and only then a member of the Uchiha clan."
Hiruzen smiled in relief. He exhaled another ring of smoke, kindly nodding his approval.
"Good… That's good to hear. While it's true that the Uchiha have many historical issues, and in this generation those tensions have only grown stronger, I've never once believed there's no hope for a final resolution.
"The key isn't me; it lies within the Uchiha themselves—especially two people. One of them is you, Shisui. The other is…"
"Uchiha Itachi," Shisui finished with a small smile.
"Indeed," Hiruzen said with a nod. "He's quite special. Sometimes I can't even read him…"
"Yes, although still young, Itachi already thinks like a Hokage. He can set aside clan boundaries and focus on the village as a whole. With both of you here, I'm convinced that no matter how complicated or intense the problems facing the Uchiha might be, one day a peaceful solution will be found."
A look of longing filled Shisui's eyes.
"I believe in that day as well…"
Hiruzen chuckled softly.
"As for the grandiose topics Chiyu mentioned—major nations versus minor nations, war and peace, justice and injustice… those are even bigger matters. Precisely because they're so vast, they become intangible.
"If, one day, every person could set aside their own village and view everything from the perspective of the entire ninja world, then perhaps all conflicts might indeed be resolved. But…
"At least within any foreseeable timeline, that's not possible. When the First Hokage created Konoha, his aim was to end clan rivalries. And during the First Five Kage Summit, he said that perhaps one day, the five great nations and the five major villages might put aside their mutual suspicions. On that day, true peace would arrive. But even he knew that was an infinitely distant dream.
"All we can do is keep moving forward, step by step. You and I, as well as that child Itachi—we've managed to look beyond clan boundaries and consider things from the perspective of the village. That alone makes us more enlightened than most. But we shouldn't take steps that are too large. Each era has its own limits, its own duties. We just need to do what we can in our own time…
"The things Chiyu says sound dignified, but they're empty—like a castle in the air. You can listen, but don't take it too seriously."
Shisui let out a long breath, a bright smile returning to his face.
"Understood, Hokage-sama. I see it clearly now…"
Hiruzen nodded in satisfaction.
"That's good. Very good…"
Still, Shisui added, "But Hokage-sama, regarding Uchiha Chiyu… He uses such extreme methods to fulfill what he considers his brand of justice, and some villagers do seem to support him. What do you make of that?"