From the Navy Admiral to the Gotei 13

After a while, Uchiha Itachi suddenly said, "How many wars has Sandaime-sama participated in?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen smiled, his eyes filled with reminiscence. After a while, he said, "Many times, big and small. If you ask me to count, I really can't remember. However, I have participated in all three Ninja World Wars." Uchiha Itachi nodded and then asked, "In the eyes of the Sandaime-sama, what does war represent?"

"We lose our relatives, friends, teachers, and companions who used to eat and drink together. Their lives will be ruthlessly taken away on the battlefield and turned into corpses. The originally peaceful village will become ruins. No matter whether it is the party that started the war or the party that passively accepted the war, in the end, both will become scarred and become criminals. When I reach my age, I will occasionally be awakened by nightmares at night. In my mind, those dead companions whose faces I should have forgotten will whisper in my ears in my dreams, asking me when I will go to accompany them..." Sarutobi Hiruzen said calmly.

"So, Lord Sandaime also hates war, right?" Uchiha Itachi asked again.

"Are you asking about me as the Hokage, or me as Sarutobi Hiruzen?" Sarutobi Hiruzen asked back.

"Ask them all." Uchiha Itachi said without hesitation.

"As Sarutobi Hiruzen, I am a coward. I can tell you frankly, Itachi, I am afraid of war and don't want to go to any battlefield at all, so I have a heartfelt aversion to war." Sarutobi Hiruzen said softly.

"What about you, the Hokage?" Uchiha Itachi said after a moment of silence.

"I also hate war. I have always believed that a Kage who likes to use war to solve problems is not a qualified Kage. As the Hokage, I bear the responsibility of the entire village. It is very easy for me to sign the war documents. I only need to write a few words on paper. But after that, the whole village will be involved. My dear subordinates, the village I love, and the people I value may lose everything in this war. As the Hokage, how can I not hate war?" Sarutobi Hiruzen said.

But this time, before Uchiha Itachi could speak again, Sarutobi Hiruzen suddenly said in a deep voice, "But sometimes, war is inevitable. When it comes to the final step, no matter who becomes Hokage, they should not and cannot fear war! When necessary, I can also start a war with my own hands."

Uchiha Itachi was silent for a long time this time, as if he was thinking about something, and then he said softly: "I see."

Sarutobi Hiruzen took a sip of tea, looked at Uchiha Itachi and asked, "So, Itachi, what about you?"

"I hate war." Uchiha Itachi said calmly.

"Really? It's fine." Sarutobi Hiruzen didn't ask any further questions, just smiled.

The two of them drank tea quietly again, and the atmosphere gradually became a little depressing.

About five or six minutes later, Uchiha Itachi suddenly spoke again: "Sandaime-sama, I read a sentence in a book, which goes, 'It's better to cry together than to cry all the way.' What do you think, Sandaime-sama?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen listened to this with a dazed look in his eyes, as if he remembered his meeting with Diarmait a few days ago.

Uchiha Itachi stared at Sarutobi Hiruzen, but found that the Hokage was distracted?

But he didn't urge anything, just watched quietly.

After a long moment, Sarutobi Hiruzen came back to his senses and whispered, "I have a good friend. A few days ago, we discussed a similar issue. He said that the phrase he hated most in books was 'We took some detours.' Do you know what that means?"

Uchiha Itachi frowned slightly, shook his head in confusion and said, "I don't know."

"I didn't know at first, but he later told me that these few short words might represent the sorrow of an era, a 'detour' that might have cost tens of thousands, or even more, of people the price of bearing the weight. Seeing and hearing this, don't you feel that the book in your hand has become much heavier?" asked Sarutobi Hiruzen.

Uchiha Itachi's eyes flashed with confusion and understanding. After a long moment, he nodded and said, "Now, I also hate this sentence."

"Yes." Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded, then he added: "But in books, there is often another sentence called 'We failed'. The heaviness behind these words may be even more unacceptable, Itachi."

Uchiha Itachi's expression kept changing. He was thinking about Sarutobi Hiruzen's words and the logic behind them.

"Just as you asked just now, it's better for one family to cry than for everyone to cry. This is really a cruel question, especially when you ask it in front of me, the Hokage." Sarutobi Hiruzen said with a self-deprecating smile.

Uchiha Itachi was silent, then he sighed and said, "I'm sorry, Sandaime-sama."

"To me, it's like, facing the two choices of 'we took some detours' and 'we failed', Itachi, as Hokage, what is the heavy burden on your shoulders?" Sarutobi Hiruzen asked.

Uchiha Itachi, when he was very young, Sarutobi Hiruzen saw his unusualness and thought that he was a little guy with the thinking of Hokage.

And now, Uchiha Itachi also understood what Sarutobi Hiruzen said.

"The heavy responsibility on our shoulders is to carry the heaviness behind 'we took some detours', and to prevent the words 'we failed' from appearing in the book, right?" Uchiha Itachi answered with some pain in his heart, but also some relief.

"That's why I always tell people that you are very smart and maybe if you have the chance, you should become Hokage, Itachi." Sarutobi Hiruzen said softly.

...Asking for flowers Uchiha Itachi did not speak again. Looking at the reflection in the teacup in his hand, his eyes slowly changed from hesitation and confusion to determination.

"If one family cries, how about crying all together...ah." Sarutobi Hiruzen stood up, holding the teacup, walked to the window, looked out at the night, and whispered softly: "The world... is really cruel."

"Sir Sandaime, I met someone in Konoha today." Uchiha Itachi's eyes cleared up, and then he looked at the back of Sarutobi Hiruzen by the window and said.

Sarutobi Hiruzen turned around with his teacup in hand and asked in a deep voice, "Who is it?"

"Back then, there was the masked man who called himself Uchiha Madara and started the Nine-Tails Rebellion in Konoha." Uchiha Itachi said in a deep voice.

Sarutobi Hiruzen's eyes flashed, and he continued, "He's also in Konoha? About Shisui?"

"I asked, but it doesn't seem to be him." Uchiha Itachi said.

Then, before Sarutobi Hiruzen could speak, Uchiha Itachi continued, "He seems to know a lot of Konoha's secrets, and he invited me to be his companion. And, from what I know, he's also coming for the Uchiha clan."

"Uchiha?" Sarutobi Hiruzen frowned, and then he seemed to have thought of something.

Damn it, that bastard Diarmait, when he said outsourcing, could he be outsourcing it to this Uchiha Madara?

Combined with the context of Diarmait's words at the time, the more Sarutobi Hiruzen thought about it, the more he felt that this was the case.

You are such a fucking genius!

But on second thought, it seems that this guy is really suitable to do this job, the perfect scapegoat.

After all, he already has a grudge against Konoha... and now he's annihilating the Uchiha. Alas, does that seem reasonable?

Uchiha Itachi didn't know what Sarutobi Hiruzen was thinking, so he continued, "The questions I asked just now have made me understand your answer, Sandaime-sama. So now it seems that Shimura Danzo's contact with me must have been tacitly approved by Sandaime-sama, right?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen finally came back to his senses and looked at Uchiha Itachi, facing Uchiha Itachi's clear gaze.

Sarutobi Hiruzen closed his eyes with a slight shame. After a long time, he opened them, looked seriously into Uchiha Itachi's eyes, and said in a very serious tone: "It's me." After getting this answer, Uchiha Itachi put on a smile on his face, shook his head and said: "Is this the Hokage? You have worked hard." Sarutobi Hiruzen was stunned for a moment, and looked at Uchiha Itachi with even more shame.

"Compared to you, I'm nothing, Itachi." Sarutobi Hiruzen turned his head to the window again.

Uchiha Itachi did not respond, but continued: "Today, I have already got the answer from you. I will accept this task, but Lord Sandaime, I only have one request." "You say." Sarutobi Hiruzen said.

"My Odoudou, Uchiha Sasuke..." Uchiha Itachi paused for a moment, then said, "I'll leave him to you." "Konoha will protect him." Sarutobi Hiruzen said softly.

Although the voice was soft, the tone was firm.

At least, at least before Sarutobi Hiruzen died, it was true that Uchiha Sasuke lived safely in Konoha.

"Thank you, Sandaime-sama. After completing the mission, I will definitely become a rebel ninja. I will join the organization that the masked man belongs to and become one of them to investigate the conspiracy behind this for Konoha." Uchiha Itachi said again.

Sarutobi Hiruzen did not speak this time, but looked at the moon outside the window for a long time without saying a word.

At this time, Uchiha Itachi also put down the teacup in his hand, leaving only some residue in it. He stood up from the sofa, took a last look at Sarutobi Hiruzen's back, and said softly: "Please take care, Lord Sandaime." After that, Uchiha Itachi walked to the door, opened the door, and walked out.

Sarutobi Hiruzen, on the other hand, remained silent, and did not even turn around to look back.

e

Chapter 659: The Night of Genocide: The Beginning.

The next afternoon, Diarmuid and Hinata Hiashi went to Ichiraku Ramen to eat ramen.

I just finished the soup in my bowl.

A masked ninja suddenly appeared behind the two of them.

Diarmait slowly put down the bowl in his hand. Before he could speak, the ninja standing behind them said, "Master Diarmait, Master Danzo asked me to inform you that the operation will begin tonight."

Diarmuid smacked his lips and said, "Tell Danzo I understand."

"Yes." The ninja responded, and then disappeared with a whoosh.

Hinata Hiashi also put down the bowl of noodles in his hand at this time, and then said with some emotion: "It seems that today is the day."

Originally, with Hinata Hiashi's identity, he shouldn't know these things, after all, they are too sensitive.

He is the patriarch of the Hyuga clan. When he knew that the Uchiha clan was wiped out by the village, he must have had some bad thoughts in his mind.

But since Diarmait was his good friend, he couldn't hide this kind of thing, so on that day, Sarutobi Hiruzen spoke openly about it.

"You are not required to participate in what happens next. Let's just pretend nothing happened today. Let's go back." Diarmuid took out some banknotes from his sleeve and placed them on the table.

Soon, Diarmuid and Hyuga Hiashi returned to the Hyuga family.

On the other side, in Konoha's ninja school.

Kakashi pushed open the door of the teacher's office, then looked at the person inside and said, "Iruka."

"Ah, Kakashi-senpai." Umino Iruka stood up and greeted Kakashi after seeing him.

Kakashi nodded at him and said, "I have something to tell you."

Seeing this, Iruka didn't think much about it and walked out directly. The two of them quickly came to the corner of the stairs.

"What's wrong? Kakashi-senpai." asked Umino Iruka.

Iruka is a little bit younger than Kakashi, but Kakashi skipped a grade and soon became a Jonin or something, while Iruka is a Chunin, so he usually calls Kakashi 'senpai'.

But in fact, the relationship between the two is not very good, but it is also good.

Iruka has always wanted to be friends with Kakashi, but Kakashi is a bit autistic now.

Basically in Konoha, apart from Might Guy who can be considered his friend, the rest are at the level of "colleagues".

"I have a mission for you." Kakashi said.

Iruka???

"Me?" Iruka was a little confused and a little bit incredulous.

I'm just a Chunin teacher, working as a civil servant in Konoha to make a living.

How come there is still a task?

That’s right, in Iruka’s impression, the concept of missions has not existed for a long time. Since he became a teacher, he has never come into contact with any missions.

"Yes, but it's not a big deal. You know that the village has been checking some suspicious people these days, right?" Kakashi said.

"Yeah, I know a little." Iruka nodded.

Didn't you see that everyone entering and leaving Konoha was checked? Of course he knew.

"There will be some actions tonight. A group of vicious guys have sneaked into Konoha. In order to ensure the safety of the students, after school, you have to keep all the lower grade students in the school and wait for the next instructions. Do you understand?" Kakashi said in a deep voice.

Iruka breathed a sigh of relief. That's it?

"No problem," Iruka said quickly.

"Okay, then I'll leave it to you. I have something else to do, so I'll leave first." Kakashi said quickly again.

Then, the two of them said their goodbyes quickly and Kakashi left the school directly.

Iruka looked at Kakashi's back and felt inexplicably uneasy.

Speaking of which, just like Hinata Hiashi, in the original story, Kakashi was actually impossible to be involved in this incident, but many things changed, and Kakashi accidentally walked into this vortex.

It was getting dark in the Uchiha clan's territory.

Another so-called clan meeting was held today.