"Let's go, Hasumi."
Sarutobi Hiruzen continued walking forward as if nothing had happened.
"Ah... oh! Yes! Lord Clan Head!"
Sarutobi Hasumi finally recovered from the huge shock.
He mechanically took steps, following behind Hiruzen, but his mind was a blank.
Was this the Uchiha clan?
The legendary proud and unruly Uchiha clan?
In front of the Clan Head, they were... so nervous.
Especially that Director Tekka. He had heard that he was an iron-fisted figure who kept his word in the Military Police Force.
But just now, he clearly saw that Director Tekka's back was soaked with cold sweat.
Lord Clan Head... what kind of terrifying prestige did he possess?
Hasumi felt that his understanding of the word "Hokage" had been completely overturned once again.
The two continued deep into the clan compound.
Along the way, the places they passed showed a strange peace.
The street they were walking on was basically empty, with only the rustling of the wind blowing through the leaves.
Sarutobi Hiruzen still maintained a leisurely posture of strolling in the courtyard, and said to Hasumi, "The Uchiha family's three-colored dango tastes good. It is said to be a craft passed down through generations of the Uchiha. I'll take you to try it next time."
He glanced at Hasumi beside him, who was as nervous as a quail, and decided to enlighten him a bit.
"Hasumi, do you know why the Uchiha clan respects the Hokage so much?"
"Uh... is it because you are powerful, Lord Clan Head, and... and led the village to prosperity?"
Hasumi answered uncertainly.
"That's only part of the reason."
Sarutobi Hiruzen said slowly, his voice exceptionally clear on this quiet street.
"More importantly, it's recognition."
"Recognition?"
"That's right. In the past, although the Uchiha clan was powerful, they were like a sharp sword hanging over the village's head. Everyone was wary of them, guarding against them. They had power, but no sense of belonging."
"Later, the village gave them this sense of belonging. Let them understand that flames, Sharingan, are not just tools for fighting and destruction, but can also be used to maintain the order of the village and protect the smiling face of every villager."
"What was given to them was not power, not wealth, but a home they could be proud of and willing to give everything to protect. Therefore, what they respect is not just me, but the Will of Fire I represent, which allows them to find their own value and glory."
Sarutobi Hiruzen's words rang in Hasumi's heart like a great bell.
"Let's go, if we don't hurry, we won't be able to see your captain's fishing skills." Sarutobi Hiruzen's voice interrupted Hasumi's thoughts.
"Ah, yes!" Hasumi came back to his senses and hurriedly followed.
The two continued deeper along the path paved with bluestone slabs, and the surrounding atmosphere became increasingly quiet.
The outlines of distant buildings loomed in the shadows of trees, and the air was filled with a faint scent of water vapor and fresh grass.
Soon, a sparkling small lake appeared before their eyes.
The lake surface was like a mirror, reflecting the azure sky and curling white clouds. The lake was shaded by green trees, and a few water birds strolled leisurely on the shallows. The environment was so quiet and secluded that it made one feel relaxed and happy.
Sarutobi Hiruzen's steps slowed down involuntarily.
His attention was completely attracted by the two figures by the lake.
By the lake, on two wooden chairs, sat two figures, one tall and one short.
The taller figure sat with a straight back, steady as a mountain, the hand holding the fishing rod motionless, as if merged with the surrounding scenery.
The smaller one seemed a bit active, two small legs swinging back and forth under the chair, turning his head to say something to the person next to him from time to time, seemingly completely unaware of the Hokage's arrival.
That was Uchiha Yagen and the young Uchiha Obito.
The wind by the lake was very light, carrying the moisture of water vapor, brushing against the cheek with an indescribable comfort.
Sarutobi Hiruzen stood under the thick shade of a weeping willow, looking at the two figures, one big and one small, in the distance. The fatigue accumulated from the complicated official duties seemed to be quietly blown away by this breeze.
How wonderful.
Wasn't this peaceful and tranquil scene the ultimate goal pursued by him, a transmigrator, bearing the title of "Third Hokage," fighting wits and courage with mountains of documents in the office every day, and shouting across the air with those "workaholics" like Danzo and Sakumo?
It was worth it.
Everything was worth it.
By the lake, young Uchiha Obito was swinging his two short legs out of boredom, his little head drooping. He glanced at his float motionless on the water from time to time, then at his father's figure as steady as a rock beside him, and finally couldn't help muttering in a soft, childish voice.
"Father, why aren't the fish biting yet..."
Uchiha Yagen stared intently at the water surface, his voice as calm as this lake water, without a ripple.
"Obito, fishing is like training, the most important thing is patience. If the heart is not calm, the fish won't come."
"But my heart is very calm!"
Little Obito puffed out his small chest, trying to prove he was patient.
As a result, his movement was too big, the chair under his butt tilted, and he almost fell directly into the grass beside him.
"Wah!"
He scrambled to grab the edge of the chair, barely stabilizing himself, his little face flushed red.
Uchiha Yagen shook his head helplessly. On his face, which had always been calm and reserved, a rare smile appeared.
This child...
Behind a tree not far away, Sarutobi Hiruzen took all this in, a gentle smile on his face.
The Uchiha Obito of this world, sunny, full of energy, and a little clumsy.
How wonderful.
In his mind, the tragic figure who was swallowed by hatred and dragged the entire ninja world into the hell of war for a false world flashed uncontrollably.
Two completely different destiny trajectories intersected in his mind at this moment.
Sarutobi Hiruzen couldn't help clenching his hands.
That's right, that's it.
What he wanted to protect was not only the prosperity of Konoha but also these vivid lives, the innocent and pure smiles on their faces.
Sarutobi Hiruzen signaled Hasumi behind him to stay put, while he lightened his steps and walked slowly towards the lake.
Without deliberately hiding his aura, like a passerby taking a walk after a meal, his footsteps rustled on the green grass.
"Rustle—"
Uchiha Yagen, who was observing the lake surface, suddenly activated his Sharingan.
In those pitch-black pupils, three scarlet tomoe emerged instantly, spinning rapidly, turning his head with a vigilance, locking deadly onto the uninvited guest behind him.
"..."
However, when his Sharingan clearly reflected Sarutobi Hiruzen's gentle face, the rotation speed of those three tomoe stagnated abruptly.