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It was dawn. The Second Hokage was just about to pack up and leave the Konoha base in the Land of Rain with the rest of the ninja when a hawk let out a sharp cry and landed on his arm. He stretched it out calmly, letting the hawk perch there while he removed the message tied to its leg. After reading it, he turned to the nearby ANBU and said,"Go get the Monkey."
Then, without another word, he stepped inside the house.
"What?! The Daimyō of the Land of Fire is dead?!"Hiruzen Sarutobi shouted in shock.
The Second Hokage nodded."Yeah. He was assassinated in his own bedroom just the other day."
"What should we do now, sir?" asked Mitokado Homura.
The Second Hokage sat in a chair, silent for a moment, then said,"Where there are people, there are rules—or maybe it's more accurate to say that rules are what allow people to exist in the first place. Under those rules, Konoha has grown and thrived. Under those same rules, the Land of Fire has remained strong and stable. But now, someone wants to break those rules. Of course I won't allow that. Sure, Konoha operates under the authority of the Daimyō, but that doesn't mean we won't act if needed. Those noble families in the Land of Fire are testing my limits. They want to see whose side I'll take. But they're all mistaken."
Then he stood up and looked at his three students."Monkey, you lead the team back to Konoha. I'm going to pay a visit to those idiot noble families in the Land of Fire. Anyone who tries to break the rules right under my nose is going to face the harshest punishment I can give."And with that, he walked out the door.
Hiruzen turned to the others, confused."Why is Sensei so angry? I haven't seen him this mad in a long time. It's just the Daimyō who died—what does that have to do with us?"
Koharu gave him a scornful look and said,"The Daimyō is our superior, for better or worse. He was killed in his own bedroom—that definitely concerns Konoha. And don't forget, it was our ANBU who were supposed to be guarding him. That means someone murdered him right under Sensei's watch. You think that's not a slap in his face? What else is in that head of yours besides peaches?"With that, she stormed off too.
The Second Hokage found Aki and said,"You're coming with me. Just the two of us. Time for you to see the real world."
Aki was still a bit dazed, but he followed the Second Hokage out of the Konoha base in the Land of Rain. Together, they headed toward the Land of Fire.
They traveled fast, crossing the border between the two countries in just four days. Eventually, they stopped in a small town within the Land of Fire. The Second Hokage looked at the slightly exhausted Aki and said,"We'll rest here for the day. We'll move on tomorrow."
"Thank you, sir," Aki quickly replied. "Sorry for slowing you down."
The Second Hokage chuckled."At least you know it. Grow up fast, kid. Who knows? You just might become Konoha's fourth great pillar one day."With that, he led the still-confused Aki into the town.
They sat down in a restaurant and ordered food. While they waited, Aki couldn't hold back his curiosity."Sir… earlier, you mentioned the 'great trees'—what does that mean?"
The Second Hokage laughed again."I thought you weren't going to ask. So, who do you think are the people in Konoha strong enough to be called trees that shield everyone from wind and rain?"
Aki thought about it for a while, then said,"The First Hokage, of course. He's known as the God of Shinobi and he built Konoha. He has to be one."
Seeing the Second Hokage nod, Aki continued,"You, sir—you created the ANBU, the ninja academy, and turned shinobi training into a structured system. Because of that, Konoha keeps producing talented ninjas and fresh blood. That makes you another one. As for the rest… I really don't know."
The Second Hokage added,"Uchiha Madara. A legendary ninja of Konoha. You probably don't know this, but the name 'Konoha' was something your grandfather came up with! It symbolized the bond between him and my brother. I won't lie to you—even now, I still have deep reservations about your Uchiha clan. I've never truly accepted your people, not even you. You might've felt it yourself. Ever since my brother died, I've kept you under my watch. You've never once been out of my sight."
Aki lowered his head and stayed silent. The Second Hokage took a sip of tea, then continued,"Uchiha Madara stood at the very top of the ninja world. His contributions to Konoha are countless—some of them even more impressive than what my brother achieved. Like the time he forced the Rock Ninjas into submission. That incident proved his strength beyond a doubt. He completely crushed the Second Tsuchikage and his student, breaking their will, and even indirectly caused the First Tsuchikage's death. My brother disapproved of his methods, but I fully supported him on that one."
Aki looked up, shocked. The Second Hokage noticed and said,"Surprised, huh? That's just the kind of man I am. If you mess up, I'll never go easy on you. But if you do something right, I'll never hold it against you either. Some people can't accept that, but I've never felt there was anything wrong with how I handle things. That said, my biggest regret is not standing firm against my brother and killing Madara when I had the chance."
"Sir… can I ask why?" Aki said.
The Second Hokage stared at him for a long time before answering."How much do you know about your clan's eyes?"
Aki answered,"Our clan's Kekkei Genkai. One of the two most powerful eye techniques in Konoha."
"That's it?" the Second Hokage said. "You've never heard of your grandfather's Mangekyō Sharingan?"
"Mangekyō? Wait… you mean there's something beyond the three-tomoe Sharingan?" Aki asked, puzzled.
At that moment, their food arrived. The Second Hokage gave Aki a look and said,"Eat first. We'll talk more after."
"Lord Mizukage, the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist have arrived."Seven Mist shinobi, each with their own unique appearance and wearing the Kirigakure symbol, appeared in front of the Second Mizukage.
The Mizukage grinned,"The future of our Water Country's expansion depends on you lot. I'm here, sure, but I want to see what you seven are really made of. Come on—let's go take the Second Tsuchikage's head. Let the world see the true power of Kirigakure."
After the meal, the Second Hokage and Aki checked into a small inn. In his room, the Hokage sat cross-legged on the floor.
"So, about what I was saying back at the restaurant—what do you want to know? We can talk now."
Aki sat down and asked,"What exactly is the Mangekyō? And what secrets is my clan hiding from me?"
The Second Hokage went silent for a long time. He was clearly struggling with whether or not to reveal these things to a child not even ten years old. But eventually, he said,"Let's start with how your clan awakens the Sharingan. It usually happens when something deeply emotional stirs within you. Hatred, anger, grief… whatever it is, it kicks off the process. First it's one tomoe, then two, then three. Right?"
Aki nodded."That's right. The Hyūga's Byakugan works in a similar way, doesn't it? Nothing too strange about that."
The Second Hokage shook his head."You're wrong. The real reason I'm wary of your clan has nothing to do with all those rumors about you rebelling or killing my brother. It's because of something much deeper."
He paused to gather his thoughts, then said,"You people are cursed."
"Cursed?"
"Yeah. A cursed clan. I used to believe the Senju drew strength from love, while the Uchiha drew strength from technique. But I was wrong. After years of research, I've realized—no clan has more love than the Uchiha. And that's exactly why they sealed it away."
Aki was confused."Wait—love? Sealed away? I don't get it…"
The Second Hokage nodded slowly."Once someone from your clan truly understands love, that powerful emotion can awaken a force locked deep inside them—one that goes beyond even the Senju. But the problem is, that same love can destroy them."
"But that's… a good thing, right?" Aki said. "Wouldn't that just make Konoha stronger? I don't understand…"
"You're wrong," the Second Hokage cut him off. "That kind of love is dangerous. It's too strong—and when it's lost, it turns into an even more intense hatred. The person who loses that love undergoes a total change in personality. I've seen it happen countless times. Along with that change comes a unique symptom."
"A symptom?"
"Yes. When an Uchiha loses their great love or is tormented by emotional pain, a unique chakra is released in the brain and fed into their visual nerves. That's what causes the eye transformation—what you call the Sharingan, or 'the mirror of the soul.' It amplifies the user's abilities in sync with their emotional state—but especially their hatred. Uchiha are sensitive, emotional people. When they feel too much, they fall into darkness. The darker their heart, the stronger their eye becomes. And once they fall far enough, they become monsters—just like Madara."
The Second Hokage looked directly at Aki."I've seen the love you have for your parents. The respect you have for your teacher. That's why I've kept you by my side all this time—because I'm afraid you'll one day fall into the same darkness as Madara. I wanted to end you before that could happen. If your teacher's wife hadn't sensed no evil intent in you, I would've killed you already."
He ignored the pale look on Aki's face and continued,"Your clan still has its uses. I won't wipe you out. Helping Konoha in whatever ways you can is fine. But remember—the village comes first. You understand me?"
The Second Hokage stared seriously at the silent Aki. After a while, the sound of funeral chants drifted in from outside. Aki got up, walked to the window, and looked at the funeral procession in the streets.
"So… this is the curse of the Uchiha Clan. The path of darkness."
The Second Hokage came to stand beside him. Neither of them said anything more. They just stood there, watching the scene outside in silence.
"....."