I heard him sigh and say, "Your uncles are a pity. The village considers its image, they'll give some compensation, but if relations worsen in the future..."
"I'll write it down." Roy chewed on the bun, his taste buds awakening, savoring the explosion of "sweet" and "salty," and casually said, "Whether it's called [Arm Regeneration Technique] or [Limb Regeneration Technique], let my father take it..."
Fugaku's Adam's apple moved, he opened his mouth to say something but ended up nodding lightly. He accompanied Roy and Itachi, eating the buns, watching the azure sky, the clouds rolling and unrolling, the spring day bright and clear. After a moment, he said, "Roy, once you release this technique, the clan won't be able to hide it..."
A ninja technique that can regenerate lost limbs... needless to say for the medical team, but any ninja, whether they've experienced battle or not, knows... the immense value of this technique!
After all, ultimately a ninja must rely on their hands to form seals to connect with the chakra within and release techniques... even someone as strong as Orochimaru can't avoid this process.
In the original story, from the time he invaded Konoha and lost his arms due to Sarutobi Hiruzen's [Dead Demon Consuming Seal], he never stopped wanting to restore them, but once the soul is gone, it is gone, even if reincarnated into a new body, it has no effect....
Roy understood this truth deeply. He also knew that if any Uchiha who's lost an arm or a leg were to appear restored in front of everyone, it wouldn't be possible to keep it from Konoha. He simply finished his bun and smiled at Fugaku, saying, "The life of the Uchiha matters, and so does the life of Konoha. If it allows those disabled to return to the ninja path, even from another clan, I have no objection."
The young boy spoke openly, his words like the blazing sun, radiating warm light, reflected in Itachi's eyes... Itachi's small mouth was stuffed with buns, looking like a squirrel filled with nuts, softly called, "Nissan..."
Fugaku was caught in the middle, slightly stunned... he really was dazzling... He reached out and patted Roy's shoulder, "Rest assured, we won't give it away for free. At least, having this technique on our side, those who learn will remember our kindness in the future."
There's another sentence... Fugaku didn't say, if later the clan and the village truly fall out, this bit of sentiment may make the upper ranks somewhat apprehensive. When diminishing the Uchiha, they might reconsider a bit more...
"Hmm." Roy finished his bun, lay back on the blanket, leisurely soaking up the sun, beside him the light bent... Fugaku followed suit, lying down, reaching out to pull Itachi close, peaceably said, "I heard Hokage visited the school this morning."
Roy closed his eyes without speaking, after a while he mysteriously said, "I saw it."
Ninja School,
An old and a young man, exchanged a gaze through the clear glass window.....
Sarutobi Hiruzen, clad in godly robe, head covered with the Hokage cap, appeared outside the classroom hand-in-hand... immediately causing a stir and commotion.
The substitute teacher for "Ninjutsu" was Yuuji Yoshioka, an older middle-ranked ninja, from civilian origin, quite skilled in "Fire Release Ninjutsu", who got tired of battlefield slaughter and chose to go behind the scenes, nurturing talent for Konoha... hearing the commotion, quickly came out, not without excitement greeting Sarutobi Hiruzen, "Yuuji Yoshioka greets Hokage-sama."
"It's the Hokage!"
"It's Hokage-sama!"
"Hey... I didn't see wrong, did I? He really looks like the one on Hokage Rock!"
"Nonsense! That's carved to look like Hokage-sama!"
Seeing Yuuji Yoshioka bend in a bow greeting Sarutobi Hiruzen... a group of young ninjas forgot about classroom discipline, pushing tables, pulling chairs, surrounding Sarutobi Hiruzen.
In no time....
The empty classroom, in the last row, only Roy remained, resting his chin in boredom, silently exchanging a gaze with Sarutobi Hiruzen through the crowd.
"I came."
"You came."
"You seem not to welcome me."
"Should I welcome you?"
Silent communication through their gaze, sparking slight electricity....
Sarutobi Hiruzen moved, in his fifties, in his prime, far from looking old, with a kindly smile on his face, like treating his own nephews, withdrew his gaze, turned to look at the circle of young ninjas around him, patting this one, pinching that one, previously turning his head to ask Yuuji Yoshioka, "What's the lesson today?"
Yuuji Yoshioka quickly replied, "Fire Release,"
The old middle-ranked ninja approximately in his forties, constantly worrying over lesson plans, looked even older than Sarutobi Hiruzen, added, "Fire Release: Fireball Technique."
This was his most skilled technique and the one he could most proudly present.
Although it's the most basic D-level technique, not as advanced as the C-level "Great Fireball." But for... a group of students who aren't even genin from the ninja school, being able to glimpse "Fire Attribute" chakra and release it, even just a tiny flame, is indeed challenging.
Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded affirmatively, "Fire Release is good, this old man also excels in Fire Release. Let's go to the training ground, let me see... whether our young ninjas have made any progress."
"Yes," Yuuji Yoshioka with anxious heart, raised his voice, "Everyone, accept Hokage-sama's inspection!"
"Yes!" Without needing Yuuji Yoshioka's special instructions, some young ninjas were already eager to show off their skills in front of Sarutobi Hiruzen, after all... this is the Hokage, the ultimate goal every ninja pursues, and... an aspirational dream!
"Step... step..." Footsteps echoed, several self-proclaimed proficient "Fireball Technique" young ninjas stepped out, rushed ahead towards the training ground.
Yuuji Yoshioka followed the crowd, turned his head shouting at Roy, "Uchiha Jin, why are you still dawdling?"
Roy's clone, though not as powerful as "Taiyi" who's undergone [Flesh Clone] modification, nonetheless grasped one-tenth of Roy's strength... He leisurely got up, the last one to leave the classroom....
Sarutobi Hiruzen slowed down, deliberately walked with him, gauging Roy up and down, whispered in a voice only the two could hear, "Child, this old man never thought one day I'd be caught, you..."
"You're the first!"
[Telescope Technique]'s power is evident, alone from looking at Elder Gamamaru, who grew up alongside the Six Paths Sage, in Myoboku Mountain, using crystals as a medium, can observe the world without ever leaving home... even locating someone by a trace of their chakra shows its might.
Even though... in this technique's expertise, Sarutobi Hiruzen doesn't match Gamamaru who mastered "Sage Techniques", his monitoring is limited to Konoha... but just developing [Telescope Technique] independently without Gamamaru's guidance, earns him the title "Ninjutsu Doctor," not unearned.
"Hokage-sama worries too much, it's just coincidence." Roy with a cascade of black hair over his shoulders, walking leisurely... his words revealing composure...
His face as cold as Fugaku's, merely lacking much worry between the brows, with added calmness and... confidence,
Seeing... so starkly contrasting with peers...
"Ho ho..." Sarutobi Hiruzen with his cheerful gaze surprisingly didn't continue on this topic, teasing Roy like watching one's own nephew, "It seems, you don't get along well with classmates...."
Roy squinted, mirroring Sarutobi's smile, "You might've got that wrong. I receive a bunch of love letters daily."
"Oh?" The old man paused, looked seriously at the boy, nodded approvingly, "Indeed, if I were your classmate, I'd be jealous of you too."
"So..." Roy spread his hands, "That's the trouble of being handsome..."
"Hahaha....." Sarutobi Hiruzen's hearty laugh inadvertently raised the volume a bit, causing Yuuji Yoshioka ahead to frequently turn back.
The old middle-ranked ninja looked at Roy with surprise, then sneakily glanced at Sarutobi Hiruzen... He hadn't expected... this Uchiha boy could chat so casually with Hokage-sama, deeply imprinting this scene in his mind.
At ten in the morning, a great sun slowly yet determinedly climbed in the sky....
Sarutobi Hiruzen finished laughing, softly patting Roy's back, moved with the young boy, not without emotion he said, "Daily, I tell your father not to be so tense, but you—you're so unlike the Uchiha...."
The inherently dark Uchiha, yet nowhere near as bright as the young boy... that's something Sarutobi Hiruzen never anticipated—....
The two of them walked arm in arm, before long... the training ground came into view.....