Chapter 115: The Hokage Debate

"From the destruction of the Uzumaki clan onward, Hiruzen's governance strategy was flawed. Or rather, he had no clear governance strategy to begin with.

Konoha's every change was reactive. Every time, he only tried to solve problems after they arose.

From a shinobi's perspective, this is understandable. But from a leader's perspective, it's unacceptable.

As a leader, seeking and consolidating power is inevitable, even a sign of maturity. A leader's first priority should be ensuring their authority isn't easily shaken.

However, this power struggle must remain within reasonable bounds. The bottom line is that a leader must never trade their village's interests for their own. The moment someone does, they're unfit to lead."

"Hiruzen-sensei always put Konoha's interests first…" Jiraiya protested.

"Uzumaki. White Fang. Uchiha…" Aoba calmly listed the names, silencing Jiraiya.

"The Uzumaki clan's destruction wasn't just Cloud's doing, it was a coalition of other villages. Konoha couldn't go to war with all of them."

"...Listen to yourself, Jiraiya. 'Konoha couldn't declare war on other villages'? If I'm not mistaken, the Uzumaki were Konoha's military ally, correct? Care to explain to me what a military alliance is supposed to mean?"

Jiraiya fell silent again, rendered speechless by Aoba's logic. The situation back then wasn't Konoha declaring war on other villages, it was other villages declaring war on Konoha's ally. That was the whole purpose of a military alliance.

Aoba didn't even elaborate on the rest of the argument. For example, Konoha could have avoided direct conflict, rescued some of the Uzumaki, taken their knowledge, and integrated them into Konoha.

Such actions would have bolstered Konoha's strength. Yet in the end, the ANBU saved only one person... just one.

In reality, it was after the Uzumaki's downfall that Konoha's dominance began to be frequently challenged. The reasoning was simple: "I destroyed your ally, and you didn't even react. Why not push further? Maybe I can hit you directly, and you still won't fight back."

Villages like Cloud and Stone likely thought this way, especially the Cloud.

Despite being a defeated party, Cloud saw through Konoha's weaknesses and openly provoked them, dancing on Konoha's metaphorical face. And Hiruzen tolerated it all.

It was a trait Hiruzen shared with Jiraiya, Jiraiya once said that shinobi are people who endure the unendurable. By that measure, Hiruzen was truly a master of endurance.

"And the Uchiha? They were planning a coup."

Jiraiya knew the White Fang incident had been handled disgracefully by Konoha. While the common people were unaware, Jiraiya, as a high-ranking figure, knew the truth. Even he had found it intolerable.

"Do I need to remind you, Jiraiya? Konoha's symbol is the union of the Senju and Uchiha, not Sarutobi, Nara, Yamanaka, Akimichi, Aburame, or Inuzuka…"

"...The Uchiha weren't fit to be Hokage. They're…"

Jiraiya stopped mid-sentence, realizing he didn't fully agree with the words he was about to say.

"Go on, say it. Repeat the phrase that's been whispered in Konoha for generations."

"…"

"Then I'll say it for you: 'The Uchiha are an evil clan.' Isn't that the phrase?"

"No matter what, they shouldn't have rebelled," Jiraiya tried to steer the conversation elsewhere.

"Then, Jiraiya, would you like to explain why the Uchiha wanted to rebel?"

Once again, Jiraiya was left speechless. He wanted to offer the usual answer but couldn't shake the feeling that something was missing, though he couldn't pinpoint what.

"Then I'll explain. The Uchiha wanted someone from their clan to become Hokage. But Konoha consistently refused. Why? Because the Uchiha are deemed an 'evil clan.' And so, we're back to square one.

Let me confirm something, Jiraiya. Are you sure the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, described the Uchiha in this way?"

Jiraiya remained silent. He had given up debating Aoba, though he was still curious deep down.

Part of his curiosity was about how Aoba knew so much about Konoha's secrets. The other part was about how Aoba would explain the issue.

"If you don't know, let me explain. The Second Hokage's full assessment of the Uchiha was this:

'The Uchiha are a clan bound by their emotions. On the surface, they appear cold, ruthless, even evil.

But once an Uchiha learns to love, the emotions they've suppressed for so long are released. When they open their hearts to love, they awaken power that surpasses even the Senju.

However, this overwhelming love has a side effect. The same love that grants the Uchiha their power can also cause them to lose control.

An Uchiha who knows love but loses it will have that love turn into even stronger hatred.

This process causes their personality to change drastically. During this time, the Uchiha's brain generates a special chakra that stimulates their eyes, transforming them into the Sharingan.

This is why the Sharingan is known as the 'eye that reflects the heart.' The stronger the Uchiha's hatred, the greater their power.

Because of their emotional sensitivity, awakened Uchiha are easily consumed by darkness, leading them to become what we call an "evil clan."'

That's the full assessment."

Aoba's explanation left both Jiraiya and Tsunade in silence. Tsunade, despite being a princess of the Senju, had little detailed knowledge of the Uchiha. This was the first time she'd heard such a thorough and specific analysis of the clan and the Sharingan's power.

Even Tsunade began to look at Aoba with curiosity. How could he know so much?

"Then why did the Second Hokage isolate the Uchiha by relocating them to the village's outskirts?"

"Because Tobirama was a competent Hokage. This goes back to what I said about power struggles. Don't forget, he took Kagami Uchiha as a disciple.

The Second Hokage was cautious of the Uchiha but never intended to destroy them. He understood they were an important asset to the village. Isolation was acceptable, but excessive pressure was not.

The balance he struck was a reflection of his leadership ability.

Hiruzen Sarutobi tried to emulate his teacher, but all he managed was a superficial imitation."

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