Chapter 36: Encounter with Sasuke Again

The training for the Rasengan turned out to be easier than expected. Perhaps it was because Aoba was already a master of chakra control, but he completed the basic version of the Rasengan in just a few days.

However, when he attempted to incorporate wind release, he began to feel the pressure.

The Wind Release: Big Ball Rasengan was a jutsu on the level of a sage technique. Its power was immense, and there were very few people or techniques in the entire ninja world that could withstand it.

But the difficulty of mastering this technique far exceeded that of the regular Rasengan.

In reality, the Rasengan itself was already an S-rank jutsu. Even though it had been passed down, only a few people in Konoha had managed to learn it. Kakashi could barely use it, but he wasn't good at it, preferring his own Raikiri instead.

The ones who had truly mastered the Rasengan in Konoha were Jiraiya and, in the future, Naruto.

The Big Ball Rasengan was a further step up. Its difficulty level was at least SSS. Aoba aimed not only to incorporate wind release into the jutsu but also to fuse it with sage chakra, creating an ultimate technique with a decisive, crushing power.

At the very least, it had to be strong enough to flatten the Raikage in a direct confrontation.

Between his secret experiments and his ninjutsu training, Aoba's days were incredibly fulfilling. Sometimes, even Kakashi found it hard to understand.

Aoba was already so strong, yet he continued to push himself with almost obsessive effort.

"Don't tell me you really want to become Hokage?" Kakashi once asked.

"Heh, whether it's in terms of strength or popularity, I absolutely have the qualifications to compete for the position of the next Hokage. But listen to your tone, Kakashi. Even deep down, you don't actually believe I could become Hokage, do you?"

Kakashi found Aoba annoying at times because he had a knack for getting straight to the heart of things with just one sentence. Just like now, Aoba had voiced exactly what Kakashi was thinking but didn't know how to express.

How could Aoba possibly become Hokage? He had no connection whatsoever with the current Hokage's faction, and that alone meant he had no chance of assuming the position.

"Think what you like. I just feel like your views are a little different from what the Hokage stands for."

"No, Kakashi. My views are only different from the current Hokage's. But don't forget, if I were to become Hokage, then my views would become the Hokage's views. That said, I can answer your original question: I have no intention of becoming Hokage."

Kakashi looked into his eyes and then nodded. In a tone that was somewhere between relief and disappointment, he said, "I believe you."

"Do you? Well, I've answered your question. Now, can you answer mine?" Aoba asked.

Kakashi felt a bit embarrassed. His previous question was about what Konoha truly represented.

Kakashi wasn't lacking in intelligence—quite the opposite. He clearly understood the meaning behind Aoba's words. The question was, did the Hokage represent Konoha, or did the common people represent Konoha?

But at the moment, he couldn't provide an answer because he didn't fully understand it himself.

From the education he'd received, the answer should have been that the Hokage represented Konoha without question. But emotionally, he wanted to say that the common people represented Konoha.

The two answers swirled in his mind, but he couldn't settle on the best conclusion.

"It seems you haven't figured it out yet. That's fine. Take your time. Oh, by the way, the New Year is coming up. In three days, I've arranged for us to gather with Guy and the others for a meal at the Akimichi family's barbecue shop. Don't forget to come."

"Got it," Kakashi replied.

When Aoba returned home, he once again buried himself in his laboratory. But this time, instead of continuing his previous research, he started tinkering with a few small objects.

That day, while walking down the street, he encountered a familiar figure. The other person brightened up upon seeing him but hesitated, unsure of how to greet him.

"Hey, Sasuke, don't you recognize me?" Aoba called out.

The young boy was none other than Sasuke. No matter what, at this point in time, Sasuke was just an innocent victim. In Aoba's eyes, he was merely a pitiable young boy.

However, there was a reason Sasuke would later be called the "second stubborn one." This kid had a proud and stubborn personality, and with the burdens he carried, his character had already started showing issues from a young age.

From his perspective, Konoha's education system, apart from its effective brainwashing techniques, was basically garbage. There was no consideration given to Sasuke's psychological issues, which was why he couldn't blame Sasuke for eventually turning to Orochimaru.

Konoha's teaching methods, or perhaps the plans set by those at the top, were simply inadequate to satisfy Sasuke's growth needs.

Sasuke had been eager to meet Aoba again. Although they'd only interacted once, the tree-climbing and water-walking techniques he'd learned from Aoba were incredibly useful.

While Sasuke was proud, he wasn't stupid. After practicing those techniques repeatedly, he quickly realized how important they were for a ninja.

After mastering them, he wanted to seek Aoba's guidance again, but being the proud boy he was, he didn't know how to ask. Besides, as a jonin, Aoba was often out on missions, or locked away in his lab. Sasuke had tried several times to "coincidentally" run into him, but without success.

With the year-end approaching, Aoba had relaxed his schedule a bit, which allowed for this chance encounter on the street. The two walked together, chatting.

"Why aren't you in school… Oh right, school's out for the holiday. I forgot about that. At your age, you should be spending more time playing with your friends," Aoba commented.

"I know, but I don't have time. I need to get stronger, I need to…"

"Defeat him. Yeah, I know. But you also have another goal besides that, right?"

"…Yes. I want to restore the Uchiha clan."

Hearing such words from young Sasuke didn't make Aoba laugh. Instead, it filled him with a sense of sadness.

Konoha, Danzo, Itachi, Obito —all of these people were responsible for the tragedy, yet the burden was placed entirely on this child. He couldn't even imagine how Sasuke managed to fall asleep at night.

"Do you know how you'll restore the Uchiha clan?" Aoba asked.

"Uh… As long as I become the strongest ninja, the Uchiha name will naturally regain its glory."

"Is that really how you'll restore the Uchiha clan?"

"Isn't it?" Sasuke replied.

"Hahaha, alright Sasuke, let me describe a scenario for you. Think carefully about this. Imagine you achieve your first goal and become a powerful ninja. Then one day, you grow old and eventually die. What do you think would happen to the Uchiha name then?"

"…It would disappear!"

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