Uchiha Tonan stared at the arm under his head with a confused look and blinked. Then, he instantly woke up and sat up with a start under Sarutobi Hiruzen’s smiling gaze.
Looking embarrassed, he scratched his head and asked, “Hokage-sama, why are you here?”
Hiruzen smiled warmly and withdrew his already numb hand. He rubbed Tonan’s hair with his other hand and said in a doting tone, “You had a nightmare last night.”
Looking at the hand Hiruzen retracted, Tonan awkwardly lowered his head. He pursed his lips and carefully inquired, “Did I disturb you by any chance?”
Hiruzen shook his head, “No, I just got up and was worried about you, so I came in here to check.” Hiruzen hid the truth thinking Tonan was afraid of disturbing him. Sure enough, Tonan recovered his smile hearing this. He got up and put on his clothes. Then he folded the quilt and ran downstairs in slippers.
“I’m going to cook for you.”
Hiruzen chuckled and shook his head, looking at the neatly folded quilt.
Such a meticulous child!
Hiruzen thought over the situation at hand several times throughout the previous night. If it weren’t for the fact that Tonan was an Uchiha, Hiruzen would have wanted to take him as his adopted son.
It was just that if he tried to do that, not only would the Uchiha clan disagree but even the Konoha high-rankers that were close to him would object.
Especially Shimura Danzo.
After careful consideration, he finally decided to accept Tonan as his student. Perhaps, even he was not sure why he suddenly made this decision.
After a while, Tonan finished making breakfast and gently said, “Hokage-sama, please try the food and see if it suits your palate.”
Hiruzen scooped a spoonful of porridge and ate it. Then, he generously praised, “It’s very good.” Tonan smiled brightly hearing Hiruzen’s praise. While cleaning the kitchen earlier, he had paid attention to the manufacture date of the salt.
Hiruzen definitely wouldn’t make a special trip to buy these things. Usually, he would instruct an Anbu or the juniors of his clan to purchase them. And when these people would buy things for Hiruzen, they would definitely buy the best, with the latest manufacturing date.
According to his observation, Hiruzen wouldn’t come back to eat a meal at noon. He would just make it for breakfast and dinner. With all these little details, Tonan roughly calculated the amount of salt used in each meal.
He knew that Hiruzen preferred food with a heavier taste. Therefore, in today’s porridge, he put more salt than he usually would have. There was a saying that minute details differentiate success from failure.
Suddenly, Hiruzen stopped the spoon and asked, “Tonan, are you willing to be my student?”
Tonan’s eyes lit up and he looked very excited. Soon after though, his expression sank and he said, “Really? But I’m just a chunin, my capability is not strong enough. Your disciples are the legendary Sannin. I’m afraid I’ll embarrass you.”
Hiruzen sighed. He finally discovered Tonan’s shortcoming — inferiority complex. But it was true that people who lacked familial love would inevitably develop low self-esteem. Hiruzen put down the spoon and consoled Tonan, “Be more confident in yourself. You are much stronger than your peers. You are a true genius.”
Tonan raised his head and frowned. He thought for a bit and said, “But I heard people say there’s no genius in this world. The so-called genius is just a bit more talented than ordinary people. Only unrelenting perseverance and hard work can make people climb the peak. I would also agree with this statement.”
Hiruzen smiled knowingly and said, “Tonan, you’re truly different from other Uchihas.”
Tonan nodded lightly and stared at Hiruzen with the three tomoe Sharingan, “Perhaps, it’s because I’ve seen many losses and have been through much darkness. It was enough for me to in fact be drowned in it. But you guided me to understand the Will of Fire and dispel it. Hokage-sama…”
Hiruzen pretended to be serious, coughed lightly, and said, “You should change how you address me.”
“Sensei…”
Tonan’s voice was slightly louder. Anyone could hear the obvious excitement in his tone. Hiruzen got up, took out a scroll from his bedroom, and handed it over to Tonan, “This is my ninjutsu note, and there are also several compound ninjutsu I created in it.”
Tonan took the scroll and solemnly said, “Sensei, don’t worry. I’ll work hard to train, and do my best to live up to your expectation.”
Hiruzen looked at Tonan who had a serious expression and felt like laughing. He waved his hand, “Alright, I’m passing this to you. From now on, come here every night, and I’ll guide you in your training.”
“Okay, sensei.”
‘Ding!’
The smile on Tonan’s face was becoming even brighter. However, in the next moment…
… Gained Uchiha Miyo’s acknowledgment.’
‘Ding! Gained Uchiha Shinji’s acknowledgment.’
‘Ding! Gained Uchiha Jiro’s acknowledgment.’
Tonan slightly narrowed his eyes, but his face remained calm. Hiruzen finished the porridge in one gulp and leisurely stood up, “Alright, I’ve to go to work now.”
Tonan got up as well and accompanied Hiruzen to the courtyard gate. “Take care Sensei, be careful on the way. I’ll see you soon.”
After Hiruzen left, Tonan returned to the house and started washing the dishes. There was the sound of water splashing and occasional metal and glass banging in the kitchen. At this moment, Tonan’s expression was completely different from just a moment ago. He emitted a gloomy aura, leisurely washing the bowls and chopsticks. The impression of a bright young boy had completely vanished.
“Old Man, at such a critical time, you played this trick on me… Since you haven’t even awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan, I never thought to make a move on you. But since you are playing dirty with me, I can just test if I can use ocular powers to turn my Sharingan into Mangekyo.”
Tonan’s expression gradually became playful, and the corners of his mouth rose, making a smile.
Things are getting more and more interesting. According to the original work, Shisui can awaken Mangekyo. If ocular powers alone can’t evolve Sharingan to Mangekyo, then Shisui is indeed a good choice.
Moreover, Shisui happens to be the Great Elder’s grandson. I wonder how many tomoe will Shisui awaken if the Great Elder died. Even if Shisui can’t awaken Mangekyo now, Tonan still had the other Uchiha clan members who knew about his little games. They should all have the three-tomoe Sharingan.
“If they’re all killed, will it directly evolve my Sharingan to Mangekyo Sharingan because of overflowing ocular power?”
Both paths are broad and open.
From this aspect, the Great Elder revealing his truth didn’t seem to be a bad thing. Tonan, who had figured things out, regained his usual composure. He chuckled while washing the dishes and muttered, “It’s indeed true that anger only harms oneself. If I think from another angle, this is an unexpected pleasant surprise. Only by forgiving others, you can achieve bigger things.”
