Naruto: I am Uchiha Shirou-Chapter 171: Naruto: I am Uchiha Shirou []

Under the glow of the setting sun, the Hokage Rock radiated with a dazzling afterglow. Accompanied by the sound of footsteps, Tsunade and Shirou stood at the peak of Konoha, gazing at the village's magnificent scenery.

"Sister Tsunade, the Medical Division has already stabilized. If you take over the Intelligence Division afterward, to avoid unnecessary turbulence during wartime, we could first use our people to establish new intelligence networks...

The existing intelligence lines would only need to be staffed with secondary or less critical roles. This way, you could take control of the Intelligence Division as quickly as possible while minimizing any disruptions."

As Shirou's calm voice echoed, Tsunade stood beside him, her golden hair shimmering in the sunset's glow.

At this moment, Tsunade smiled faintly, a relaxed expression appearing on her face.

"You're skilled at handling political affairs, aren't you? It seems like you'd be a better fit to become Hokage than me, Shirou."

The sudden remark left Shirou momentarily stunned.

What? Is her thought process jumping off track? Are we seriously talking about the Hokage position now?

We were just discussing how to take over the Intelligence Division quickly.

Seeing Shirou's dumbfounded reaction, Tsunade simply smiled as though a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. Her bright brown eyes stared directly at him.

"Shirou, I'm serious! You're more suited to be Hokage than I am. You're more suited than anyone else!"

Shirou looked puzzled, unable to process her words.

Tsunade shook her head with a smile, turned her gaze to the village bathed in the sunset, and stretched lazily, squinting as she enjoyed the evening breeze of Konoha.

"Shirou, do you know who came to my mind when I saw the Third Hokage earlier during the meeting?"

Shirou was speechless for a moment, utterly confused.

"What! Sister Tsunade, you're acting strange!"

Caught off guard, Shirou struggled to keep up with her train of thought. But Tsunade's next words seemed to offer a clue.

"Hanzo of the Salamander!"

When Tsunade uttered that name, her smile gradually faded, replaced by a heavy expression.

"A man once revered as a demigod in the ninja world, a legendary figure who nearly elevated Amegakure to the status of the sixth great ninja village. But after his defeat in the Second Shinobi War, Hanzo gradually lost his way, straying from his original ideals."

After the Second Shinobi War, the actions of Amegakure—and that of the demigod—shocked countless people. Even within Amegakure, dissatisfaction with Hanzo grew.

The legend of the demigod, like a brilliant meteor streaking across the ninja world, quickly dimmed and faded away.

At this point, Tsunade's expression grew even heavier.

"During the Jonin meeting earlier, I saw a look in the Third Hokage's eyes that terrified me! Because the last time I saw such an expression was in Hanzo's eyes."

Hearing this, Shirou's mind began to race, and his expression turned serious.

"Sister Tsunade, are you saying that the Third Hokage is now like Hanzo once was, trapped in the glory of the past and unable to move forward?"

"Exactly! The pressure of public opinion this time is too great. What I saw was someone clinging stubbornly to the past, desperately trying to prove himself, hoping to return to the glory of his youth."

"He wants to prove that he's still the celebrated hero, the leader who brought Konoha to its peak prosperity. But like Hanzo back then, he's walking a tightrope on the edge of a cliff. One misstep, and he'll fall to his doom."

As Tsunade's somber voice echoed, Shirou fell silent for a moment and then sighed softly.

"This is the greed of human nature. People are never satisfied."

Hearing Shirou's comment, Tsunade shook her head, firmly rejecting his statement. Her bright brown eyes locked onto his, filled with determination.

"No. This isn't greed. This is a lack of willpower!"

Shirou was taken aback. What? My Tsunade, aren't you getting a bit too philosophical here?

Seeing Shirou's bewildered expression, Tsunade simply smiled.

"Willpower is belief. For example, my grandfather, the First Hokage, carried the Will of Fire, which was to end the Warring States Era and create a peaceful village where children could grow up safely. But what about the Third Hokage's belief?"

As she spoke, Tsunade seemed to radiate a newfound clarity, her presence under the sunset exuding a unique charm.

"The Third Hokage's Will of Fire is too hollow. It lacks a guiding belief, a core direction."

Shirou stared at Tsunade, feeling that she had grown in ways he couldn't quite comprehend. She seemed to have reached a level of understanding that now felt distant and unfamiliar.

Yet, the trust and charm in her gaze remained unchanged.

"Sister Tsunade, what exactly do you mean?"

He thought he might have a vague idea, but Shirou still felt uncertain. Everything seemed to be changing too quickly—this was the ninja world, but somehow, it felt like Tsunade had undergone an almost spiritual epiphany.

Under the glow of the sunset, Tsunade's smile became even more radiant.

"Shirou, your Will of Fire is filled with steadfast belief, just like my grandfather's. It has direction; it has a goal."

As she spoke, Tsunade pulled a red-covered book from her pocket titled My Struggle.

"My grandfather firmly believed in creating a village where children could grow up peacefully. He achieved that in his lifetime. Similarly, your belief, as seen in this book, shows someone who started lost but has been searching tirelessly...

And now, I see the determination in your eyes. Your belief in true peace lies in there being only one village in the ninja world. Don't deny it! Your book reveals the idea that if the ninja world had only one Konoha, there would have been peace."

As Shirou opened his mouth to explain, Tsunade shook her head and cut him off.

"Look at the village now. What is their belief? Just empty slogans shouted at the top of their lungs. But how will they protect the village? It's all hollow. All they care about is stifling the influence of powerful clans...

They see other villages producing talented ninjas, and their solution is to suppress them preemptively. There's no clear direction or belief—just chaos, taking things one step at a time."

Tsunade shook her head in self-mockery.

"Even I am like this. You want me to become Hokage, but my heart is just as empty. How should the village develop? What is the direction for the future? All I see is an endless cycle of war, recovery, and war again—never-ending..."

"But Shirou, your belief, even if extreme, is far better than having no direction at all. At least we can test it. Who's to say your Will of Fire is wrong? Even my grandfather believed he was right—so what was the result?"

Under the sunset, Tsunade's gaze grew even more resolute as she looked at Shirou.

"Right or wrong, you can only know by acting. Doing nothing and staying stagnant is the greatest mistake. My grandfather was right while he lived, but when he died, his strength was gone, and war returned. That proved he was also wrong.

That's why, Shirou, you're more suited to be Hokage than I am—more suited than anyone!"

Her resolute voice echoed under the setting sun. Looking at Tsunade's determined yet captivating face, Shirou was momentarily stunned.

When did I become this amazing? Even I didn't know. And when did my Tsunade suddenly become so philosophical?

"Sister Tsunade, the Fourth Hokage..."

Shirou awkwardly waved his hand while speaking, but Tsunade directly interrupted him with a wave of her own.

"Shirou! With the Senju clan backing you, you are the Fourth Hokage, and no one can stop that! Konoha cannot be allowed to fall into decadence under this group of old fools. The tragedy of the Amegakure must not repeat itself!"

At this moment, Tsunade was unusually resolute. In the past, such a thought would have never crossed her mind, especially given the Uchiha clan's Sharingan and their infamous extremism.

However, ever since she uncovered the secret of the Senju and Uchiha clans, her worldview had been completely overturned.

Are the Uchiha extreme? Then, the Senju, who share the same blood, are no different. If both are extreme, who can deny the First Hokage's remarkable achievements? Thinking back to her grandfather's steadfast beliefs, wasn't his resolve a reflection of the Uchiha's extremism?

Could it be that this kind of extremism is what builds unwavering conviction?

Someone extreme from beginning to end, steadfast in their beliefs, would never lose their way like Hanzō or the Third Hokage did in their later years.

Thus, Shirou being as extreme as possible was a good thing—it meant that he could carry out his convictions unwaveringly from start to finish.

Tsunade even firmly believed that Shirou was more suited to be Hokage than she was.

Shirou was momentarily frozen in place, only to be greeted by Tsunade rising on tiptoe to give him a kiss on the forehead under the setting sun. Holding the necklace on her chest, Tsunade smiled.

"With me at your back and the Senju clan with you as well, Shirou, let your Will of Fire ignite the entire ninja world!"

Wait, this felt a bit strange. Wasn't this supposed to be his line? How did the roles reverse?

Tsunade's perspective and vision had already reached the level of the entire ninja world. She realized that both she and the Third Hokage shared an empty Will of Fire.

"For the village? But how? These ideas are too vague."

This fear of becoming aimless, like the Third Hokage or Hanzō, led her to choose Uchiha Shirou—a man with a steadfast Will of Fire, much like her grandfather.

The First Hokage's life proved one thing: as long as your power is overwhelming, even if your path is wrong, you could still shape the ninja world according to your vision through sheer force.

Having a direction, even if flawed, was better than being lost. At least immense strength validated his beliefs during his lifetime.

As for what happens after death?

In Tsunade's eyes, she had already accepted a belief: as long as you are strong enough, even if you are wrong, you can suppress the consequences for a lifetime. Therefore, during your lifetime, that wrong becomes right.

It might only be half-right, but it was still better than achieving no change at all.

...

The Third Great Ninja War erupted, and Konoha's response was swift.

Defensive positions were quickly established at the borders, and the village remained on high alert against the other nations.

After the Konoha upper-level meeting concluded, the village publicly denied any involvement in the disappearance of the Third Kazekage. Similarly, they refuted all allegations regarding the Eight-Tails' rampage in the Kumogakure and the internal conflicts. They even countered by accusing the Kumo and Suna villages of being greedy and coveting the wealth of the Land of Fire.

Konoha took a hardline stance, not only against the Kumo and Sumo Villages but also openly preparing defenses against the remaining two Great Ninja Villages.

As the strongest of the Five Great Ninja Villages, Konoha adopted the posture of a roaring lion, exuding strength and dominance. In simple terms, Konoha feared no external threats.

When the intelligence regarding Konoha's hardline response reached the desks of the other Great Ninja Villages, they all reacted with grave expressions.

At Iwagakure:

"If they make one wrong move, they could face an alliance of the other four villages. How does Konoha have such confidence?"

When Ōnoki, the Third Tsuchikage, reviewed the intelligence from Konoha, he couldn't help but feel shocked, a deep wariness flashing in his eyes.

"Lord Third Tsuchikage, should we go to war with Konoha?"

"Yeah!"

Inside the Tsuchikage's office, two trusted middle-aged Iwa-nin spoke gravely. However, the cunning and experienced Ōnoki was momentarily intimidated by Konoha's firm stance, causing him to grow even more cautious.

"No! Let's wait and see!"

Ōnoki studied the intelligence with a solemn expression before shaking his head warily.

"Let the Kumo and Suna test Konoha's hand first. What could give Hiruzen Sarutobi such confidence? We cannot act rashly."

In his mind, countless scenarios about Konoha's hidden threats began to surface.

"Could it be the success of their Wood Release research? Or perhaps Konoha has a powerful hidden ninja we've never seen before? Or maybe they've secretly amassed a formidable force over the years?"

The endless speculation left Ōnoki feeling uneasy, his face slightly pale as he raised Konoha's threat level to the maximum in his mind.

While the other Great Ninja Villages were busy overestimating Konoha's strength, Konoha itself still viewed the other villages from the perspective of the Second Great Ninja War.

During the Second Great Ninja War, the Sungakure had been easily defeated, the so-called Sixth Great Ninja Village, the Amegakure, had been crushed, and the other villages hadn't even had the courage to engage in full-scale conflict. Who could blame Konoha for being proud?

Especially after over two decades of the Third Hokage's leadership, during which Konoha's achievements and glory had been endlessly magnified, the village had become blinded by its prestige.

As the entire ninja world's attention focused on Konoha, the village began mobilizing massive ninja forces to the front lines. Within moments, Konoha's war machine, comprising tens of thousands of ninjas, was in motion, stunning the entire ninja world.

This was the power of Konoha, the leader of the Five Great Ninja Villages!

Beyond the large-scale mobilization of ninja forces, Konoha announced that Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu, two of its advisors, would represent the village in peace talks with the Suna and Kumo Villages.

This mix of hard and soft tactics surprised no one.

However, under the cover of night, a specialized force of about 500 elite Konoha ninjas slipped out of the village.

Even Konoha's barrier team and patrols failed to notice any traces of their departure. Such a large and elite unit vanished without a sound.

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