He murmured that to himself.
the Sandaime took a deep breath, then he exhaled the smoke, then he showed a cool expression.
Even if the Uchiha clan can’t afford to lose this one, it’s the Hokage word against them, they can’t just turn him off?!
Knock! Knock! Knock!
Just at this moment, a ninja knocked on the door.
“Sandaime-sama! Naito is here.”
“let him in.”
Just when he heard the name of Naito, his expression changed to a calm one, then he put the pipe aside.
Walking to the Hokage office, Naito took a glance here and a glance there, but without turning around, he went straight to Hokage desk gently.
“Sandaime-sama!”
“No need to be so formal, get up.”
Sarutobi looked at him with a smile as he asked: “How was it leaving in Konoha for all these years?”
“It’s been okay I guess.”
In fact, he wanted to add, that it’s fortunate that he’s still alive.
but he held back.
However, Naito finally said: “Well, as the Hokage of Konoha, I think you already know how I lived these past years.
“Understood.”
Sarutobi gently nodded, while his eyes showed a hint of appreciation.
He also summoned Minato before.
With only two simple sentences, he already knew how Naito and Minato thinks.
Although they’re only eight or nine years old, they are able to think like adults.
In this case, he doesn’t have to talk to Naito the same way he does with kids.
“I understand that, after all, you’re an outsider, and the conflicts between the villages are going bigger and bigger… Especially in recent years, we’re all in war after all.”
“Your village was in a conflict with one of the five great Shinobi countries, Sunagakure, and it got destroyed by them.”
he stopped, then Sarutobi looked at Naito, but he found that his expression didn’t change, extremely calm, he nodded, then he continued.
“Our people don’t see you, the children from the other villages, as one of us, and this is wrong,
you’ve been badly treated here in Konoha, I know this.”
Sarutobi saw the amiability on Naito’s face
“You will not get the same treatment in the future.”
Listening to Sarutobi words, Naito knew that these words were from the heart.
In fact, the meaning of this sentence is that he needs to forget about the past because from now on, he’s a member of Konoha.
“Thank you, Sandaime-sama.”
Naito’s face softly showed a trace of grateful.
Sarutobi laughed, then stood up from his chair, then he walked next Naito.
“Although there’s a lot of conflicts, at least… there will not be any more war here in Konoha.”
“Yes.”
Naito nodded gently.
That was true, compared to the small villages who are tearing each other apart, Konoha is a peaceful place, there leaving every day in fear, scared of everyone around them, maybe the treatment isn’t that great, but there no fear of being affected by the war, or of waking up someday homeless.
“Let’s forgot about the past.”
Sarutobi Patted Naito’s shoulder, then kindly smiled.
“Your performance was stunning in the exam, you showed me a very exciting battle.”
“Your talent is very great, even you’re mentally is better than a lot of adults, in fact, you’re already a good ninja.”
Here, Sarutobi paused for a moment, he slightly changed his tone, then he continued: “But…”
“Talent is good, but you need to have a good time grow up and get stronger, you’re still a young boy after all.”
“I hope you will be able to settle down, keep practicing don’t rush things, give every step it’s own time, and am sure your future will surely bloom in a great color.”
Sarutobi words were a little bit complicated.
He couldn’t just say that he’s still weak, and he needs to practice the right way to get better.
Because the real question is… who can show him the right way?!
in less than three months, he will fight Samui to a life and death battle.
Slightly wondering, Naito guessed what Sarutobi meant, then he asked:
“Does the Sandaime-sama means, that I should give up on fighting Samui after three months?”
Sarutobi got surprised for a moment, then he admired his way of thinking, he wasn’t clear about anything, but Naito guessed all of that by himself.
“Yes, that’s what I mean, although you’re outstanding, there’s still a big gap between you and Saumui.”
“So this duel… …”
Just as he was gonna complete his sentence, Sarutobi suddenly got interrupted by another voice.
“Sarutobi, life and death duels cannot be retracted!”
the tone sounded very calm.
Danzo was at the door, with eyes flashing with an inexplicable light, step by step he came in.”
“Danzo.”
The moment Sarutobi saw Danzo his brows frowned up.
“Naito is just a kid, how can you apply this rule to him?!”
“Sarutobi, the only thing I believe in is rules, as long as there is a rule about something it’s doesn’t matter who it will be applied, no one can beak up a life and death duel, even you the Hokage can’t do nothing about it.”
Sarutobi kept the calm look, but his eyes were glowing with inexplicable light.
Sarutobi knew Danzo’s intentions in doing this were to get Naito, he wasn’t gonna let go of him, he saw in Naito the man who will be his right arm in the future.
That’s why he wasn’t gonna let go of him.
“Rules are also mankind creation, what if I change it ?” Sarutobi said that coldly.
It didn’t take a lot for Danzo to understand Sarutobi intention too, so he tried to push him more to give up, to give up Naito.
“Then I will not agree.”
Danzo’s expression changed to a very serious one, then he said: “If you want to change the rules, you will need to get the elders agreement, and I think it’s not gonna be only me, a lot of them won’t support you in changing the rules so easily.”
“You… …”
After he said that, Sarutobi expression turned to a very angry one.
What he said was true, the Life and death rules were created by the very first Hokage Hashirama, when Tobirama become a Hokage he kept the rules, these rules didn’t change for more than two generations, changing them now is difficult.
Within a big village like Konoha, there will always be conflicts between the major clans.
And this will always end with some irreconcilable contradictions.
But these conflicts from both sides gonna end with a fight, and these fights can’t be inside Konoha.
Sooner or later, they will try to ambush each other outside of the village, and it will gonna turn out to be a chaos!
This rule was created to limit the number of loses, this way the only people getting in a fight are the two who had conflicts from the very beginning.
That’s the reason behind keeping this rules for more than two generations because the tradition of the life and death duel resolved a lot of conflicts so far.