Volume 3 (Akagami Shanks)
Konoha.
At a forest near Uchiha Clan,
"Itachi, do you know? The only thing that can burn leaves is fire"
Uchiha Itachi, who was only four years old, could not fully understand the meaning of this sentence.
He just looked at one of the friend of his father and the famous Sword Demon, Kozuki Shiro.
It's been a month since the end of the third world war, Kozuki who would train in the forest found Itachi quite a few times training here also.
Kozuki decided to let this kid join him not because he just wanted to train him physically but also mentally.
Kozuki knows that Itachi thinks too much and was always confused between Village and his Clan.
Sarutobi and Danzo used this confusion of his to let him do whatever they want.
At that time, Itachi was only 12 or 13, how could he guess the thoughts of the old foxes like Sarutobi and Danzo.
He killed his Clan for the villages sake, rather then that if he had killed Danzo and few of those people from the Clan who wanted to rebel, things would have been different.
(Fugaku did told Itachi it wasn't his will to rebel but the village and the clan members left him with no other option)
Sarutobi who was the biggest coward would have immediately withdrawn the sanctions imposed on Uchiha, easing the conflict between them and Village.
Itachi, from the words "leaf and "fire", probably guessed what Kozuki wanted to express.
"Lord Kozuki, you mean to say [The leave dances, the fire blazes, The shadow of the fire will continue to illuminate the village and the new leaves will bud]"
This sentence is Konoha's classic inheritance discourse.
It has been passed down from the First Hokage, till the Third Hokage.
The starting point of this sentence is good, but time will eventually change anything.
No, it shouldn't be time, but desire, greed, and even more, the human heart!
Hearing Itachi's words, Kozuki smiled.
"Itachi, do you really think that the blaze of the fire will illuminate the village? No... the fire will only become more and more prosperous, and the village will be burned away!"(Some Sentences above from another fiction)
Kozuki didn't wanted to turn Itachi against the village since a few decades ago, the will of fire was true, but now it has been corrupted by Sarutobi.
Uchiha Itachi had a black face with a question mark.
"Can this sentence be interpreted like this?"
Itachi didn't understand what Kozuki meant, he just stared blankly at Kozuki who would tell him different and interesting things everyday.
"Listen, Itachi always be patient and don't make a decision hurriedly, because sometimes what seems right is utterly wrong"
"Don't try to shoulder everything yourself, trust other's and have faith in them, but you should also have the eye to judge whether someone is worthy of your trust or not"
"Now, go back it's quite late ready, you should leave"
Kozuki saw the setting sun and decided to end today's training.
"Lord Kozuki, can I bring my friend with me Tomorrow"
Itachi wanted his best friend to meet Kozuki so that even he could listen to interesting things that Kozuki would tell him everyday.
"Of course"
Kozuki guessed immediately who it would be and actually wanted to meet him also.
"Goodbye Lord Kozuki"
Itachi bowed politely to Kozuki and then ran back towards his home.
"I hope my words can change you"
Kozuki looked at Itachi running towards his home and hoped that he could change his fate also.
______________
Uchiha Clan Land,
Patriarch Fugaku's Residence.
"Mom I'm back"
Itachi entered his house and started to remove his shoes.
"Don't train too much Itachi, now go and wash your hands, dinner is ready"
Uchiha Mikoto was worried for her son who unlike other children would never play with anyone and would train everyday.
Itachi after washing his hands came to his father who like always had a stern expression on his face.
Seeing his son, the eyes of Fugaku had a puzzling look, as Itachi nowadays was a bit different, he was a bit more cheerful and more easy to talk.
"How's your training going, Itachi?"
Fugaku asked since he wanted to know what changed his son.
"Father, Shisui train's with me everyday and even Lord Kozuki would guide me also"
"What!, Kozuki, he trains you"
Fugaku was surprised as his son never told him about this matter before.
"Lord Kozuki practices near the forest of our Clan, I met him quite a few times and suddenly he started to guide me"
Fugaku was more and more happy to know that his son had established a good relationship with Kozuki.
Kozuki was the strongest in Konoha and no one ever denied it.
1vs1, no one was his opponent and his words carried a lot of weight.
If he could side with Uchiha, a lot of things that they want to achieve can be successful.
Fugaku laughed thinking of this and was satisfied by his son who never let him down.