Upon receiving this mission, Aizen immediately sensed a conspiracy! He was aware that ever since the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, came to power, the Anbu Black Ops had been tasked with spying on the Uchiha clan. However, the timing seemed off.
As everyone knows, besides the Hyuga clan, the Uchiha possess the strongest visual prowess. The Uchiha clan's senior members were undoubtedly aware of the Anbu's surveillance. This task was not as simple as it appeared.
As for Minato, this pure-hearted soul simply couldn't comprehend the village's reasoning behind monitoring the Uchiha clan. In Minato's mind, while there might be occasional disagreements within the village, it didn't warrant treating the Uchiha like potential criminals.
"Aizen, why has the Anbu ordered surveillance on the Uchiha family? Isn't this, a bit excessive?" Minato, now donned in the Anbu mask and attire, asked Aizen with confusion and sadness.
Aizen glanced at Minato, then at his elaborate Fukurou mask. Aizen's lips twitched.
Before the Fourth Shinobi World War, Minato's story in the original narrative was fragmented. Among those glimpses, the first impression of Minato was his handsomeness. The second was his strength and wisdom. However, when all the previous Hokage were resurrected, Minato's naive nature became evident.
Observing Minato's alternating intelligence and naivety, Aizen could only educate him on the conflict between the Uchiha and the village to ensure the mission's smooth progression. He limited his explanation to public knowledge.
Minato, after listening to Aizen's explanation, suddenly understood but his expression was filled with complexity.
In truth, his perception of the Uchiha family was positive, mainly due to his friendship with Fugaku. Moreover, as a young man poisoned by the Will of Fire since childhood, Minato didn't wish to see his fellow villagers at odds with one another.
"If you wish to change this, focus on enhancing your own strength first. Once you've accumulated enough merit and prestige, compete for the position of Hokage. Only then will you be qualified to change everything!" Aizen encouraged Minato with a smile.
Aizen's words enlightened Minato.
"Yes! I understand, thank you, Aizen!" Minato expressed his gratitude, his confidence restored.
"Good, it's great to see you've recovered. Now, regarding the Uchiha surveillance mission, I suspect there will be trouble." Aizen's expression turned serious.
"Hmm? What do you mean?" Minato inquired, seeing Aizen's solemn face.
"You should know that with the Uchiha's insight, they must have long discovered the Anbu's surveillance. Therefore, the Anbu's prolonged monitoring of the Uchiha is more of a tacit understanding between them," Aizen adjusted his glasses and explained.
"Aizen, are you suggesting?" Minato's eyes widened with a hint of speculation.
"Yes, this kind of tacit understanding is fragile. Nobody enjoys being treated like a prisoner by the Anbu, especially the proud Uchiha clan. This task is a powder keg, ready to explode with the slightest provocation. Considering our relationship with the new faction, it's clear they've assigned us this task to target us," Aizen continued his analysis.
"Aizen, are you saying the new faction might incite a conflict between us and the Uchiha clan at this time?" Minato's expression grew heavy.
"Not might, but will," Aizen corrected sternly.
"Then what do we do?" Minato looked intently at Aizen.
Aizen frowned, lost in thought.
After a moment, Aizen sighed helplessly, "For today's plan, we can only take it as it comes. Let's maintain vigilance and warn our team members to report any emergencies immediately."
"Can't we try to anticipate the new faction's specific plans?" Minato asked, somewhat unwillingly.
"Impossible! There are countless ways they could achieve their goals. They could incite the radicals within the Uchiha clan, disguise themselves to attack the clan, or even leak our information to deliberately provoke conflict between us and the Uchiha. There are too many possibilities to counter them all. We can only react as events unfold," Aizen shook his head.
Minato then looked at Aizen with a strange expression, making him feel awkward.
After a long silence, Minato asked doubtfully, "Aizen, how do you know so many nefarious tactics?" He felt that the image of Aizen in his mind had suddenly shattered.
Aizen had already anticipated this. "Minato, I once read a saying in a book."
"What was it?" Minato asked, caught off guard.
"To defeat the wicked, you must understand them better than they understand themselves. Otherwise, how can you defeat them? We are ninjas who bear the responsibility of the new generation of Konoha. We must not only yearn for the light but also have the responsibility and courage to confront the darkness," Aizen declared, as if he were a seasoned hero.
"I see!"
Minato, hearing Aizen's seemingly reasonable words, felt instantly enlightened. He looked at Aizen again, his eyes filled with admiration.
As expected of Aizen! It's just that compared to before, Aizen's ideological realm had reached a higher level. Compared to him, Minato felt he was still too immature. This thought filled Minato with a deep sense of shame for his stagnation.
Meanwhile, Aizen shifted his attention to the Uchiha clan.
At that moment, outside the Uchiha compound, in a tavern, a group of Uchiha youths dressed in light blue ninja training uniforms with the Uchiha fan symbol were drinking sake bitterly.
"Damn it, another shift change! Do they find the Uchiha clan so bothersome?"
"Exactly! We Uchiha were also founders of the village, why are we treated like this?"
"It's all because of the Hokage lineage and the new faction. They're deliberately targeting us!"
As these Uchiha youths vented their frustrations, one of them, only about fourteen years old, suddenly stood up.