Naruto: Assassinating Minato Namikaze at the Start

Chapter 50 Successful Interview

Zhi Shui left, taking with him a prophecy imprinted in his mind to ponder deeply.

It was quite abrupt that Mo Jingxian was summoned by the Hokage.

"Lord Hokage."

Upon entering the house, he first bowed, as there are some rules that must be observed.

To be honest, he didn't have any particular ill feelings towards Hiruzen Sarutobi.

If this person really got going, you could say he wasn't a qualified leader, but you couldn't say he was scheming against his subordinates.

In fact, he was just not very politically astute, leaving behind many vulnerabilities that have been criticized by later generations.

But to say I like it, there's absolutely none.

"It's a deity." Hiruzen Sarutobi tidied up the materials in his hand and put them aside. "How was it? Was the rest time enough?"

At this moment, the Hokage's behavior was like that of an old man next door.

The casual conversation was as natural as asking, "Have you eaten?"

When Mo Jingxian entered the Hokage's office last time, he didn't have this attitude.

Everything was handled strictly by official procedures at the time, and I even gave him a little warning along the way.

A thought flashed through Mo Jingxian's mind, and she roughly guessed the Hokage's intention.

"Thank you for your concern, Hokage-sama. I'm fine."

"Sigh!" Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed first, "I know you were wronged last time, so it's normal for you to have some thoughts about it."

Then he changed the subject: "But you also have to understand the village's difficulties. There are some things I, as Hokage, can't easily say, you understand?"

Today, the Hokage had a heart-to-heart talk and explained things, showing him a great deal of respect.

However, he didn't mention anything about compensation or benefits.

Mo Jingxian still needs to develop secretly, and besides, he doesn't have much aversion to Konoha.

He then continued from Hiruzen Sarutobi's words and asked, "Because of the Uchiha? Hokage-sama, I can understand why you're saying that."

"Oh?" Hiruzen Sarutobi leaned forward slightly, Mo Jingxian's answer was somewhat unexpected.

Could this be another young man who possesses the mindset of a Naruto ahead of time?

Thinking about it carefully, it's not impossible. Although Mo Jingxian's performance is different from Zhishui, whom he is paying attention to, upon closer examination, both his strength and vision are far superior to his peers.

Take his youngest son for example...

Forget it, I can't think about it anymore, it's too upsetting.

At the same age, Hiruzen Sarutobi never treated Mo Jingxian like a child.

Instead, I unconsciously communicate with him from an equal perspective.

"Tell me," the Hokage said, intrigued. "I'd like to hear your assessment of the Uchiha clan."

coming!

Mo Jingxian knew this was not a simple conversation, but a test.

What seemed like a simple question no longer measured a person's magnanimity, but became a political debate.

The Hokage has raised the question; now it remains to be seen whether his ideas align with the current political landscape.

The content of his answer is not important; the key is his attitude.

"What do I think?" Mo Jingxian repeated unconsciously, looking down as if deep in thought.

After a while, he resolutely looked up and said:

"The Uchiha clan is behaving like a loud, disruptive child trying to get their parents' attention."

He then adjusted his rhetoric: "Sometimes he would loudly threaten his parents, saying what would happen if they didn't satisfy him, but in reality it was just to get their attention."

How to put it... there was anger, there was fear, but mostly there was shame and resentment at being ignored.

Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression turned serious: "Continue."

The office fell silent for a moment, then Mo Jingxian's eloquent voice rang out.

"Of course, this is just a metaphor, and there is no consensus within the Uchiha clan."

As far as I know, there are roughly four voices among them: radicals, pacifists, conciliators, and populists.

"You," Hiruzen Sarutobi chuckled twice, pointing to the boy standing in front of the table:

"I wonder what kind of expression Fugaku would have if he knew you categorized him as a 'peacemaker'."

A smile returned to the Hokage's face; he was back to being the friendly old man next door.

"By the way, what do you mean by 'the populists'?"

"Literal meaning." Mo Jingxian shrugged: "Besides ninjas, the Uchiha clan also has a certain number of civilians without chakra. They don't care who the clan leader is or who the Hokage is. What they're thinking about is how much money they can save for their next meal and whether they'll have enough for next month's living expenses."

In short... ninjas come from these people, whether they are family or friends, and they also have an unseen influence.

Therefore, I divided the Uchiha clan into four factions.

"That's right. You can see details that others overlook, which is enough to prove that you are a child with great wisdom. It's not an exaggeration to say that you already have some of the Hokage's mindset."

Then the Hokage changed the subject, seemingly asking casually:

"If you were the Hokage, what methods would you use to restrain the Uchiha clan?"

Mo Jingxian was not blinded by Hiruzen Sarutobi's praise; on the contrary, his vigilance suddenly increased after he said those words.

Those he calls having the mindset of the Naruto seem to have met with bad ends.

Moreover, there is an obvious trap hidden in this statement.

"Old sly fox," Mo Jingxian thought to herself, then immediately replied:

"I can't help it." He glanced up at Hiruzen Sarutobi, and seeing that he didn't react, continued:

"But I believe in Brother Minato. He must have a way to persuade the Uchiha clan and even make them work for him."

"Oh, you trust Minato that much?"

"Yes."

Why?

"Personal charm, I suppose," Mo Jingxian said casually, a hint of reminiscence in her eyes.

"Brother Minato is sincere, strong, and very wise. Most importantly... he has never been tainted by darkness, which naturally makes people want to get close to him. I think most people feel the same way."

Mo Jingxian stated her position, clearly expressing her support for Watergate.

He gave his own answer.

Hiruzen Sarutobi leaned back in his chair.

Mo Jingxian's answer dispelled his guard.

The Hokage is never afraid of his subordinates having strong opinions; if someone is too perfect, then it's his turn to have a headache.

Supporting Minato is fine; it shows that Mo Jingxian has needs and ties to him.

Hiruzen Sarutobi thought of Ayako, the little girl from the Hyuga clan, an equally outstanding child, and the bond between the two deepened day by day.

That's good, but not enough. He's prepared to add another bet to this bond.

He respects talented people, especially since he showed extraordinary magnanimity in his youth.

On second thought, he decided to give the boy some benefits.

For any merits that have not been recognized, double compensation will be provided.

"That's right, you're a thoughtful child."

Hiruzen Sarutobi took out his pipe and slowly pressed tobacco into it.

"Regarding the previous task." He struck a match to create a flame, held it to the tobacco, and took two deep drags.

"I've heard about it."

Another silence fell. Mo Jingxian didn't understand what he meant, so she could only wait quietly for him to continue.

"The Anbu ninjas have been dispatched to the front lines, and this kind of thing will not happen again. As for compensation..." Hiruzen Sarutobi gave him a meaningful look.

"Ninjutsu, a bonus, or something else—what do you need?"

Mo Jingxian knew that she had passed this hurdle, and that her days in Konoha would be much more comfortable after today.

As for the previous mission, it was just an excuse, a pretext used by the Hokage.

His meaning is easy to understand.

The translation is: Once you've received the benefits, you're one of us. Just support Watergate and don't have any other ideas. I'll handle the rest.

Knowing one's own worth, making excessive demands is simply asking for trouble.

Just a second before Mo Jingxian was about to ask for something as a token of his appreciation, he swallowed back the words that were about to come out of his mouth.

This might be an opportunity!

Quickly running your thoughts through your mind greatly increases the chances of success and can even help you establish a more stable public image.

That's settled.

After thinking it over, he stopped being polite: "Lord Hokage, I happen to be interested in a few ninjutsu."

"explain."

"'Corpse Demon Sealing Technique,' 'Flying Thunder God Technique,' and 'Spirit Transformation Technique'—those three should be enough."

Hiruzen Sarutobi was so angry he laughed. Putting aside whether he could learn them or not, any one of these three techniques was enough for a Kage-level shinobi to use as a trump card.

This kid really dares to ask for money; his greed is what's driving him.

In his heart, he naturally lowered his opinion of Mo Jingxian by one level.

However, before he could refuse, Mo Jingxian spoke first:

"Of course, I won't take it for free." He took a scroll out of his pocket, stepped forward, and placed it on the Hokage's desk. "I'll trade it for it."

Hiruzen Sarutobi, gripping the bottom of his pipe, frowned as he stared at the reel: "What's this?"

As soon as he finished speaking, I lowered my opinion of him by one notch.

Trying to be clever.

Of course, Mo Jingxian was unaware of the Hokage's inner thoughts; he simply replied:

"The corpse of the Third Kazekage."

"Clang!"

The pipe fell onto the table, and Hiruzen Sarutobi stared at him with wide eyes, looking at him with a questioning expression.

Mo Jingxian nodded.

"How is this possible!" The Hokage sprang up, the chair legs beneath him scraping against the ground with a screeching noise.

"squeak--"

When Hiruzen Sarutobi unsealed the scroll, his pupils suddenly contracted.

There's no mistake, he's no stranger to the Third Kazekage; the two have crossed paths several times.

As the shadows of the village, the information files between them, stacked up, are taller than a table.

There was no mistake. Hiruzen Sarutobi stared at the Third Kazekage, who had been turned into a puppet, his mind seemingly lost in thought.

After waiting a while, he sealed the puppet back into the scroll, then got up and picked up his pipe.

He casually dusted off the cigarette ash on the table.

"Smack smack..."

The Hokage took one drag of his cigarette in silence.

Tell me about it.

Mo Jingxian achieved his goal. He suddenly realized that handing the puppet over to the Hokage would be more beneficial than Orochimaru.

It's not just about material things.

"Here's what happened..."

He began to speak.

Hiruzen Sarutobi would occasionally interrupt, seizing the key points to ask detailed questions.

This conversation lasted another hour, during which the Hokage smoked two more pipes, which made his eyes hurt.

After recounting what had happened, Mo Jingxian didn't rush him, giving the Hokage ample time to think.

As for why it wasn't reported before, neither of them mentioned it, much to their mutual understanding.

Doesn't this perfectly demonstrate that the Hokage is correcting wrongs and making good use of talent?

By the time Hiruzen Sarutobi had processed all this information, the pipe in his hand had already gone out.

He tapped his pipe on the rim of the ashtray, then raised his hand to beckon Mo Jingxian:

"Come on, let's talk about your reward again."