Shisui, I Am the Hokage, and I Am the One Who Should Be Standing in Front of You

The Hokage's office.

After Hagoromo listed Danzo's many crimes, not only Hiruzen Sarutobi but even Kakashi Hatake grew serious.

After a long while, Hiruzen Sarutobi sat back down in his chair.

He looked at Shisui Uchiha and asked in a gentle but firm voice:

"Shisui, can you tell this old man exactly what happened to you?"

Seeing the Third Hokage's reaction, Hagoromo silently praised him and slowly walked over to Kakashi's side.

After all, the Anbu answered directly to the Hokage, yet Hiruzen Sarutobi had not asked him to report first.

Instead, he had asked Shisui Uchiha to explain his situation, which meant the Third Hokage was already taking the matter seriously.

The Third Hokage first wanted to hear from an inheritor of the Will of Fire who had been willing to control his own clan head for Konoha's sake.

He wanted to hear what Shisui Uchiha had to say.

Only then could he properly understand the information in Hagoromo's subsequent report.

Shisui Uchiha was silent for a while before recounting everything he had experienced that day, exactly as it had happened.

"Lord Third, it was because of my immaturity and lack of ability that... Shimura Danzō managed to ambush me."

Shisui Uchiha paused before stopping himself from addressing him as "Lord."

"No, Shisui, you've done very well."

"Even after learning that Shimura Danzō was the culprit who harmed so many of your clan's prodigies, you didn't lose your reason."

"And even at the end, you were thinking of giving your own life to spare this old man a difficult situation."

"Although that was the wrong decision, it..."

The Third Hokage nodded gently, folded his hands on the desk, and looked at Shisui Uchiha with deep satisfaction.

"It shows that you are a true ninja."

"In some respects... this old man falls short of you."

Hearing that, Shisui Uchiha stared blankly at Hiruzen, unable to speak for a long time.

"Leave the rest to me, Shisui."

"After all, I am the Hokage, and I am the one who should be standing in front of you. All you need to do now is get some rest."

The Third Hokage looked gently at Shisui Uchiha, then turned to Kakashi.

"Kakashi, take Shisui to the medical department. After that, assign an Anbu squad to protect him twenty-four hours a day!"

"Yes, Lord Third!"

Kakashi nodded and answered, then moved to take Shisui Uchiha away.

"Wait a moment, Captain Kakashi."

Seeing that Kakashi was about to leave with Shisui Uchiha, Hagoromo stopped him.

"There are Root spies in the Anbu. When making the arrangements, I suggest having Team Six's members guard him."

Hagoromo gestured toward Shisui Uchiha, his meaning clear.

If someone raided Shisui Uchiha just after he got his eye back, it would be a huge joke.

Besides, Uchiha Itachi was also an Anbu member of Team Six.

Hagoromo then turned to the Third Hokage, whose eyes were already on him. "Lord Third, I recovered Shisui Uchiha's other eye."

With that, Hagoromo pulled out a scroll and made Hand Seals to release its seal.

"Release!"

After a cloud of smoke cleared, a deathly pale right arm and a severed left hand appeared on the scroll.

Hagoromo pointed to the severed left hand, which was still clenched tight. "Shisui Uchiha's right eye is in this hand."

The Third Hokage stared at the deathly pale right arm for quite a while before nodding. "Go, Kakashi. Have Team Six's members protect Shisui."

With the Third Hokage's approval, Kakashi picked up the severed left hand and led Shisui Uchiha out of the Hokage's office.

As Shisui Uchiha left the office, he looked at Hagoromo with a worried expression.

"Hagoromo, bring it here and let me see."

The Third Hokage nodded and gave Hagoromo the order.

"Yes, Lord Third."

Hagoromo nodded, picked up the deathly pale right arm, and placed it in front of the Third Hokage.

The Third Hokage reached out with his right hand, ignoring the dozen or so crimson Three-Tomoe Sharingan on the arm.

Instead, he touched the barely visible human face on the right forearm.

His voice trembled despite himself.

"Lord... First."

Hagoromo said nothing. He simply stood quietly in front of the desk and waited for Hiruzen.

When the Third Hokage composed himself and looked at Hagoromo again, his usual smile was gone.

Instead, he looked at Hagoromo with a solemn expression and spoke:

"Hagoromo, from here on,"

"Answer whatever I ask."

"Yes, Lord Hokage."

Hagoromo nodded calmly.

While Hagoromo and the Third Hokage were talking, the Sealing Squad mobilized and placed a sealing formula over the entire Hokage Building.

It was a seal to prevent spying and escape.

Not long afterward, the door to the Hokage's office opened.

Kakashi, who was standing guard at the door, looked up. Seeing that Hiruzen had opened it himself, he waved his hand.

All the hidden Anbu received the signal and immediately appeared, kneeling on one knee outside the office. They all lowered their heads and waited for Hiruzen's orders.

"Kakashi, inspect every Anbu. Arrest anyone with a Sealing Jutsu on their tongue!"

The Third Hokage spoke in an indifferent voice, his pipe between his lips.

As soon as he finished speaking, several of the kneeling Anbu sprang up, intending to escape with the Body Flicker Technique.

"Chidori!"

The distinctive sound of an attack like the cries of a thousand birds instantly filled the once-quiet corridor.

A blurred figure then moved swiftly, trailing a current of blue lightning.

Kakashi caught the Anbu who had moved with the Chidori in his hand, leaving them all paralyzed by the current.

Huff—

Hiruzen Sarutobi gently exhaled a puff of smoke and merely glanced at the Anbu.

"Summon every Jonin currently in the village and declare a level-one lockdown. No one is to leave."

"Kakashi, go to the Uchiha Clan and invite the Uchiha Clan Head here."

"Yes, Lord Third!"

Kakashi nodded and handed the now-limp Root spies over to Tenzo, who was waiting nearby.

Inside the Hokage's office, Hagoromo leaned against the doorway, watching everything that happened in the corridor.

He could not help but marvel. As expected of Kakashi—he had really shown off.

Taking down several capable Anbu with that Chidori had indeed intimidated some of those who had stayed put.

After all, after all these years, Danzo could not possibly have planted only a few Root spies.

But it would all end here.

Kakashi had been gone only a short while when several figures hurried over.

Shikaku Nara strode toward them with Akimichi Chōza and Inoichi Yamanaka.

Shikaku Nara, walking at the front, glanced at the pitch-black marks left by the Chidori in the corridor, and his brow furrowed.

He had originally thought that another ninja village had made a move, prompting Hiruzen to summon all the Jonin at this hour.

But judging by the situation, that did not seem to be the case.

It looked like trouble.

"Lord Third!"