After pondering for a moment, Fugaku asked, "So the team Shisui and Itachi took out can support the Uchiha at any time from outside Konoha, making the Third Hokage afraid to strike against the Uchiha?"
Shamu clapped his hands. "Exactly."
There were two reasons Shamu had sent Shisui and Itachi out with people. First, Kotoamatsukami had controlled so many people, and such a transformation would have been far too abrupt. Second, he was following the example of Uchiha Itachi from the original world.
In that world, setting aside Itachi's slaughter of his own clan, after he defected, his silent threat toward Konoha had kept its people from laying a hand on Sasuke.
But there had only been Itachi alone, and he had been terminally ill. In the end, he could only arrange everything in advance and die by Sasuke's hand.
The situation here was different. An entire Uchiha Clan still lived in Konoha. For the clan's safety, the team Shisui and Itachi had taken out was like a Sword of Damocles hanging over Konoha's head.
If anything happened to the clan, over a hundred Uchiha elites and two Mangekyō Sharingan users could turn on Konoha at any time—or defect directly to an enemy.
Fortunately, the Third Hokage was growing old and had never expected the Uchiha to develop this quickly. He had neither the opportunity nor the time to strike in the shadows.
A few years had already allowed the Uchiha Clan to establish a firm foothold.
Shamu continued, "The Third Hokage has no way to contain the Uchiha's growing strength, because we gave up power. We barely even take missions anymore, so our dependence on Konoha has decreased."
"The Third Hokage had no choice but to pull Danzo back in and have him return to his old trade, doing