Atop a tall building.
"The Hyuga Clan and the Uchiha Clan truly deserve their reputations as great clans. Their strength really isn't something ordinary ninja can contend with." Watching Shisui Uchiha end the battle so effortlessly, the Third Hokage could not help but sigh.
The Uchiha Clan and the Hyuga Clan had an exceptionally high chance of producing geniuses.
Bloodline-limit ninja were indeed far more blessed than ordinary ninja in certain respects.
They were born with powerful bloodlines and inherited ninjutsu passed down through their clans. It was not so easy for ordinary ninja to catch up to them!
During his time in office, the Third Hokage had deliberately tried to suppress the growth of the great ninja clans and give more civilian ninja a chance to rise. There had been some results, but not many...
Although a civilian ninja like Minato Namikaze had emerged and even become the Fourth Hokage, civilian ninja as a whole still did not outnumber the ninja from the village's major clans...
"After all, they are bloodline clans passed down since the Sengoku era. Their foundations naturally cannot be compared to those of ordinary ninja." The Fourth Hokage also sighed.
After thinking for a moment, the Fourth Hokage continued, "Should we arrange a battle between Hyuga Yei and Shisui Uchiha?"
The Fourth Hokage had only recently taken office and was not particularly skilled in political maneuvering. That was something that required time and experience; it could not be achieved overnight.
Before making up his mind, the Fourth Hokage often sought the Third Hokage's opinion.
After a moment of silence, as though pondering something, the Third Hokage slowly shook his head after a long while. "The village's situation is not as good as you imagine. The major ninja clans are secretly competing with one another, especially the Uchiha Clan and the Hyuga Clan!"
The Third Hokage looked below, his gaze lingering mainly on the members of the Uchiha Clan and Hyuga Clan. "The conflict between these two great clans is very obvious. You have only just taken office, so do not rashly stir up strife between them."
"Don't stir up conflict between the two great clans? I understand..." The Fourth Hokage nodded slightly, seeming to understand but not entirely.
The Fourth Hokage was no fool. In fact, he was extremely intelligent, or he would not have been called a genius.
He simply had not dealt with matters of political maneuvering before, so he often failed to consider things from every angle.
However, after the Third Hokage's guidance, he quickly understood the reason behind it.
He had only recently taken office, and his foundation was still weak. If he rashly stirred up conflict between the two great clans, it might seem as though he were deliberately provoking trouble, setting the clans against each other to keep them in check...
Even if that was not his intention, it would not stop others from overthinking it. That was why the Third Hokage had told him to consider this matter carefully.
"It is good that you understand. You are now the Hokage, and you must think everything through, especially the balance among the village's major ninja clans. Balance is the most important thing! For Konoha's stability, some methods must be used when necessary, but you must choose the right time..." The Third Hokage merely offered some guidance. These were things he needed to comprehend himself; saying more would be pointless.
Looking at the Fourth Hokage, he smiled slightly. "But I believe you will handle things even better than I did, because I see hope in you!"
As the leader of a village, there were many things to consider. One could not look only at the surface while ignoring the consequences behind it.
Just the Uchiha Clan and the Hyuga Clan alone were enough to give even him, a Hokage who had held office for so long, endless headaches at times.
If the two great clans became too powerful, they would inevitably threaten the ruling position of the Hokage's faction!
That was why, during his time in office, he would suppress them from time to time.
It was not because the Third Hokage was cruel and ruthless. Well, perhaps a little...
But more than that, the Third Hokage wanted restraint. He wanted balance!
These were matters every person in power had to take into consideration!
It had nothing to do with anything else. Their positions were simply different!
Just as there was no right or wrong in war, only differing standpoints!
The Third Hokage hoped the Fourth Hokage would understand these things sooner. As someone in power, methods were very important!
The Third Hokage's words were no light matter. If they spread and the heads of the village's major ninja clans heard them, it would certainly cause a huge uproar and might even breed dissatisfaction toward the Hokage's faction!
The Fourth Hokage's heart tightened as he replied solemnly, "I will!"
"As for Kakashi's Sharingan, members of the Uchiha Clan have also caused trouble for me over it. I suppressed the matter, but they probably still have objections. As Kakashi's teacher and the current Fourth Hokage, you need to consider the Uchiha Clan carefully when handling their affairs." The Third Hokage spoke leisurely, glancing at the Fourth Hokage.
Kakashi was an outsider, yet he possessed a Sharingan. That was intolerable to the Uchiha Clan!
Fugaku Uchiha, the current clan head, had repeatedly brought up reclaiming Kakashi's Sharingan to the Third Hokage, but the Third Hokage had suppressed every attempt.
As for the reason...
This was a gift Obito Uchiha had given Kakashi. The Uchiha Clan had no right to interfere!
Naturally, Fugaku Uchiha was deeply unwilling to accept that answer. He had intended to use it as grounds to demand compensation from the Third Hokage, but the Third Hokage suppressed that as well...
At the time, the Fourth Hokage had not yet taken office, and the Third Hokage had controlled the village. He had the authority to decide the matter.
But now the Fourth Hokage was Hokage. The Third Hokage was worried that Fugaku Uchiha would bring up the issue again, so he took this opportunity to inform the Fourth Hokage and prepare him mentally.
The Fourth Hokage instantly thought of many things and nodded. "I understand."
He had not expected Kakashi's Sharingan to make the Uchiha Clan uneasy. But Obito had given it to Kakashi, and it represented Obito's wishes and will!
As Obito's teacher, he naturally did not wish to see the Sharingan that carried Obito's will returned to the Uchiha Clan.
Not only for Obito's sake, but for Kakashi's as well!
It seems I need to find a time to talk with Fugaku... the Fourth Hokage thought.
"The future belongs to you young people. I will transfer as much of my authority as possible to you, but... I cannot easily interfere with the two elder advisors or Root. You will need to win them over yourself." The Third Hokage patted the Fourth Hokage's shoulder again and sighed softly.
For the Third Hokage to say such words already showed how highly he regarded the Fourth Hokage.
Yet many times, even he could not act as he wished. Mitokado Homura, Utatane Koharu, and Danzo Shimura were all old acquaintances and comrades-in-arms. They held considerable power, but because of their relationship, the Third Hokage could not rashly move against that power.
Even while he was in office, he was sometimes constrained by those three.
Of course, more often than not, they were Konoha's higher-ups jointly controlling the whole village.
Their conflicts had not been obvious before, but now that the Fourth Hokage had taken office and power was changing hands, clashes were unavoidable. The Third Hokage could not help with this; the Fourth Hokage could only fight for it himself.
The Fourth Hokage merely nodded and said nothing more.
"Let us keep watching." The Third Hokage smiled faintly and changed the subject.
The Fourth Hokage also looked down at the Training Arena, though no one knew what he was thinking.
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