Uchiha Shisui, the Scapegoat

"What? An artificially created Wood Release Kekkei Genkai?"

"Where did they get the First Hokage's cells? Did they dig up the First Hokage's grave?"

"So this was the forbidden experiment Orochimaru conducted back then?"

"Lord Hokage, is this true?"

Apart from the few who already knew, everyone present was profoundly shaken.

Orochimaru's defection back then had actually hidden such a secret.

They were alarmed by Orochimaru's audacity and dissatisfied that the Third Hokage and Shimura Danzō had concealed this matter.

The First Hokage was someone they deeply respected. Their clans had joined Konoha in the first place because of the First Hokage's personal charisma.

Yet they had never imagined that after the First Hokage's death, he would be treated this way.

His corpse had actually been dug up and used for cruel human experimentation, while the children from their clans who had vanished back then had died in those inhumane experiments.

"This is indeed true. The reason the news was sealed away back then was to prevent unrest."

The Third Hokage explained, his expression somewhat stiff.

He had not expected someone to uncover information that had been so thoroughly sealed away.

At the same time, he was filled with uncertainty. All records concerning the experiments had been destroyed, and the information tightly suppressed. How had Uchiha Fugaku learned of it?

Could there be an Uchiha Clan informant within the Anbu?

Or had Uchiha Shisui and Uchiha Itachi merely pretended to be brainwashed by him, while secretly operating as informants for the Uchiha Clan all along?

"Could this powerful enemy with the Wood Release Kekkei Genkai be a product of that experiment?"

Nara Shikaku asked with an ugly expression.

He had not expected Orochimaru's experiments back then to be so forbidden. They could only be described as utterly deranged.

"That is highly possible. According to the information I received, Orochimaru's experiments back then had already produced successful cases."

"This powerful enemy with the Wood Release Kekkei Genkai was most likely created after Orochimaru defected from Konoha."

Uchiha Fugaku said.

Although he knew that the Hashirama Cells implanted in Uchiha Obito had nothing to do with Orochimaru, in order to drag the Third Hokage—who had deliberately let Orochimaru escape—down with him, he deliberately led everyone to believe that this powerful enemy with the Wood Release Kekkei Genkai was a product of Orochimaru's experiments.

And the Third Hokage, who had deliberately allowed Orochimaru to escape back then, undoubtedly bore great responsibility for this matter.

They even know about this? Damn it, the information must have leaked from Sarutobi's side.

Shimura Danzō's expression was extremely grim.

The fact that one of Orochimaru's experimental subjects had successfully survived was a secret among secrets. Even the Third Hokage had only learned of it recently.

Yet Uchiha Fugaku knew even this. If there was no informant for Uchiha Fugaku among them, he would never believe it.

Every member of Root under his command was controlled by the Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal. It was simply impossible for information to leak from them.

The only ones who could have leaked the information were Anbu members, with Uchiha Shisui and Uchiha Itachi being the most likely suspects.

Back then, he had asked the Third Hokage to hand Uchiha Shisui and Uchiha Itachi over to him so he could control them with the Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal, but the Third Hokage had firmly refused.

Now, the consequences had finally emerged.

"If this man is Orochimaru's experimental subject, then doesn't that mean Orochimaru is the root cause of everything?"

"Damn it, Orochimaru actually dug up the First Hokage's grave and desecrated the First Hokage!"

"We never should have let him go back then!"

Quite a few people in the meeting room wore ugly expressions.

They were either clan heads or Elite Jonin among the civilian ninja. Since they could sit in their current positions, none of them were simple-minded.

The pursuit of Orochimaru back then had been extremely halfhearted. Anyone with eyes could tell that the Third Hokage had deliberately let Orochimaru escape.

If the Third Hokage had not let Orochimaru go, Konoha would not have such a powerful enemy with the Wood Release Kekkei Genkai today.

This matter was not enough to overturn their longstanding impression of the Third Hokage, but it had undoubtedly tarnished his image in their eyes. He no longer seemed quite so radiant.

After the meeting ended, Uchiha Fugaku left the conference room in a good mood.

This was his counterattack.

It was his counterattack against the Third Hokage's many years of suppression of the Uchiha Clan.

Although he could not bring down the Third Hokage, he had weakened the Third Hokage's authority.

The reactions of those attending the meeting were enough to prove that.

There was another benefit as well: it would make the Third Hokage suspicious.

He would suspect that an Uchiha Clan informant was hidden among his people, and become paranoid.

Within a hidden underground space where numerous White Zetsu moved about.

"We have investigated the identity of the person who fought you. His name is Uchiha Shisui. Although he is an Uchiha clansman, he did not join the Military Police Force. Instead, he joined the Anbu directly under Hiruzen Sarutobi."

Zetsu's black half-face said.

"He did not join the Military Police Force, but entered the Anbu directly under the Third Hokage?"

Uchiha Obito, wearing a Spiral Mask, was surprised.

The purpose of establishing the Military Police Force had been to confine the Uchiha Clan to a single department and reduce their contact with members of other clans.

He had not expected this Uchiha Shisui to escape such restrictions and actually join the Anbu directly under the Third Hokage.

"Besides him, there is another member of the Uchiha Clan named Uchiha Itachi who also joined the Anbu directly under Hiruzen Sarutobi."

Zetsu's white half-face said.

"There's another?"

Uchiha Obito was even more surprised. Allowing Uchiha Clan members into the Anbu did not align with the original purpose behind establishing the Military Police Force.

"This is precisely where Hiruzen Sarutobi's brilliance lies."

Zetsu's black half-face said with a sinister laugh.

"According to my investigation, both Uchiha Shisui and Uchiha Itachi are exceptionally gifted members of the Uchiha Clan."

"By absorbing the two of them into the Anbu, he effectively took away the Uchiha Clan's two most talented people."

"The Uchiha Clan actually allowed such a thing to happen?"

Uchiha Obito frowned.

"The Uchiha Clan wanted to break Konoha's restrictions, so they agreed to let the two join the Anbu, believing that their blood ties would ensure that they remained loyal only to the Uchiha Clan."

"But unfortunately, the Uchiha Clan miscalculated. After joining the Anbu, the two were brainwashed by Hiruzen Sarutobi and have completely become Anbu members."

Zetsu's black half-face said.

"This Uchiha Shisui is indeed highly talented. He actually awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan. Could he have been the one who killed Kakuzu?"

Uchiha Obito asked.

"That is highly possible. Not far from where Kakuzu was killed, Nagato encountered a squad of Konoha ANBU members."

"Based on that, the person Kakuzu encountered was most likely Uchiha Shisui, not Uchiha Fugaku."

Zetsu's white half-face said.

"A ninja with the Mangekyō Sharingan would be a valuable asset. Is there any chance of recruiting Uchiha Shisui?"

Uchiha Obito asked.

"You can try recruiting him under Uchiha Madara's identity."

Zetsu's black half-face said.