Please Order Us Around as You Please

After a whole day.

As expected, Asuma had failed to learn Sage Mode, and Naruto had failed to learn Chakra extraction as well.

Uchiha Akira went home to sleep.

That was right.

The Senju Clan compound.

"Since no one lives in the entire Senju Clan compound anyway, it'd be a waste not to stay here."

The place where Uchiha Akira slept was the best house in the entire Senju Clan compound: a spacious room in a three-story building at the very center. Most importantly, the room was clean and carried a faint scent of jasmine.

Of course.

That was not why he had chosen this room.

The real reason was that the damn room had a huge bay window. Sleeping beside the window on the bay window seat—

—felt damn amazing!

If it rained, opening the window and letting the slanting breeze carry in a little rain would feel even more damn amazing.

"If I could keep lying flat like this while becoming the strongest in the Ninja World, marrying a rich beauty, and reaching the peak of life, I'd be willing to do it too."

Just as he was about to go to sleep.

Clang!

Clang!

Clang!

Someone knocked heavily on the window a few times, cautious yet afraid that he might not hear.

"Hey, Akira! Akira, are you there? It's Shisui!"

Whoosh—!

Uchiha Akira pushed open the window and stared blankly at Uchiha Shisui, who was crouching on the second-floor windowsill. He squeezed out through clenched teeth, "Shisui, it's fucking midnight. You'd better have a real reason for this!"

"Hehehe."

Uchiha Shisui scratched his head with a foolish grin.

"Akira, actually, I'm not the one who wanted to see you. Someone else did."

He shifted aside.

A dark figure appeared behind him, his eyes gleaming sharply.

"Itachi?" Uchiha Akira raised a brow. "What the hell are you here for this time?"

Hiss—!

The Uchiha Clan's two little rebels had shown up together, sneaking over in the middle of the night instead of sleeping. If there was no scheme behind this, he would not believe it.

So, he pressed his palms together behind his back, out of sight.

Clapping behind his back was the same as clapping in front of him. It would not affect his use of Wood Release.

"How about we go inside first?"

Uchiha Itachi warily looked around, caution written all over him.

Three minutes later.

Uchiha Akira turned on the lights, made tea, and poured each of them a cup. His hands remained pressed together behind his back. "Talk. If you have something to say, say it. If not, get lost. Don't keep me from sleeping."

"Akira, it's like this."

Uchiha Shisui spoke first.

He had a bulbous nose, short curly hair, and an honest-looking face that seemed destined to die young.

"Didn't you tell us last time how to save the Uchiha Clan?"

"Yeah. What, have you thought it through?"

A miracle. Akira was surprised that an honest fellow like Uchiha Shisui could agree.

"Nope."

Shisui grinned and changed the subject. "But Itachi has thought it through. He thinks your plan is excellent, so he wanted to meet with you."

"???"

Akira's head was full of question marks. Somewhat uncertain, he asked, "So you don't approve of the plan for building an 'organization and power base' that I told you about, but your little fanboy Itachi approves of it very much?"

Shisui nodded.

Akira's expression became extremely amused.

Tsk.

This development was interesting.

Shisui was a firm pacifist. He would never betray the Uchiha Clan, which was why he had not even wanted to establish a faction of his own.

Yet he had never expected that the little brother he had raised since childhood—

Would actually think this was a brilliant plan!

"Shisui, neither of us can stop the worsening conflict between the Uchiha Clan and the village. At least in recent years, none of our efforts have had any effect."

Itachi was extremely calm.

"So rather than wait for death like this, we might as well try Akira's method. Perhaps we can still save the Uchiha Clan."

After his only close friend died and he witnessed the chaos within the Uchiha Clan, Itachi would almost certainly embark on the path of exterminating his clan. But now, his close friend was still alive, and he had not yet reached that point of utter resolve.

"You're right, Itachi."

Shisui sighed.

"I have no solution at all for the Uchiha Clan and the village as they are now."

Uchiha Itachi let out a breath of relief. Looking at Uchiha Akira, he said sincerely, "Akira, please help the Uchiha Clan! As long as the Uchiha Clan can be saved, Shisui and I will do anything!"

People said that Itachi was too cruel, even cold-blooded and heartless. That was not wrong.

But Itachi had only been thirteen when he awakened his Mangekyo.

His close friend had died at the village's hands, his father had never opened up to him, and no one in the Uchiha Clan understood the value of peace. In the end, for Konoha's peace, he had simply run out of options.

His intelligence could not provide him with a better solution.

Itachi had been terribly wrong.

But Akira had always believed that what was truly wrong was this twisted world.

[Ding! Uchiha Itachi has sought Lord Hashirama's help. Please rest assured, Lord Hashirama will never abandon any villager. Mission issued: Establish a force capable of influencing the Uchiha Clan!]

[Mission reward: Gate of the Great God!]

"Fine, I agree."

Uchiha Akira rubbed his fingers across the tabletop. "Since we're establishing an organization, the most important thing is not its purpose, but its leader. We need a leader whom everyone can trust, someone whose will shall never change no matter what."

Within an organization.

There would be countless voices.

So there had to be one person whose voice could drown out all the rest, someone who could make the decisive call amid the tangled clamor!

Akira's gaze swept over the two of them.

"Don't look at me, Akira. I'm not hard-hearted enough."

Shisui gave a dry laugh.

"Mm..."

Uchiha Itachi thought for a moment.

"I... don't really like being a leader. Akira, since you proposed this plan, I think you are the most suitable person to be the leader."

The moment he said that.

Shisui's eyes immediately lit up, and he repeatedly agreed. "That's right. If my subordinates begged me, I definitely wouldn't be able to withstand their constant pleading. As for Itachi—"

He did not finish.

But Akira gave a cold laugh. "There's no need to say anything about him. His heart is harder than anyone's. Even if his girlfriend refused to soften up, he'd still grovel for her."

If there were a ranking of ruthless figures in the Ninja World.

Then Itachi's campaign slogan would definitely be—

—A man ruthless enough to wipe out his entire clan and his girlfriend will succeed at anything!

Itachi: "..."

Uchiha Akira poured them another round of tea, his voice turning cold.

"It's fine if you want me to take the position, but let's make this clear first. If I become the leader, then whether it's anyone else or the two of you, you must obey my orders."

"Otherwise, don't blame me for showing no mercy when the time comes!"

His black eyes were deep as he stared directly at them.

It would have been one thing if he had not become the leader. But since he was going to do it, then he had to be the one calling the shots!

"That's for the best."

Shisui actually sighed in relief and gave a bitter smile. "I really am not cut out to be a leader."

Only then did Itachi realize Akira's edge.

Though he usually did not flaunt it, whenever a problem arose, the other man's will and bearing were enough to shock anyone. Perhaps that was precisely why.

He could propose such a bold plan.

"Akira, you are far more suited than Shisui and I to be this leader!"

The two lowered their heads and respectfully said, "Lord Akira."

"For the future of the Uchiha Clan and Konoha, please order us around as you please!"

Akira's lips curled upward. "Don't worry. I definitely will."