Looking at Kakashi before him, Uchiha Jin felt somewhat startled.
However.
He still invited Kakashi inside, poured him a cup of tea, and then began listening to the purpose of his visit.
"The Konoha High Command is planning to split us up!"
"Captain Takada Fujiwara is going to lead new Ninja Academy graduates, I will be assigned to Jonin Namikaze's team, and Shikaichi needs to return to his clan to join a new Ino-Shika-Cho team. I heard that not long ago on the Sunagakure front lines, a Nara clansman happened to die in battle."
"As for you—Jin!"
"It seems the Konoha High Command and the Uchiha reached an agreement to form a new elite team centered around you, with your new team leader being Shisui Uchiha."
"As for the remaining two members, one of them is Nohara Rin, and the other seems to be from the Aburame clan!"
"Of course."
"According to the Konoha High Command's thoughts, the split will take place after the joint Chunin considerations."
"Right now, they are just soliciting our opinions on whether we agree to having a choice."
"Nara Shikaichi is not in the village at the moment; it seems he went to the Land of Fire capital on some business with members of the Nara Clan, so I could only come to discuss this with you temporarily for now."
Kakashi's brow furrowed slightly, his tone extremely solemn.
Clearly.
He did not want the team to be split up. After all, he had long since grown accustomed to Shikaichi and Jin, and if he were really made to enter a new ninja team, he would genuinely find it somewhat difficult to get along with other people.
More importantly, there was hatred in his heart!
He was destined to never integrate into the Hokage faction, nor did he wish to get close to that guy Minato Namikaze. After all, that was Jiraiya's disciple, a genuine member of the Hokage faction.
And, on the other side.
Hearing these words from Kakashi, Uchiha Jin also froze in place.
Split up?
Although Konoha indeed had this tradition, the problem was that they would not initiate it proactively.
Under normal circumstances.
As long as the team members got along harmoniously and had not lost any teammates, the village would not actively intervene, choosing instead to let them develop toward an elite Chunin team, or even an all-elite Jonin team...
Neither would special teams like Ino-Shika-Cho undergo splits with special significance.
So, why?
Why would the village do this, and so suddenly?
He, Shikaichi, and Kakashi got along very harmoniously; the village had no reason to do such a thing!
Wait...
That guy Shisui would be the new team leader?
He understood!
This matter was most likely the Uchiha making a move, with the Konoha High Command simply going with the flow.
The Uchiha's thoughts were quite easy to guess!
They did not want him getting too close to the Hokage faction, so naturally they did not want Takada Fujiwara, a commoner, to keep serving as the Jonin instructor for their team.
It just so happened that an opening appeared in the Ino-Shika-Cho, and Nara Shikaichi had to return to his clan, so they seized the opportunity to split up this team.
From the perspective within the Uchiha clan, Shisui, as a genius of the clan, would definitely be able to make Jin grow closer to the clan.
This was also understandable!
After all, Shisui at present was inconspicuous; although his Body Flicker Technique was formidable, he was actually just a two-tomoe, completely incapable of attracting Sarutobi Hiruzen's attention.
And Shisui, who had not hooked up with Sarutobi Hiruzen, was not like Itachi—he didn't wear everything on his face or put on a keep-others-at-a-thousand-li-distance expression toward everyone.
On the contrary.
In his everyday life, he was very gentle with everyone!
Therefore, the current Shisui still enjoyed the trust of the clan.
Hence, having Shisui pull Jin away from getting close to the village seemed like a very cost-effective deal from the Uchiha's perspective.
On the village's side, it was even simpler!
Kakashi had not turned out decadent or radical like in the original work, so the village high command naturally hoped to grasp this fellow who inherited the Hatake Sword Style in their own hands.
Anyway, this team needed to be split up, so they might as well maneuver him under Minato Namikaze's command.
As Jiraiya's disciple who had mastered the Flying Thunder God Technique, Minato Namikaze was a hardcore member of the Hokage faction.
More importantly, Minato Namikaze had a gentle demeanor, so reforming Kakashi surely wouldn't be difficult.
As for him, Uchiha Jin, the village had not given up on him either!
First, they had Nohara Rin—who came from a commoner background and was also Jin's girlfriend—join to pull him away from becoming overly close to the Uchiha. Although the Aburame clan could not be considered Hokage confidants, they still leaned toward the village by comparison.
Thinking up to this point, Jin could not help but take a deep breath.
"Kakashi, agree to it."
"You're still a bit too earnest. When others seemingly ask for your opinion, you actually take the matter seriously."
"That was just being polite. From the very beginning, we didn't have the qualification to choose!"
Uchiha Jin's tone was lingering and low.
Of course.
He did not hide anything from Kakashi either, directly stating his own conjecture.
After all, they were all his own people; there was simply no need for concealment.
Upon hearing this, Kakashi could not help but freeze in place as well.
The corners of his mouth were filled with bitterness, and only then did he speak out: "Is this what they call political maneuvering? Even inside such a tiny matter, it's packed with so many calculations."
"How ironic!"
"On the one hand, they forced my father to commit suicide; on the other hand, they want me to join the Hokage faction, hoping I'll be loyal to them just like my father?"
And, on the other side.
Watching Kakashi with his bitter expression, Uchiha Jin could not help but roll his eyes.
Then.
He showed no mercy and drove in a knife: "Kakashi, don't be too conceited!"
"You aren't qualified yet to make the Konoha High Command be this solemn. What they actually value are your father's subordinates and confidants..."
"If you truly become the Hokage's loyal dog, they will completely lose their last hope. Without you, the son of Hatake Sakumo, as a core, those people of theirs are just a sheet of loose sand."
"By that time..."
"Whether they want to find a way to send them to their deaths or give out some benefits to win them over, both are very simple!"
Indeed.
Kakashi could be considered important, or he could be considered completely unimportant.
Although Kakashi had been a genius since childhood, a genius without a special bloodline trait was actually just so-so in the eyes of the Konoha High Command. After all, the Hatake Sword Style relied on individual cultivation, and heaven knew if Kakashi could become the new Konoha White Fang!
Kakashi: "..."
The corners of his mouth twitched, feeling even more wounded.
Earlier, he still felt that he was being plotted against, but now he realized that he wasn't even qualified for people to plot against him.
This disparity was truly hard to bear.
In the end, alas!
After letting out a helpless sigh, he could not help but speak up: "What do you think we should do from now on?"
"Just do whatever we're supposed to do." Uchiha Jin's tone was as usual: "Just keep cultivating!"
"The two of us are still too weak right now; we should still think about how to survive the upcoming Shinobi World War."
"Of course, you must firmly remember every single name on that heritage left behind by your father. In the future, if you encounter them in trouble, find a way to help them out. You can even make use of Minato Namikaze's authority."
"Especially—Sawada Seiichi!"
"Get closer to him in the future; he is a benchmark you have set up."
"Even if you cannot get too close to your father's subordinates right now, at the very least, this kind of action will give them a reminder that you are still willing to inherit your father's dying wish and willing to hold high the banner of this faction!"
Before you continue