Shisui Quietly Reports

Tiehuo's figure turned into a black dot, disappearing into the night.

Youhu covered his eyes, which were throbbing with a dull ache. He muttered to himself that the toll of using Mangekyo Dojutsu was indeed immense; he had only used it once, yet it had already consumed nearly a quarter of his chakra.

Not bad, the change in Tiehuo's attitude before he left.

Aside from his heartfelt words and the display of power from revealing his Mangekyo, it also had to do with his Dojutsu.

The Dojutsu he had awakened was not some unprecedented ability, but rather the legendary Izanagi and Izanami from Uchiha history.

The former could reverse one's own unfavorable fate, while the latter could force others to see their true selves.

Just now, when he revealed his Mangekyo Sharingan, he had taken the opportunity to hit Tiehuo with an Izanami, making him realize the reality that if the Uchiha were to rashly launch a coup, it would only lead to their destruction.

The effect was extremely significant.

With the reinforcement of Izanami, Tiehuo now trusted him completely, becoming his loyal subordinate... his right-hand man.

Awakening these two Dojutsu was a bit of a surprise to Youhu, but it also made sense.

He had obtained the Lie Come True System, and to become stronger, he was destined to fabricate lies. The Sharingan was the eye that reflected the heart; both Izanami and Izanagi would provide him with tremendous help.

After rubbing his eyes, Youhu felt much better. Aside from a slight decrease in vision, there wasn't much damage.

This was the benefit of awakening Izanagi and Izanami.

Izanagi and Izanami, known as forbidden techniques, would cause the Sharingan to be destroyed directly if used with a Three Tomoe Sharingan.

Yet, he only needed about half a year to recover his chakra.

In other words, he could use Izanami at least three times within half a year. As for Izanagi, which could rewrite one's own unfavorable fate, he wasn't sure yet; it might only be possible once or twice every six months.

Compared to Amaterasu, which some would use just because they saw a stray dog on the side of the road, the number of uses was certainly far lower.

But compared to Kotoamatsukami, with its ten-year cooldown, it was far better.

To increase the number of uses, he would either have to find Orochimaru to transplant Hashirama Cells, or continue to weave a massive lie, rewriting his own Mangekyo Sharingan into an Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan.

Thinking of this, Youhu looked toward the Security Building, lost in thought.

At this moment, the corner of Youhu's eye caught a glimpse of a figure. The person looked like a youth who, after leaving Naka Shrine, was heading toward the Hokage Rock.

Was his target the Hokage Building beneath the Hokage Rock?

Little Shisui, oh little Shisui.

You believe the Third Hokage can resolve the conflict between the Uchiha and Konoha, but does the Third Hokage believe in you?

Half an hour later.

After meeting with Uchiha Itachi, Shisui took a long detour around the clan district before arriving at the Hokage Building, his mind heavy with worries.

The Hokage Building remained brightly lit, with many administrative ninjas working through the night. Shisui stepped out of the darkness and into the light, knocking on the door of the Hokage Office.

"Come in."

The Third Hokage had been waiting there for quite some time. Looking at Shisui, who was kneeling on one knee before him, he puffed on his pipe and asked, "Shisui, is there something important you needed to see me about this time?"

Shisui lowered his head and said, "Reporting to you, Third Lord, the clan members are criticizing you and the other advisors again. They are also complaining about why there isn't an election for a new Hokage."

The Third Hokage nodded, not at all surprised by this.

The Uchiha Clan's clamor to become Hokage had been ongoing since the founding of the village, and the village had never established a rule stating that the Uchiha could not run for Hokage.

But given the current circumstances, it wasn't exactly a typical situation, and the Uchiha Clan didn't have any ninjas who were truly qualified for the position.

"This sort of thing is no big deal. Since you were in such a rush to see me, did someone say something irrational at the clan meeting?"

The Third Hokage was filled with curiosity regarding the Uchiha clan meetings.

The entire area around the Uchiha District was covered by Anbu surveillance; only the Naka Shrine was protected by a barrier, allowing it to evade the village's monitoring.

"This..." Shisui fell into deep thought, hesitating over whether he should reveal what he had witnessed at the meeting.

Seeing Shisui in such a difficult position, the Third Hokage sighed softly. He immediately walked over to the latter, helped Shisui up, and said gently:

"Shisui, your grandfather and I were good friends. Both he and I shared a dream of seeing the Uchiha integrate into the village."

"Right now, I am not speaking to you as the Hokage of Konoha, but as an elder who cares about you. Tell me what exactly happened at the clan meeting, and I will be sure to handle it properly."

Feeling the warmth of the Third Hokage's palm, Shisui fell into a deep silence. He felt a bit unsettled.

If this had been yesterday, such an intimate gesture from the Third would have only made him feel that the Hokage was approachable and refreshing, like a spring breeze—it was no wonder he had been able to lead the village for decades and remain unshaken.

Only by following the Third Lord's advice could the conflict between the Uchiha and the village be resolved and unity achieved.

But after hearing Youhu's speech at the clan meeting—claiming that the Third Hokage had a preference for men, that he often spent his days fooling around with Danzo, and that he had even taken a liking to the married man Fugaku—Shisui felt the Third Hokage's palm felt a bit clammy. Could the Third Hokage really have a preference for men?

He was still very young, and back at the Ninja School, quite a few female classmates had written him love letters. If he were to be targeted by the Third Hokage, it didn't seem entirely impossible.

No, how could I be led astray by that guy Youhu?

The Third Lord is the pillar of Konoha, the sun that forever shines over the village...

After struggling to convince himself, Shisui bore the intense nausea and spoke slowly, "Lord Hokage, some people at the clan meeting want to launch a coup, take action against you and the Anbu, and seize the position of Hokage by force."

Upon hearing this, the Third Hokage narrowed his eyes, his expression turning serious.

In the history of Konoha, the Uchiha Clan had launched coups many times.

The first was the personal rebellion of Uchiha Madara, which was also the one that caused the greatest losses. He had been too young to witness that battle with his own eyes, but the village had gained a reservoir at the Valley of the End from it, and the First had passed away shortly thereafter.

The second was the betrayal by Uchiha Setsuna. Setsuna had been taken away directly from the Security Building by Teacher Tobirama.

Now, a third betrayal was imminent. Yet, he possessed neither the power of the First Lord nor the iron-fisted methods of Teacher Tobirama. If the Uchiha truly launched a coup...

Even if he were to suppress it by force, the village would be severely weakened and vulnerable to invasion by other ninja villages.

Did he truly have the ability to meet this challenge?

Just as the Third Hokage was wracking his brain over the Uchiha's impending coup, Shisui continued:

"Lord Hokage, the discussion about the coup at the clan meeting was interrupted shortly after it began. Someone proposed a way to become Hokage faster than a coup..."

"He wants to integrate the Uchiha into Konoha through intermarriage."

"He proposed that Clan Head Fugaku and Mikoto divorce, and then she marry you. That way, the Uchiha Clan and the Sarutobi Clan would be relatives, and there is no such thing as overnight hatred between kin."