Light and Darkness

"Heh, when did you learn to butter me up?"

The Third Hokage teased Shisui, though judging by his expression, he was quite pleased.

"I am merely speaking the truth."

Shisui wore a serious expression, full of loyalty toward the Third Hokage.

Hearing this, the Third Hokage looked at the young man before him with even greater warmth and asked with concern:

"I've had you running too many missions lately; your body must be struggling to keep up, right? How about this: take a few days off to rest and spend more time back at the Clan Compound. I've heard that your clan members seem to have quite a few complaints about you; you really need to improve your relationship with them."

It sounded like concern, but in reality, it was a probe.

Shisui was no fool; he immediately caught the subtext in the Third Hokage's words, so he quickly bowed and replied, "Thank you for your concern, Hokage."

Then, he voiced his own worries regarding the Uchiha Clan.

Because Shisui had grown too close to the Konoha high command, he had incited the dissatisfaction of the Radical Faction within the clan, and it was highly likely that those people would target him during tonight's Clan Meeting.

If the Radical Faction gained the upper hand, the Uchiha Clan would move even further toward becoming the village's opposition.

"Sigh."

After listening, the Third Hokage let out a long, heavy sigh.

Then, looking pained and remorseful, he confessed to Shisui:

"This is all my fault.

During my tenure, I failed to resolve the grievances between the Uchiha and the village, ultimately having to pass this heavy burden onto the Fourth Hokage. I never imagined that the Fourth Hokage would pass away in his prime; left with no choice, I had to return to this position.

The village today, having endured the Nine-Tails' Rampage a few years ago, has yet to recover and remains extremely fragile.

Meanwhile, the major ninja villages, led by the Cloud Hidden, are all eyeing Konoha like predators.

At a critical juncture like this, if something were to happen to the Uchiha Clan, it would be a fatal blow to Konoha; internal strife would inevitably trigger external chaos.

If that were to happen, and Konoha were to...

After I die, how could I have the face to meet the First and Second Hokage in the Pure Land!"

After pouring out these heartfelt words, the Third Hokage seemed to have aged significantly.

Hearing this, Shisui was deeply moved, and he couldn't help but blurt out:

"Hokage, I will definitely stop my clan members; I will never let the things you fear come to pass."

Good, that was the response he had been waiting for.

The Third Hokage's expression turned solemn, and he looked at Shisui with a burning gaze, saying emotionally:

"Shisui, your grandfather Kagami Uchiha was my dearest friend, and in my heart, I have always treated you like my own grandson.

Kagami was an incredible ninja who spent his entire life embodying the Will of Fire. I have always firmly believed that you would inherit his legacy and protect the future of Konoha.

Everything is in your hands now."

In this moment, he entrusted a thousand-catty burden to the young man before him.

Shisui's entire body trembled; he then knelt on one knee and said in a deep voice, "Uchiha Shisui swears to complete the mission at the cost of my life!"

"Good, good!"

The Third Hokage revealed a warm, kind smile once more, his eyes filled with gratification.

First, show concern, then perform a bitter-meat ploy, and finally, bring up the ancestor to use the Will of Fire for moral coercion.

The Third Hokage's combination of tactics had reached the realm of perfection.

After seeing Shisui off.

The Third Hokage sat back in his chair and fell into deep thought.

To deal with the Uchiha, he had not only Shisui but also Itachi as a pawn; one could say he was attacking from two sides.

But even so, the Third Hokage still couldn't rest easy; after all, Shisui and Itachi were, at the end of the day, Uchiha.

Never trust an Uchiha one hundred percent.

This was the advice his teacher, the Second Hokage Tobirama Senju, had given him before he passed.

One must be on guard.

Ten minutes later.

Kakashi appeared in the Hokage's office.

"I have thought it over, and there is no one in the entire Anbu more outstanding than you. Only you, possessing the Sharingan, understand the Uchiha well enough and have the strength to infiltrate their Clan Compound. Kakashi, I am entrusting this mission to you."

The Third Hokage said with earnest gravity.

He ordered Kakashi to secretly enter the Naka Shrine to gather intelligence on the Uchiha Clan Meeting.

"Yes."

Kakashi knelt on one knee, bowing his head as he responded.

Always one to avoid trouble, he naturally found such a thorny mission to be a massive headache, but faced with the Hokage's order, he had no room to refuse.

The Third Hokage seemed to understand what was on Kakashi's mind, and he added gently:

"Remember, your own safety comes first. If you discover that the situation is not right, withdraw immediately. Do not try to be a hero."

"I understand, Hokage."

Kakashi responded once more.

Although the Third Hokage said this, Kakashi knew that this matter concerned the safety of the village, and he had to obtain valuable intelligence no matter what.

He could not return empty-handed.

As Kakashi thought about his infiltration plan, he walked out of the Hokage Building.

Unexpectedly, he ran into an acquaintance at the corner of the corridor.

Danzo.

"Kakashi, I admire your performance in the Anbu, and I have even considered poaching you for Root." Danzo blocked Kakashi's path, getting straight to the point.

Kakashi's expression shifted, and he politely declined: "Please, do not joke, Lord Danzo."

"No, Root is more suitable for you than the Anbu, because you possess the aptitude for darkness."

Danzo's gaze was profound, as if he had long since seen through the darkness buried deep within Kakashi's heart.

He knew that this young man, who appeared loyal to the Will of Fire, actually harbored significant resentment toward the Third Hokage.

Because.

The suicide of Hatake Sakumo years ago was indirectly caused by the Third Hokage.

Furthermore, Danzo had hinted to Kakashi that while the Third Hokage prided himself on being a pacifist, he had inadvertently escalated conflicts, becoming the culprit behind the deaths of Obito and Rin.

Later, in order to reclaim his position, the Third Hokage had forbidden the Anbu from participating in the Nine-Tails' Attack, which led to the death of Kakashi's teacher, the Fourth Hokage.

Although Kakashi did not ultimately believe these conspiracy theories from Danzo, once the seeds of doubt were sown, they would quietly take root and sprout.

Wouldn't they?

"Lord Danzo, if there is nothing else, I will be going."

Kakashi had no intention of entangling himself with Danzo and bypassed him to leave.

However, Danzo raised his cane, blocked Kakashi once again, and asked with narrowed eyes:

"The Third Hokage asked you to infiltrate the Uchiha Clan Compound, right? To send you alone on such a dangerous mission is truly excessive."

Without waiting for Kakashi to answer, he took a Signal Scroll from his robe and told him:

"Rest assured, my Root subordinates will be fully deployed tonight to surround the Uchiha Clan Compound. Once you discover that the Uchiha have intentions of rebellion, or if you encounter danger, pull this Signal Scroll, and Root will provide support immediately."

Danzo's words made Kakashi feel the gravity of the situation once again, but he asked calmly on the surface:

"Does the Hokage know about this?"

Danzo shook his head and said righteously:

"The Third Hokage is too indecisive. To deal with the Uchiha, one must be resolute and use thunderous methods. If he does not want to take the blame, let me, the Hokage Assistant, do it."

Upon hearing this, Kakashi fell silent.

Having been a ninja for so many years, he naturally knew that the Third Hokage and Danzo were the light and shadow of Konoha.

Neither could exist without the other.

Therefore, even when Danzo committed the outrageous act of attempting to assassinate the Hokage, he was ultimately forgiven by the Third Hokage.

There were some things that the Third Hokage opposed publicly but tacitly allowed Danzo to do in private.

Was this time the same?

After some hesitation, Kakashi took the Signal Scroll from Danzo's hand.

Watching Kakashi's retreating back, Danzo's eyes flickered.

He was impatient to wipe out the Uchiha; besides the fact that the Uchiha threatened the peace of Konoha, there was another reason: he, Danzo, coveted the Sharingan of the Uchiha.

But if the operation tonight failed, it would not matter.

Kakashi was sent by the Hokage, so if things escalated, it would be the Third Hokage's responsibility. By then, Danzo could still use the opportunity to force Hiruzen Sarutobi to abdicate.

No matter what, he would win.

Soon, evening arrived, and the sky grew dark.

At the Fitness Gym, Dan finished his dinner unhurriedly, and his Nephew Uchiha Itachi arrived on time.

Itachi was following his father's instructions to take Dan to the clan meeting tonight.

"Close up early and rest; I will be back soon."

Dan gave instructions to Samui and then headed out with his Nephew.

The Uncle and Nephew walked along the streets of Konoha, not speaking a word the entire way.

They arrived at the entrance of the Clan Compound.

Itachi looked up inadvertently, glancing at the several tall buildings surrounding the clan grounds.

He could sense that the Anbu had significantly increased their manpower over the past two days; they were likely inside the Tall Building right now, monitoring every move of the Uchiha from all angles.

Looking back at the Uchiha Clan Compound, the atmosphere was peaceful, and the ordinary clan members had no idea of the danger that might be coming.

Itachi cast one last glance at his Uncle's profile, but the latter remained expressionless, making it impossible to guess what he was thinking.

He hoped his Uncle wouldn't do anything reckless at the Clan Meeting.

Itachi prayed silently in his heart.

Night fell, and a crescent moon hung in the branches.

By the faint moonlight, the Uncle and Nephew arrived at the Naka Shrine Main Hall and lifted the seventh tatami mat, revealing a secret passage.

Following the long corridor, the two soon approached the underground Secret Room where the Clan Meeting was being held.

As soon as they pushed the door open, they heard a clamor of voices and a great deal of noise.