"Then?"
Shisui was stunned.
Only then did he realize that it wasn't just him. Not one of the clan elders had ever considered the issue from this angle.
"How many of those shinobi clans would side with the Uchiha? Would the people of Konoha be willing to submit to Uchiha rule? Would the daimyo of the Land of Fire be willing to hand Konoha over to the Uchiha?!"
"Would the other powers near the Land of Fire seize the opportunity to strike?!"
"Even you should be able to see that far, shouldn't you?!"
Shisui's gaze sharpened slightly.
He began to understand.
Even if Setsuna Uchiha had succeeded in replacing the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, the challenges awaiting him afterward would only have been more dire.
The Uchiha's future wouldn't have improved at all. They might even have dragged all of Konoha into an endless abyss.
In the distance.
The two people beside the bookstore had fallen silent.
Setsuna Uchiha lowered his head, his eyes fixed intently on Uchiha Shingen.
At first, he'd only thought that Uchiha Shingen's temperament resembled that of the Nara Clan, and that perhaps he possessed the same innate strategic talent as its members.
But now he was certain: at least when it came to foresight, even most members of the Nara Clan couldn't do better than Uchiha Shingen.
Setsuna Uchiha himself had only figured out why the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, had looked at him that way after spending several years imprisoned.
A coup had never been the goal. It was only a means to an end!
That was especially true for the Uchiha!
If they couldn't take control of all Konoha immediately after replacing the Konoha High Command, the best they could hope for was to tear the village apart completely.
"Shingen-kun is far more mature than most people think, and he wants to improve relations between Konoha and the Uchiha even more than they realize."
Jiraiya gazed at the old man before him, his tone carrying an earnestness he couldn't quite hide.
"I don't want anything to derail what he's trying to do. If it does, I'll stop at nothing to..."
"Kill you!"
Setsuna Uchiha didn't respond. He stared at Uchiha Shingen for a long while before finally looking away and turning to Jiraiya.
"I hear from the clan that this kid hasn't taken the exams yet, but he already has Jonin-level combat strength. Who knows? Maybe he'll take the Sharingan to an even higher level someday."
"And with that sharp insight..."
"Take my advice. You can't handle this kid. He was born to be my successor."
"With my support, he could become the Uchiha Clan Head one day, or even the Hokage. It's not impossible."
"..."
Jiraiya's face darkened.
Old man!
You're trying to poach my student right in front of me?!
And all that talk about becoming Uchiha Clan Head or Hokage...
Hah!
You just don't know him. All this kid cares about is making money and slacking off in the Police Force!
"You don't need to worry about that."
"He's my student. I know what I'm doing!"
Setsuna Uchiha raised his chin and looked at Jiraiya with pride.
"You're an outsider. What do you know about the Uchiha? You'll only hold him back. I'm the one who can help him reach greater heights!"
"You can't stop him from going to someone better, can you?!"
"Wait!"
Jiraiya suddenly raised a hand, cutting Setsuna Uchiha off. Then, under the old man's puzzled gaze, he pulled a notebook from inside his robe.
"What did you just say? That last line!"
Setsuna Uchiha had no idea what Jiraiya was up to.
But seeing him listen so humbly, even taking notes, he assumed Jiraiya had been persuaded.
So he answered with a little more patience.
"You can't stop him from going to someone better!"
"Yes! Yes! Yes!"
Jiraiya nodded vigorously, scribbling away as he spoke.
"I was still wondering what the lover of Shirako's husband should say to provoke her husband. I wanted something with more impact!"
"I've got it now!"
"Nothing could be more shameless or hit harder than that line!"
Setsuna Uchiha was stunned. When he finally understood, his face turned green.
"You insolent brat! You've gone too far! Do you think my blade's gone dull?!"
He couldn't understand it. The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, might have been a small, skinny man, but back when he served under the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, he'd been a force to be reckoned with.
How had he raised a fool like this?!
Setsuna Uchiha made as if to draw his sword, but the moment his hand touched the hilt, he froze.
Uchiha Shingen, who'd been chatting with Shisui by the street, had appeared beside them without anyone noticing.
He glanced at Setsuna Uchiha, who was reaching for his sword, then at Jiraiya, and frowned.
"What did you say to the old man, you old geezer? Why's he so mad?!"
At the sight of Shingen, Setsuna Uchiha's expression immediately softened.
See that?!
He was Uchiha, after all. Even without recognizing who Setsuna was, protecting a fellow clan member came naturally to him.
"Nothing much."
Jiraiya was overflowing with inspiration and busy taking notes. He didn't even look up, and his words came out muddled.
"We just talked about writing."
"Writing?!"
Uchiha Shingen's interest was piqued.
"So that's why the old man came straight to your tea table. Turns out he's a fellow writer!"
"Speaking of which, lately, whenever I'm training, new ideas keep popping into my head."
Now that he knew the old man was a fellow writer, Uchiha Shingen had no reservations.
He poured himself a cup of tea, plopped down, and immediately started discussing his ideas with Jiraiya.
"Shirako's husband could use a rewrite. Your previous version was too bland. It had no tension at all..."
"Whoa!"
"That's good!"
"Only you could come up with that. For creativity and depth, you're the best person I've met so far!"
"I approve!"
Setsuna Uchiha sat off to the side, listening to the two of them enthusiastically discuss their writing. His expression grew darker and darker, and the corner of his mouth started twitching uncontrollably.
At first, he'd only wanted to try replacing Jiraiya as Uchiha Shingen's mentor. Now, that desire had reached its peak.
What in the world had you taught him?
What kind of teacher didn't teach ninjutsu, but dragged his student into writing about Imperial Uncles all day? The kid was still underage!
If it weren't for the way you'd acted earlier, I'd have thought this was a plot by Hiruzen Sarutobi to corrupt a Uchiha prodigy!
Bang—!
Growing angrier by the moment, Setsuna Uchiha crushed the cup in his hand for the third time.
As the vulgar talk rang in his ears, his old face turned red—whether from excitement or anger, he couldn't tell.
He wanted to leave at once, but thinking of the talent Uchiha Shingen had shown, he couldn't bear to let such a promising seedling be ruined in Jiraiya's hands!
It definitely wasn't because he wanted to hear a little more!
Before you continue