Hokage, I Choose Orochimaru, Ten Years to Ascend the Moon

Shisui began to earnestly explain the capabilities of his technique.

After finishing, he looked at Uchiha Gin with a serious expression, hoping that Uchiha Gin would approve of his plan.

"Your idea is decent, but unfortunately, the success rate cannot be very high."

"A person's drastic shift in behavior will inevitably be discovered. Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Koharu will certainly realize something is wrong, and when that happens, the primary suspects will undoubtedly be the Uchiha Clan. Once the effect is dispelled, Konoha will erupt into civil war."

Uchiha Gin rejected Shisui's idea.

The technique Kotoamatsukami does not completely control a person's memories; rather, it alters their will, similar to changing one's perception.

An ordinary person might consider Liu Yifei a beauty, but after rewriting their will, they would perceive an ugly woman as a beauty, while Liu Yifei would appear as an ugly woman.

The greater the discrepancy in this shift, the easier it is to be discovered.

Furthermore, the effect is not permanent and can be dispelled; once the victim realizes the truth, the probability of breaking free increases.

While it can be maintained if Shisui sustains it privately for a long time, it is highly likely to break if an unexpected incident occurs.

After hearing Uchiha Gin's words, Shisui fell into self-doubt.

Is there truly nothing he can do to change things?

Uchiha Gin, on the other hand, relaxed his stance. After learning the details of Kotoamatsukami from Shisui, he had at least some defensive measures in mind.

Keeping a diary would suffice; as long as he noticed his own perceptions shifting, he could find a way to break the effect.

The best method would be to check surveillance, but since that wasn't widespread yet, it wasn't very practical.

"Shisui, are you currently more inclined toward the village or the clan?"

Uchiha Gin asked Shisui.

"I hope to be a bridge between the village and the Uchiha, and I hope both sides can coexist in peace."

Shisui answered earnestly.

Tch, Hokage-style thinking.

Uchiha Gin muttered to himself.

Naruto was the type brainwashed by the Will of Fire, while Shisui and later Itachi both considered things from the big picture. This way of thinking, referred to as the Hokage mindset, was essentially acting for the sake of the greater good.

"For that, would you be willing to fall into darkness and sacrifice everything?"

Uchiha Gin asked.

"Even if I must fall into darkness, as long as I can trade it for peace between the village and the clan, I am willing to sacrifice everything!"

Shisui nodded, speaking with great solemnity.

He sensed that Uchiha Gin seemed to have a plan; this man was his life mentor.

"I have a method, but it requires you to become a missing-nin and join a certain organization..."

Uchiha Gin thought for a moment; it was better to send this guy with the Hokage mindset away.

In this life, Itachi wouldn't be able to become a missing-nin, so he might as well let Shisui do it.

It would also be a good opportunity to monitor Obito, confirm the situation with Black Zetsu, and cause some trouble for Shimura Danzō while he was out in the field.

It would be a disaster if he were in the middle of a mission and Shisui suddenly had a flare-up of Hokage-style thinking, leading to internal strife.

"So, is it really possible that Uchiha Madara is hiding in that organization called Akatsuki?"

Shisui asked.

He couldn't just defect based on a single word from Uchiha Gin; he needed to understand the situation first.

Uchiha Gin began to explain the situation of the Akatsuki organization to Shisui.

It was an organization composed of missing-nin, but Uchiha Madara's shadow loomed behind it.

Furthermore, by becoming a missing-nin, Shisui could exert pressure on the Konoha high command; a wandering Mangekyō Sharingan would place significant strain on them.

Without a guaranteed way to resolve the situation perfectly, Konoha would certainly be more hesitant to take action against the Uchiha.

"Yes, the intelligence I provided earlier wasn't fabricated."

"That organization called Akatsuki is indeed problematic; it's composed of missing-nin from various major ninja villages, not just simple mercenaries."

"However, once you defect, the clan will find it difficult to provide you with support. After all, the Uchiha have no influence abroad, so you will have to rely on yourself. You also need to confirm the situation regarding Shimura Danzō; the mission is heavy."

Uchiha Gin continued.

If there were a Sixth Hokage, he would definitely support Shisui, but for now, it was better to go out and play.

"I understand; this organization is indeed dangerous."

"Should I just defect directly?"

Shisui acknowledged Uchiha Gin's point.

The Akatsuki organization was dangerous, and if he were outside, he could indeed reduce the pressure the Konoha high command exerted on the Uchiha Clan.

"I know you care more about the safety of the entire village. I can promise you that after you become a missing-nin, the Uchiha Clan will absolutely not initiate a civil war."

"Even if we are competing for interests, we will still abide by the rules of the village."

Uchiha Gin gave Shisui a guarantee at the same time.

However, he knew that Sarutobi Hiruzen would be the first one unable to hold back when the time came, so he gave this guarantee without any pressure at all.

"Thank you!"

Shisui was somewhat moved.

He could feel that everything Uchiha Gin said to him was the truth.

His efforts finally had a glimmer of hope.

"If you are to defect, then have a fight with me."

"I will announce to the outside world that you awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan, and upon learning that Uchiha Madara's flawless Mangekyō Sharingan was obtained by seizing another pair of Mangekyō Sharingan, you ambushed me, wanting to take my Mangekyō."

Uchiha Gin told Shisui the script he had arranged.

In fact, stealing the Scroll of Seals to defect would yield the greatest harvest, but it was obvious that Shisui would never do such a thing.

Defection always requires a suitable excuse; besides coveting ninjutsu, increasing one's strength by seizing a Mangekyō was quite reasonable. Secondly, assassinating the Hokage would incite conflict, so that was not appropriate either.

"Is this method real!"

Hearing Uchiha Gin's words, Shisui revealed a look of surprise.

"It's fake. This method only works if two brothers awaken the Mangekyō at the same time. Otherwise, why has there only been one Uchiha Madara in the Uchiha Clan for so many years!"

"When you infiltrate the Akatsuki, if you encounter Uchiha Madara, you can also use this explanation."

Uchiha Gin explained carefully.

Regarding the matter of the First Hokage Cells, the only ones in the clan who knew it most clearly, besides himself, were Uchiha Itachi; even Fugaku only understood a part of it.

He only knew that they were conducting research with Orochimaru to solve the Bloodline Disease, but he didn't really know the specifics.

After all, this news was not suitable for widespread dissemination. Uchiha Gin did not believe that Shisui was the only spy in the clan, and if it were leaked, it would give the Uchiha Clan a shot of adrenaline.

If they truly believed they were invincible and triggered a battle prematurely, that would be troublesome.

"I see!"

Shisui noted this information down.

Although he wouldn't be able to use it himself, he still had to memorize the script clearly for the sake of his future performance.

"If you really want to leave, handle your own affairs first. After all, it will be very troublesome if you want to come back later."

Uchiha Gin added.

He had originally thought about whether to design a script for Itachi, but unless he finished off Shisui, or directly took action against Sasuke and his parents, it was basically impossible for him to awaken the Mangekyō.

So, there was no need for that.

"Mm, I understand."

"Before I defect, I will use Kotoamatsukami on the Third Hokage to make him focus his attention on this Akatsuki organization and put the Uchiha Clan in the background. This way, it can at least alleviate some of the pressure on everyone."

Shisui took a deep breath and made up his mind.

He prepared to use Kotoamatsukami on the Third Hokage.

This was a very difficult decision for him to make. After all, the education he had received since he was a child was to be loyal to the Hokage, and he never expected that he would take action against the Third Hokage.

Although it was only changing the priority of one matter, it was still a true betrayal, so becoming a missing-nin was only natural.

"I will do my best to stop the clan from 'actively' provoking a disaster."

Uchiha Gin gave his promise once again.

Shisui nodded, and then he left.

Uchiha Gin watched him leave.

"Let me see your determination, Shisui."

Before Shisui had completely left, Uchiha Gin would not trust him entirely.

The intelligence revealed today was not classified, so there was no need to worry about exposing anything.

When the Uchiha Clan was wiped out, Shisui could be considered a significant catalyst who deeply influenced Itachi, so Uchiha Gin had to be on guard.

What if the Hokage-mindset flared up?

People who are selfish and have desires are easier to analyze.

Although he respected such selfless people, he did not want one on his side.

He did not tell Fugaku about this matter discussed with Shisui.

This was to avoid Fugaku's acting not being sincere enough.

In the past few days, the Uchiha Clan walked with their heads held high because that annoying guy Shimura Danzō had been driven away, and everyone was very happy.

At the same time, with Hyuga Himon as a scapegoat responsible for the 'city management' tasks, they didn't have to suffer as much.

Furthermore, Uchiha Restaurant became a hit.

After all, delicious food never lies, and there are actually many wealthy people in Konoha, given that the ratio of ninjas to civilians is roughly ten to one.

Although Uchiha Restaurant's prices are quite high—thirty percent more expensive than the most highly regarded Yakiniku Restaurant in Konoha—many people still flock there.

Uchiha Gin visits whenever he has free time, and he insists that members of the clan must pay, forbidding any credit.

At the same time, no one in Konoha dares to run a tab on Uchiha territory, so the money flows in steadily; the income is quite decent, amounting to the mission earnings of several jōnin in a single month.

Soon, it was time for the monthly Uchiha clan meeting.

In the afternoon, inside the Hokage Building, Sarutobi Hiruzen summoned Shisui.

"Does the Uchiha Clan still harbor such intense resentment?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen asked.

Shisui could sense that the Third Hokage's attitude had changed significantly from before; his usual gentle demeanor seemed to have vanished entirely.

"No, everyone is very pleased that Danzo has been declared a wanted criminal."

"Moreover, new developments keep emerging within the clan, and everyone cares more about the opinions of Captain Gin. Captain Gin advocates for diversification, urging us not to remain fixated solely on the Military Police Force."

Shisui knelt on one knee with his head bowed, answering Sarutobi Hiruzen.

While keeping his head lowered, Shisui activated his Mangekyō Sharingan.

"What is your opinion of Uchiha Gin?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen furrowed his brows.

It was clear he sensed that the changes within the Uchiha Clan were trending in a positive direction.