The Selection Ends, Shimizu Places Great Hopes on Izumi

Itachi Uchiha and Shisui Uchiha had also entered the room quite some time ago.

They stood at the very back of the Uchiha Clan, exchanging a glance.

Both sighed inwardly.

Shimizu's capacity still hasn't managed to transcend the Uchiha.

Shisui did not speak.

But Itachi could perceive that this was exactly what Shisui's eyes were trying to convey.

With their shared ideals and the countless days and nights spent sparring together, their rapport had reached a level of perfect mutual understanding.

"Shimizu..."

Minato Namikaze clearly had not expected such a strong reaction from Shimizu.

He immediately offered a wry smile.

So many years had passed since his "death" that things had long since changed.

How could he still judge Shimizu by the standards of the past?

Besides, doing so would be unjust to the Uchiha.

Minato could still remember the grand ambitions he had held when he first became Hokage—to resolve the relationship between the village and the Uchiha.

Yet, not long after, on the very day Naruto was born, the mysterious masked man had launched his attack.

Both Kushina and he had perished.

"Lord Third, Lord Fourth, this is Shimizu's personal action; it does not reflect the intentions of our Uchiha Clan."

Fugaku apologized to Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Even though he harbored thoughts of a coup d'état, he remained composed on the surface.

Having managed to hide his Mangekyō Sharingan from the village, his clansmen, his confidants, and even his closest family members, Fugaku had cultivated a profound level of guile; he revealed no emotion and understood the value of tact.

"Young people are prone to acting on impulse; it is only natural."

Facing the opening Fugaku provided, Hiruzen Sarutobi stepped down from his position.

Neither Konoha nor the Uchiha could afford to tear off the mask of civility at