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They voluntarily applied to dispatch the clan's main forces to the border region to guard against a possible invasion by Kumogakure!

That day's Clan Meeting came to an end.

After Fugaku held a final discussion with the Eight Great Elders,

they still reached this conclusion.

Opinions within the clan were divided over Shōji's proposal and Fugaku's final decision as clan head. It could not be said that many opposed it, but neither could it be said that many supported it. This was the Uchiha Clan's current internal predicament, and one of the major reasons it would be destroyed in the Original Work. The clan was divided from top to bottom. With everyone pulling in different directions, nothing could succeed. Then there was pressure from outside and traitors within. It would have been a miracle if the Uchiha Clan could turn things around.

But no matter what was said,

the Uchiha Clan's overall strength was still there for all to see.

Once this clan truly made a decision, anyone in Konohagakure had to carefully weigh it.

Therefore,

when Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Third Hokage who had returned to office, received Uchiha Fugaku's request to volunteer, a trace of astonishment appeared on his aged face. It was not that he had never considered such a possibility. As a Hokage who had governed Konohagakure for more than thirty years, he possessed that much breadth of mind. The Uchiha Clan making such a decision

was also within Sarutobi Hiruzen's earlier expectations.

It was merely the timing and efficiency of it

that Sarutobi Hiruzen had not foreseen.

In the end, just as Shōji had thought, this was a test Sarutobi Hiruzen had arranged for the Uchiha Clan. He wanted to use this move to see what the Uchiha Clan's current attitude and thinking truly were.

In Sarutobi Hiruzen's assessment,

there was over an eighty percent chance that the Uchiha Clan would choose silent acquiescence. To put it plainly, they would neither take the initiative nor resist, neither acknowledge nor oppose it. Unless the village directly issued orders, the Uchiha Clan would most likely make such a passive choice. This judgment was based on an analysis of the Uchiha Clan's current state and Fugaku's personality as clan head.

As for the remaining twenty percent, even if the Uchiha Clan chose a more proactive approach,

it would only be a decision to follow the crowd after the other Ninja Clans stated their positions one by one.

At this point,

it should at least have taken another three or four days.

After all, the situation at the border was still manageable, and Kumogakure was not truly pressing forward with a massive army.

There was still some room to maneuver.

That had been the original expectation. Yet everything came too quickly, like a tornado. The meeting had only been held yesterday morning, and this morning Uchiha Fugaku had already come on behalf of the clan to volunteer.

No matter how one looked at it, it was somewhat strange.

Just as Sarutobi Hiruzen intended to use certain methods to investigate and verify things further,

Shisui arrived in time with his intelligence report.

This cleared away Sarutobi Hiruzen's doubts, but it also sparked a trace of interest in Uchiha Shōji, another talented youth of the Uchiha Clan's younger generation.

Was he another Uchiha youth like Shisui, one who held the village in his heart?

Or was he a gloomy man merely putting on an act?

Judging from his behavior and age, Sarutobi Hiruzen leaned more toward the former. But as for the specifics, the Third Hokage certainly needed to discuss the matter further with his advisor friends, and he also needed to test Shōji more thoroughly. Shisui had been treated the same way before.

Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu, who had been hastily summoned by Sarutobi Hiruzen, arrived at the Hokage's Office. After hearing the intelligence concerning the Uchiha Clan, the two also fell into brief silence.

Sarutobi Hiruzen did not urge them.

He simply sat quietly in his seat, took a deep draw from the pipe at his lips, then slowly exhaled a thick ring of smoke. As it gradually spread through the room,

"From the looks of it, this young Shōji may be an Uchiha worth having some expectations for. I think we can grant him a certain degree of trust. Of course, that will depend on his future performance. Shisui can be instructed to keep a closer eye on him, but he must be forbidden from revealing more information to him. Instead, we need to pay closer attention to Fugaku and the other Uchiha clan members."

Having seemingly sorted through his thoughts, Mitokado Homura raised his eyes again and looked directly at Sarutobi Hiruzen seated to his left as he spoke in a deep voice.

"I agree with Homura's view as well. We can set Uchiha Shōji's matter aside for the moment and have Shisui interact with him more. Winning over another powerful member of the Uchiha younger generation would indeed make our plans easier to arrange. But we cannot mistake the key issue. The core lies with Uchiha Fugaku and the other Uchiha elders. That mysterious person must have come from the Uchiha Clan. There is no doubt about that. What matters is uncovering his identity and determining whether the Uchiha Clan is deeply involved. That is what we need to keep a close watch on now!"

Utatane Koharu rarely opened her half-lidded eyes as she spoke in a slightly low voice.

"There is no need to worry about Fugaku for now. Judging from the intelligence Shisui brought back, Fugaku remains rather restrained and calm. Our focus now should be on investigating the identity of that mysterious Uchiha clan member. This opportunity is also perfectly suitable. Since the Uchiha Clan has proactively submitted a request, we can simply approve it!"

"Hiruzen, you mean...? But wouldn't that be too dangerous? If it truly is an internal problem within the Uchiha Clan, such a choice could easily..."

Mitokado Homura frowned and questioned him, seeming somewhat disapproving.

"If it truly is, then this is also an opportunity. We cannot remain passive and guard against them like this forever. Sooner or later, we must choose a more proactive approach. Besides, the pressure on the border is real. Sending a portion out while keeping another portion inside should let us see some clues. Moreover, this is the best opportunity to test young Shōji, isn't it?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen shook his head, cutting off Mitokado Homura, and spoke softly.

"But..."

"Homura, on this point, I think Hiruzen is right. There will never be an option that brings only profit with no risk at all. When it comes to the Nine-Tails and the village's safety, the risks posed by the Uchiha Clan are acceptable!"

Just as Mitokado Homura was about to say something more,

Utatane Koharu, seated opposite him, also voiced her support for Sarutobi Hiruzen.