Shisui's Resolve

"Second," Uchiha Ao paused, his gaze burning as he looked at Shisui, "you must become the Hokage."

Shisui's eyes widened, his face filled with disbelief. "Become the Hokage? Ao, this isn't a joke. The position of Hokage has always been held by the Hokage's lineage; no one from the Uchiha Clan has ever touched it. This is almost impossible to achieve."

Uchiha Ao's expression was solemn, devoid of any playfulness, as he said earnestly, "Shisui, you should know about Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju."

"At the dawn of Konoha's founding, they stood side by side, working together to build this village that carries the dreams and hopes of countless people."

"At its root, the Uchiha Clan and the Senju Clan are both the creators of Konoha. We have just as much right to vie for the position of Hokage."

Shisui frowned slightly, his expression conflicted. Though his heart was stirred by Ao's words, he remained doubtful. "That may be true, but the prejudice against the Uchiha Clan in the village is deep-rooted. Even if I have the ability, they wouldn't feel comfortable handing the Hokage position to me."

Uchiha Ao stepped forward, his expression sincere. "Shisui, this is exactly where we must find our breakthrough."

"While the various clans in the village appear united, there are undercurrents and conflicting demands. Take the Hyuga Clan, for example. Hiashi Hyuga has held a grudge against the village ever since the incident with Hizashi. Back then, to appease the anger of the Cloud Village, the higher-ups easily sacrificed Hizashi. Hiashi accepted it on the surface, but the resentment in his heart has never faded. We only need to make good use of that."

Seeing that Shisui remained unresponsive, Uchiha Ao stepped forward and patted his shoulder. "Of course, the prerequisite to becoming Hokage is that you must unify the Uchiha Clan. The clan is currently split between the radicals and the moderates. The two factions are in constant dispute, which not only prevents us from forming a united front but also gives the village higher-ups the opportunity to divide and suppress us."

"The radicals are bent on a showdown with the village to reclaim the power that belongs to us, acting impulsively without regard for the consequences. The moderates are too weak, choosing only to compromise and concede."

"You must step up and explain your philosophy to them. Tell the radicals that blind confrontation will only lead the Uchiha to total ruin, and tell the moderates that blind forbearance will not earn us true respect or status."

Shisui nodded, indicating he understood.

After a moment of hesitation, Shisui slowly raised his hand to his eyes.

His irises were instantly dyed a blood-red, the original black pupils vanishing to be replaced by a strange and mysterious pattern—the Mangekyo Sharingan.

Shisui stared intently at Uchiha Ao and said in a low voice, "Ao, I reveal these eyes to let you know that I am not without resolve or strength. These eyes are the symbol of the Uchiha Clan's ultimate power, and they are the weapon with which I protect my ideals."

"I have used them countless times to protect the village, yet even so, the village's suspicion of the Uchiha has never diminished. Now that you say you want me to vie for the position of Hokage and unify the Uchiha Clan, I will follow your plan and give it my all."

Seeing the determination in Shisui's eyes, Uchiha Ao revealed a faint smile.

He knew that by revealing his Mangekyo, Shisui had placed his full trust in him.

And all he had to do was ensure he did not betray that trust.

"And the third method?" Shisui was already satisfied with the first two, but he wanted to see what other ideas this clansman, who was even more of a genius than Itachi, might have.

Uchiha Ao waved his hand. "Shisui, there is no need to mention the third method. If the first two can be successfully advanced, they will be enough to completely resolve the Uchiha Clan's predicament and even allow the clan to take a step forward."

Shisui tilted his head slightly and said softly, "Ao, I want to bring Itachi into this as well. His talent is extremely high, he has deep feelings for both the village and the clan, and he is very meticulous."

Uchiha Ao froze for a moment, a strange look appearing in his eyes.

Regarding Itachi, Uchiha Ao had only one evaluation.

An idiot.

In Uchiha Ao's view, Itachi was obsessed with the "greater good." For the sake of so-called village peace, he could harden his heart to participate in the clan's extermination, only to leave Sasuke Uchiha behind to hate him.

"Shisui, bringing Itachi into this won't help; it might even harm him." Uchiha Ao shook his head, decisively rejecting Shisui's proposal.

"Shisui, you must realize that Itachi's father is Fugaku. As his close friend, if you were to join others in seizing his father's position as clan head, how would Itachi conduct himself in the clan later? With what face could he continue to stand before his own people?" Uchiha Ao did not state the true reason for his rejection, but instead explained it from Itachi's perspective.

Shisui's expression was hesitant, his heart struggling intensely, but he eventually nodded slowly. "You're right; I didn't consider that. Let's do as you say for now. Once we have sorted out the internal affairs of the clan and found the right opportunity, we will approach Itachi."

Seeing Shisui agree, Uchiha Ao breathed a sigh of relief. He had been truly worried that Shisui would be as stubborn and opinionated as he had been in the past.

The two chatted for a while longer, and just as Shisui was preparing to leave, Uchiha Ao suddenly grabbed him.

"What is it, Ao?"

Uchiha Ao scratched his head, a look of embarrassment on his face. "Shisui, actually, I have one more request."

Shisui was slightly taken aback, and Uchiha Ao continued, "I've heard that the Shadow Clone Technique can improve training efficiency. I want to use shadow clones to help me train, so I'd like to ask you to teach me."

Shisui sighed slightly, looking at Uchiha Ao with concern. "Ao, the Shadow Clone Technique does indeed improve training efficiency, but it has side effects." Shisui paused, then said slowly, "When a shadow clone is dispersed, the fatigue, pain, and consumed mental energy it accumulated are all fed back to the original body at once."

In Shisui's view, Ao's talent was already quite good, and training via the Shadow Clone Technique could indeed save a lot of time and rapidly increase his strength.

However, this method of training was extremely taxing on the mind. If one were not careful, it could cause irreparable damage to both body and spirit.

Not everyone possessed the chakra reserves and powerful recovery abilities of someone like Naruto Uzumaki.

After listening, Uchiha Ao took a deep breath, his face calm. "Shisui, I understand your concerns. But since I have decided to learn it, I won't act blindly; I will certainly act within my limits." He clenched his fists slightly, his eyes thoughtful. "I plan to start by creating one or two shadow clones for training. Each session won't last long, and I will dispel the clones before I feel any significant mental exhaustion, slowly exploring my own limits."

Shisui listened quietly to Ao's words, then patted his shoulder again and nodded firmly. "Alright, Ao, I agree to teach you."

"The key to the Shadow Clone Technique lies first in the balanced distribution of chakra." As Shisui spoke, he began to demonstrate the hand seals slowly and clearly. "Look, start with this Tiger seal..."

"Let me demonstrate it for you first."