"Yes, Lord Hokage. For Konoha, the Uchiha will not shirk our duty! I'll be sure to pass your message on to Clan Head Fugaku," Uchiha Shisui said, looking proud. Although the wars in the Ninja World caused children to mature early, that was only relative. Compared to children growing up in society's ivory towers, children in the Ninja World really were precocious. But to the adults of the Ninja World, they were still just children—at most, dangerous children.
Being highly aggressive didn't mean a child was intellectually mature. The idea that a little kid could already think like a Hokage was just adults flattering children. At that age, they probably couldn't even tell the difference between the state of the Ninja World, the world's political landscape, and why villages fought each other. So much for thinking like a Hokage. It was like telling a child, "You're a man now. You should learn to dress and feed yourself."
Watching Uchiha Shisui turn to leave, Hiruzen Sarutobi's lips curled into a faint smile. If only the rest of the Uchiha Clan were like that boy Shisui!
Konoha's core district—the Uchiha Clan Compound! Unlike in the original story, thanks to Uchiha Gen's intervention, his uncompromising attitude, and his overwhelming strength within Konoha, the High Command's theory that the Uchiha were behind the attack was stamped out before it could take root. The Uchiha Clan naturally had no need to move away from the core district!
Knock, knock~
"Is Fugaku at home? Uchiha Shisui is here to visit!" Eleven-year-old Shisui knocked on the door of Uchiha Fugaku's house, putting on a deliberately mature air.
Creak! The door opened, and a small head poked through the gap to look Shisui over. Was this the genius Shisui everyone in the clan talked about?
"Hello, Senior Shisui. I—I'm Uchiha Itachi. Dad's home. Please, come in!" Uchiha Itachi said with a hint of shyness. His expression was worlds apart from the man who would later wipe out the clan!
"Sorry to intrude." Uchiha Shisui stepped inside and followed Itachi further in. As the head of the Uchiha Clan, Uchiha Fugaku lived in a truly luxurious home. In the original story, even after the clan had moved, Uchiha Sasuke still had his own private training ground. In a place like Konoha, where land was worth its weight in gold, owning such a large mansion showed just how rich Fugaku was. No wonder he had so much money to spend on boosting his eye power!
"Good afternoon, Fugaku. I'm sorry to show up unannounced and impose on you. Please forgive me." Uchiha Shisui was certainly very courteous on the surface. He seemed like a well-mannered child.
Looking at Uchiha Shisui, Fugaku nodded to himself. Now that was the bearing and upbringing befitting the Uchiha Clan! The kid seemed promising. Maybe he should give him some guidance in the future. But wasn't he awfully close to the politicians around the Lord Third?
"Shisui, what brings you here? Have you run out of the allowance the clan gives you?" Uchiha Fugaku couldn't think of anything serious that might connect him and Shisui. At most, it would be some trivial matter. But Shisui wasn't the sort to visit without good reason. Had he run into trouble?
"Fugaku, I just came from Lord Hokage's office. I'm here to pass along a message from him," Uchiha Shisui replied respectfully.
"Oh? Lord Hokage? He sent you to deliver a message? Couldn't Minato have sent an Anbu to tell me? Still, if he asked you to pass it on, it probably isn't anything major. Go ahead."
"It wasn't the Fourth Hokage. The Lord Third wanted me to convey an order to you. Konoha is fighting Kumogakure and Kirigakure at the same time, and the front lines are in urgent need of support. So the Lord Third hopes you'll send some Uchiha forces to reinforce the Kirigakure Front." Shisui noticed Fugaku's expression growing darker and darker, and his voice gradually turned hesitant.
"Shisui, let me ask you something. Who is the Hokage in office right now?" Uchiha Fugaku asked, suppressing his anger.
"It's the Fourth Hokage, but the Third—"
"That's enough. You know the Fourth Hokage is in charge now! What does the Lord Third think he's doing, going over the Fourth Hokage's head? Is the Fourth Hokage just a figurehead? Or does Hiruzen Sarutobi still crave power and want to sideline him?" Uchiha Fugaku cut off Uchiha Shisui's defense. In the past, everyone had turned a blind eye to the fact that the Lord Third was the one really in charge. With Fugaku's temperament, he wouldn't have meddled in it.
But the problem was that Fugaku had been spending a fortune to strengthen his eyes lately. His eye power was now every bit as great as Madara Uchiha's had been in his prime—or so Fugaku believed. As expected of the father of Uchiha Sasuke! His Mangekyo had been boosted by 99 points, and he hadn't taken a beating yet. If he wasn't going to get carried away, who would?
Uchiha Gen, get up and take a look: everyone in Konoha is trash. That was the most honest thought in Uchiha Fugaku's heart at that moment!
What the hell did the Lord Third think he was doing? Did he think he could tell Fugaku what to do? How about a 200-meter Susanoo? One swing of his blade and the whole Sarutobi Clan would be wiped out. Did he believe it or not?
"Shisui, you need to think for yourself. Don't just do whatever the Lord Third says. You're not a little kid anymore; it's time to start understanding things." Uchiha Fugaku spoke meaningfully as he looked at the boy in front of him. He would have to keep an eye on him a while longer. Shisui didn't seem all that reliable!
"Clan Head, the Lord Third is doing this for Konoha! We can't be so selfish. If you act this way, the Uchiha will end up isolated from Konoha!" Uchiha Shisui urged.
"You're wrong, Shisui. The Lord Third doesn't represent Konoha, and Konoha doesn't belong to him personally. Konoha belongs to all its people. Besides, the Fourth Hokage is in charge right now. If anyone can claim to represent Konoha, it's the Fourth Hokage. The Lord Third can take a back seat! Don't you agree?" Uchiha Fugaku said calmly.
"That's true, but isn't the Lord Third still part of Konoha's High Command?"
"You said it yourself: he's part of the High Command, not the Hokage in office. By acting like this, the Lord Third is disregarding the Fourth Hokage. He's overstepping his bounds!" Uchiha Fugaku retorted.
"Forget it. Why am I bothering to explain all this to a kid like you? You probably wouldn't understand anyway. Just take this message back to the Lord Third for me: once the Sarutobi Clan is wiped out, I'll be the first to lead the Uchiha Clan to the Kirigakure Front! Yes, tell him exactly that. If he has a problem with it, he's welcome to meet me for a duel at the Mountains Graveyard anytime!" Uchiha Fugaku said brazenly.
"Huh?" Shisui was so shocked he didn't know what to say. In his mind, the Lord Third was the strongest Hokage of all time. Clan Head Fugaku was strong too, but he seemed to be about on par with the Sannin—perhaps even a little weaker. How could he dare say that to the Sannin's teacher?
"Fugaku, please don't act on impulse. Even if you and the Lord Third don't get along, there's no need to go this far!" Uchiha Shisui pleaded.
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