Seating a clan traitor at the same table as dogs would insult the dogs

The Uchiha Clan Compound.

Few people could be seen on the streets at night.

Uchiha Jin had just left the clan leader's residence when he spotted Shisui in his Anbu uniform beneath a streetlight at the corner.

From the look of him, he had probably been waiting there for quite some time.

Shisui Uchiha removed his mask, an awkward smile appearing on his face.

"Jin..."

"What?" The corners of Uchiha Jin's mouth rose slightly, and he made no attempt to hide the mockery in his voice.

"To what do I owe a visit from our esteemed Anbu, the Uchiha with the most correct political stance, the strongest Will of Fire, and the greatest loyalty to the village and its leadership-one of the few in our clan capable of looking beyond clan loyalties and viewing problems rationally?"

Shisui Uchiha: "..."

He did not understand. Back at the Ninja Academy, Jin had clearly been on good terms with him.

Yet after that incident, they had become familiar strangers.

Especially when he wore his Anbu uniform, Jin always found all sorts of sarcastic ways to criticize him.

Where exactly had things gone wrong?

Shisui did not think the problem lay with him. He could only attribute it to his close friend being too extreme.

He believed that as long as he kept trying to persuade him, he would eventually change his views.

The clan and the village were equally important. Neither could truly do without the other!

"Shimura Danzō tried to recruit me into Root tonight. When that failed, he tried to kill me."

The smile faded from Uchiha Jin's face as he stared coldly at the boy opposite him, who stood half a head shorter.

"With someone like that among Konoha's leadership, do you still think the clan and the village can coexist peacefully?"

Shisui Uchiha's expression was complicated.

He had been there tonight, following behind Orochimaru.

He had seen everything that happened both at the scene and in the office.

He had never imagined Shimura Danzō would do such a thing, actually trying to murder a fellow villager in that manner.

Lord Hokage's deliberate favoritism toward Advisor Danzo, in particular, had briefly shaken the beliefs he had always held.

Fortunately, Lord Hokage had not glossed over the serious issues. He had severely punished Shimura Danzō and stripped him of his position as advisor.

His slightly shaken faith became firm once more.

Lord Hokage must have had his own concerns in handling things this way. Killing a member of the village's leadership would certainly have major repercussions.

Besides, Jin had suffered no actual harm in this incident.

There really was no need to blow this out of proportion. Whatever else he was, the man was still a senior village official.

Letting things reach the point where one side had to die would do neither the clan nor the village any good.

That was his own explanation for the Hokage's actions.

"Although Advisor Danzo did something bad to you, Lord Hokage has already punished him."

As he spoke, Shisui Uchiha took out Hiruzen Sarutobi's ruling on Shimura Danzō's punishment.

Uchiha Jin read its contents without the slightest change in his expression.

[Shimura Danzō shall be stripped of his position as Hokage Advisor, apologize to and compensate the aggrieved party, Uchiha Jin, and remain under house arrest for thirty days.]

"Shimura Danzō's actions don't represent the village leadership. He isn't the village's only Hokage Advisor, and now he's no longer part of the leadership."

Seeing him remain silent, Shisui Uchiha could not help patiently trying to persuade him.

"Jin, you can't let Shimura Danzō alone give you a bad impression of the entire village leadership."

In his view, if the other clanspeople all thought badly of the leadership like Jin did,

the situation would only grow worse over time.

The Uchiha Clan needed to try to understand the leadership and the Hokage's decisions.

Once the leadership saw the clan change, they would stop pursuing policies of suppression.

Both sides needed to understand each other rather than focus solely on their own interests.

Making reasonable concessions was the right choice...

Clap, clap, clap.

Watching his impassioned speech, Uchiha Jin could not help applauding in praise.

"As expected of an Uchiha who managed to join the Anbu. I could spend my whole life learning to be as politically enlightened as you."

How had he never noticed before just how absurd Shisui was?

What the hell was that supposed to mean, "You can't let Danzo alone give you a bad impression of the village leadership"?

He had been able to keep his composure before.

After hearing that astounding remark, he completely lost it.

"I didn't make up those crimes I listed against Shimura Danzō."

Uchiha Jin's voice was icy.

"The Third Hokage made his stance perfectly clear back there. He wanted to protect Shimura Danzō. Wasn't that blatant favoritism?"

Shisui Uchiha opened his mouth, wanting to explain why the Hokage had done that.

But before he could speak, Jin's impatient voice rang out again.

"I can't believe you could say something so stupid. As far as I'm concerned, fools deserve sympathy the least."

He casually tossed the document detailing Shimura Danzō's punishment onto the ground.

"A death sentence reduced to a slap on the wrist-losing his advisor position, an apology, compensation, and a month of house arrest..."

He looked at Shisui, who seemed on the verge of speaking, his eyes filled with disappointment and frustration at his refusal to do better.

"Ignorant people always cling to unrealistic fantasies. When the blade falls on you someday, you'll understand just how foolish the convictions you're holding on to now really are."

Uchiha Jin walked past him, then suddenly stopped with his back to him.

"We're not on the same path. Go find Uchiha Itachi if you want a like-minded companion. Seating a clan traitor at the same table as dogs would insult the dogs."

Shisui Uchiha stared blankly at his close friend's receding back.

"Jin..."

He suddenly realized that it really did seem difficult for him to change Jin, or the clanspeople's bad impression of the village leadership.

Although the Uchiha Pro-Peace Faction was willing to make concessions, that did not mean they could tolerate things endlessly.

On top of that, the Hawk Faction was dissatisfied with the leadership.

Unless he could completely change their views, the leadership would only see them as defying its authority.

Then they would certainly continue targeting and suppressing the clan, creating a vicious cycle.

Until the conflict between the clan and the village erupted completely...

Therefore, he had to change the views of most of his clanspeople, making them realize that as long as they changed, the leadership would not target them for no reason.

And Uchiha Jin was a genius whose reputation rivaled his own.

His prestige within the clan had been high lately, and the Hawk Faction in particular held him in great esteem.

As long as he could change Jin's views, the clan's situation would improve!

All along, he had been trying to persuade him not to harbor so many grievances against the village.

Unfortunately, neither had managed to convince the other.

Especially after tonight's events, Shisui understood that Jin would only have more grievances against the leadership.

The situation seemed to be getting worse and worse.

Shisui Uchiha picked up the document from the ground and stood for a long time, gazing in the direction his close friend had left.

"Jin, I'll change the relationship between the clan and the village in my own way. Believe me."

Under the streetlight, the boy's black eyes turned scarlet, and three black tomoe spun rapidly, tracing the shape of a Mangekyō.

But they soon returned to normal.

Shisui Uchiha murmured, sadness flashing through his eyes at his companion's distrust. "You really have misunderstood. I'm not a traitor to the clan..."

He quickly composed himself and headed to the clan leader's residence with the ruling on Shimura Danzō.