He looked at Inabi, then at the people behind him. After a moment of silence, he suddenly asked:
"Why do you think that?"
Inabi froze for a moment, then said as though it were obvious:
"Because we're strong! Strength is everything! As long as we kill the Third, won't the Hokage's position naturally be ours?"
The people behind him nodded in agreement.
After hearing him out, Xuandou shook his head.
"Hiruzen didn't become Hokage and have the shinobi obey his orders because of his title, much less the Hokage robe he wears."
"He became Hokage because everyone acknowledged him, from the Land of Fire's Daimyō to the heads of the major shinobi clans, all the way down to ordinary citizens."
"His orders go unimpeded throughout Konoha not because the Anbu are so strong, but because everyone believes they should listen to what he says."
Xuandou paused and looked Inabi in the eye:
"We Uchiha can certainly kill Hiruzen by force, but..."
"If you, Inabi, put on that Hokage robe, do you think the other shinobi clans would support you? Do you think those citizens who were just cursing us would acknowledge you? Once you issued an order, would the people under you do everything they could to carry it out?"
Inabi opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but after thinking for a long time, he finally shook his head.
Xuandou stood, walked up to Inabi, and patted his shoulder:
"Give me a little more time."
"I promise these days will soon be over."
Inabi stared at him blankly.
After a moment of silence, he finally nodded.
"All right."
He said.
"We trust you."
The people behind him exchanged looks and nodded as well.
They had come with Inabi. Since Inabi trusted him, they would too.
Ever since Xuandou had