Revitalizing the Uchiha clan starts with becoming a Kage.

silence.

This is a special expression of opinion by the vast majority of them.

Those clansmen who had just angrily refuted Jiang Si were unusually quiet at this moment. Or rather, they had said what they needed to say, and the final decision still rested with clan leaders and elders such as Fu Yue, Xuan Lan, and Qian Hui.

This is the standard way the Uchiha clan makes decisions on the highest matters.

"Well then, let's call it a day for today's clan gathering!"

After waiting for a minute or two and seeing that no one from the tribe stood up to speak,

Fugaku also directly announced the adjournment of the meeting.

The tribespeople below, accustomed to this, rose and walked away in twos and threes toward the stone steps.

Jiang Si also stood up at the same time. After taking one last deep look at his clan leader and the elders who were clearly intentionally staying to continue the discussion, he turned and left.

The general is very clear about this.

I have said everything I needed to say.

At this stage, there's so little I can do.

Fortunately, even if this step fails, I still have backup plans.

But I still hope this step can be taken smoothly!

As Jiang Si strolled out of the underground chamber, gazing at the azure sky outside, he thought to himself.

"Jiang Si, would it be convenient for us to have a chat?"

And it was just as Jiang Si was about to return directly to his home.

Behind him.

A clear, melodious voice rang out.

As the officer turned back...

A familiar figure then came into view.

17. A lie that sounds like the truth

Dense forest.

A gentle breeze was blowing.

As the setting sun gradually sank in the west, the afterglow reflected on the ground cast long, thin shadows of Shisui and Shoji. After leaving the Naga Shrine, the two did not return to their clan. Instead, they took a few more steps to the west and went straight to the outermost area of ​​Konoha Village. Shoji could roughly guess why Shisui had called him back.

Naturally, he deliberately remained silent, wanting to wait for Shisui to speak first.

However, Shisui seemed to be caught in a state of indecision and hesitation.

It had been more than twenty minutes since they stepped from their own forbidden area to this place. They had been silent the whole way, as if they were really out for a leisurely stroll together.

Just as Jiang Si and the others were starting to doubt their lives and wondering if they should speak first.

"Hey? Shoji, what's your view on the current situation of our Uchiha clan?"

Shisui's body suddenly paused.

His expression seemed to indicate that he had made up his mind.

He stopped walking, raised his eyes again, straightened his body, and looked intently at Jiang Si, who had also subconsciously stopped, and asked in a calm tone.

To be honest...

Shisui was only 12 years old at the time.

He asked the question in a tone that sounded like an adult.

This would give Shoji a slight sense of unease, since according to his own experience in the other world, a 12-year-old boy would at most be in the first year of junior high school, an age when he should be playing and having fun.

But it is precisely because of this that Jiang Si can better understand the cruelty of this world.

Even in that previous life.

There are also terrifying areas where children as young as a few years old know how to shoot and kill.

But the distance between them was too far and they felt nothing at all, making it difficult for Jiang Si to empathize. But this life was different. Jiang Si himself had personally stepped onto the battlefield to kill people when he was only eight or nine years old, and Uchiha Shisui in front of him had his hands stained with the blood of his enemies.

Beneath that seemingly young and innocent face now lies...

It carries the heavy responsibility of the clan and the village.

The former refers to close relatives, while the latter represents the greater good of the village.

One careless move could lead to the tragic death of thousands, or even more, people, forcing Zhishui to exercise extreme caution.

It was at this moment that Jiang Si also thought of this.

The expression deep within his pupils also became extremely solemn.

"It's an extremely dangerous situation, that's my opinion. There are only the two of us here, so I'll be frank. Shisui, the Nine-Tails' rampage, especially the Sharingan that appeared in the fox's eyes, has put our clan in an extremely dangerous situation. To put it bluntly, right now, there isn't a single outsider in the entire village who would choose to believe us, including those from other clans or ninjas from commoner backgrounds who have always been low-key and neutral."

"If these people are like this, let alone the ninja clans who lost their comrades and relatives in the Nine-Tails' attack. To be honest, it wouldn't be surprising if any of these ninja clans were a little crazy and directly attacked our Uchiha clan."

Jiang Si turned around, met Shi Shui's eyes, shook his head slightly, and then spoke in an extremely solemn tone.

"To put it bluntly, if our Uchiha clan weren't strong enough, the village would have carried out the most serious purge of our clan the day after the Nine-Tails' attack. Of course, if our clan weren't so strong, and were just a middle-ranking or even weaker ninja clan in the village, we wouldn't have attracted so much suspicion. It can only be said that our strength is both our clan's fortune and our clan's misfortune."

The Nine-Tails' rampage was merely a trigger. The fundamental reason why the Uchiha clan ended up on the blacklists of Konoha's high-ranking officials like Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo Shimura was that the Uchiha clan was too powerful and difficult to control.

Furthermore, there are blatant past offenses such as Madara Uchiha betraying the village during the First Hokage's era, and a portion of the clan members starting a rebellion during the Second Hokage's era. Let alone Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo Shimura, even if Shoji were in that position, it would be difficult for him not to suspect the Uchiha clan.

Therefore, in this matter, there is no such thing as justice or evil, nor is there a real question of right or wrong; there are only different positions and perspectives.

Shoji is now a member of the Uchiha clan and has the closest family members.

He naturally chose to view these issues from the perspective of his own clan.

This is an inevitable choice driven by human nature.

This applies to the Shoji clan, as well as Hiruzen Sarutobi, Danzo Shimura, and other ninja clans such as the Hyuga, Aburatsuka, Nara, Yamanaka, Akimichi, and Kurama clans.

Right or wrong?

This is a point of contention that shouldn't even exist in this world.

After hearing Jiang Si's words, Shisui's expression also became very serious.

“You’re right, Shoji. Our Uchiha clan has indeed become an object of fear and suspicion for the entire village.”

Shisui let out a soft sigh.

"So, that's why you made that suggestion at the clan meeting, to salvage the clan's reputation and wash away those stains, is that it, General?"

Then, with her eyebrows raised again, Shisui spoke softly in an inquiring tone.

"Yes and no. After all, to think that we can clear our names and restore our clan's reputation with just this is to be too simplistic and oversimplify the issue. Actions speak louder than words, that's my opinion. In many cases, a hundred words are no match for one effective action. If our clan wants to get out of our current predicament, we must do two things. First, we must prove that our clan is willing to serve and dedicate itself to the village. Second, we must find the owner of those Sharingan eyes. The deaths of hundreds of our comrades, the injuries and deaths of tens of thousands of civilians, and most importantly, the death of the Fourth Hokage—someone needs to be held accountable!"

"As the village's security force and a clan possessing the Sharingan's bloodline limit, the Uchiha clan has certain responsibilities that we must shoulder. However, achieving the second point is obviously difficult, so we must start from this point. The individual, the clan, and the village cannot and should not be viewed separately. We must prove that the Uchiha belong to Konoha in order to regain the trust of our comrades!"

Jiang Si took a deep breath and said in a slightly low voice.

"You think so too, Shoji!"

Shisui seemed somewhat agitated.

"Also? So, Shisui, you and I share the same view?"

Jiang Si seemed to reveal a perfectly timed look of surprise.

He looked at the young man in front of him and asked softly.

18. The problem of action

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"Yes, of course. I wanted to speak up for you at the clan meeting earlier, but I didn't find a suitable opportunity. I will definitely support your views, not only Elder Xuanlan, but also the clan leader. I think he will agree with your opinion. Let's work together to change the clan's situation! Jiang Si!"

Shizuku's pupils shone brightly, and he seemed to exude a special aura. He looked directly at the general in front of him and spoke with a hint of excitement.

These are my companions.

They value not only the emotions of their own clan, but also the greater good of the village.

Shisui, who had been feeling very lonely and even worried, seemed to find great comfort at this moment. The joy in his words was so obvious that Shisui almost had the urge to blurt out everything, but he managed to hold back in the end.

It's not that Shisui doubted Shoji.

However, some words are not so easy to say.

Most importantly, it also involves Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage.

Shisui felt he needed to consider things more carefully, and even more so, he needed the approval and consent of three generations of elders before he could do so.

Therefore, Shisui also forcibly suppressed his emotions at this moment.

He did not say his final words.

As if infected by Shisui's words, Jiang Si also showed an excited expression.

"Yes! With your support, I feel much more confident. Let's work together to save the honor of our clan!"

"what!"

Si and Shisui put their arms together, as if they were making a vow to each other.

Bathed in the glow of the setting sun.

The shadows of the two people reflected in the water were also stretched very long at this moment.

The conversation between the two did not last long, or to be more precise, Shisui did not have much time to linger here. As the strongest person in the clan on the surface, and the only spy that the Third Hokage had planted in the Uchiha clan, Shisui's actions were closely watched by others. A short while was fine, but if it went on for a little longer, it would easily arouse suspicion from others.

In the original story, after the news of Uchiha Shisui's suspected suicide spread throughout the clan...

The fact that even Uchiha Hachimoku and Uchiha Tekka, who were originally Fugaku's most trusted clan members, directly came to question Uchiha Itachi, the son of the clan head, shows how strong Shisui's presence was in the clan. Of course, Shisui was still a little underdeveloped at the time, after all, he was only 12 years old. However, due to his outstanding performance in the Third Shinobi World War, even though the clan members were unaware that their clan head Fugaku had already awakened the Mangekyou Sharingan.

A considerable number of clansmen already consider Shisui to be the strongest person in the clan.

This is the behavior of a 12-year-old boy.

It will surely touch the hearts of many people.

Therefore, after getting the answer he wanted from Shoji, Shisui hurriedly left, partly to visit some clansmen, and more importantly, to report the relevant information to the Third Hokage. Especially the latter, Shisui was eager to let the Third Hokage know that there were still many people in their Uchiha clan who had inherited the Will of Fire passed down from the First Hokage!

Especially that line, "The Uchiha will always be the Uchiha of Konoha!"