Revitalizing the Uchiha clan starts with becoming a Kage.

"Yes!"

Then, led by Guyuan, the group quickened their pace and sped back towards the clan's settlement on the west side of the village.

Without mentioning that Gu Yuan, Yan, and other Uchiha clan members returned to their clan's residence.

this side.

Shoji followed leisurely behind the white-haired ANBU, noticing that they were indeed heading towards the Hokage's office building. His tense nerves relaxed slightly. Just as Shoji had told Kogahara, the Hokage's summons was not something to be easily disobeyed or ignored, especially for the Uchiha clan in their predicament.

At least for now, the primary plan is to peacefully resolve the clan conflict with the village.

The Third Hokage, as a key figure, cannot be ignored. Of course, Shoji had made corresponding preparations before coming. If there were any problems with this recruitment, the worst outcome would be that he would expose his Mangekyou Sharingan.

However, in 99% of cases, Hiruzen Sarutobi would not resort to such methods. Firstly, there is currently no reason for it, and secondly, it does not fit the style of the Third Hokage.

Only Shimura Danzo is likely to do this.

Therefore, Shoji was only wary in his heart of the possibility that this ANBU member was actually a Root member, but now it seems that he should indeed be a member of the Hokage's direct ANBU.

When the white-haired ANBU led Shoji to the Hokage's office building, the last trace of worry deep in his heart was completely put to rest.

"Lord Hokage! Uchiha Tsukasa has been brought here."

Upon entering the Hokage's office building, they saw the old man wearing the Hokage's robes.

"General Uchiha meets Hokage-sama!"

After the white-haired ANBU reported.

The general also knelt on one knee in unison, speaking softly with a respectful expression.

"Ok!"

The Third Hokage, who had been dealing with government affairs, stopped what he was doing the moment he saw the two figures. He waved his hand gently, signaling the white-haired ANBU to withdraw, and then turned his gaze to Shoji.

"So you are General Jiang? No need for formalities, please stand up and speak!"

A faint smile appeared on Hiruzen Sarutobi's face as he gently touched the ground with his right hand and spoke softly.

"Yes, Lord Hokage!"

Jiang Si responded and then stood up straight.

"Jiang Si, I have seen your performance in the Land of Hot Water. You have worked hard. I hope you will not blame this old man for being too fussy. I just got back and couldn't go back to rest immediately."

"No, this is my duty. Hokage-sama, you flatter me!"

It's unclear what Hiruzen Sarutobi's intentions are.

The general could only respond to each move as it came, maintaining a respectful demeanor on the surface as he spoke softly.

"Haha, you really are different from the others, Mr. Jiang Si."

Hiruzen Sarutobi glanced at Shoji twice, then laughed and said...

53. Dark areas

Humility, gentleness, and righteousness.

This can be said to be Hiruzen Sarutobi's first intuitive impression of Shoji. In other words, the time for direct contact and observation was a little short. Otherwise, Hiruzen Sarutobi felt that Shoji was closer to his former comrade, Uchiha Kagami, than Shisui. Moreover, Shoji, who was only 15 years old, had more potential. Hiruzen did not quite believe that a boy of this age could disguise himself so perfectly.

If that were the case, it would be quite terrifying.

Therefore, from a general theoretical perspective, Shoji is still trustworthy. As for the remaining slight concern, Hiruzen plans to assign Shoji some tasks to further observe him after he joins the Anbu. As long as he can pass these tests, Shoji will truly become Hiruzen Sarutobi's most trusted subordinate, just as the Second Hokage once trusted Kagami Uchiha.

Shoji is the 'Uchiha Kagami' that Hiruzen Sarutobi is planning to become in this generation!

In the original story, the Third Hokage would have Itachi Uchiha join the Anbu. After seeing that Shoji was more worthy of being cultivated in this life, it is only natural that he would make the same choice.

"You flatter me, Lord Hokage!"

Jiang Si maintained his slightly bowed head and responded in a calm tone.

"hehe."

After a light chuckle, Hiruzen Sarutobi cleared his throat and said seriously, "Alright, let's get straight to the point. Uchiha Shoji, the reason I summoned you here today is to have you join the Hokage's direct Anbu. I wonder if you'd be willing?"

A sudden and shocking statement.

As it fell.

Shoji suddenly raised his head, his pupils widening instantly, and his face showing an expression of disbelief as he looked at the Third Hokage in front of him.

"Anbu? Hokage-sama, do you want me to join the Anbu? But I'm from the Uchiha clan..."

Anbu, short for Special Assassination Tactics Unit, was founded by Tobirama Senju, the Second Hokage of his own village. It was later adopted by other ninja villages. Generally speaking, apart from the few people in the village, the ninjas in Anbu represent the strongest fighting force of the village. When the Second Hokage first established Anbu.

The total number of personnel was only 70, with four squads under its command. Each squad had a captain and a vice-captain, as well as four squad leaders. Below them were the regular four-person teams that carried out missions. However, over the years, Konoha's Anbu had expanded to several hundred people, and the squads had also been further expanded from the original four squads. Danzo's Root organization, which should have been just one of the Hokage's directly subordinate Anbu squads, had obviously expanded uncontrollably.

Today, only the Hokage in the entire Hidden Leaf Village knows exactly how many people are in the Anbu and who its members are. Even Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu only know a small part of it. It is precisely because of the special nature of the Anbu that this department is regarded as the most important existence in the village.

Since the establishment of this department.

In Konoha Village, members of various ninja clans have joined one after another, but the Uchiha clan has not had a single member enter for decades. It can be said that when he heard Hiruzen Sarutobi say this, he was genuinely surprised. Could it be that at this stage, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, had already chosen to believe in him?

If that's the case, then it's definitely something to celebrate and be happy about.

But is that really the case? Or is this just the Third Hokage testing him? Uchiha Shoji couldn't quite control the slightly chaotic thoughts deep in his mind. At this moment, he really didn't hide his emotions at all, and looked at Sarutobi Hiruzen with a complex expression of doubt and shock.

When Hiruzen Sarutobi saw this undisguised expression, the Third Hokage, though his expression remained unchanged, nodded in satisfaction deep down. In his view, Shoji's behavior was perfectly normal, and the obvious hesitation in his tone made it clear that this Uchiha boy valued the 'greater good of the village'!

That's all that needs to be made clear.

Nothing else matters.

This Uchiha Shoji is the 'Mirror' I've been searching for!

In terms of magnanimity, thinking, and awareness—all qualities required for a broad perspective—Shoji demonstrated a slight improvement over Shisui. For a fleeting moment, Hiruzen Sarutobi even considered taking Uchiha Shoji as his disciple, just like his own teacher.

But at this moment, in this scene...

The timing, identity, and conditions are clearly mismatched.

This idea only went through Hiruzen Sarutobi's mind once before he banished it from his own thoughts.

And deep down, a last shred of fear and vigilance still remained.

"Yes, you heard me right, Shoji-kun. I'm going to have you join the Anbu directly under the Hokage. The reason is simple: you have the qualifications and ability, and I believe you will become an excellent Anbu, fighting for the greater good and interests of the village, right?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at Shoji Uchiha with a very deep gaze, and then spoke words that were clearly meaningful.

Jiang Si's pupils also suddenly contracted, and his expression became very serious.

One old and one young.

The two locked eyes.

It felt like a fleeting moment, yet also like eternity.

After a long silence.

"Yes, Lord Hokage!"

As the resolute look gradually appeared in Si Na's pupils, and he suddenly lowered his head, his unwavering words fell simultaneously.

Everything is understood without words.

Intelligent people often don't need any further explanation.

Hiruzen Sarutobi also saw the resolute look on Shoji's face.

A gentle smile appeared on his aged face.

"The future of the village depends on young people like you, Jiang Sijun. I believe you won't let me down!"

"Yes!"

"Okay, go back and rest for two days today. Someone will contact you later. Remember, no matter what happens, you can come to me first. If it's inconvenient sometimes, you can trust the advisor Mitomon and the dormitory advisor just as much. Also, talk to Shisui more. I think you two geniuses of the younger generation should have a lot in common."

This further clarifies the core issue.

They practically had those words written all over their faces.

If Shoji had any doubts before coming, he now completely understood his Hokage's plans. In fact, these plans aligned perfectly with Shoji's own future arrangements.

I was originally worried about how to start, but now I've skipped the most important and troublesome step.

This will undoubtedly make Jiang Si's next plan go more smoothly.

54. Different Beginnings

"Lord Hokage, should my joining the Anbu be kept strictly confidential?"

The identities of the Anbu are classified information, information that only the Hokage is qualified to know. Logically speaking, Shoji's question is almost absurd, but it is clear that the secrecy Shoji is referring to is for the high-ranking members of the Uchiha clan. Shoji also believes that Hiruzen Sarutobi must understand the significance of his question.

This is also a unique way for Shoji to test Hiruzen Sarutobi!

"Of course, we must keep this highly confidential from outsiders; that's the village's rule. However, we can make slight exceptions occasionally. You should understand that, Mr. Jiang Si. This is also a good opportunity to see some people's attitudes more clearly, isn't it?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi narrowed his eyes slightly, a hint of coldness flashing in his pupils as he spoke.

"Yes, Lord Hokage!"

The officer bowed his head and answered.

"Well, let's go."

Immediately afterwards.

Hiruzen Sarutobi waved his hand, signaling for the officer to leave.

Some things are best left unsaid. Hiruzen Sarutobi believed that with Shoji's intelligence, he would definitely understand his meaning. Moreover, not saying it clearly was to leave some room for maneuver. This would allow for more flexibility in future actions and also serve as a special test for Shoji.

Ultimately, Hiruzen Sarutobi couldn't possibly trust Shoji completely.

All that can be said is that Hiruzen Sarutobi placed a special expectation on Shoji, hoping to see him display the same magnanimity and determination as Kagami Uchiha in some future scenario.

"Yes!"

After bowing respectfully, Jiang Si quickly left the Hokage's office building and headed back to his clan's residence.

This unexpected meeting.

While it did disrupt Shoji's plans and rhythm, it was a positive aspect. Gaining the Third Hokage's trust ahead of time, and being able to join the Konoha Anbu like Itachi in the original story, provided Shoji with a larger stage and more room to maneuver.

Why did the Third Hokage do this?

On the way back to the clan's residence, Shoji could guess part of it, but that wasn't the most important thing. As mentioned before, at this stage, Shoji's intentions were somewhat similar to those of the Third Hokage: to ensure the continuation of the clan and the peace of the village. Of course, the best outcome would be if internal strife could be avoided between the two.