Revitalizing the Uchiha clan starts with becoming a Kage.

However, since Hiruzen Sarutobi said so, it would be difficult to carry out the plan openly. But Danzo had plenty of ways; he just needed an opportunity and an excuse.

"Alright, I understand what you mean, Hiruzen. However, I still think we can't let our guard down against the Uchiha clan. In the next few days, I will send elites from Root to monitor those suspicious individuals in the Uchiha clan's security department. Once we find conclusive evidence, I hope you won't hesitate!"

Danzo stood up and looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi in front of him with a deep gaze.

"That's for sure. As the Hokage, I will not let anyone who threatens the village's stability or harms its interests go unpunished. But Danzo, you must also be careful and absolutely must not take any extreme measures!"

Danzo knew Hiruzen very well.

Hiruzen understood Danzo's personality just as well.

Therefore, some vaccinations must be administered in advance.

Otherwise, who knows how things will turn out.

However, this time, Hiruzen Sarutobi clearly underestimated Danzo's ruthlessness and decisiveness. Danzo had already made up his mind about his hatred and hostility towards the Uchiha clan, as well as the need to ensure that Orochimaru would not cause any problems.

"Hmph! You don't need to tell me, I know it myself!"

Danzo snorted coldly, his seemingly dissatisfied expression revealing a hint of coldness in his eyes as he turned to leave, unnoticed by Hiruzen, Enma, and Koharu.

Hiruzen Sarutobi watched Danzo's departing figure, his brows furrowing slightly.

Although Danzo's words and actions were very much in line with his personality, Hiruzen's long-standing familiarity with him made him feel that Danzo always retained a part of himself, or rather, kept certain key matters from him.

But for a moment I couldn't think of what it was.

"Yan, you should keep a close eye on Danzo. The village has finally stabilized a bit, and I don't want the situation to collapse again!"

"Yes, I understand, Hiruzen, don't worry."

Mitokado Homura clearly understood Hiruzen Sarutobi's concerns.

At that moment, he nodded emphatically in response.

74. An exceptional summons

A sudden change in circumstances.

This development was somewhat unexpected. Hiruzen Sarutobi truly did not expect that Danzo Shimura would bring him such shocking information. Although, from a purely objective point of view, it didn't seem very reasonable for the Uchiha clan to be the mastermind behind this series of disappearances. Hiruzen Sarutobi couldn't think of any reason why the Uchiha clan would do such a thing.

There's no benefit to it at all.

Even setting aside this incident, and even the Nine-Tails' rampage a year ago, Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't really believe it was related to the Uchiha clan. There were too many contradictions. If the Uchiha clan really wanted to stage a coup and control the Nine-Tails, they would never have made such a hasty decision.

That's all.

There is no room for Hiruzen Sarutobi to make decisions based on any speculation or inference.

After all, the Sharingan in the Nine-Tailed Fox's pupils was so obvious. Just like in this incident, no matter how unreasonable it was, Hiruzen Sarutobi still had to choose to keep a trump card up his sleeve. Therefore, after Danzo Shimura, Homura Mitokado, and Koharu Utatane left, the Third Hokage immediately summoned the two squad leaders from his direct ANBU who were in charge of investigating missing persons cases.

The key point was that the investigation must be expedited.

If necessary, it's okay to cross the line a little.

The catastrophic consequences brought about by the Uchiha clan being the masterminds behind this series of events are far more severe, and any taboos are completely irrelevant at this point.

Furthermore, Hiruzen Sarutobi always felt a slight sense of unease about Danzo. In order to avoid bigger problems, Hiruzen Sarutobi felt that he had to take more forceful measures. After doing these things,

As the time came to the early morning of the next day.

In the Uchiha clan's compound.

Jiang Si got up, tidied everything up, and had just stepped out of the clan's residence, heading towards the location of the Dark Division's base to carry out his daily check-in task, when a figure suddenly appeared and blocked Jiang Si's way.

I noticed the newcomer's white hair and familiar aura.

"Squad leader!"

The general was taken aback, and then immediately bowed slightly in greeting.

Having joined the Dark Division for over ten days, and because they haven't carried out any missions together, Shoji still has no way of knowing whether this white-haired Dark Division member is the famous Hatake Gogoku.

They can't meet in person, and can only see each other at the base.

This sudden appearance on his way to "work" so early in the morning really surprised Jiang Si.

But in the next second.

"Hawk, don't go to the base yet. The Third Hokage has given you orders to go see him immediately."

The moment I heard my squad leader's words.

Jiang Si appeared outwardly calm, but a sudden clench gripped his heart.

what happened?

I just met with Orochimaru last night, and today the Third Hokage wants to see me? Has my whereabouts been exposed? Or has Orochimaru noticed something amiss and revealed my identity through special channels?

wrong!

None of these are possible.

Putting aside the fact that it's almost impossible for Orochimaru to discover his identity, even if he did notice something amiss, Orochimaru would have no reason to do so. As for the Anbu, if someone could actually follow him without being detected, that would be a different story.

That person's strength must be either above the Kage level or among the strongest at the Kage level, and they must be someone skilled in stealth techniques.

According to Shoji's understanding of the original work, there is no such person in Konoha now. He knew that yesterday, to be on the safe side, he had his Mangekyou Sharingan activated almost the entire time he went out and returned. The possibility of his identity being exposed was infinitely close to zero. Moreover, if it were exposed, it would certainly not be the situation he is in now. It would most likely be because something had happened in his clan that the Third Hokage had to summon him temporarily!

In those brief few seconds.

Jiang Si's mind raced through those many thoughts.

As his thoughts gradually became clearer, his previously slightly tense body slowly relaxed, and he nodded solemnly, saying, "Yes, I understand!"

Then.

Shoji leaped into the air, changed direction, and sped toward the Hokage's office building. By the time Shoji arrived, Hiruzen Sarutobi was reviewing and comparing the intelligence and information about the missing persons cases that had been collected by the two Anbu divisions.

Previously, Hiruzen Sarutobi had planned to slow down and avoid alerting the enemy, aiming to capture them all at once. However, the current situation has forced him to change his plans, and he can only passively accept the potential consequences.

"Sandaime-sama!"

Upon seeing Hiruzen Sarutobi's obvious exhaustion from not having slept all night, Shoji's eyelids twitched slightly, and he immediately knelt on one knee, calling out with a respectful expression.

"Oh? Shoji, you've arrived. I summoned you here so early because I have something very important to ask you. I suppose you already know what it is."

Hiruzen Sarutobi gently rubbed his temples, looked at Shoji with his seemingly cloudy but actually profound eyes, and said in a slightly low tone.

"Yes, Lord Third Generation!"

Jiang Si remained calm, keeping his head slightly bowed, and responded softly.

"Well then, Shoji, what I want to know is whether there have been any unusual personnel changes in the Uchiha clan recently, or to be more precise, in the past six months, especially in the security department. This is a very important question, Shoji, as it relates to the village's next policy adjustments!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded slightly, then placed his hands together on the table, leaned forward slightly, and looked directly at Shoji Uchiha with an unprecedentedly serious expression, asking in a slightly stern tone.

'Unusual personnel changes? And within the security department no less?'

Although he was somewhat prepared, when he heard Hiruzen Sarutobi's words, Shoji's heart still skipped a beat. Could it be that something he didn't know about had really happened in his clan? And within the last six months?

"Third Hokage, as far as I know, there haven't been any major personnel changes within the clan during this period. Only some clan members who returned from the battlefield were reassigned by Clan Chief Fugaku to the Security Department. Apart from that, there have been no other changes. As for the past six months, I'm very sorry, Third Hokage, I'm not entirely clear on that!"

I don't understand what the purpose of the third generation is.

While his brain was working at high speed, Jiang Si carefully considered the right words to reply.

Shoji's answer was not beyond Hiruzen Sarutobi's expectations.

75. The Third Generation's Determination

In the necessary surveillance of the Uchiha clan in the past, Hiruzen Sarutobi did not receive any additional intelligence information. The Uchiha clan seemed to be more docile than ever before. However, precisely because of this, under Danzo's instigation, the Third Hokage's vigilance became extremely high. Even though he still did not quite believe Danzo's words, it was indeed somewhat similar to the Nine-Tails' rampage a year ago.

Who knows if it's that same person behind the scenes from a year ago starting up again.

Therefore, Hiruzen Sarutobi had to deal with the situation with even greater caution.

"Shoji, I won't hide it from you anymore. You should know what the Anbu is investigating recently. After processing some intelligence, I've discovered some suspicious points, and these points are somewhat related to your Uchiha clan. You should understand what this means. What happened a year ago has only temporarily subsided, not completely ended. Now, there's a high probability that this person has reappeared. Is he alone, or is he being assisted? Shoji, the difference between these two situations is enormous!"

This is one version of the story told by Danzo and Mitomon Homura.

In front of Shoji, Hiruzen Sarutobi gave a completely different story.

As mentioned before, while the Third Hokage certainly hoped that Shoji could become the 'Mirror' he had cultivated in his generation, it did not mean that this Hokage had completely trusted Shoji. Necessary testing and coercion were indispensable, and this is the situation we are in now.

While uncovering the truth, Hiruzen Sarutobi also intended to further test Shoji's intentions.

This is a kind of pressure deliberately exerted on a psychological level.

Almost instantly, Jiang Si's heartstrings tightened, especially when he heard the Third Hokage say that the disappearance case was related to their Uchiha clan. Jiang Si's expression first showed astonishment, then confusion, and finally revealed a look of anxiety and anger.

"Third Hokage, please understand that while there are indeed some restless individuals within the Uchiha clan, please believe that our clan is not the kind of people who would harm the village's interests. The clan is still fully investigating the mysterious figure who caused the Nine-Tails' attack a year ago. Clan Head Fugaku and the elders have no ulterior motives. We have no reason to do this in this disappearance case! Someone must be deliberately obfuscating the facts and framing our Uchiha clan. If the Third Hokage allows, I am willing to personally persuade Clan Head Fugaku to cooperate with the Security Department and the Anbu in a joint investigation!"

Shoji raised his head, a very serious expression on his face, and looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi in the seat at the head of the table, speaking in an extremely earnest tone.

Furthermore, he deliberately emphasized words like "cooperate" and "joint investigation," believing that Hiruzen Sarutobi would understand his meaning. It was absolutely impossible for the Uchiha clan to undergo internal isolation and investigation. Not only would the clan members not accept it, but even Shoji, who was carrying out the first plan, would not agree to such a method.

Because that's the method used to investigate prisoners.

It's true that Shoji intentionally approached the Third Hokage, willing to pay a certain price to gain his trust and save his clan from crisis. However, this doesn't mean that Shoji only chose to side with the Third Hokage, especially in the current situation where it's unclear whether the Third Hokage is truly good or hypocritical and evil.

A general should absolutely not gamble away all his capital.

Or rather, in Shoji's choice, there was no option to go all in, as doing so would truly mean entrusting one's fate entirely to the Third Hokage.

Even if we assume that Hiruzen Sarutobi is truly trustworthy, isn't Danzo Shimura still around? It's essential to leave yourself room for a necessary counterattack.

The clan is the last line that the General must defend.

This is beyond dispute.

"Of course I want to believe you, Jiang Si. You and Shi Shui are both people I trust the most. But some problems are not so easy to solve. I hope you understand that. The seriousness of this matter is no longer limited to one point. Therefore, time is very tight. I can only give you two days. Do you understand what I mean?"

The Third Hokage looked directly at Shoji and spoke slowly.

These words may not sound very direct, but to a discerning listener they are quite blatant. At least, Shoji fully grasped the deeper meaning behind Hiruzen Sarutobi's words.

'It's not me proving whether you did it or not, it's you proving you didn't do it!'

It's like a lawsuit where the plaintiff has to prove what the defendant did, but the defendant has to find evidence to prove what they didn't do. This sounds ridiculous, but in this world, in front of Shoji and the Uchiha clan at this moment, it is so real and cruel!

"Yes, General understands!"

I don't have many options or the ability to refuse.

Unless he immediately abandons the first plan here and starts the second plan directly, that would be too hasty. Putting aside external factors, the integration of internal forces is not even half completed. Most importantly, there is no communication with Uchiha Fugaku and Uchiha Shisui, making the probability of success too high. Secondly, and most importantly, every word Hiruzen Sarutobi says seems to leave no room for negotiation.

But to be honest...