Revitalizing the Uchiha clan starts with becoming a Kage.

But the next second, seeing Hiruzen Sarutobi's slightly anxious and angry expression, Shisui barely managed to compose himself.

It seems this wasn't the Third Hokage's order, but rather Danzo Shimura's arbitrary act. If that's all, then there's still room for negotiation. Thinking of this, Shisui immediately took a deep breath, his pupils regaining their previous clarity, and nodded emphatically, replying, "Yes, I understand. Third Hokage, the clan head, and I will negotiate with the clan. Please, Third Hokage, bring our clan members back safely. I entrust this to you!"

"Yes, I will, don't worry, Shisui!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded with a very serious expression and responded.

"Yes!"

have to say.

Shisui was ultimately too naive. Of course, this was also related to his age. At only 13 years old, it was difficult for him to have a truly mature mind and thoughts. In his view, there was still a lot of room for reconciliation between the Uchiha clan and the village.

But in Jiang Si's view, the probability is extremely low.

And it must depend entirely on Hiruzen Sarutobi himself!

Unless the Third Hokage can truly "repent and change his ways," then everything is out of the question.

Shisui still believed in Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Shoji had already begun to change his mind. The reason he still went directly to the Hokage's office was twofold: firstly, to hold onto a last sliver of hope and see if the Third Hokage was truly determined; and secondly, to delay his own change of plans as much as possible. If the former could be achieved, that would be the best outcome. Not only would he be able to completely trust Hiruzen Sarutobi and entrust everything to the village, but his clan would also truly see hope for escaping their predicament, resulting in a truly happy situation for both himself and his clan.

But clearly, the probability is less than one in a hundred.

therefore.

It is based on such a possibility.

The general must consider the worst possible outcome, and therefore needs at least several days to prepare.

It's not just about reaching a consensus within one's own group.

Furthermore, it is necessary to win over external forces that may be involved.

But no matter what, everything happened so suddenly.

Jiang Si, who was not fully prepared, had no choice but to bite the bullet and go for it. As early as when he arrived, Jiang Si had already said that he was never the kind of person who would let others put a knife to his throat and let others slaughter him!

'This couldn't be worse! Shimura Danzo! You're the one who forced me into this situation!!!'

A figure rushing forward at breakneck speed.

That was already the Hokage's office building, which could be seen from afar.

At this moment, an extremely cold killing intent flashed in Jiang Si's pupils.

A position where we move forward together.

Then, the three who had gathered at one point, along with Shoji and Fugaku who had come from both sides, happened to run into Uchiha Shisui, who had just stepped out of the Hokage's office building. This was the meeting of the three strongest members of the Uchiha clan.

It can be said that the three of them were in a state of shock the moment they saw each other.

Deep down, various emotions welled up within them. If one had to put it into words, Shoji and Fugaku were somewhat similar, making Shisui's current stance rather delicate.

"Clan chief, general!?"

The moment I saw the two of them.

Shisui was taken aback at first, then a look of joy appeared on his face.

Before Shisui could say anything...

Shoji spoke up first, saying, "It seems you were just summoned by the Third Hokage and already know what happened, right, Shisui?"

"Huh? Yes, that's right, I just found out!"

"That makes things easier. Our clan is now in a very dangerous situation. Here, I want to say something in advance: no matter what happens, the three of us must stand on the same side. Shisui, of course, don't doubt my intentions. If possible, I will try my best to resolve the issue peacefully!"

Jiang Si looked at Zhi Shui, whose expression was changing, and said in a deep voice.

80. A Choice on the Edge of a Cliff

On the same side!

This is a very subtle statement. Is it the stance of a clan? The stance of a village? Or some other stance? Different people will have different interpretations of this statement. Shisui naturally interprets Jiang Si's statement according to his own line of thinking.

That is why Shisui's expression suddenly changed. At this moment, he realized that Shoji and he were similar in some ways, but completely different in others. When Uchiha Fugaku heard Shoji's words, he also looked at Shoji with a faint look of surprise and doubt.

Some expansions.

Fugaku was not unaware of this possibility.

However, given Fugaku's personality, he would not willingly take that path unless absolutely necessary. This is why Shoji said that Fugaku is very similar to Hiruzen Sarutobi in some ways. If either of them had become more decisive and ruthless, the Uchiha clan would not have met such a tragic end in the original story.

"Shoji, is now the time to say these things? We're on the same page, are you going to betray your previous beliefs?"

Shizuku stared intently at Jiang Si, his expression turning cold and stern.

“Shisui, as I’ve said before, if possible, I will naturally not give up that last glimmer of hope, and I will do my best to fight for it. But the initiative is no longer in our hands, is it? I think the Third Hokage wants you to go back and appease the clan, and also let the clan leader see him. This is a good opportunity. The decision is in the hands of the Third Hokage. The future of our clan depends on the Third Hokage’s decision!”

Jiang Si met Shi Shui's gaze without flinching, his expression equally cold and icy.

And there's also the terrifying implication that's subtly revealed.

All of this caused Shisui's pupils to shrink abruptly.

"Jiang Si, what do you mean?"

Fugaku, standing to the side, spoke first, asking in a low voice with a stern expression.

"I didn't mean anything by it, clan leader. I just wanted to say that our clan needs to prepare for the worst, but that's a matter for later. Right now, everything is still in the hands of the Third Generation Lord. Let's go see the Third Generation Lord first!"

The plan was completely ruined.

Shoji felt it necessary to give Fugaku and Shisui a heads-up beforehand, otherwise, the second plan, which would most likely be implemented next, would be difficult to launch without the assistance of the two of them, especially Fugaku as the clan leader.

After all, there is no time for Shoji to reorganize the clan's power now. Therefore, it is especially important for Shoji to give Shisui and Fugaku a heads-up.

"I understand what you mean, General."

Fugaku is no ordinary person. The reason he hesitated so much in the original work is that he couldn't do it all by himself. As mentioned before, if anyone in the clan could stand on the same side as Fugaku and make decisions together, the result would be different. This is also where Fugaku is better than Hiruzen Sarutobi.

At least Fugaku hasn't reached the point where he's old both physically and mentally.

"Chieftain..."

When Shisui heard Fugaku's words, he seemed to be in disbelief, and the words he blurted out subconsciously came out.

“You don’t need to say anything more, Shisui. All of this is just my assumption. And as I’ve already said, the decision rests with the Third Hokage. We are merely making choices passively. If the Third Hokage is truly worthy of our clan’s trust, I am willing to pay any price to obey his orders. Moreover, I can assure you that I will never take the initiative to act unless it is a desperate situation!”

Shoji did not deceive Shisui. Even now, Shoji is still willing to give up his last bit of trust and hope that the Third Hokage will make a 'rational' choice. Shoji cannot say whether this choice is correct or not, because once humans have a stance, it would be very foolish to talk about 'right or wrong' or 'just or wrong'.

Therefore, all that matters to the company is the impact and the final outcome.

Besides.

There is nothing else to fear.

After all, Shoji's surname is Uchiha, and he has a younger brother and sister, as well as an elderly grandmother.

For the sake of these three people, Shoji has no choice but to embark on the path he has chosen without hesitation; this is Shoji's stance.

Shisui opened his mouth, looking at Jiang Si and his own clan leader. It was as if something was completely blocking his heart, and he even felt a suffocating pain at that moment. But even so,

Zhi Shui remained steadfast in his beliefs.

The Uchiha clan will surely find a way to coexist peacefully with the village. They are like-minded companions of the Mirror Ancestor, and the Third Hokage, who inherited the Will of Fire from the First and Second Hokage, will surely handle this matter fairly and justly.

Thinking about this...

Shisui seemed to have regained all his courage. He looked back at Shoji and Fugaku with a resolute gaze, nodded heavily, and said, "I understand! I will always uphold my principles, Shoji!"

"Ah, that's good enough, Shisui!"

A choice on the edge of a cliff.

This is a critical moment that no one can afford to delay or procrastinate any longer.

Everyone must make their own judgment here.

Shisui, Fugaku, and Shoji returned to the Hokage's office building in unison. When the Third Hokage saw that Shisui had arrived so quickly with Fugaku and Shoji, he was first taken aback, then seemed to realize something, and a sharp glint appeared in the depths of his pupils.

Even if it's just a one in ten thousand chance.

Shoji still wouldn't break any rules, and neither would Fugaku. As the three of them stepped into the office and saw Hiruzen Sarutobi, they bowed to him at the head of the table and said, "Greetings, Third Hokage!"

No matter how respectful one's attitude is.

Some atmospheres and auras are hard to change, especially for Shoji and Fugaku. Perhaps it is because of the change in mindset that the current Shoji has undergone a seemingly insignificant but actually crucial change compared to the previous Shoji.

This caused a vague sense of unease to stir within Hiruzen Sarutobi, as if Uchiha Shoji had undergone a terrifying change.

"Third Hokage, regarding the forced arrest of more than ten members of our Uchiha clan by Root, we urge you to make a wise judgment. Our Uchiha clan would never harm the interests of the village. This is the daily schedule of all personnel in our clan's security department during this period. If the village needs our assistance, our Uchiha clan can cooperate further in the investigation, but never in this way, treating us like criminals!"

81. Remarks and 'The Actors'

Before Hiruzen Sarutobi could speak...

Fugaku first took out a scroll from his pocket, presented it with both hands, and said this with a very serious expression.

Listening to Fugaku's words.

The Third Hokage's eyes narrowed. Although the situation was indeed becoming increasingly difficult to control, Fugaku's immediate move to ignite the conflict and target Root and Danzo was somewhat unexpected by Hiruzen Sarutobi. In his memory, this leader of the Uchiha clan had always been a gentle person. Even some ninjas from other clans who didn't particularly like the Uchiha clan still acknowledged Fugaku's character to some extent.

Moreover, as the head of the security department, Fugaku has also contributed to the village's security over the past few years and enjoys considerable prestige among the people, if only the Uchiha clan itself had such poor interpersonal relationships.

Fugaku's position in Konoha Village was not at all so delicate.

It is precisely because of Fugaku's personality that while Sarutobi Hiruzen was satisfied, he also felt apprehensive, because no one could be sure whether Fugaku's outward appearance was a genuine expression or a deliberate disguise.

The same principle applies to Hiruzen Sarutobi's two or three previous attempts to test Shoji.

However, it now appears that all plans and arrangements have been completely ruined and thrown into extreme chaos due to Danzo Shimura's meddling.

Fugaku's stance directly addresses the core issue.

This caused Hiruzen Sarutobi to pause for a second or two at first.

After realizing what had happened, the Third Hokage took a deep breath, stepped forward, and personally took the scroll from Fugaku's hand. In a tone of promise, he said very seriously, "The village will absolutely not wrong anyone. Root only summoned the members of the Security Department for a routine investigation. There may have been some misunderstanding. Please don't worry, Fugaku-kun. I have already sent Elder Mitomon to investigate, and news will come soon!"

"Everything in the village will be done in accordance with the regulations, and any problems will be handled according to the rules!"

Regardless of the facts, and since we cannot predict how things will unfold, it is essential to at least express the necessary stance.

Especially when the context of the situation is not fully understood.

Hiruzen Sarutobi is especially not to be misbehaved.