Chapter 45: Shisui's Resolve, Naruto's Birthday
By the time Uchiha Fugaku arrived at the street, he happened to see Uchiha Yashiro's group facing off against the Sarutobi clan.
"Good, things haven't escalated too far."
Fugaku had just breathed a sigh of relief.
But as he walked towards the street, he saw the Third Hokage and a group of ANBU in the middle.
"Take them all away!"
Hearing Sarutobi Hiruzen's voice, Fugaku's heart leaped in alarm.
Damn it!
"Stop!!"
Fugaku shouted, interrupting Yashiro's command, and instantly appeared using Body Flicker.
His arrival drew everyone's attention.
"Captain."
The previously restless Police Force members immediately halted.
Although they were radicals, they still greatly respected Uchiha Fugaku, their captain and clan head.
The Uchiha clan always revered the strong.
Although Fugaku rarely made a move, his strength was definitely top-tier within the clan.
But Fugaku merely glanced at them, especially Uchiha Yashiro leading the group.
This bunch of idiots! Actually wanting to resist the Hokage's enforcement in front of everyone?!
He had painstakingly tried to find an opening with the Third Hokage, to repair the relationship between the Uchiha and the village.
The Police Force's reputation, like the Uchiha clan's, was already rotten!
The most important thing at this stage is to rebuild goodwill and salvage everything.
But now...
"Lord Third, it is my failure to discipline them properly. Please forgive me."
Fugaku looked at Sarutobi Hiruzen, bowing slightly in respect.
Sarutobi smiled, but his narrowed eyes held no amusement.
Before today, he was still hesitating whether to give the Uchiha a chance.
After all, the Uchiha clan was also a vital combat force for Konoha, and the current Konoha couldn't afford more turmoil.
But starting from this incident, he already understood.
The Uchiha and the Konoha leadership...
Oh no, rather, the conflict between the Uchiha and Konoha itself had reached an irreconcilable point.
Even with Fugaku, the clan head, mediating, it couldn't change the Uchiha clan's rebelliousness.
One day, these guys would definitely stir up major unrest.
"Hehe."
Although killing intent rose in his heart, Sarutobi Hiruzen maintained a serene smile on the surface: "It's good that the misunderstanding is cleared up. Let them cooperate with the ANBU to resolve the issue."
"Captain!!"
"Shut up!"
Yashiro wanted to say more, but Fugaku abruptly turned and cut him off, saying through gritted teeth: "Is this a place for you to cause trouble?!"
Uchiha Yashiro's face showed indignation, but after struggling for a moment, he still lowered his head resentfully: "...I understand, Captain."
And all of this was witnessed by Shisui and Naruto hidden in the vicinity.
Looking at the Third Hokage's unchanging smile, the surrounding villagers' constant condemnations, and his clansmen's unwilling, angry faces,
Shisui once again felt worried about the Uchiha's future.
If this hatred is allowed to spread within the clan, the only ending awaiting the Uchiha clan is destruction!
Moreover, force is definitely not the way to solve problems! The radicals' fantasy of achieving a bloodless coup relying solely on the clan's power is absolutely impossible! It will only lead the Uchiha clan into the abyss!
Shisui touched his eyes, making a firm decision in his heart: "My Mangekyō Sharingan awakened precisely for this."
No matter what, I absolutely cannot let the village and the clan fight!
Meanwhile, Naruto, hiding in the crowd thanks to his small stature, frowned upon seeing the scene.
He asked in his mind: "Menma-nii, although the Police Force's attitude is terrible, their handling of the situation doesn't seem wrong, right?"
The Sarutobi clan members were drunk and disorderly on the street, reproaching the Uchiha clan in broad daylight, indeed disrupting Konoha's order and violating Konoha's regulations.
"The Police Force's actual power is immense, but their power comes from the obedience of those below them."
Menma smiled: "Once they are blinded by power, they become puppets of power, naturally losing the hearts of the people."
Water can carry a boat, but it can also overturn it?
Little Naruto thought pensively.
...
Time quickly reached October 10th of Konoha Year 55. This day was little Naruto's 5th birthday.
However, unlike previous years, his home welcomed a kind-faced old man.
Click~
"Grandpa Third!"
Opening the door, Naruto wore an innocent and bright smile.
But ignoring Sarutobi Hiruzen's outstretched hand, he directly took the gift from him.
Turning around, he went back into the living room and excitedly began opening the gift.
"...Hehe."
Sarutobi Hiruzen's hand hung awkwardly in mid-air. Snapping back, he chuckled somewhat embarrassedly.
But he didn't mind, just attributing it to Naruto's childlike nature.
"It really is the enrollment notice!"
After opening the gift, Naruto was clearly excited.
Inside, besides some snacks and a pair of goggles, there was only the school admission notice.
He wasn't interested in the other things; the admission notice was what he wanted most.
Only by graduating from the Ninja Academy could he become an official ninja.
Only then could he learn more knowledge and ninjutsu, possessing greater strength.
And Sarutobi Hiruzen, seeing the usually solitary Naruto show such excitement, also felt somewhat gratified.
Indeed, children will be children. They still yearn for friends.
Only by making more friends can Naruto grow up healthy and happy. Only then can Konoha become Naruto's bond.
"I still have things to attend to over there, I can't stay with you longer."
Sarutobi Hiruzen reached out and patted Naruto's head, smiling kindly: "Naruto, you should sleep early too."
"Okay okay! I'll go to sleep right after eating the cake!"
Naruto replied perfunctorily without looking up.
Even if Sarutobi Hiruzen hadn't said it, he would hurry to "sleep".
After Sarutobi left, Naruto only ate a few bites of cake before lying down on the bed and closing his eyes.
Meanwhile, inside the seal space, Menma had already laid out food, waiting for him.
"Happy birthday, Naruto."
"Hehe."
Hearing Menma-nii's blessing, little Naruto grinned foolishly for a moment, then sat down at the dining table.
He then looked at Kurama feasting away in the cage, saying expectantly: "Fox Teacher, when I graduate and become an official ninja, I can take you to see other places in the ninja world."
Clearly, he thought Kurama, always locked in the cage, must be very bored and stifled.
But Menma glanced at the increasingly plump fox, not feeling at all that Kurama would be bored.
"Several barrels of fat otaku happy water (cola) daily plus piles of high-calorie chips and snacks, and just lying motionless in the cage watching anime – this guy couldn't be happier."
However, just as he initially predicted,
Kurama's chakra volume grew larger and larger, but its originally slender figure had also expanded horizontally.
Menma suspected if this continued, Kurama would really turn into an orange pig.
At that time, when Shukaku and Kurama meet...
"Yo yo yo, isn't this Lord Nine-Tails with the most tails? Haven't seen you in so long, how did you turn from a fox into a pig?"
(End of Chapter)
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