---
"Deidara, how about I send you back in there with Itachi?" Shinji suddenly looked at Deidara with a mischievous smile, his eyes full of teasing.
"No, no, no, I need to do clay explosion experiments..." Deidara shook his head and waved his hands repeatedly, refusing. Was he kidding? Going back in at this time, wouldn't it just waste his time?
"I hope you all can grow up, dedicate yourselves to Konoha. The future of Konoha is yours!" As Hiruzen Sarutobi's voice fell, waves of enthusiastic applause erupted from the audience. Most students' eyes shone with fervent light. The future of Konoha~ Most students had already officially included the position of Hokage in their considerations~ Seeing the reaction below, Hiruzen Sarutobi was very satisfied. It seems this year's brainwashing effect was quite good. As for the future of Konoha... that would depend on how he arranged things.
"Itachi, you must attend classes properly at school in the future. Don't disgrace our Uchiha clan, understand?" After the opening ceremony ended, Fugaku Uchiha said to Itachi.
"Understood, Father," Itachi replied respectfully. In front of his father, he responded like a little adult.
"Good. Izumi, you should also keep an eye on Itachi," Fugaku Uchiha's gaze shifted to Izumi Uchiha beside him, speaking only after a long pause.
"Okay, Uncle Fugaku," Izumi Uchiha said with a blush. From this conversation, she could feel Fugaku Uchiha's approval of her.
"Mm-hmm, then you two go to school. We'll head back first," Fugaku Uchiha paused, then turned and left.
"Itachi, study hard, try to catch up to me," Deidara looked provokingly at Itachi Uchiha. Anyway, I graduated 2 years early, you figure it out.
"Deidara, rest assured, I will soon break your record," Itachi looked expressionlessly at Deidara, but a trace of competitive spirit flickered in the depths of his eyes.
"Then I'll be waiting for you to break my record, little brother Itachi," Deidara tossed his head confidently, then followed Shinji away haughtily.
...
...
"Deidara, Karin, you two head back to the All-Purpose Shop first. Clan Head Fugaku and I are going over to their place for a bit," After leaving the Konoha Ninja Academy, Shinji turned his head and said to Deidara and Karin behind him.
"Lord Shinji... Karin wants to go together~" Karin put on a pitiful look, gazing expectantly at Shinji.
"I also want to check out the Uchiha clan's territory~" Deidara also didn't want to return to the All-Purpose Shop yet. He was very interested in Konoha's number one clan, the Uchiha.
"Clan Head Fugaku, what do you think..." Shinji turned his head to look at Fugaku Uchiha.
"Then come along together, little Karin, and Deidara," Before Fugaku Uchiha could speak, Mikoto directly invited them.
"Yay!" Karin bounced over to Shinji's side. She didn't want to be separated from Shinji.
"Then let's go together. But you two mustn't cause trouble," Shinji said with a smile, reaching out to pat both their heads.
"Okay!"
...
...
Within the Uchiha clan's residential area. Shinji and the others followed behind Fugaku Uchiha towards the main residence. Along the way, there were bustling Uchiha clan members everywhere. Those who immediately became stern-faced upon seeing outsiders, even showing a slight hint of hostility, were characteristic of the Uchiha clan.
"Please don't mind it, Boss Shinji," After arriving at Fugaku Uchiha's residence, Fugaku looked apologetically at Shinji.
"It's nothing," Shinji didn't mind. After all, looks couldn't affect him.
Arriving in the reception room, Mikoto quickly brought out a tea tray, tea leaves, and a small basket of snacks placed near Karin and Deidara. Seeing the snacks, Sasuke in Mikoto's arms started getting restless.
"Boss Shinji, regarding Itachi and Shisui, I thank you again," As soon as they sat down, Fugaku Uchiha spoke directly.
"You're too kind, Clan Head Fugaku. But I believe you didn't invite me over today just for this matter, right?" Shinji picked up his teacup and took a sip. Mmm, good tea, but not as good as the tea pilfered from Hiruzen Sarutobi.
"Then what does Boss Shinji think I invited you over for today?" Fugaku Uchiha calmly picked up his teacup and took a sip.
"That depends on how Clan Head Fugaku interprets it. But... this... should be Lord Minato's Flying Thunder God kunai, right?" Shinji looked at the Flying Thunder God kunai hanging above the center of the tea room. That style, and the inscription 'Sword of Shinobi Love', clearly marked it as Minato Namikaze's Flying Thunder God kunai.
"Indeed it is. This is indeed Minato's Flying Thunder God kunai. What a pity..." Fugaku Uchiha lowered his head, a reminiscent aura creeping into his eyes. Mikoto beside him was the same, her eyes filled with sadness, looking at Karin eating candy, whose red hair was the same color as her dear friend's... Yes, Minato Namikaze and Fugaku Uchiha, Kushina and Mikoto Uchiha.
They were all very good friends, even could be called dearest friends. Fugaku Uchiha believed that if Minato Namikaze could have remained in the Hokage position longer, the relationship between Konoha and the Uchiha clan wouldn't have deteriorated to its current state. But, heaven doesn't grant wishes... Ahem, watched too much Empresses in the Palace, getting mixed up.
Heaven doesn't grant wishes; Minato Namikaze died directly during the Nine-Tails attack. And... everyone saw the Sharingan pattern that appeared in the Nine-Tails' eyes back then. This led to the current awkward situation for the Uchiha clan. Being put on the grill again by Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzō.
"Lord Minato was indeed a very good Hokage. It's just..." Shinji sighed with some emotion. The night Minato Namikaze died seemed to replay vividly in his mind.
"Indeed..."
"Then... Clan Head Fugaku, do you have some confusion you need to inquire about?" Shinji smiled slightly. Isn't this business coming right to the door?
"Boss Shinji, according to my investigation, the people entering and exiting your All-Purpose Shop recently are all individuals of status. For example, Hiashi Hyūga of the Hyūga clan, Kakashi, the Sannin of Konoha... and... Lord Third Hokage..." Fugaku Uchiha said after a moment of silence.
"Yes, those you mentioned have indeed visited my All-Purpose Shop. But what does this have to do with Uchiha Fugaku inviting me over today?"
"I want to know, the actions we plan to take next, are they right or wrong?" Fugaku Uchiha stared intently at Shinji. This was the most he could reveal. If Shinji truly knew as much as the rumors claimed, even everything, then the result of his probing might lead to a solution. If Shinji was just an empty bag, then what he just said could be explained away as many things, for example, regarding Itachi's education, were the things Mikoto and I did right or wrong. Here, it depended on how this 'we' was interpreted. A clan? Or a family?
"What Clan Head Fugaku is referring to... should be... whether the decision made by your clan is right or wrong, right? For example... rebellion? Hmm?" Shinji stared into Fugaku Uchiha's eyes, a playful look within.
The Uchiha clan's matter was complex, even involving many issues left over from the Warring States period. And also the two founding families of the village, the Senju clan and the Uchiha clan. Back then, the Uchiha clan thought: You, Hashirama Senju, serve as the First Hokage, fine. Our clan head Hashimara (Madara Uchiha) couldn't beat Hashirama Senju, we endured this. Tobirama Senju is the Second Hokage, fine, we endured this too. After all, Hashimara had already left Konoha back then, and high-end combat power was really insufficient against Tobirama Senju. But for the Third Hokage, you, Tobirama Senju, not choosing Kagami Uchiha made the Uchiha clan very unhappy. Especially since you ultimately chose Hiruzen Sarutobi of the Sarutobi clan?
Come come come, sit down, let's have a live broadcast battle, not even allowed? In what way was he better than Kagami Uchiha? From that time onwards, the voices within the Uchiha clan were already restless. But back then, during the Third Shinobi World War, the Uchiha clan didn't have the energy to worry about other things. Until the Third Shinobi World War ended, Hiruzen Sarutobi stepped down, and Minato Namikaze rose.
This time, the internal voices of the Uchiha clan actually quieted down significantly. After all, everyone knew the relationship between Fugaku Uchiha and Minato Namikaze was particularly good.
Meaning, although the Fourth Hokage position wasn't within the Uchiha clan, the Uchiha clansmen also believed that with Minato Namikaze as the Fourth Hokage, their Uchiha clan could receive fairer treatment. However, following Minato Namikaze's death, Hiruzen Sarutobi's return to power, and Danzō's secret actions against the Uchiha clan both openly and covertly, this led to the dissenting voices within the Uchiha clan reappearing.
Among the five elders of the Uchiha clan, elders two, three, four, and five, four were pro-war. Meaning these four supported the Uchiha clan rebelling to seize power. The only remaining Great Elder hadn't interfered in Uchiha clan affairs for a long time, cultivating in seclusion in the center of the residential area.
Although Fugaku Uchiha advocated for peace, the intensifying voices within the Uchiha clan were making it difficult for him to suppress. Moreover, the Uchiha clan currently held the power of the Konoha Military Police Force. This position was the easiest to provoke public resentment, naturally causing more villagers to have other thoughts about the Uchiha clan.
"Sigh... Yes, that's the matter. It seems Boss Shinji pays a lot of attention to our Uchiha clan too," Fugaku Uchiha sighed. This matter had truly troubled him for a long time. Ever since he took the position of Uchiha clan head, the pressure caused by these voices below had all gathered on him alone.
"Clan Head Fugaku, this actually requires balancing the voices within the clan, and also seeing if your Uchiha clan can withstand external pressure..." Shinji tapped lightly on the tea table. Instantly, only this sound echoed in the reception room.
"Internal and external problems..."
"Yes, internally, I believe more than 80% of your Uchiha clansmen advocate for war, right?"
"Yes, it's indeed close to 80%..." Fugaku Uchiha frowned. This problem was truly severe.
"But, even if your Uchiha clan is united... then your Uchiha clan, or rather, what do you think are the chances of victory?" Shinji directly tore open the most severe problem currently facing the Uchiha clan. That is, combat power!
"Honestly, I think... less than 40%..." Fugaku Uchiha said with a bitter smile. Did he not want to help the Uchiha clan obtain the Hokage position? Did he not want the Uchiha clan to become Konoha's true number one clan? But. Remember during the election for the Fourth Hokage, he, Fugaku Uchiha, also ran, but the votes... were pitifully few. Not even one percent of the votes Orochimaru received, who also lost!
"40%? Clan Head Fugaku, your estimate... is a bit high?" Shinji smiled slightly. He really didn't know where Fugaku Uchiha got this supposed 40%.
"How so?"
"The Uchiha clan has no allies. Not even like the Hyūga clan, which has ties with the Kaguya clan... Just within Konoha, purely in terms of high-end combat power... your Uchiha clan can't win." Shinji picked up the teapot and poured himself a full cup.
"Hiruzen Sarutobi, Danzō, Utatane Koharu, Mitokado Homura - these four veteran Kage-levels aside. The Sannin of Konoha, although Lord Orochimaru has now defected, Lord Jiraiya and Lady Tsunade are still nominally Konoha ninja."
"The Hyūga clan, the Ino-Shika-Chō trio, the Aburame clan, the Inuzuka clan, etc... adding up all these forces, can your Uchiha clan really contend?" Every time Shinji mentioned a force, Fugaku Uchiha's face darkened a few shades. Yes, these forces were all tightly bound under the Hokage's banner. If these people truly united, it seemed... The Uchiha clan really didn't have 40%. Even if he and the 5 elders attacked together... at most, the win rate was less than 20%. And this 20% was very uncertain.
"So... Clan Head Fugaku, under these circumstances, your Uchiha clan still intends to? Hmm?" Shinji smiled faintly, sipping his tea, seemingly completely unrelated to all this.
"I know this. I also know that compared to Konoha, the Uchiha clan is still very weak. But... the people within the clan don't believe it. Meaning, blind confidence." Fugaku Uchiha sighed. He actually knew this situation internally, but... Externally, Fugaku Uchiha had to maintain a very confident image.
"Clan Head Fugaku, regarding this problem, you could actually ask your esteemed son. His thoughts, his beliefs," Shinji swirled the teacup in his hand, speaking with a half-smile.
"My son?" Fugaku Uchiha glanced at Sasuke, then looked towards the direction of the Konoha Ninja Academy.
"Yes, Itachi Uchiha. You can ask his thoughts, Clan Head Fugaku. Sometimes, you shouldn't treat Itachi like a child. Itachi's thoughts... sometimes hold the key to breaking the clan's predicament."
"..." Shinji's words made Fugaku Uchiha fall silent. His own son... was the key to breaking the deadlock?
"The key to breaking the situation doesn't necessarily appear in discussions among adults. Sometimes, humbling oneself to ask those of lower status, or condescending to ask Itachi, sometimes, you will get different answers." Shinji murmured to himself, as if his words were enlightening something.
"Like this...?" Fugaku Uchiha lowered his head and began to think. Itachi Uchiha, his good eldest son. He seemed to have never placed him on the same level for conversation. After all, he was his son. But what Shinji said seemed to hold some truth. Itachi... hmm?
---
> Check my: [email protected]/ShixT9 for extra 60 Chapters
> Each 50 Spirit Stones I will release an extra chapter
A review will also be greatly appreciated ^•^