Shisui was left speechless.
Of course, he knew that the people on the Hokage's side had gone too far, but the values instilled in him since childhood made him believe that as long as he did well enough, he would be recognized by others.
It was just like a man born into slavery—one who worked himself to the bone just for a few words of praise from his master—never realizing that when a slave picks up a loaded gun and presses it to his master's temple, the master will not only say nice things, but might even piss himself in fear.
To Rokuro, someone like Shisui—whose mind had been brainwashed since birth and whose spirit had been crippled by servitude—was utterly contemptible.
In Rokuro's view, Shisui's grandfather, Uchiha Kagami, though a dove, at least had a discerning eye for people. The Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama, might not have been a good man, but his abilities were undeniable—under his rule, the Leaf truly stood as the strongest village in the ninja world.
Shisui inherited Kagami's political stance but not his insight. Compared to the Second Hokage, the Third was nothing but trash.
And anyone who devotes himself entirely to protecting trash is doomed to a bad end.
As for Shisui's fate, Rokuro had never once considered changing it.
When that day comes, he'd simply buy a bag of sunflower seeds, sit back, and watch the show.
As the saying goes, "If you can't see eye to eye, even one more word is too many."
For the rest of the journey, no matter what Shisui said, Rokuro gave no response. Eventually, Shisui fell silent too.
By the time they arrived at the Uchiha Clan Leader's compound, the courtyard was already packed with Uchiha ninja—nearly all of them masters with three-tomoe Sharingan.
"Rokuro, you're here! Come, I brought two roasted drumsticks from home—take one!"
"Hey Rokuro, how's your ninjutsu training going lately? If there's anything you don't understand, just ask me. My Fire Style's pretty solid, so don't be shy."
"Hah! Like you're qualified to teach him! If anyone's going to, it should be me—I've mastered every Fire Release in the clan!"
"Fire Release alone isn't enough! Illusions are what best complement the Sharingan. Rokuro, I've just developed a new genjutsu—come by later and I'll teach it to you!"
Rokuro greeted them all with an easy smile, his manner warm and unassuming.
Watching from the side, Shisui was stunned—not only by Rokuro's attitude but by the sheer number of people around him.
Nearly two hundred Uchiha had gathered in the courtyard. They were divided into three factions—the Doves, the Neutrals, and the Hawks.
Together, the Doves and Neutrals numbered around a hundred, meaning that the other hundred were all Hawks.
Not long ago, the three factions had been evenly matched—so evenly, in fact, that every clan meeting ended in shouting matches.
None had ever gained an overwhelming advantage. Yet now…
As Shisui looked at the crowd of Hawk-aligned Uchiha surrounding Rokuro, an uneasy chill spread through his heart.
"Brother Shisui, you're here. My father's looking for you."
Itachi had appeared at some point, delivering Uchiha Fugaku's message. He too glanced toward Rokuro, his brows faintly furrowed.
"There are this many elite Hawks? Were they hiding their strength all this time?"
Shisui shook his head slightly and made his way toward the main house. Itachi followed close behind.
Inside, there were only two people—Clan Head Uchiha Fugaku and the Second Elder, leader of the Dove faction.
Shisui hesitated. Normally, such internal meetings involved all three elders.
"Shisui, you're here. How are things outside?"
After bowing, Shisui sat down at the lower seat.
"Almost everyone's gathered. I personally brought Uchiha Rokuro over. Also…"
"Just say it."
"Clan Head, I've noticed that Rokuro holds great influence among the Hawks. I fear our earlier suspicions were correct—those sudden Sharingan awakenings among the radicals were likely his doing. Perhaps he used some kind of unknown sealing or curse technique."
Bang!
The Second Elder slammed his fist against the floor, his face twisted with rage.
"I knew it! It was that restless brat Uchiha Rokuro causing all this chaos!"
Fugaku frowned slightly.
"Second Elder, we'll need to investigate this further."
"What's there to investigate? That boy only has a two-tomoe Sharingan, yet so many three-tomoe Uchiha treat him with such respect—what more proof do you need?"
Fugaku fell silent.
As clan head, he knew his people too well—they revered only strength and looked down on weakness.
Rokuro was undeniably gifted, but he was still under ten, and his Sharingan had only two tomoe. Such a person wouldn't be looked down upon, but neither would he command this kind of reverence.
The only possible explanation was that Rokuro had done something that earned their gratitude—something significant.
And considering how the Hawks had been changing lately, the truth was becoming increasingly clear.
Then Shisui spoke again—dropping yet another bombshell.
"Clan Head, there's one more thing. I counted just now—the number of Jonin among the Hawks is twice that of the other factions combined."
The Second Elder's face turned pale, while Fugaku's expression hardened.
"You mean to say…"
Shisui nodded.
"It's likely that Rokuro's method not only awakens the Sharingan in the young, but enhances it in adults as well."
The Second Elder sucked in a sharp breath.
"No wonder… no wonder the Third Elder's been cozying up to the Great Elder lately! So he's been getting the benefits! Outrageous! Why hasn't this been made known to the whole clan? Are we not Uchiha as well? Clan Head, this must be investigated to the end—we are one clan, we must stand together!"
His words almost made Fugaku lose composure.
Leaving aside the fence-sitting Neutrals, the Doves and Hawks had always been at odds.
If not for fear of being accused of betrayal, the Doves would've long dropped the Uchiha name entirely.
And now, the moment benefits appeared, they suddenly remembered "we're one clan" and started preaching unity.
Fugaku wanted nothing more than to shout in his face
"Have you no shame?!"
But for now, Fugaku could only swallow his frustration.
To counterbalance the increasingly powerful Hawks, he needed to keep the Doves close.
"Enough. I'll speak with Elder Setsuna about this matter. For now, what's most important is the coming war. The Second Elder is right—we are one clan, and we must advance and retreat together."
With that, Fugaku rose and walked out to rally the clan before battle.
The Second Elder followed, still huffing indignantly.
As Shisui turned to leave, Itachi tugged his sleeve.
"Brother Shisui… is Father and the Second Elder's concern really about Elder Setsuna's growing influence? Or are they just afraid of losing their own power?"
The question nearly broke Shisui's composure. He turned quickly toward Itachi.
"Itachi, the relationship between our clan and the village is already strained. If too many of our people suddenly grow stronger, it might only deepen the Hokage's suspicion. That's… not a good thing."
"But, Brother Shisui," Itachi said earnestly, "if our clan grows stronger, doesn't that mean the village grows stronger too? Shouldn't the Hokage, as someone who leads for the good of all, be glad? Besides, the Great Elder's sending so many of our best to the frontlines—that's proof enough that the Uchiha's strength is Konoha's strength."
Shisui couldn't refute him.
For a long moment, he sat in silence—then, almost to himself, murmured:
"Maybe… Rokuro was right. I really should start reading history books…"
END OF CHAPTER
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