To be perfectly honest, Gisei Shiraishi didn't want to get involved in this kind of mess so early.
Politics and power struggles—he was only eight years old. If he wasn't careful, he could lose his little life in a heartbeat.
Danzo wasn't just for show. The Third Hokage might look noble and benevolent, but beneath that, there were the Uchiha, Hyuga, Senju, and other powerful clans. None of them were easy to deal with.
If he could choose his background, he suddenly felt that being a commoner would be quite nice. Although resources would be limited, at least his life would be safe.
But being born into a ninja clan... although there was no shortage of resources, every step he took felt like walking on thin ice.
Not to mention that his current strength was weak. Even if he really had Kage-level power, dealing with this political landscape would still be a massive headache.
Gisei thought for a moment and made a decision in his heart.
"Grandpa Shuichi, it is my wish to work in the hospital, and I will absolutely not change it."
Shuichi Takemoto immediately became anxious. "Do you know what entering the hospital means? It means you give up your identity as a ninja. You won't even have a ninja registration number."
"Without the identity of a ninja, the path to advancement in Konoha is almost completely cut off. No matter how high your medical skills are, what can you gain besides a little reputation?"
"Life is not that simple, especially since you were born into a ninja clan. do you think you can just escape the responsibilities you are destined to shoulder?"
Towards the end, Shuichi's face was ashen, and he was practically spraying spittle all over Gisei's face.
Eisawa Shiraishi watched the scene quietly, sipping his tea as if nothing was happening.
Gisei fell silent.
Shuichi knew he had overreacted. He calmed himself down and started persuading again, softer this time.
"You don't have to worry about joining a random ninja squad. We have already arranged absolutely reliable teammates for you."
"As long as you gain experience for a few years and accumulate some qualifications, we will push you into a high-level position in Konoha. In short, it is definitely better than rotting away in the hospital."
Listen to that. They had arranged everything. Gisei couldn't find a logical reason to refuse.
It was just that he had already made up his mind. At a time like this, he needed to make a prompt decision.
He had to cut off contact with these ninja clans now to avoid being dragged down by them in the future when they became "too big to fail."
"Grandpa Shuichi, save your breath. My mind will not change."
"Why? Give me a reason."
"There are only my uncle and me left in our family. I just want to grow up safely and live the life of an ordinary person."
Shuichi stared into his eyes, but Gisei did not flinch, withstanding the pressure.
"Your family isn't just the two of you. We are all your clansmen—clansmen connected by blood!"
"Once a family is divided, it becomes two different families."
Eisawa had said this just yesterday, and Gisei used it now to directly shut Shuichi up.
Shuichi's face turned from green to white, and finally red again. Electric sparks began to flicker around his body.
A powerful aura exploded from him, pressing down almost entirely on Gisei.
It was suffocating. That was exactly how Gisei felt right now.
This aura wasn't just an explosion of chakra; it was mixed with terrifying killing intent.
Gisei didn't dare to move. His heart felt like it was being squeezed by a giant hand, as if it would burst and kill him in the next second.
This is the power of the strong. This kind of power...
It was simply fascinating!
Shuichi Takemoto was undoubtedly a person from the same era as his grandfather, and that era was one of constant, chaotic warfare. None of the people who survived that environment were weak.
Suppressed by this aura, Gisei fell to his knees. He had no doubt that if this old man wanted to kill him, he would probably just need to twitch a finger.
Eisawa couldn't sit still anymore. He stood up and intervened. "Uncle Shuichi, he is still young and can't bear this kind of pressure. Why are you getting so angry?"
Shuichi seemed truly infuriated. Hearing this, his aura only became stronger.
Blood trickled from the corner of Gisei's mouth, and he could hear nothing but a buzzing sound in his head.
He knew very well that he couldn't compromise now, and he knew even better that Shuichi couldn't possibly kill him.
So, gritting his teeth and holding on was the right move. As long as he didn't die, the sky would be wide and the sea would be open in the future.
Anna Takemoto, who had been standing behind the old man, looked on with eyes full of confusion.
She didn't understand why Gisei was resisting like this.
No one wanted to harm him; everyone was doing it for his own good. What was wrong with the life they offered?
Having just celebrated her eleventh birthday, she looked at Gisei as if seeing a door opening to a new world.
"Grandpa, actually we can do this: let him go to the hospital, but make him take the assessment too. Wouldn't that be fine?"
Anna suddenly spoke up.
Her words opened a door for Shuichi as well.
Shuichi quieted down, and Eisawa's eyes lit up. The two men looked at each other and immediately reached a silent agreement.
Gisei was gasping for breath, like a fish about to die of thirst.
Hehe, old... geezer, you are... really capable!
In the past, Gisei might have had some respect for this old man, but now it had all vanished like smoke.
All that remained was fear.
Having his life completely under someone else's control—he had never experienced this before. It was like lying on an operating table, having to entrust his life entirely to the doctor.
Ah, what shocking and fascinating power.
An ambition he had never possessed before rose in his heart. He wanted this kind of power.
He wanted to control the fate of others; he wanted more and stronger power.
Shuichi also realized that he had gone too far. Regarding Gisei's earlier disrespect, he could only laugh awkwardly a few times.
"It's decided then. From tomorrow on, you will come to my place for training. With your current strength, passing the assessment is impossible."
Shuichi dropped these words and left with Anna.
As Anna left, she glanced back at Gisei with an intriguing look on her face.
Once they were gone, Gisei relaxed completely, his whole body going limp like a salted fish. He lay directly on the floor, refusing to move, staring at the ceiling in a daze.
"Alright, they're gone. Get up, wash your hands, and eat."
Eisawa couldn't watch the pitiful display anymore.
After eating, Gisei prepared to return to his room. When he pushed the door open, Eisawa's voice rang out.
"Don't you have anything you want to ask?"
"Ask what? I'll know sooner or later anyway."
"Ah... pain... pain! Can you not pull my ear?!"
Eisawa dragged him back to the dining table by his ear.
"What are you pretending to be deep for, kid? Just say what you want to say."
Gisei rolled his eyes, his thoughts spinning for a moment before he spoke.
"There are only two of us left. They have a big family and a great career; why do they keep holding on to us? Is it just because of the secret technique inheritance?"
This was Gisei's biggest doubt. Their family only had a crippled uncle and a child who hadn't grown up yet, and they didn't have much wealth either. He really didn't understand why Shuichi had to pester them endlessly and try his best to push him into a high position.
Eisawa laughed. "Secret technique? Your Grandpa Shuichi wouldn't even want that kind of thing if you gave it to him."
"The truly valuable things in the world have never been things you can see."
Playing these cryptic games again... Gisei complained internally.
Probably seeing that Gisei didn't understand, Eisawa sighed.
"The truly valuable thing in our family is not the secret technique, but prestige."
Prestige. Put that way, Gisei understood.
On the Konoha Memorial Stone, there were many names starting with Shiraishi. Those were all people from their clan.
Paying with death, gaining honor. The sacrifices of the clansmen built Konoha, and also built the Butterfly Clan.
Like the Senju's reputation for being the vanguard in every battle, sometimes these things are more persuasive than fists.
An emperor does not need the bravery to match ten thousand men; what he needs is for his words to be convincing.
If others believe in you, they will help you achieve success. If others don't believe in you, even if you put a knife to their necks, they won't be truly convinced. At most, they will agree with their mouths but not their hearts.
"Although the Takemoto family is related to us by blood, once the family was divided, it became two different families. They don't have this kind of prestige."
"Before Konoha was established, we were a major clan. There were quite a few ninja clans attached to us. After Konoha was established, they still maintained deep connections with us."
"As long as there is someone in our family, this prestige will always exist. If there is no one left, this interest group will collapse."
Hearing this, Gisei clearly understood his situation.
Whether it was the Takemoto family or other ninja clans, without that prestige, they couldn't convince the masses. Not being able to convince the masses meant they would become a sheet of loose sand, and their political power in Konoha would shrink drastically.
They knew this very well, which was why they held on to him so tightly. It just so happened that the Butterfly User Clan had completely declined, so their own demands for benefits were minimal.
As long as they pushed him to a high position and let him fight for the right to speak in the village on their behalf, their interests would be maximized.
It could even be foreseen that if he really rose to power, perhaps more ninja clans would attach themselves to him. This interest group would become even larger.
If he lived up to expectations, maybe he could even look forward to becoming Hokage.