Hiruzen clenched his fists and looked at Shisui through gritted teeth. He believed Shisui had orchestrated this to deliberately embarrass him.
But how could the members of a single clan dare to show him such a sour face?
Did they think he, the Hokage, had no temper?
Before his anger could explode, Shisui sighed and said, "Hokage-sama, do you believe me now? If I came by myself, I could at least go in and have a glass of water. Now, I can't even get through the door. Sigh."
Hiruzen: "???"
"Are you playing with me?"
As expected, his suspicion that day was correct. Shisui really was full of hostility towards Konoha.
He snorted coldly and said, "If the Uchiha clan head lacks the ability, he should be replaced as soon as possible."
At that moment, Shisui's aura became stern, his gaze dangerous as he stared at Hiruzen. "What? Is Konoha going to interfere even in the internal affairs of my Uchiha clan?"
Hiruzen's pupils shrank.
He was waiting for him here!
The supreme leader of Konoha is the Hokage, but that doesn't mean the Hokage can do whatever he wants. One of the most obvious unwritten rules is that even the Hokage cannot interfere in the internal affairs of a clan. After all, clans do not join Konoha, they affiliate with it.
If this got out, the villagers might still speak up for him. But the clans within Konoha would certainly become more cautious and distant from him, and by then, he wouldn't be far from being stripped of his power.
Thinking of this, a thin sweat broke out on Hiruzen's forehead, and he gave a kind, awkward smile. "It was just a joke."
Shisui's expression turned cold. "The Uchiha clan can make jokes about replacing its leader, but Hokage-sama would do well to show some self-respect."
Hiruzen nodded slightly with a sour expression, while his eyes darted around, a cold light flashing through them.
He looked at the tightly closed doors on both sides of the street and said, "Summoning all Uchiha Clan Members to ask why they won't move the compound... that should only take a day to find out, right?"
He was applying pressure, beginning to attack Shisui.
Shisui's face changed instantly, his previous sternness vanishing. He shook his head helplessly and sighed, "They don't recognize me as the clan head. No one shows up when I summon them."
Hiruzen: "???"
No! Then what use are you as a clan head?
You're clueless about everything, and your processing time is long and tedious.
But when I suggest a replacement, you say it's an internal Uchiha matter?
Suddenly, he remembered Shisui's stern gaze from just now and a suspicion uncontrollably sprouted in his mind. It left him both shocked and beyond furious.
What a piece of work, Uchiha!!!
But he still suppressed his anger and asked, "Shisui, do you know how much manpower and resources the village wasted, and how much economic loss Konoha suffered, just to clear out such a large area in the Village Center for the Uchiha clan?"
Shisui nodded and said, "It is indeed my mistake. How about this: we don't want that land anymore. Just consider it compensation for the village."
Hiruzen: "???"
You really think that land was given to you for free?
For a moment, he felt like the one talking to him wasn't Shisui, but Hiromi. He immediately seized upon this fleeting thought and quickly made a deduction.
Soon, he reached a conclusion—Shisui was answering this way because he had listened to Hiromi. So, while Shisui appeared to be the clan head, in reality, it was Hiromi.
Hiruzen became even more certain.
The Uchiha were playing a game of Public and Shadow Clan Heads with him.
Hiruzen lowered his head, his gaze dark and obscure. When he looked up, his face was full of kindness.
"Shisui, being a clan head is very tiring, isn't it?"
"It's alright."
Hiruzen said with earnest kindness, "Actually, being a clan head is just like being the Hokage. Come to the Hokage Office to chat with me whenever you're free. I know you have potential. The future of Konoha still needs your guidance."
Shisui felt somewhat suspicious and uncertain. He did not quite understand what Hiruzen meant.
'Actually, a clan head is the same as the Hokage? Visit him whenever I have nothing to do? My potential? The future of Konoha needs me to lead it? You think I have what it takes to be Hokage?' His expression was a bit strange.
'I did not even understand your scheme to have the Uchiha move back to the Uchiha Clan Compound until Hiromi explained it to me. You actually think someone like me is suitable to be Hokage? Are you trying to manipulate me again?'
Looking at Hiruzen's smiling face, Shisui wanted to spit on it in his mind.
...
Hiruzen left, and Shisui returned to his home in the center of the Uchiha Clan Compound.
There, Itachi had been waiting for a long time. He was sitting cross-legged, holding a teacup with both hands, sipping tea carefully.
Seeing him return, he smiled slightly and asked, "How did it go?"
Shisui shook his head slightly. As he sat down, he sighed, "He saw through me. My acting skills are not good enough."
Itachi stated his approach, "It would be better not to have direct contact."
Shisui sighed, "We will have to interact sooner or later. We cannot choose to hide just because we see a giant."
When it comes to political maneuvering, the Uchiha are really far behind.
"Mm." Itachi agreed.
However, he was not hiding just because he could not outplay Hiruzen. Recently, he had been studying history. By reflecting on the question, "What is the purpose of him doing this?", he found that he had made significant progress.
It was just hard to trust people's hearts anymore. However, for the sake of the world he dreamed of, he believed such sacrifices were well worth it.
***
40 Advanced Chapters on
patreon.com/alex_1000