Konoha Leadership Meeting

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Shisui had not expected the situation to be this serious, and he was thrown into confusion.

He had always believed that what he was doing was right, while those fanatical clan members were wrong. But after listening to Naoki, he vaguely realized that confessing to the village leadership may have pushed the Uchiha even harder toward the abyss.

Shisui bowed deeply to Naoki and said sincerely, "Senior, I will never use Kotoamatsukami on a comrade. Please believe that."

Naoki shook his head. "This has nothing to do with whether I believe you. Faced with someone who can alter their will at any time, anyone would feel instinctive fear and suspicion. Even I would be no exception."

Shisui looked lost. "But I..."

"Whether you are loyal to Konoha or not, whether you are upright and kind or not, as long as you possess the ability to control another person's will, you become a real threat to everyone around you." After a brief pause, Naoki sighed. "In the end, Kotoamatsukami is simply too unsettling as a forbidden technique."

By now, Shisui understood where the key problem lay. He quickly asked, "Senior, then... is there still a way to fix this?"

Naoki rested his chin on one hand and thought for a while. "I do not have a good solution for the moment. But you had better stop doing anything unnecessary. The village's peace talks with Kumogakure have not been completed yet, so they will not move against the Uchiha in the short term. As for future matters, we will deal with them when they come."

Shisui's problem lay with Kotoamatsukami. As long as his Mangekyo Sharingan remained in his eye sockets, the village leadership could never fully accept him.

Shisui nodded silently.

Thinking of Obito, who was still outside the village stirring up trouble, Naoki added another warning. "Also, pay more attention to whether any suspicious people appear near your clan compound."

"You mean?"

"I was not in the village during the Nine-Tails incident a year ago, but the intelligence I gathered shows that the Nine-Tails was indeed controlled by the Sharingan at the time."

Shisui's face turned ugly at once. "Senior, do you suspect the Nine-Tails incident was planned by the Uchiha?"

"The facts are there. It is inevitable that the Uchiha would be suspected." Naoki glanced at Shisui and continued guiding him. "And even if an Uchiha did it, that does not necessarily mean it was an Uchiha from inside the village."

Shisui seemed to think of something and fell into deep thought.

In the Uchiha's history over the past few decades, several clan members had left the village or disappeared for no clear reason. The most famous among them was Uchiha Madara, who had founded Konoha Village together with the First Hokage.

So it was possible that Uchiha bloodlines still existed outside Konoha.

After the two chatted for a while longer, Shisui said goodbye and left. Watching Shisui's back as he departed, Naoki shook his head.

As the most talented shinobi of this Uchiha generation, Shisui was nearly flawless in every other respect. But when it came to understanding people, he was still far too inexperienced.

In Naoki's memories from his previous life, the reason Shisui, a man almost invincible in a one-on-one fight, died so miserably was deeply tied to this personality.

Inside a small meeting room in the Hokage Building.

The Third Hokage was discussing the peace talks with Kumogakure with the three elders of the advisory council. When they mentioned ANBU Team Eleven's secret mission, the Third clapped his hands.

Kakashi, who had been waiting outside the meeting room to answer questions, walked in after hearing the signal. He recounted everything he knew about how Team Eleven had completed the mission, from beginning to end, to the three elders of the advisory council.

After Kakashi finished, the Third said calmly, "You may withdraw."

Kakashi nodded and left the meeting room.

Koharu Utatane said, "So Team Eleven harassed Kumogakure's transport lines in the rear and forced them to slow their offensive. In that case, Team Eleven made a great contribution to the village this time."

Homura Mitokado also agreed. "Yes. We can consider promotions and rewards for Team Eleven."

Danzo spoke suddenly. "The information my Root received is not the same."

Not only the two advisers, but even the Third looked toward Danzo, waiting for him to continue.

Danzo said coldly, "The reason Kumogakure suddenly slowed its offensive is that their rear suffered a major loss. According to rumors, more than three hundred Kumogakure shinobi, including several elite jonin, died in a single night. Even the Fourth Raikage left Kumogakure because of it."

"This..."

Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado looked at each other.

When the Third heard this, he immediately thought of Shisui, who had voluntarily confessed to awakening the Mangekyo Sharingan the day before. His face sank, and he puffed on his pipe for a long time without speaking.

Danzo stood and questioned him. "Why did ANBU Team Eleven not report this? Why would they hide such an achievement?"

Koharu asked the Third seriously, "Does Team Eleven truly possess that level of combat strength?"

For four members of Team Eleven to annihilate more than three hundred Kumogakure shinobi in a single night, at least one of them had to possess Kage-level strength.

The Third could only say helplessly, "Uchiha Shisui has awakened the legendary Mangekyo Sharingan."

Koharu was shocked, then frowned. "That is the legendary cursed power. Someone in the Uchiha Clan awakened it again?"

Homura muttered under his breath, "It will not become another Uchiha Madara, will it?"

Danzo did not let the matter go. He continued in a sinister tone, "Hiruzen, it seems you left something out."

The Third stared at Danzo, his gaze sharpening.

Unfazed by the Third's stare, Danzo said, "Uchiha Shisui's Mangekyo Sharingan can perform a forbidden technique called Kotoamatsukami. It can alter the victim's will at once and turn them into a puppet."

"What?"

Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado were both shocked.

Looking over his two colleagues' shocked faces, Danzo's smile turned thin and cold. "I propose that we immediately take coercive measures against Uchiha Shisui."

After their brief shock, Koharu and Homura both agreed. "Agreed."

The Third shook his head firmly. "Shisui is the bridge between us and the Uchiha. If we take coercive measures against him, it will provoke the Uchiha Clan. And right now, the village's peace talks with Kumogakure are at a critical stage. If unrest breaks out inside the village, the consequences will be unimaginable."

Danzo seemed to have expected the Third to say this, so he retreated to his second demand. "Then place Uchiha Shisui on the monitoring list. Root will handle the surveillance."

After a moment of silence, the Third finally nodded.

The Third's concession satisfied Danzo. He then recalled Naoki refusing his invitation the day before and spoke again. "Team Eleven concealed important information. Their loyalty is questionable. I propose placing every member of Team Eleven under surveillance..."

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