Chapter 26: Cao Shuang definitely does not believe it

After drinking the porridge, both of them felt much warmer; Shisui set down his bowl with a satisfied expression before asking, 'Teacher, aren't you worried about attracting the attention of the Leaf's higher-ups, planning to come to my place in a few days?'

Mentioning this, Sima Yi gave a rare helpless smile.

"Haha, man proposes, heaven disposes; yesterday I pretended to be drunk and had Hui take me back, only to find that my dilapidated wooden hut, long uninhabited, had been blown over by the wind, so I had to stay temporarily at Hui's house."

"But staying at their place would inevitably bring some constraints in the future; after thinking it over, I decided to come here anyway, which gives me a reason and isn't abrupt."

"Like that, teacher, please wait a moment here; I'll go tidy a room for you. In this courtyard I'm the only one, so you can stay wherever you like."

Sima Yi had long heard of Shisui's family; he didn't inquire much, merely saying, 'No rush; first tell me about yesterday's events.'

When mentioning yesterday's events, Shisui's mood sank a little; he couldn't help but admit that what Sima Yi had said back then was all correct — he had indeed overlooked too much.

"Yesterday."

Shisui began with the conversation between Danzo and the Third Hokage, recounting the entire process in detail, word for word.

"It seems this Hokage indeed suspects you, but your responses have been appropriate; after several probes, he still believes you."

Sima Yi did not stint on praise; Shisui's ability to think this way, though still not enough to take the stage, is already rare and valuable, giving him a considerable sense of accomplishment.

"Ah, I would rather not have these, and I didn't expect the Third Hokage to actually be like this."

Had it been in the past, Shisui would have been moved to tears if the Hokage himself had helped him up, but yesterday, being helped up left him feeling exceedingly awkward.

"No need to worry; as Hokage, suppressing the powerful is merely his instinct. Compared to the Hokage, you should be more wary of Danzo."

"Danzo!"

Shisui frowned; Danzo's hatred for the Uchiha is barely concealed, which indeed gives him a headache.

"Today, those who intercepted us outside the Leaf were not the Hokage's direct Anbu but the Root organization secretly cultivated by Danzo; this group has always lurked in the darkness and is loyal solely to Danzo."

"They style themselves as roots hidden in the darkness; to protect the Leaf, they have always acted ruthlessly, using any means necessary!"

"Protect the Leaf?"

Even with Sima Yi's deep composure, he couldn't help but let out a light chuckle upon hearing that.

He cultivates private troops, trains assassins — do you really claim he's doing it to protect the state?

You ask whether Cao Shuang believes it or not? Anyway, Sima Yi doesn't believe it, after all, that's exactly how he operates.

"Teacher, why are you laughing?"

Shisui wondered, carefully recalling what had just been said, but detected nothing amiss.

"No problem, no problem; I just recalled some old matters, but perhaps Danzo could someday be a great help."

"Danzo? Help? Could he assist us?"

Shisui really wanted not to believe it, but upon reflection Sima Yi's judgment is hardly ever wrong; his face instantly darkened.

"The world is bustling, all for profit; there is no absolute hatred between families or powers — it just depends on whether what we propose can move his heart."

Shisui did not refute; he lowered his head, pondered deeply, and savored each of Sima Yi's words.

"But that's for later consideration; for now, dealing with such an unstable person certainly requires caution."

On the surface, even the Hokage would act by the rules, but given Sima Yi's impression of Danzo, it's obvious that the latter is not someone who follows regulations.

This is highly disadvantageous for them.

Shisui lifted his head, his eyes blazing like torches, utterly solemn: 'Rest assured, teacher, I won't let anyone harm you!'

"Me?"

Sima Yi's expression was strange; he looked at Shisui and slowly shook his head, saying, 'Don't worry about me; even if he takes action, he'll only target you.'

"Huh?" "Everyone says you are currently the strongest of the Uchiha; eliminate you and the Uchiha will have no backing, so naturally they wouldn't dare rebel again — this isn't a bad idea."

Dah~ He still needs to live to stop Itachi's mad rampage; how could he die so easily?

"I will be careful; I will absolutely not let Danzo succeed!"

Sima Yi smiled; a large part of Danzo's behavior stems from the Hokage's will, but such matters need not be told to Shisui for now.

"If you have nothing to do these days, help me find some books, preferably about Uchiha history; of course, if there are also histories of the Fire Nation and other countries, that would be even better."

"Uchiha history is easy enough; I'll go see the clan head later — he surely has it — but histories of various countries might take some time."

Such matters are highly confidential; he needs to make a trip to the capital, starting from the daimyo families, for only those nobles might have preserved such archives.

"No rush; with the year's end approaching, there likely won't be any major moves in this period, and I can also take this time to wander around the Leaf and get a feel for things."

"By the way, teacher, please wait a moment!"

Upon hearing that, Shisui suddenly remembered something; he quickly rose and ran to a cabinet to rummage through.

Then he produced two stacks of paper money and placed them before Sima Yi, saying, 'Teacher, since you've just arrived in the Leaf, you might still need some things; here are two hundred thousand taels — if it's not enough, just let me know; I rarely use these, so I've saved up quite a bit.'

"Is this money?"

Sima Yi picked up a sheet, examined it closely; it was his first time seeing this world's currency — unlike the gold and copper he imagined, the money here is merely a piece of paper.

The banknote also bears the Leaf's emblem.

Sima Yi did not refuse, saying, 'Perfect, I'm free today; let's go out together later.'

Upon mentioning this, a hint of embarrassment appeared on Shisui's face; he clasped his hands and said, 'Sorry, teacher, I've already promised Itachi to train with him today, so I might not be able to go with you.'

"Itachi?"

Sima Yi waved his hand; Shisui's absence doesn't affect his strolling, and he's more curious about Uchiha Itachi.

"Was that the child holding a baby yesterday? I recall you said he was the eldest son of the clan head's family."

"That's right; Itachi is also a genius, the pride of the clan head's family, possessing a breadth of mind that ordinary people lack, and moreover praised by the Third Hokage as 'one who possesses the Hokage's mindset.'"

If it were before, Shisui would have proudly introduced him, but now his expression is especially grim.

"Breadth of mind," "Hokage's mindset," hahaha, that kid yesterday probably only...

Sima Yi couldn't help but laugh, shaking his head repeatedly: 'This Third Hokage, despite his high position, is so narrow-minded.'

To deal with a mere child they actually resort to flattery to kill — truly unbecoming.

Shisui lowered his head and sighed: 'Yes, but judging by the results, he probably succeeded.'

Having said that, he told Sima Yi the future he had seen that day.

Sima Yi's eyes shifted, "For him alone to be able to wipe out the entire Uchiha clan, there must surely be someone helping him behind the scenes."

"It must be Danzo!"

Danzo's constant talk of wiping out the Uchiha made Shisui's hatred grow ever stronger.

"Just keep your suspicions; when you come into contact with Itachi, find a way to turn his thinking around, and do not constantly worry."

"Teacher, I will!"

Sima Yi fell into thought for a moment, a cold glint flashing in his eyes, "If it cannot be done, then perhaps..."

(End of chapter)