Chapter 39

Had he started from the ground up, tackling small tasks and gradually uncovering the true nature of the world and power, he might well have become a revolutionary.

But, unfortunately.

He knew only the surface of many things, and with Hiruzen Sarutobi's persuasion, he was completely led astray.

Once he grasped this, Uchiha Jin's mind cleared.

"What I wish to say remains what I said before," Uchiha Jin said in a low, somber tone, "Nine-Tails, Itachi are too powerful!"

Itachi are too strong!

Hearing this statement again, Uchiha Shisui's face showed a hint of confusion.

However, he was not stupid.

After a moment of thought, he understood.

Whether it was the Nine-Tails, the Uchiha, or Hatake Sakumo.

These three events shared a common point, which was what Uchiha Jin had expressed at the very beginning.

They were all too strong!

Yes.

Just like the Uchiha, how strong was Hatake Sakumo?

Head of the Anbu Black Ops, captain of the Jonin squad, and head of the Interrogation and Torture Department.

Among the seven major power departments of the Hidden Leaf Village, Hatake Sakumo alone held three.

And a few months before his suicide, he was even bestowed the title of "Hokage's Half-Sleeve" by the Daimyo of the Land of Fire.

It could almost be said.

Before Hatake Sakumo committed suicide, he was equivalent to a half-Hokage.

And now?

Since Hatake Sakumo's death, the head of the Anbu Black Ops was succeeded by Sarutobi Shinnosuke.

The Jonin captain became Nara Shikaku, and the head of the Interrogation and Torture Department became Morino Ibiki.

As for these three, they shared a common characteristic.

They were all members of the Hokage faction.

Morino Ibiki was of commoner origin and only reached this level thanks to Sarutobi Hiruzen.

Nara Shikaku, needless to say.

The Ino-Shika-Cho trio was the traditional Hokage faction; whoever became Hokage, they firmly supported.

Sarutobi Shinnosuke was even his own son.

Good heavens!

He hadn't thought of these things before, but now, reminded by Uchiha Jin.

After thinking carefully, he felt a chill run down his spine.

Was this still the kind and benevolent Lord Hokage he remembered?

The honorable Hatake Sakumo, the half-Hokage, died so unclearly, while the Hokage faction emerged as the great victor.

And then?

Hatake Kakashi joined the Hokage faction.

That was it.

The entire power base of Hatake Sakumo was completely devoured.

"Why?"

"This still doesn't make sense."

"Why did Hatake Sakumo commit suicide?"

Uchiha Shisui's face was full of confusion; he found it hard to accept.

With his worldview shattered, he immediately found a point of contention and asked frantically.

After all, this cognition was completely different from what he had imagined.

Uchiha Jin, however, wore an expression of deep emotion.

"This is precisely one point I admire about Hatake Sakumo."

"He was a true ninja, so he could only choose suicide."

"He was worried about the Hidden Leaf Village."

"If he had not chosen suicide, he would have had to fight the Hokage faction."

"If the Hidden Leaf Village fell into internal chaos, would other ninja villages let such a good opportunity pass?"

"On the contrary, as long as he died, all matters could be resolved."

"The Hidden Leaf Village would not fall into chaos because of this; even to reduce the impact, Sarutobi Hiruzen would not dare to touch his son, Hatake Kakashi."

"The facts were indeed so."

"Hatake Kakashi became Minato Namikaze's disciple, thereby completely joining the Hokage faction."

"Relying on this point, the Hokage faction completely absorbed Hatake Sakumo's loyalists into their ranks."

"Hatake Sakumo's defeat was also an inevitable event."

"Baseness is the passport of the base, and nobility is the epitaph of the noble."

"How can a noble person deal with the base?"

"The more upright one is, the easier one is to deal with!"

"The so-called victory of the Hokage faction was merely exploiting Hatake Sakumo's unwillingness to let the Hidden Leaf Village suffer because of this."

"This is the place where I admire Hatake Sakumo, but I will never become him."

After saying these words, Uchiha Jin fell completely silent.

He had said what needed to be said.

If he said any more, it would only make Uchiha Shisui's heart more chaotic.

This was just right!

Let him think and ponder on his own; he can talk about it after understanding these things.

Therefore.

Having finished all this, Uchiha Jin lay on the sofa.

He closed his eyes, enjoying the sound of the waves and the golden sunlight above.

Meanwhile, on the other side.

Uchiha Shisui looked utterly bewildered, his mind racing with thoughts.

His entire body was drenched in cold sweat.

Clearly.

Uchiha Shisui, whose intelligence was already high and who was not as stubborn as Itachi,

did not find it difficult to accept.

But the more he understood,

the more pessimistic he became about the future of the Uchiha clan.

What to do?

He kept thinking about it, yet could not find an answer for a long time.

Time slowly passed.

Uchiha Shisui's face grew paler, his eyes filled entirely with fear.

Regarding Hiruzen Sarutobi, he could no longer trust him completely.

Although what Uchiha Jin had said was merely speculation, with no actual evidence,

it still would not do!

For such a crucial matter as saving the clan, he dared not make even the slightest mistake.

Wait... Uchiha Jin!

That's right!

If this guy can think of all this, how could he have no solution?

Thinking this, he no longer hesitated.

He immediately shook Uchiha Jin, who had been enjoying the moment with his eyes closed, right out of his reverie.

"Jin, wake up!"

"Itachi must have a way, so tell me quickly!"

"Although I know Itachi have no affection for the clan because of the radicals, we all share the same blood."

"How can Itachi bear to watch the clan be destroyed?"

Uchiha Jin: "..."

He never expected Uchiha Shisui to come begging to him.

Good lord!

He didn't want to say it today.

Because with matters like this, one certainly wouldn't dare to say much at once.

After all, Uchiha Shisui is not Nara Kazama!

With someone like that, one can only guide them slowly.

So.

Even though Uchiha Shisui had already said that, he was still unwilling to say much now.

Of course.

Pouring a bit more mud on Hiruzen Sarutobi, that was no big problem!

Thinking this, he immediately shook his head.

"Uchiha Shisui, stop shaking me."

"I'm just a child; where would I have any solution?"

"The gap between the Uchiha and the Hokage faction is simply too huge!"

"Just think about our Uchiha: proud and arrogant, simple-minded, disdainful of all, arrogant and foolish, acting as if the heavens are number one and the Uchiha are number two."

"Being foolish isn't the problem; the problem is being foolish without knowing it."

"Acting as if relying on Uchiha glory, they could fight the heavens, the earth, and even thin air."

"But they don't know that the times have changed!"

"If it were the Warring States period, when families fought on their own, as long as one's strength was great enough, one could crush everything."

"But what about now?"

"Since the Hidden Leaf Village was established, we have entered the era of villages."

"Even if the Uchiha are incredibly powerful, the others have already united!"

"Itachi think Itachi just need to take out Hiruzen, but actually, the moment Itachi make a move, Itachi are fighting Hiruzen, Shimura, Nara, Mito, Ino-Shika-Cho, Aburame, Inuzuka, plus the civilian faction and a whole host of others."

"Even if Itachi learned from the Hyuga, looking as cowardly as they do, at worst Itachi'd just lose a bit of face."

"But can the Uchiha do that? No!"

"Actually, forget about fighting the entire Hidden Leaf; even just the Sarutobi clan alone is something the Uchiha cannot oppose."

"Do Itachi still think it's the beginning of the Hidden Leaf's founding, when the Uchiha were a founding family and the Sarutobi were just joining?"

"Hiruzen Sarutobi has held the Hokage post for so many years; do Itachi know how many ninja the Sarutobi clan has now?"

"Over three thousand, nearly four thousand ninja."

"The Uchiha struggle to earn money by taking missions, while the Sarutobi clan controls the village's finances, using the village treasury to support their own family every year."

"The current Uchiha have at most six or seven hundred ninja, right?"

"And every time a war breaks out, it's the ninja of the various clans who are consumed; how many Sarutobi clan ninja have Itachi seen on the battlefield?"

"The Sarutobi clan's ninja keep expanding, while the Uchiha ninja keep getting consumed."

"Can they compare?"

"Rebel against the village and seize the Hokage? Isn't that just nonsense?"

"Just lining up the three or four thousand ninja of the Sarutobi clan, even if the Uchiha could fight three to one, what would it matter?"

"One spit from each person would drown Itachi!"

"Do Itachi understand now why I hide my strength, Uchiha Shisui?"

"The Uchiha clan itself is a bunch of fools, and with Fugaku, this useless clan head, creating numerous factions, the clan can't even achieve basic unity now."

"Why would I want to be involved with a power like that?"

"The Hokage faction is no good either!"

"Those old silver foxes; if Itachi follow them, Itachi'd probably help them count the money even after they sell Itachi out."

"I might as well just lie low and let things be!"

"And I advise Itachi to be more open-minded and worry less about all that useless stuff."

"Nothing is hard in this world, as long as Itachi know how to give up."