Chapter 9: Uchiha is a

Shisui Uchiha stood up: "Senior Chujiu, I will take Itachi home to rest now."

Yamanaka Chujiu said: "Whenever you two have fully recovered your spirits and have the courage to continue listening to me talk about the Execution Line, you are always welcome."

Shisui Uchiha thanked him sincerely: "Many thanks, Senior Chujiu..."

Yamanaka Chujiu revealed an inexplicable smile: "If you are truly grateful to me, then grant me one request."

Shisui Uchiha hesitated for a moment, then asked: "Please, Senior, speak your mind."

Chujiu's smile became even stranger, and it carried a hint of nostalgia: "Rest assured, my request is very simple; it will not make you do anything that harms the village or the Uchiha Clan."

"Remember, after you go back, you can tell Uchiha Fugaku about the Execution Line, but when he asks who told you these things, you must make him promise not to implicate me in trouble before you tell him my name."

Upon hearing that it was such a simple request, Shisui Uchiha immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

The information revealed in the Execution Line theory was too important for the Uchiha Clan; he had to tell Uchiha Fugaku.

He believed that Uchiha Fugaku would be able to understand the Execution Line and grasp the value of this theory.

Just the fact that "the Third Hokage is not Danzo, and Root can never represent the Hokage" gave Shisui Uchiha hope.

It was the hope to break through the awkward situation where the Uchiha were not trusted by the Hokage, and to resolve the isolation of the Uchiha.

Shisui Uchiha promised solemnly: "Please rest assured, Senior Chujiu. No matter how Clan Leader Fugaku asks, I will absolutely not reveal your name until he makes that promise."

"I guarantee that little brother Itachi won't say it either; we will not drag you and the Yamanaka Clan into the Uchiha's predicament."

"Very good!"

Yamanaka Chujiu was extremely satisfied with Shisui Uchiha's performance.

Exceptional talent, powerful strength, honest and intelligent, knows how to repay kindness, and even understands a bit of worldly wisdom.

If not for that big mouth of his that spoke without thinking, Shisui Uchiha would be a perfect ninja.

Regardless, Shisui Uchiha was worth Chujiu taking the risk to reach out and pull him out of a desperate situation.

After Shisui Uchiha left with Itachi, Yamanaka Chujiu brewed another pot of fruit tea and slowly savored its sweet taste.

But what satisfied him even more was the great love-filled emotion that overflowed from the two youths under the stimulation of dark facts and intense emotional turmoil.

Because the two youths trusted Yamanaka Chujiu, and because of the purity of their hearts, the Mind Severing Realm absorbed all the mental fluctuations and converted them into Chujiu's mental energy with almost no loss.

In just this short while, he felt himself grow stronger.

He even faintly sensed the limits of his body.

The limit is both the upper bound of a person's strength and the starting point for nurturing change.

It really has to be the Uchiha; they've already started trusting him.

Think about the children of the forty-three bereaved families; that was a whole year of sincere devotion, plus real money and resources for their upbringing, yet not even a few of those fifty-plus children trusted Yamanaka Chujiu wholeheartedly.

Therefore, the Uchiha are a "rich mine," and an easy one to mine at that!

Even if only to protect the Uchiha, Yamanaka Chujiu would have to go up against the Third Hokage Group.

Since he was going up against them, there was no need to endure anymore!

Yamanaka Chujiu admitted it: he could not endure the brutal atrocities of Danzo.

Sacrificing at least five Uchiha Jonin for one arm—this kind of monstrous behavior is just too "small-time"!

He also could not endure the cowardice of Hiruzen, who was kind on the outside but cruel on the inside!

When an external enemy broke into the Hyuga Clan to kidnap a child, the Third Hokage forced a Hyuga ninja to commit suicide to offer flattery to Kumogakure; that is not something a human being would do!

But he could not endure even more the despicable act of the Third Hokage seizing the Fourth Hokage's estate and bullying the hero's son!

In the future, the scarf that Sarutobi Konohamaru wears was woven by hand by Uzumaki Kushina—it was a gift for the unborn Naruto!

But what he could not endure most of all was the game played by the Third Hokage and Danzo!

The elite Wood Release ninja codenamed "A" represented the lives of sixty children; there were more than ten such atrocities brought to Hiruzen's attention.

Hiruzen would summon Danzo and question him about why he did such things.

Then they would perform a classic act:

Danzo: You regret!

Hiruzen: I am the Hokage!

Minato: Boom!! (Feed me peanuts)

Finally, Hiruzen would sigh and helplessly accept reality.

No matter how big the matter was, no matter how many people died, it would all be swept under the rug; Danzo wouldn't even have to be punished with a glass of wine.

They weren't managing Konohagakure at all; they were playing a game!

A sixty-year-old classmates' reunion play!

Yamanaka Chujiu was determined to change all of this and make up for the various regrets that would occur in Konohagakure's future.

However, he would not come forward directly.

When Yamanaka Chujiu was born, Hiruzen was already the Hokage; everyone in Konohagakure had long since grown accustomed to his rule.

Habit is one of the most terrifying forces in the world.

Even the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, had grown accustomed to the Third Hokage's leadership, naturally being sidelined into a puppet Hokage, unable to turn the situation around for an entire year.

To openly and brazenly make an enemy of the Third Hokage was to make an enemy of the entire Konohagakure, and of over twenty thousand Leaf Ninja.

Unless one had the kind of strength beyond reason that Madara Uchiha possessed, capable of crushing Konohagakure with the power of one person, it would be impossible to defeat Konohagakure and overthrow the Third Hokage's rule.

The Third Hokage, Hiruzen, was invincible, but Danzo, whom he protected so unreasonably, was not.

The greatest difficulty in killing Danzo lay in his secretive movements; his travel routes and times were secrets of Konohagakure, which even the Third Hokage could not grasp, making them even harder for outsiders to grasp.

But Yamanaka Chujiu was different.

No matter how secretive Danzo's actions were, he had to inform some Root ninja so they could design action plans, prepare supplies, and resolve various trivial troubles.

As the leader of Root, Danzo's time was incredibly precious; he had to use it as much as possible to think about how to "protect" Konohagakure, and he would never waste it on handling small matters.

Once the Root ninja knew, it meant Yamanaka Chujiu knew.

As long as Shimura Danzo leaves the village, Yamanaka Chujiu can ambush him at any time.

The problem, however, is that Chujiu's raw strength is insufficient, making it difficult to finish off Danzo cleanly and easily leaving behind traces.

"No rush," Yamanaka Chujiu said to himself, "there is still plenty of time to spare; I cannot be in a hurry to kill."

"Besides, not killing them doesn't mean I can't make them miserable."

With the Uchiha brothers taking the initiative to approach him, Yamanaka Chujiu has established a solid connection with the Uchiha Clan, so it will be difficult for Shimura Danzo to topple them now.

But the Uchiha family is not enough; the one who can truly threaten the Third Hokage is Orochimaru, who wants to take Yamanaka Chujiu as his student.

As long as Orochimaru's mindset changes and he is willing to become the Fifth Hokage, everything in the future will change naturally.