Inside Shisui's long-vacant office at the Military Police Force headquarters, there was finally someone present. This was the first time Shisui had appeared at headquarters since the Third Hokage had appointed him as a squad leader in the Combat Department's Third Company.
"Shisui, you finally showed up! I thought Captain Fugaku had you locked up!" Tatsuya teased, facing Shisui across the desk.
The office door was closed, leaving only the two of them inside.
Hearing this, Shisui gave a bitter smile. Compared to before, his spirits were clearly much lower.
Seeing this, Tatsuya chuckled softly and said, "What's wrong? Still brooding over being transferred out of the Anbu?"
Shisui sighed and shook his head. "Tatsuya, you don't understand. You have no idea what my transfer from the Anbu means!"
Tatsuya smiled lightly. "Heh, you just think that old man Third doesn't trust you anymore, right? Is that really worth being so down about?"
Shisui looked up at Tatsuya in surprise.
A mocking smile curled Tatsuya's lips. "Don't look at me so surprised. You really think the outside world is oblivious to the little mess between your Uchiha clan and the village leadership? Everyone just doesn't want to get dragged into this muddy water!"
Shisui fell silent. He understood, of course, that the conflict between the village leadership and the Uchiha clan couldn't be hidden from the other powerful ninja clans of Konoha. But the fact that Tatsuya had so directly pinpointed his worries surprised him.
"Shisui, have you ever considered why both the Third and Captain Fugaku were so insistent on removing you from the Anbu?" Tatsuya continued, watching the silent Shisui.
Shisui muttered, "Because I awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan..."
Tatsuya shook his head. "That's only part of the reason."
"Then why?" Shisui's face showed confusion.
Instead of immediately answering Shisui, Tatsuya countered, "Shisui, that mission in the Land of Hot Water… didn't you have any doubts?"
Shisui was silent for a moment, then said gravely, "I did! The clan leader said that the Hokage was trying to assassinate me!"
The mocking expression on Tatsuya's face deepened. "Exactly! Even if the Third wasn't the mastermind, he certainly gave his tacit approval. Kakashi, Guy, and I almost got caught in the crossfire because of you."
"I'm sorry!" Shisui's weakened frame trembled slightly, and he gave Tatsuya a small bow.
Tatsuya glanced at him. "Have you ever wondered why the village leadership was so eager to get rid of you? At the time, they didn't even know you had awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan."
"I don't understand!" Shisui's eyes filled with even more sorrow.
"Because of your potential! The conflict between the village leadership and your Uchiha clan, at its core, is a struggle for power and authority. In the past, the Hokage's faction had powerhouses like the First and Second Hokage to keep things in check. Even if your Uchiha clan had complaints, they wouldn't dare to think about a coup as readily as they do now. Because they didn't have the strength!
When the Third was young, the Hokage's faction was still strong, and the situation could be maintained. But now, with the Third's age and the death of the Fourth, his successor, the Hokage's faction has been significantly weakened. They no longer have the power to completely suppress your Uchiha clan.
In this situation, the desires of your Uchiha clan, long suppressed, can no longer be contained. You have the advantage, so there is this misguided idea of, 'if we don't, we'll lose.' At this moment, your outstanding performance became especially dangerous! No one could guarantee that the powerful Shisui of the future would stand with the village. Do you think they'd feel comfortable letting you continue to grow?" Tatsuya explained slowly.
As Tatsuya spoke, Shisui closed his eyes in pain.
Seeing this, Tatsuya paused briefly, then continued, "However, their plans, while clever, underestimated the four of us, and they didn't anticipate that Orochimaru and Jiraiya would intervene. Perhaps they, so accustomed to dirty politics, never considered that someone would still adhere to their own ninja way!
We escaped with our lives! And you displayed the astonishing power of the Mangekyo Sharingan! If you were in their position, would you feel comfortable leaving such a powerful individual, whom you had already plotted against, within your own ranks? Perhaps the Third had his doubts, but the other village elders would never allow it. Captain Fugaku, as the leader of your clan, would naturally not allow you to remain in such a dangerous position."
"Then what should I do? Is there truly no room for reconciliation between the village and the clan?" Shisui almost groaned.
Tatsuya said, "Of course not!"
"What's the solution?" Shisui's eyes suddenly lit up, and he grabbed Tatsuya's hand tightly.
"Let one side's power completely overwhelm the other!" Tatsuya said calmly.
"Let one side's power completely overwhelm the other? How?" Shisui whispered, his face full of eagerness to learn.
"Given the current situation, it's temporarily impossible! Unless your Uchiha clan is willing to destroy two pairs of Mangekyo Sharingan," Tatsuya shook his head.
"Two pairs of Mangekyo Sharingan?" Shisui's eyes widened in surprise.
"That's right! Two!" Tatsuya nodded, confirming.
Actually, Tatsuya wasn't certain whether Uchiha Fugaku had awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan at this point in time. However, the chilling ocular power he sensed that day at the Military Police Force headquarters, after fighting with Uchiha Hiroaki and Uchiha Yasumasa, led Tatsuya to suspect that the Uchiha clan had another pair of awakened Mangekyo Sharingan.
"Tatsuya, how did you know?" Shisui couldn't help but ask.
So, Tatsuya recounted the events of that day to Shisui.
After listening, Shisui's expression turned grave, and he fell into deep thought.
When he heard Tatsuya mention that the Uchiha clan had two pairs of Mangekyo Sharingan, Shisui's first thought was of the clan leader, Uchiha Fugaku. At the clan meeting that day, Uchiha Fugaku had given him a very strange feeling. But the person Tatsuya had just described was clearly not the clan leader. Because Uchiha Fugaku had been walking in front of Tatsuya that day. If that cold, sinister hostility had come from Uchiha Fugaku, Tatsuya would have noticed.
For a time, the room fell silent.
After a while, Shisui said with a bitter smile, "I never imagined that someone else in the clan was hiding such strength! And I always thought I was the strongest in the clan..."
Tatsuya chuckled and said, "In terms of strength and potential, you are still the strongest in the clan. It's just that, with these two pairs of Mangekyo Sharingan, the only way to suppress the ambitions of your clansmen is to resort to some extreme measures..."
"Extreme measures?" Shisui was stunned.
Tatsuya said calmly, "For example, selecting some of the radical faction and... eliminating them."
"What? You're telling me to turn against my own clansmen?" Shisui's voice rose sharply, but he immediately realized his mistake and glanced cautiously towards the door.
Tatsuya shrugged, his tone casual. "It's just a small suggestion of mine. The choice is yours! If you don't want to turn against your clansmen, you'll just have to wait for the day when the Hokage's faction regains its strength. In the meantime, you'll have to pray that your arrogant clansmen don't do anything too drastic. Otherwise, disaster could strike overnight!"
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