Chapter 32: A Terrified Hiruzen; The Headache Gets Worse!
Shisui's face was pale, his eyes swirling with complex, unreadable emotions.
Sigh.
With a soft sigh, he left the Radical Faction's district.
Regarding the matter between the village and the Uchiha, Shisui felt he needed time to think. Since Uchiha Jin wasn't planning any immediate moves, Shisui decided to use this opportunity to conduct a quiet investigation of his own.
Outside the Radical District, the scene was desolate.
Although this area still technically belonged to the Uchiha, the houses were abandoned, giving off a dead, eerie feeling. Almost every Uchiha had moved into the Radical enclave.
But unfortunately...
Just as he prepared to return home to rest and think, an Anbu appeared and blocked his path.
"Shisui, the Hokage-sama is summoning you!"
"Understood."
Shisui frowned but nodded.
To be honest, he didn't want to see Hiruzen Sarutobi right now. But his long-ingrained habit of obedience made him react instinctively.
Taking a deep breath, he headed for the Hokage's office.
"Hokage-sama!"
Shisui knelt on one knee, his face a mask of loyalty.
However, his gaze was slightly different than usual. His eyes darted toward the Anbu hiding in the shadows.
He also noticed details about Hiruzen that he had never paid attention to before.
For example, Hiruzen subconsciously pulled his Hokage hat lower. While smoking, he kept his eyes downcast, avoiding direct eye contact with Shisui entirely...
Even without activating his Sharingan, Shisui could keenly sense the tension radiating from the old man. Hiruzen was on guard.
Although the movements were subtle, they couldn't escape Shisui's notice. He was a veteran of the battlefield; if he lacked basic vigilance and observation skills, he would have died long ago.
In the past, he simply trusted Hiruzen too much to notice these things.
But now, it was different.
Even though he still wanted to trust Hiruzen, Jin's words had taken root. Subconsciously, Shisui began observing these small details, perhaps hoping to prove Jin wrong.
But unfortunately...
It seemed his discoveries only proved Jin right.
Thinking this, his heart became a tangled mess.
"Ah, Shisui!"
"Although today is your day off, the Uchiha matter is too important. I had no choice but to call you in."
"You and Fugaku went to the Radical District today. Can you tell me what happened?"
Hiruzen smiled.
His face was as kind as ever, his tone warm and gentle.
Hearing the question, Shisui's heart jolted. He quickly suppressed his doubts and buried them deep in his heart, then proceeded to report everything honestly.
He hid nothing.
He recounted Jin's threats against Fugaku, Fugaku's despairing withdrawal from clan affairs, and Jin's warning regarding his own death.
Word for word, he reported it all.
Of course.
He omitted the news about Fugaku's Mangekyo Sharingan, as well as the rumors he had heard in the clan district about Hiruzen's rise to power.
On one hand, he feared revealing Fugaku's power would make the village even more wary, escalating tensions further. On the other hand, he didn't know how to voice those rumors; they were too offensive to the Hokage.
In fact, he felt a faint sense of terror.
These rumors were spreading like wildfire within the clan. Because the Uchiha rarely interacted with outsiders, the rumors might stay contained for now.
But what if...
What if they leaked out?
He didn't dare to imagine the consequences. He felt a headache coming on and was momentarily grateful for the clan's isolation.
"Nonsense!"
"How could I possibly watch you die and do nothing?"
"Danzo? Even more impossible!"
"He is a village elder! How could he attack a fellow villager?"
"Uchiha Jin's speculation is pure slander meant to destroy the village. Shisui, you must not believe him!"
Hiruzen slammed his hand on the desk.
Forcing down the panic in his heart, he immediately denied everything.
But internally, he was terrified. Because Jin's prediction was terrifyingly accurate.
Danzo would move against Shisui. It was only a matter of time. And Hiruzen would choose to ignore it, only to hold Danzo accountable afterward.
That bastard Uchiha Jin... he sees right through me!
Thinking this, Hiruzen felt a chill run down his spine. Having a man like that leading the Uchiha was a disaster for the village. He was infinitely harder to deal with than Fugaku.
"Please rest assured, Hokage-sama. I still believe in the village."
Shisui spoke quickly.
Seeing the sincerity on Shisui's face, Hiruzen relaxed slightly and smiled. "That relieves me. Shisui, do not overthink things."
"I know, Hokage-sama." Shisui nodded.
Hiruzen paused for a moment to steady his emotions. "How did Uchiha Jin know about your Mangekyo ability?"
"I'm not sure. I am confused as well." Shisui looked genuinely lost. After a long pause, he hesitated. "Perhaps it is his own Mangekyo ability? Some kind of... precognition?"
Yes.
That was the only explanation Shisui could think of. He had only ever told Hiruzen about Kotoamatsukami. Unless there was a leak—which he refused to believe—precognition was the only answer.
Hiruzen's face turned even uglier. A precognitive ability? That was a nightmare. Did that mean no matter what plan he hatched, Jin would know in advance and prepare a counter-attack?
This is going to be difficult.
Finally.
After learning everything that happened in the Uchiha clan today, Hiruzen comforted Shisui again and sent him home to rest.
Once Shisui left, Hiruzen slammed the table in fury.
"Bastard! Damn it!"
"How can this Uchiha Jin be so difficult to handle?"
"Anbu!"
After venting his anger, Hiruzen knocked on the table. An Anbu operative appeared instantly.
Hiruzen thought for a moment before speaking coldly. "Compile Shisui's report and send it to Elder Danzo. Warn him that under no circumstances is he to move against Shisui in the near future."
"Yes, Hokage-sama!" The Anbu bowed and vanished.
Once he was alone, Hiruzen sighed.
This is too hard!
It seemed dealing with Uchiha Jin would not be a quick affair. The man was ready to resort to mutual destruction at the drop of a hat. If Hiruzen couldn't eliminate him in one strike, Jin would become a massive threat even if the Uchiha were wiped out.
A hidden Mangekyo user, striking from the shadows at civilians and clan heirs... the village had no defense against that.
Wait.
Let's wait a bit longer.
First, send the Uchiha back to the cesspool of the Police Force. Let them draw hatred. Then, I'll find a way to weaken them further.
However...
The one thing that truly stressed him out was the Fiscal Deficit.
The funds allocated by the Daimyo during the Third War had mostly been embezzled by the Sarutobi, Shimura, Utatane, and Mitokado clans. The remaining scraps had been snatched up by Root. What little was left had barely been enough to sustain the war effort until the end.
Now, with the massive gap in pension payments, the need to stockpile grain, and the cost of replacing ninja tools like kunai, shuriken, and explosive tags...
The hole was enormous. The Daimyo refused to pay another ryo.
If he couldn't kill the Uchiha soon and seize their wealth... where was he going to find the money to fill this massive pit?
Hiruzen Sarutobi's headache was getting worse.