Chapter 562: Shisui's Life Mission Settlement
After Shin left, the Uchiha shinobi who had not yet fallen also came to a stop.
Without a doubt, they had already lost.
The Uchiha shinobi who had felt underestimated earlier now looked at Shisui and Obito with complicated expressions.
He had to admit it. Shisui and Obito had every right to be arrogant.
"Shisui and Obito win!" Uchiha Yashiro announced the result of the battle.
The surrounding Uchiha shinobi all looked at the two of them in surprise, especially Shisui.
In this battle, Obito and Charizard had focused more on support and containment, so the Uchiha present were naturally even more impressed by Shisui and Zoroark.
Zoroark's hard to detect large scale genjutsu, and Shisui's overwhelmingly powerful blue flames, left an unforgettable impression on everyone there.
"The gap widened again." Uchiha Inaho scratched his head.
Ever since Shisui first displayed his strength, Inaho had been training diligently with Shisui as his target.
But every single time Shisui appeared, Inaho would discover that the gap between them had grown even larger.
Even though he was also working hard, the distance between them not only failed to shrink, it had actually grown.
Still, Inaho's mood quickly calmed down. After all, this was hardly the first day he had known Shisui.
Things like this had happened more than once or twice already. He was almost used to it.
Although he always talked about catching up, Inaho knew very well that catching up was impossible. In reality, Shisui was simply a goal he used to push himself forward.
"I hope this can really bring positive changes." Uchiha Fugaku led the Uchiha back toward Naka Shrine.
According to the agreement between Shisui and Shin, Shisui's reform proposal now had to pass at the clan meeting.
Unless Fugaku used his authority as clan leader to veto it.
As the head of the Uchiha Clan, even if a proposal gained the approval of most Uchiha at the clan meeting, Fugaku still had the right to refuse it. That was one of the powers of the clan head.
Of course, Fugaku normally would not use that right. As clan head, how could he stand against the will of the majority so casually?
"The first step is finally halfway done." Shisui let out a long breath.
He had prepared thoroughly, but there had still been a chance of an unexpected failure.
"Obito, thank you. You really helped me this time," Shisui said sincerely.
If he had been fighting alone, implementing this plan would have been much more difficult.
"It's nothing. And didn't you say this would be good for the Uchiha? I'm an Uchiha too," Obito said with a grin, waving his hand.
Obito did not have many friends within the Uchiha Clan, but he had still grown up with Uchiha education. He naturally possessed some sense of honor toward the clan.
All the Uchiha returned to Naka Shrine, and the suspended clan meeting resumed.
This time, the atmosphere in the shrine had changed once again. Shin and those on his side all kept their promise and stayed silent.
For the most part, Shisui was the one explaining his reform proposal, while his supporters discussed it.
"So, does anyone still have objections? If not, then the Police Force Reform proposal will pass," Fugaku asked after waiting an appropriate amount of time.
Silence fell over Naka Shrine once more, as though Police Force reform had already become the common will of the clan, and no Uchiha had any further objections.
"Then the Police Force Reform proposal is passed. This clan meeting is concluded. Dismissed!" Fugaku declared.
The silence in Naka Shrine was immediately broken.
Some Uchiha began discussing the future impact of the proposal, while others chatted idly as they left together.
"Obito, you head back first. I still have something to take care of here," Shisui said when he saw that Obito was already eager to leave.
His first step had been Police Force reform, but passing it at the clan meeting only meant half the job was done.
After all, any reform involving a major department like the Police Force could not be decided by the Uchiha Clan alone. It still required the Hokage's signature and seal.
That was why Shisui still needed to discuss the reform proposal with Fugaku before it was submitted to the Hokage.
"All right then." Obito waved goodbye to Shisui and jogged off.
For him, attending the clan meeting had been pure torment. It was so boring that he could only zone out the entire time.
After that, Shisui followed Fugaku back to his home.
Uchiha Itachi, who had not gone to sleep yet, lit up with happiness the moment he saw Shisui arrive.
Unfortunately for Itachi, Shisui only exchanged a few words with him before entering the study with Fugaku.
"We need the Third Hokage to feel our sincerity toward reform," Shisui said.
The Police Force was a trap the Second Hokage had left behind for the Uchiha.
But after careful study, and with Mugetsu's guidance, Shisui had realized that the Second Hokage had not truly intended to completely destroy the Uchiha.
If he really had wanted to suppress the clan to that extent, there were much simpler and more brutal methods. The Second Hokage had been even harsher in office than the Third Hokage.
Since the Second Hokage himself had not intended to wipe out the Uchiha, would his disciples hold such a mindset?
Shisui could not speak for all of them, but from everything he knew, Hiruzen Sarutobi did not seem to think that way.
After all, both he and Obito were Uchiha, yet Hiruzen had shown no sign of suppressing them.
On the contrary, for a variety of reasons, they had both received support and training.
It was truly rare for shinobi of their age to appear in the Leaf Newspaper.
Because of that, Shisui believed the key to making the Third Hokage approve the reform was sincerity.
He had to let Hiruzen Sarutobi see that the Uchiha genuinely wanted to change, and were not simply using the chance to gain more positions and increase Konoha's payroll burden.
Fugaku showed a thoughtful expression.
He had not expected Shisui to have already considered even the Hokage's side of the matter so thoroughly.
The two of them talked for around an hour.
When Shisui finally came out, he unexpectedly found that Itachi was still awake, sitting alone on the corridor outside the house with a gloomy little face.
"Itachi, it's already time for bed, you know," Shisui said with a smile as he walked over, crouched down, and reminded him.
"But Shisui nii san, you're not sleeping either," Itachi replied, looking at him with his cheeks puffed slightly.
"That's because I'm already a jonin, while Itachi is still a child. Children need to sleep early if they want to grow taller," Shisui said, smiling as he patted Itachi's head.
Itachi said nothing and just looked at him quietly.
Just as Shisui was wondering why Itachi seemed so upset, the boy finally spoke.
"Last time, you said that when you had time, you'd tell me a story. But we've met several times since then, and you still haven't told me one."
Itachi was not an unreasonable child. If Shisui had never made that promise, he would never have gotten upset over not hearing a story.
But it had been Shisui himself who brought it up, and now it seemed as though he had completely forgotten. Naturally, Itachi felt unhappy.
It was not really because he failed to hear the story.
It was because Shisui had forgotten their promise, and had forgotten him.
"I'm really sorry. I've just been a little busy lately," Shisui replied awkwardly.
He had been so focused on preparing for the Police Force reform that he had genuinely forgotten.
"If you're too busy, then..."
"Next time. I'll definitely tell you next time," Shisui interrupted, lightly tapping Itachi on the forehead with a finger.
"You'll get your story. But right now, it's bedtime for children."
Itachi obediently nodded, then said goodbye to Shisui and finally went off to sleep.
"Clan extermination... I absolutely can't let something like that happen," Shisui thought with resolve as he recalled the information from the future.
He would do everything he could to guide Itachi onto the right path.
But if that failed, and Itachi still chose the path of slaughtering his own clan, then Shisui would never show mercy.
...
Hokage Office.
"The Uchiha actually took the initiative to request breaking the rules so non Uchiha shinobi can join the Police Force?" Hiruzen Sarutobi said in surprise as he looked over the request Fugaku had submitted.
This was an extremely rare thing. Since the Police Force had been established, nothing like this had ever happened.
Hiruzen read through the request carefully.
When he finished, he closed his eyes and fell into thought.
This matter could be considered large. After all, the Police Force was an important department within Konoha, and reforming it naturally counted as a major issue.
At the same time, it could also be considered small. In the end, it was only a request to recruit a few new shinobi into the Police Force.
Tap. Tap.
Hiruzen lightly tapped the wooden desk in rhythm.
In the end, he decided to treat it as a smaller matter, one that did not require convening a high level meeting.
Still, he did not immediately sign and stamp it.
Instead, he summoned an Anbu shinobi and ordered him to bring Uchiha Fugaku to the Hokage Office.
He wanted to clarify a few details and understand Fugaku's true purpose.
"Lord Third," Fugaku greeted respectfully as soon as he entered.
Hiruzen gave a slight nod in response.
The Uchiha were one of the clans most closely monitored by Konoha's Anbu, and as the head of the clan, Fugaku was someone Hiruzen understood fairly well.
Fugaku's strength was not especially outstanding compared to the heads of previous generations, but his personality was unusually steady for an Uchiha.
For example, Fugaku might not truly respect Hiruzen in his heart, but on the surface, he would always carry himself flawlessly.
"Tell me about this Police Force reform. Why did you come up with this idea, and what impact do you think it will have on the Police Force and on Konoha?" Hiruzen asked with interest.
It was not only Shisui who was troubled by the Uchiha's problems. Hiruzen also wanted very much to resolve the tension between the Uchiha and Konoha.
It was already hard enough dealing with enemies outside the village. Having to assign Anbu specifically to monitor the Uchiha was truly a waste of manpower.
If the war grew even more intense, and Uchiha shinobi had to be sent to the battlefield, then would he also need to arrange a separate force to keep watch on them?
"Actually, this idea came from Shisui in the beginning," Fugaku explained, following Shisui's earlier instructions and omitting only some sensitive details.
During their previous discussion, Shisui had specifically told Fugaku that if Hiruzen asked, he should simply say what had happened more or less as it was.
"If Kagami knew his grandson had become this outstanding, he would probably smile with real relief," Hiruzen said with a sigh.
He had once been teammates with Uchiha Kagami and knew very well how excellent Kagami had been.
And Shisui was almost like a super version of Kagami. Despite his youth, both his strength and his ability to think had already surpassed many adults.
After clearing up what he needed to know, Hiruzen let Fugaku return and then had Anbu summon Shisui as well.
"Not only can your strength carry you into the final four of the Martial Arts Tournament, but you can even help the clan solve its problems. If Asuma were half as outstanding as you, I wouldn't have to worry about him so much," Hiruzen said with a chuckle, not bringing up the Police Force matter right away.
"You're praising me too much. Asuma is also very diligent, and reaching the top eight of the Martial Arts Tournament is already a good result," Shisui replied modestly.
"His top eight finish had quite a bit to do with luck." Hiruzen stroked his short beard and shook his head.
As Hokage, Hiruzen naturally had access to enough intelligence. If the top eight were strictly ranked by strength, Asuma would not even make the top ten, let alone the actual top eight.
Of course, that did not stop Hiruzen from feeling pleased inside. What parent disliked hearing his own son praised?
Soon, Hiruzen finally moved the conversation to the main topic and asked Shisui about the Police Force reform.
Shisui's explanation was almost identical to Fugaku's. Aside from a few small details, he said everything that could be said.
After confirming there were no issues, Hiruzen approved the request to expand the Police Force with new positions.
And when the reform officially began, when non Uchiha shinobi were finally allowed to enter the Police Force, a message about settlement rewards also appeared on Mugetsu's panel.
Mugetsu opened the panel and looked at Shisui's life mission.
The progress of Shisui's life mission had risen once again.
And this time, it had risen by a great deal.
.....
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