Konoha, Shisui's hospital room.
After the four high-level officials finished their preliminary discussion regarding the battle against Madara, they left the hospital room and saw a group of Uchiha watching them like hawks outside.
The Uchiha felt that the Village high-level officials were hiding something important from them, so they wanted to cause a scene.
Danzo shouted, "What? Does the Uchiha Clan want to rebel? Shisui is currently a member of the Anbu. Matters involving him are Village secrets; can they just be revealed to you?"
Yashiro said, "Elder Danzo, we know Shisui is a member of the Anbu, but he is still our clansman after all."
"Now that his eyes have been destroyed, of course we need to find out who did it."
"An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth!"
The Uchiha's Kekkei Genkai is the organ-type Sharingan; these eyes can be used by others once they are gouged out.
Furthermore, the Sharingan is not like the Byakugan.
Only the Byakugan of the Main House is valuable; the Byakugan of the Branch House is bound by the Caged Bird.
Death or the eyes being taken would trigger the Caged Bird Seal, automatically destroying the brain and both eyes.
The Sharingan has no Caged Bird control. During the Warring States Period and the current Five Great Nations era, many people have coveted the Uchiha Clan's Sharingan.
The Uchiha Clan has always relied on powerful deterrence to intimidate those who covet the Sharingan.
Anyone who dares to seize the Uchiha Clan's Sharingan will face the Uchiha's ruthless pursuit.
The members of the Police Force, after returning from Kirigakure, were already preparing to contact Kakashi to demand he return the Uchiha's Kekkei Genkai.
Or marry an Uchiha girl and marry into the Uchiha Clan.
Because Obito had been brought back to life, the agreement with the high-level officials no longer needed to be fulfilled.
Danzo roared at the group of unruly Uchiha, "It was Uchiha Ryou who destroyed Shisui's eyes. If you have the ability, go settle the score with him!"
"..."
The Uchiha immediately fell silent.
Sunagakure had just updated Ryou's combat record: intruding into Sunagakure alone and slaughtering the Sunagakure Elder Council and several Jonin.
The Fourth Kazekage was killed, and the One-Tail Shukaku was captured.
Such a combat record silenced the entire Uchiha Clan.
Ryou's previous feat of defeating the Sage Jiraiya had already silenced the Uchiha; now, his overwhelming power in destroying a Village made them even more terrified.
The Uchiha were still the same Uchiha, but Ryou was no longer the Ryou of the past.
The clansmen who had been shouting for Ryou to pay back money all fell silent.
There was also news coming from the Takigakure and Kumogakure Shinobi.
Ryou had destroyed Takigakure, defeated Jiraiya and Minato, as well as the S-rank rogue Shinobi hired by Konoha—Kakuzu.
And he seized the Seven-Tails, Takigakure's ancient tree, and the Hero Water.
Ryou has now become a major threat to the Shinobi World, a trouble second only to Madara.
He is a powerful enemy that requires a shinobi army to eliminate.
Watching the Uchiha Clan's collective silence, Danzo sneered, "Uchiha Ryou came from your Uchiha Clan. Your Uchiha Clan is the root of all trouble!"
The Uchiha clansmen immediately protested, "Elder Danzo, don't be an alarmist. We expelled Ryou from the clan register long ago!"
"That's right, he no longer carries the Uchiha name. He has nothing to do with us!"
"Enough!"
The Third Hokage stood between Danzo and the Uchiha Clan, telling Danzo to step back. "Danzo, do not say things that are detrimental to unity. The Uchiha Clan is currently an important pillar of the Village."
"Everyone is in the same boat now, so let's not create conflict."
"Hmph!"
Danzo gave a light hmph, turned, and walked out, no longer paying attention to these annoying Uchiha.
Once back, he would definitely release information to the Four Great Shinobi Villages to solidify the idea that the Uchiha were the root of trouble, forcing the Shinobi Allied Forces to pressure the Uchiha into sending children and the elderly to the battlefield.
The Uchiha should die in great numbers.
The Uchiha clansmen wanted to go in to see Shisui.
Koharu and Homura refused, "No, Shisui is of great importance right now. No one must be allowed to approach him."
Koharu and Homura couldn't be sure if there were any of Madara's spies hiding within the Uchiha Clan!
Every member of the Uchiha's hawk faction could potentially be Madara's spy.
They had finally obtained intelligence on Madara's Rinnegan, though they had no way to deal with it even knowing about it.
But at least they were prepared.
Because they knew the intelligence on the Rinnegan, they were no longer so afraid of Madara; after all, all fear stems from the unknown.
They planned to rely on the intelligence about Madara to catch him off guard, provided that Madara didn't know his information had been leaked.
Therefore, Shisui was very important now, and no one could approach him.
Fugaku looked toward the Third Hokage, "Hokage-sama, did Shisui perform a great service this time?"
The Third Hokage nodded. "A very great service. Even ten of me could not have brought back such important intelligence."
The Third Hokage was not lying; Shisui had indeed achieved a great feat.
In the original work, even a Jiraiya hadn't brought back half of the intelligence on Nagato's Rinnegan.
At this time, the Third Hokage was not yet the elderly man of later years; he could still carry the Golden Staff, but he was only at the level of a conventional shinobi, not yet comparable to Sage Jiraiya.
If he were to investigate intelligence on Madara's Rinnegan, he likely wouldn't even force out the Rinnegan before a single strike from Madara's dozens-of-meters-long Susanoo blade cut him down.
Therefore, Shisui's merit was immense, already exceeding the value of his pair of Mangekyo.
Fugaku nodded. "Then I wonder how the Village plans to reward Shisui?"
"..."
The Third Hokage was stunned, and the two Advisors were also stunned.
What kind of reward could the merit of ten Hokage buy?
Let him sit in the position of Hokage then!
Fugaku had already seen through the hypocrisy and double-dealing of Konoha's high-level officials; the Uchiha Clan could no longer be deceived by the phoniness of these old men.
Since Shisui had performed a great service, there should be a corresponding reward.
That is how it is for those of the same clan and family.
Others talk to you about dreams and the future—those empty, vague things.
But those of the same clan and family only care whether your interests have been harmed?
...
At the Ichiraku Ramen shop, the Kakashi trio stood guard outside, keeping watch for Kushina, Killer Bee, and the others.
Kushina had booked the entire shop, letting Killer Bee and Yugito eat to their heart's content.
She, the Uzumaki Princess, would pay the bill.
Kushina was not short of money; her husband was Konoha's Yellow Flash, and she herself was the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, receiving a basic allowance from the Village.
The Uzumaki Clan was a distant relative of the Senju Clan. Kushina used to live with Uzumaki Mito, and the Senju Clan members all treated Kushina as one of their own.
If Minato wanted to be Hokage, the Senju Clan would support him for Kushina's sake.
Kushina could easily buy out the small Ichiraku Ramen shop.