Chapter 20: We Followed The Correct Procedure

"Greater justice?"

Shisui's mind was buzzing, constantly repeating this familiar term.

"Understanding the greater justice may be a bit difficult for you right now, so think of it as a consensus. Just as you said earlier, as Konoha Ninja, it is our duty to obey the Hokage. If all Konoha Ninja believe this, then the Hokage will truly possess the authority to command all Ninja.

Even the powerful clans of the ninja world would not dare openly oppose the Hokage's orders. This is the prestige and power brought about by the greater justice. Of course, this power is not unlimited, and the constraints of greater justice are not eternal; they will gradually fade away as prestige and strength decline."

Until one day when rituals break down and music is in chaos, everything will be overturned, and then another person will emerge to re-establish order, gathering consensus to form greater justice."

Sima Yi had personally witnessed the collapse and reconstruction of imperial power and understood it well. However, Konoha's history was too short, so he didn't elaborate further.

Shisui listened, dumbfounded. This reasoning was too profound for him to grasp, and he could only take notes to reflect on later.

"Write these things down for now; you will have the opportunity to understand them in the future." If there was no opportunity, it would only mean they had failed, and Shisui wouldn't need to understand anything further.

"Yes, sensei."

"Next, let's talk about why you needed to establish your prestige today."

Shisui sat upright, but just as Sima Yi was about to explain, Kai clapped his hands and immediately said, "Uncle Yi, I know! It must be to gain everyone's trust in Shisui. Once we go back, we'll find a way to make Shisui the Hokage!"

Sima Yi fell silent. If he were to say Kai was wrong, it would be true if viewed separately, but to say he was right—if Uchiha proceeded as he suggested, they would soon be eradicated.

"No, am I wrong?"

Seeing Sima Yi silent, Kai's confidence immediately dropped, and he became uncertain.

"It's both yes and no."

After a long pause, Sima Yi replied this way and then used the excuse of needing to rest early to send Uchiha Kai back.

"Kai, take your time on the way back. You two don't seem quite suitable to attend class together for now."

"Ah, hahaha, sensei is right."

Sima Yi didn't think Kai was foolish; he just felt that this kind of teaching was somewhat inappropriate, and there were some things he didn't want Kai to hear yet.

"Most of what he said is correct. Today's goal of establishing authority is indeed to gain their trust. However, the target isn't outsiders, but your fellow Uchiha clan members!"

With just this one sentence, Shisui's eyes widened as he realized, "So, sensei means the goal moving forward is not the Hokage but the Clan Head?"

Sima Yi's eyes flashed with a hint of surprise as he praised, "Very good, you are teachable!"

"Did you notice the reactions of the clan members when you were on the high platform today?"

Shisui nodded, recalling the pairs of Sharingan that had involuntarily activated; that was their acknowledgment of him.

"These people will be your support, the foundation for your future bid for the Hokage position. You must not treat them as outsiders. You need enough prestige for them to recognize you; only then can you gain the right to lead the Uchiha. As for outsiders, what you need to do is offer benefits and show kindness to win their hearts."

Shisui furrowed his brows, feeling troubled. "Isn't that treating them differently?"

"That is treating them differently!"

Sima Yi did not deny it and said directly, "The Uchiha Clan shares the same interests as you. They don't need you to deliberately win them over; as long as your prestige is sufficient and you can administer rewards and punishments clearly, they will naturally stand by your side and support you. Unless you are like that ancestor."

The ancestor he referred to was naturally Uchiha Madara. He saw the future of the Uchiha in Konoha, but at that time, leaving Konoha conflicted with the interests of all Uchiha, so not many people were willing to stand by his side.

"Same interests?" Shisui's eyes flickered as he suddenly realized.

"Sensei, I understand now! Winning over other ninjas is just a means; the ultimate goal is still to make the Uchiha better! This is what you mean by weighing the pros and cons and having a long-term perspective with a clear purpose!"

"Hahaha, that's right! Establishing prestige is a means, showing kindness is also a means; all methods are for the ultimate goal!" Sima Yi nodded with satisfaction, pleased that Shisui remembered these things and was at least diligent.

Hearing Sima Yi's praise made Shisui very happy. After chatting a bit more, Sima Yi felt tired and decided not to prolong the lesson. After all, health is the foundation for accomplishing anything.

The next day, the ninja army set off to return to Konoha, over four hundred people traveling light and quickly hitting the road.

This posed a challenge for Sima Yi; although he could already extract Chakra, his training time was too short, and his speed was not fast enough. More importantly, it was difficult for him to sustain it. Shisui had to help by purchasing a horse, citing Sima Yi's age as the reason.

At fifty years old, the elderly man was still quite capable, and the others were considerate, not saying much.

For several days, Sima Yi rode on horseback during the day and studied Sealing Jutsu at night. Fortunately, having spent a long time in the military, he found the jostling of travel manageable.

After a few days, Sima Yi finally found time after dinner to give a lesson to Kai. However, with no materials at hand and both of them unfamiliar with the history in question, he could only reference Shisui's actions over the past period to explain things.

"That day, I was curious about how Shisui became so smart; it turns out it was all because of you, Uncle Yi!"

Hearing Sima Yi recount the incident with Mitokado Shogo colluding with the enemy, Kai suddenly recalled that meeting where he had eloquently pushed Nara to demote Mitokado Shogo with just a few words.

"Learn more and think more; I have high hopes for you!"

"Oh~ Uncle Yi, you have a good eye~"

Thus, five days later, the group crossed Kuro Town and approached Konoha.

"Sensei, we should arrive in Konoha by tomorrow evening, but there's still no word about that incident. I can't shake the feeling that they won't let it go easily."

That night, outside the tent, Sima Yi was explaining in detail the events of their rescue mission to Kai when Shisui came over, his tone worried.

"Utatane Rikito is the nephew of Utatane Kaori. It's been so many days, and that woman hasn't taken revenge; something is definitely off."

Kai, having witnessed Utatane Kaori's animosity towards them, fully agreed.

Sima Yi chuckled lightly. While the methods used that day weren't particularly sophisticated, with Nara Suzaku taking the blame, those small flaws wouldn't affect much.

"There's no need to worry. Everything we did that day is backed by evidence. You were just following orders, and the ambush on the reinforcements was fate; it has nothing to do with us. Moreover, given the strength and prestige of you two, unless they're willing to go all out, this matter will not surface publicly."

For Kai, that order was something he had personally obtained from Nara Suzaku. Just after receiving the withdrawal order, the reinforcements were ambushed on the front line, such a coincidence could easily raise their suspicions.

But it would only be suspicion. Unless they were willing to confront each other and dig deeper, they wouldn't find any evidence.

Of course, the most important thing is that all their actions were procedurally sound!

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