40 Chapter 40: Light and Darkness

"Heh, when did you learn to flatter?" The Third Hokage teased Shisui, but from his expression, he seemed to enjoy it.

"I'm just telling the truth," Shisui replied, his face serious and full of loyalty towards the Third.

Seeing this, the Third Hokage looked at the young man in front of him with even more kindness, asking with concern, "You've been given too many tasks lately, it must be taking a toll on your body. Why don't you take a few days off, spend some time with your clan? I've heard that some of your clan members have been speaking ill of you. You need to maintain good relations with them."

His words seemed caring, but they were also probing. Shisui was no fool, he immediately understood the underlying meaning in the Third Hokage's words. He quickly bowed and replied, "Thank you for your concern, Lord Hokage."

Then, he voiced his concerns about the Uchiha clan. Because Shisui was close to the higher-ups of the Leaf Village, it had caused dissatisfaction among the radical faction within his clan. At the clan meeting tonight, those people were likely to confront him. If the radicals gained power, the Uchiha clan would further oppose the village.

"Sigh," the Third Hokage sighed deeply after hearing this. He then expressed his regret to Shisui, "This is all my fault. During my tenure, I failed to resolve the grudges between the Uchiha and the village, and had to pass this burden to the Fourth Hokage. I never expected him to die so young, and I had to return to this position. The village, after the Nine-Tails incident a few years ago, has not recovered and is very weak. The major ninja villages, led by the Hidden Cloud, are all eyeing the Leaf Village. If the Uchiha clan causes trouble at this critical moment, it will be a fatal blow to the Leaf, and internal chaos will inevitably lead to external chaos. If the Leaf... After my death, I wouldn't have the face to meet the First and Second Hokage in the afterlife!"

After pouring out his heart, the Third Hokage seemed to age significantly. Shisui was deeply moved by his words and blurted out, "Lord Hokage, I will stop my clan members. I won't let the situation you're worried about happen."

That's what the Third Hokage was waiting for. He looked at Shisui solemnly and said emotionally, "Shisui, your grandfather, Uchiha Kagami, was my close friend. In my heart, I've always considered you as my own grandson. Kagami was an extraordinary ninja who embodied the Will of Fire throughout his life. I firmly believe that you can inherit Kagami's will and protect the future of the Leaf Village. I entrust everything to you."

At this moment, he entrusted the heavy burden to the young man in front of him. Shisui was shaken, then he knelt on one knee and said solemnly, "Uchiha Shisui, I swear to complete the mission!"

"Good, good!" The Third Hokage showed a kind smile again, his eyes full of satisfaction. He first showed concern, then played the victim, and finally brought up Shisui's ancestor to morally bind him with the Will of Fire.

The Third Hokage's combination of words was practiced to perfection. After seeing Shisui off, the Third Hokage sat back in his chair and fell into deep thought. To deal with the Uchiha, he had Shisui and Itachi, two pieces on his chessboard. But even so

, the Third Hokage was still not entirely at ease. After all, Shisui and Itachi were Uchihas at their core.

"Never fully trust an Uchiha." This was the advice given to the Third Hokage by his teacher, the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju.

He had to be cautious.

Ten minutes later, Kakashi appeared in the Hokage's office.

"I've thought it over, and there's no one in the Anbu who's more capable than you. Only you, with your Sharingan, understand the Uchiha well enough and have the strength to infiltrate their territory. Kakashi, I'm entrusting this mission to you," the Third Hokage said with gravity.

He asked Kakashi to secretly enter the Naka Shrine and gather information about the Uchiha clan meeting.

"Yes," Kakashi replied, kneeling and bowing his head. He, who usually disliked trouble, was naturally overwhelmed by such a difficult task, but he had no room to refuse the Hokage's orders.

The Third Hokage seemed to understand Kakashi's thoughts and added gently, "Remember, prioritize your own safety. If you find anything amiss, retreat immediately. Don't try to be a hero."

"I understand, Lord Hokage," Kakashi responded again.

Although the Third Hokage said this, Kakashi knew that this matter concerned the safety of the village. He had to obtain valuable information no matter what. He couldn't return empty-handed.

As Kakashi was considering his infiltration plan, he made his way out of the Hokage's building. Unexpectedly, he ran into a familiar face at the corner of the corridor.

Danzo.

"Kakashi, I admire your performance in the Anbu. I even want to recruit you back into the Root," Danzo stopped Kakashi and got straight to the point.

Kakashi's expression changed slightly, and he politely declined, "Please, don't joke around, Lord Danzo."

"No, the Root is more suitable for you than the Anbu, because you have the potential for darkness," Danzo said, his gaze meaningful, as if he had seen through the darkness buried deep within Kakashi's heart.

He knew that this young man, who seemed loyal to the Will of Fire, had always held a grudge against the Third Hokage.

Because the suicide of Shikamaru Nara was indirectly caused by the Third Hokage. Danzo had also hinted to Kakashi that the Third Hokage, who claimed to be a pacifist, inadvertently escalated the war and was the main culprit behind the deaths of Obito and Rin. Later, in order to regain his position, the Third Hokage forbade the Anbu from participating in the Nine-Tails incident, which resulted in the death of Kakashi's teacher, the Fourth Hokage.

Although Kakashi didn't believe Danzo's conspiracy theories in the end, the seed of doubt had been planted and was quietly taking root.

Wasn't it?

"Lord Danzo, if there's nothing else, I'll be on my way," Kakashi said, not wanting to get entangled with Danzo. He tried to bypass him and leave.

However, Danzo raised his cane to block Kakashi's path and squinted his eyes, asking, "The Third Hokage sent for you, didn't he? He wants you to infiltrate the Uchiha's territory, right? It's too much to send you on such a dangerous mission alone."

Without waiting for Kakashi's answer, he took out a signal scroll from his pocket and told Kakashi, "Don't worry, all the members of my Root will be deployed tonight to surround the Uchiha's

territory. If you find any signs of rebellion from the Uchiha, or if you're in danger, just activate this signal scroll. The Root will support you immediately."

Danzo's words made Kakashi realize the severity of the situation once again. However, he calmly asked, "Does Lord Hokage know about this?"

Danzo shook his head and said righteously, "The Third Hokage is too indecisive. We need to be decisive and take drastic measures against the Uchiha. If he doesn't want to take the blame, then let me, his advisor, do it."

Kakashi fell silent. He had been a ninja for many years and knew that the Third Hokage and Danzo were the light and darkness of the Leaf Village. Neither could exist without the other. Even when Danzo attempted to assassinate the Hokage, a treasonous act, he was ultimately forgiven by the Third Hokage.

There were some things that the Third Hokage publicly opposed, but he tacitly allowed Danzo to do them behind the scenes. Was this time the same?

After some hesitation, Kakashi accepted the signal scroll from Danzo. As he watched Kakashi's retreating figure, Danzo's eyes flickered. He was eager to eliminate the Uchiha, not only because they threatened the peace of the Leaf Village, but also because he coveted the Uchiha's Sharingan.

But if tonight's operation failed, it wouldn't matter. Kakashi was sent by the Hokage, so if things went wrong, it would be the Third Hokage's responsibility. At that time, Danzo could still use the situation to pressure Hiruzen Sarutobi to step down. Either way, he would win.

Soon, it was evening and the sky was getting dark. After having dinner at the gym, Shisui's nephew, Itachi, arrived as expected. Itachi was following his father's instructions to take Shisui to the clan meeting tonight.

"Close up early and rest. I'll be back soon," Shisui told Samui before leaving with his nephew. The two walked through the streets of the Leaf Village in silence.

Upon reaching the entrance to the Uchiha territory, Itachi casually looked up at the high-rise buildings surrounding the area. He could sense that the Anbu had significantly increased their presence in the past few days. They were probably monitoring the Uchiha's movements from those buildings.

Looking at the peaceful Uchiha territory, the ordinary clan members were completely unaware of the potential danger. Itachi glanced at his uncle's expressionless face, unable to guess what he was thinking.

He hoped his uncle wouldn't cause a scene at the clan meeting. Itachi prayed silently.

As night fell and a new moon hung in the sky, the two arrived at the main hall of the Naka Shrine. They lifted the seventh tatami mat, revealing a hidden passage. Following the long tunnel, they quickly approached the underground chamber where the clan meeting was being held.

As they opened the door, they were met with a cacophony of voices, a bustling scene.

...