Chapter 13 : Hiruzen's Deception!!

"Is there something wrong with the clan?"

Uchiha Shisui's eyes widened in surprise. He hadn't expected the Third Hokage to still be concerned about the Uchiha issue. This made him more cautious. 

He quickly responded, "In recent years, the Uchiha clan has felt neglected by Konoha because of the Fourth Hokage. Some members are upset, but don't worry. I'll do my best to help them move past their anger!"

As a highly skilled Uchiha, Shisui had always represented his clan with pride. But looking at the situation now, it seemed the Third Hokage was disappointed with the Uchiha clan, which led to his question.

Shisui felt a bit anxious.

Sarutobi Hiruzen looked at Shisui, sighed, and said with a touch of feigned sadness, "I understand that the Uchiha clan may be upset due to Konoha's actions over the years. But Shisui, you need to know that Konoha isn't intentionally targeting the Uchiha clan. The clan's tendency toward violence and aggression is causing concern, and to keep the peace, the Uchiha clan are being temporarily restrained."

"I appreciate your understanding, and I will work hard to help my clan members see things differently," Shisui replied earnestly.

He realized that since the Third Hokage was discussing this issue with him, there was still hope for the Uchiha clan's future.

For the sake of both the clan and the village, Shisui was determined to instill positive values in the Uchiha and help them earn the village's trust once again.

After hearing Shisui's words, the Third Hokage nodded with satisfaction. His tone softened as he said, "Don't worry, Shisui. I will ensure that capable and stable members of the Uchiha clan are promoted within Konoha, and they will help change the village's perception of the Uchiha."

"And I'll work to shift the views of Konoha's higher ups regarding the Uchiha clan."

Shisui was deeply moved by these words and looked at the Third Hokage with gratitude.

If Genya were present, he would have been outraged. He would have seen through Sarutobi Hiruzen's tactics and believed that the Hokage was trying to deceive Shisui. 

Genya would likely accuse Konoha of trying to abandon the Uchiha clan and highlight the struggles faced by some members of the clan, who were struggling financially in the village.

If things keep going like this, more people will want to join the Chamber of Commerce.

But still, Konoha's top officials expect the Uchiha to be grateful? They say the Uchiha have a bad temper!

It's worth remembering that Konoha was built with the help of many Uchiha clan members, but now they're being targeted.

Do they think the Uchiha are just tools to be used and discarded? 

Do they really think the Uchiha don't have any feelings?

If the village treats the Sarutobi clan badly, won't the Sarutobi clan members be upset or even angry?

The Third Hokage looked at Shisui, who was showing gratitude, and was clearly pleased with how his motivational talk had worked. He wanted to do more to make Shisui even more loyal and thankful.

Sarutobi Hiruzen pointed to a document, showing a photo of a young boy, and said kindly: "Uchiha Itachi is a promising young talent. You must teach him the Will of Fire and make sure he isn't influenced by the negative aspects of the Uchiha clan!"

"Yes, I'll keep a close watch on Itachi!"

Shisui glanced at the document and felt a sense of relief. It seems that besides him, the village values other members of the Uchiha clan too.

He knew Itachi well—he was the clan leader's son and a true genius. Even at eight, Itachi's chakra was almost at Chunin level, he was skilled in ninjutsu, and had already awakened his Sharingan.

Itachi's future achievements might surpass his own. With both of them in the village, the Uchiha clan could soon regain its former glory!

"Alright, you can go now," Sarutobi Hiruzen said, putting away the documents.

He waved, signaling Shisui to leave.

Shisui nodded and left the room. Today, the Third Hokage had specifically mentioned the Uchiha clan and Itachi. It seems like there's more to observe.

Now, Itachi should be training at the family's training grounds. They used to see each other often, but their meetings have become less frequent since joining the village.

Now is a good opportunity to visit Uchiha Itachi, have a meaningful conversation with him, and find out his thoughts about the village and the Uchiha clan, as well as whether he can enter the village's system.

"Training ground!" Uchiha Shisui muttered as he disappeared into a corner.

Uchiha Training Grounds

"You haven't fully grasped the Shadow Clone Technique yet, especially you, Genya. I know you've learned the basics of chakra control, so now you need to master hand seals!"

Uchiha Zentaro gathered Genya, who had been working on the Chakra Infusion Technique under a tree, along with all the children aged three to six on the training ground. He spoke seriously:

"I will teach you the Shadow Clone Technique, the hand seal methods, and chakra pathways again. Later, I will check if you have been paying attention!"

Uchiha Zentaro began his detailed explanation, occasionally adding extra comments: "This hand seal method directs the chakra through your body, so you need to focus on it!"

Genya listened but found himself a bit confused. He had already learned how to make hand seals, but understanding chakra pathways and controlling chakra were still challenging. 

In the original story, Naruto had a lot of chakra but struggled with control until he was about to graduate due to the Nine-Tails' interference.

Genya was in a similar situation.

Over the past month, he had been studying the Chakra Infusion Technique. With consistent practice and input from Might Guy, his understanding had deepened. He could now stabilize a small amount of chakra within his cells but struggled with perfect control.

However, he was confident that if he could efficiently combine the chakra within his cells, he might not need to use hand seals in the future or could simply use them to activate chakra for jutsu. 

But this was still a long way off, especially if he could convert his cells into a Chakra Reserve.

He had two options:

Warm and nurture the cells so they could hold more chakra.

Use technology to find cell tissues that can store more chakra and integrate them into his body.

For now, Genya could only choose option one. As for the second option, he planned to build a biological lab and possibly acquire Orochimaru's technology when the opportunity arose. Progress needed to be gradual.

While Genya was lost in thoughts about his future plans, Uchiha Zentaro looked at everyone and said, "Have you understood the key points? Show me the Shadow Clone Technique again, and I'll check how well you've learned!"

Uchiha Zentaro's gaze lingered the longest on Genya.

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