Chapter 353: The Uchiha Issue
Chapter 353: The Uchiha Issue
Tsunade's conversation with Moyue left Yahiko Lin even more perplexed. How did the topic suddenly shift to food? Did she just space out for a few minutes?
"Ahem," Tsunade coughed lightly before offering a serious evaluation. "That was impressive chakra control."
The key to tremendous strength lay in chakra control, and Yahiko's display of raw power served as proof of her adept control.
Having witnessed Yahiko's medical ninjutsu and formidable strength, Tsunade had already formulated a plan for Yahiko's future lessons.
"From now on, Shizune is your responsibility. Teach her as you see fit; I don't care how you do it, but I expect to see improvements in six months." Tsunade continued.
The reason the usually lackadaisical Tsunade was willing to teach Yahiko was due to her agreement with Moyue—a temporary swap of disciples, ensuring that her overall workload remained unchanged.
Of course, it also helped that Tsunade recognized Moyue's unique talent for mentoring. She believed that Shizune could benefit from Moyue's guidance.
"No problem. I'll make sure to teach Shizune diligently," Moyue assured with a nod.
While he might not be as knowledgeable as Tsunade when it came to medical knowledge, he excelled at helping others improve their strength.
"Does that mean I'll be moving in with Teacher Moyue from now on?" Shizune asked, confusion evident in her voice.
She was already aware that she would be learning from Moyue, as Tsunade had informed her beforehand.
Having lost both her parents and with her closest relative, Uncle Kato Dan, also perished, Shizune currently resided with Tsunade. Hearing Tsunade's words, Shizune thought that the older woman was planning to hand over all responsibility for her to Moyue.
"If Moyue agrees, that can be arranged. That way, you can bring my meals to me," Tsunade said, stroking her chin as she contemplated the idea.
Although she had grown accustomed to Shizune's care, she could manage on her own if it meant she could mooch off Moyue's meals every day.
"Lady Tsunade!" Shizune's face reddened slightly, and she looked a little annoyed. "That's not fair. You're just using me for my cooking!"
"Never mind, forget I said anything," Moyue said, shaking his head in refusal.
He and Shizune weren't related, and even though she was only a nine-year-old girl, it still didn't feel quite right. Besides, Shizune already had a place to stay.
Moreover, Moyue had too many secrets. A short stay was fine, but for a long-term arrangement, he would only agree to someone he trusted absolutely.
Tsunade feigned a look of disappointment. "Moyue, you're missing out on a good deal. Shizune is excellent at handling household chores."
Moyue smiled but remained silent.
"Lady Tsunade seems different from what I imagined," Yahiko thought to herself, her perception of the legendary ninja slowly shifting.
Although she had visited once before, that encounter had been brief, consisting only of a shared meal. Yahiko's impression of Tsunade was still largely influenced by the rumors she had heard.
Most people wouldn't dare speak ill of one of the legendary Sannin, so Yahiko's image of Tsunade was overwhelmingly positive.
"I wonder what the real Lady Tsunade is like?" With this question in mind, Yahiko began her training under Tsunade.
…………
"Granny, you have no idea how dire the situation was. If it weren't for me, the daimyo of the Land of Snow and the little princess would've been in grave danger," Obito boasted excitedly as they ate dinner, recounting his tale of heroism in the Land of Snow.
While the truth was that he and Kakashi had worked together to fend off the attack, Kakashi was not present to give his side of the story, so Obito embellished it a little, casting himself as the main hero with Kakashi in a supporting role.
"Oh my, our Obito is so brave and strong. He saved an entire country!" Granny praised with a warm smile.
Although she didn't understand much of what Obito was saying, she could grasp the key point—Obito had protected the daimyo and the princess.
"Hehe," Obito squirmed a little, feeling embarrassed by Granny's direct praise. "Well, to be honest, Teacher Moyue did most of the work and took care of the majority of the enemies."
Obito's alterations to the story weren't entirely fabricated. He didn't take all the credit for himself and acknowledged that he couldn't have defeated hundreds of ninjas on his own.
Just then, there was a knock on the door.
As Granny started to get up to answer it, Obito quickly jumped to his feet. "I'll get it, Granny. You stay here."
Obito rushed to the door and opened it to find Uchiha Hachiro standing outside.
"Obito, there's a clan meeting tonight at 8 p.m. at the Southern Shrine. Don't forget to be there on time," Hachiro said, seeing that it was Obito who had answered the door.
Normally, this wouldn't be something he would personally come to notify Obito about, but he had high hopes for the boy and knew that Obito had missed previous clan meetings due to various reasons. This was Obito's first time attending, so Hachiro had taken it upon himself to deliver the reminder in person.
"All the clan's ninjas without missions will be there. It's a good opportunity for you to get to know the others better," Hachiro added.
The Uchiha clan valued strength above all else, and while Hachiro respected Obito's dedication to his training, he also wanted the boy to spend more time with their clan members, fostering a stronger sense of family and belonging.
"Eight o'clock, got it," Obito replied thoughtfully.
Since he had never attended one before, he figured he might as well give it a try. If it turned out to be boring, he wouldn't bother going again.
With Kakashi constantly keeping him under pressure, Obito was eager to find any outlet for his frustration. If the meeting proved pointless, he wouldn't waste his time on it.
"Obito, who was at the door?" Granny inquired as Obito returned to the table.
"It was Elder Hachiro. He came to remind me about the clan meeting," Obito summarized.
"Obito, you're so thoughtful. Your father never used to wash the dishes when he was your age," Granny unconsciously brought up the past again.
Once elders started talking about the past, it was hard for them to stop, and Obito listened quietly, occasionally responding with a "hmm." As the time neared eight o'clock, Obito reluctantly interrupted, as the clan meeting was about to begin.
"Obito, you go ahead. I'm feeling a bit tired anyway," Granny said with a slight look of fatigue, smiling at Obito.
"Then, good night, Granny. Rest well," Obito waved as he set off towards the Southern Shrine.
On his way to the Southern Shrine, Obito's thoughts weren't on the clan meeting, but on how to convince Granny to go to the Konoha Hospital for a check-up.
Obito felt that Granny was unwell. Ever since he returned this time, he noticed that her energy seemed lower than before, and her movements had become slower and more frail-looking.
However, Granny insisted that she was fine and refused Obito's suggestion to go to the hospital, leaving him at a loss. He couldn't very well use his Sharingan genjutsu on her and force her to go to the hospital; an elderly person couldn't handle such a disturbance.
"I'll ask Teacher Mu Yue tomorrow if she has any ideas." Obito decided to consult the all-knowing Mu Yue during their training session the next day.
As he lost himself in thought, Obito unknowingly arrived near the Southern Shrine.
"Obito, long time no see," greeted Uchiha Inabi, who was also on his way to the clan meeting.
After being defeated by Obito the last time, Inabi had become a recluse for a while. After all, he was somewhat known within the Uchiha clan, and his defeat at Obito's hands had been a blow to his pride.
However, Inabi didn't dwell on it for too long. The strong were strong, and the weak were weak. He lost to Obito simply because he was weaker, so he needed to train harder.
"Hmm, are you the Inabi-senpai from that day?" Obito racked his brains to remember the other boy's name.
After all, Inabi had helped him acquire an advanced Fire Release ninjutsu.
"No need for 'senpai.' Just call me Inabi. Feel free to ask me for guidance with your Fire Release anytime," Inabi said with a smile.
He had witnessed Obito's powerful Fire Release and taijutsu during the Chunin Exams and was well aware of his current strength.
Inabi didn't feel worthy of being Obito's senpai, as the gap between their strengths was too vast. If Obito were to fight him with the same prowess he displayed during the exams, Inabi knew he would be defeated in an instant.
"Haha, sure, if you have the time," Obito replied happily, unable to hide his smile.
As the two of them entered the Southern Shrine, they found that many Uchiha had already taken their seats. Obito scanned the room and spotted Shisui, making his way over to sit beside him. Inabi followed suit and took a seat nearby.
"Looks like the clan has high hopes for you, Shisui. This is the first time I've seen someone who's not even a ninja yet attend a clan meeting," Inabi remarked.
However, when he thought of Shisui's strength, he felt it wasn't so surprising. After all, although Shisui was still in the Ninja Academy, his abilities were already capable of defeating Chunin-level opponents. The only difference between him and a full-fledged ninja was the lack of a forehead protector.
"It's just a coincidence. I happened to run into the clan leader on my way here," Shisui explained.
Unlike Obito, Shisui had a certain interest in the Uchiha clan meetings and had readily agreed to Fugaku's invitation.
Since he wanted to solve the issues within the Uchiha clan, he believed it was important to have a deep understanding of the clan. Thus, Shisui was eager to participate in any gatherings or meetings involving the younger generation or the entire clan.
When most of the Uchiha had arrived, Uchiha Hachiro nodded to Fugaku, signaling that the clan meeting could officially begin.
"Everyone, let's discuss how the Uchiha clan should develop and grow from here on out," Fugaku stated, bringing up the main topic of the meeting.
"I think we should request more funding!" a Uchiha man in his twenties spoke up.
"Our police force has such a heavy responsibility. We have every right to request more funding to cultivate our clan members."
A stir ran through the shrine as many Uchiha expressed their agreement.
"I think that's a good idea. If it weren't for us Uchiha working tirelessly, spies from other ninja villages would have infiltrated Konoha by now," another Uchiha added.
"This suggestion is excellent. We Uchiha need to become stronger to better protect Konoha," someone else chimed in.
Most of the Uchiha ninjas worked in the police force, with only a small number assigned to regular teams for missions. More funding would mean higher wages for them, and no one would complain about having too much money.
"I will try to make the request for more funding, but it may not be approved," Uchiha Fugaku said, feeling the weight of the clan's expectations.
In truth, Fugaku believed that the request would be denied outright, but he didn't want to discourage his clan members by saying so.
Konoha was currently at war, and the police force wasn't required to fight on the front lines. The Konoha higher-ups would never agree to increase the police force's funding at a time like this, especially since the force hadn't produced any new significant results. Submitting such a request would be futile.
"We must have an Uchiha become the Hokage and seize control of Konoha's core powers!" another Uchiha spoke up immediately.
Fugaku nodded unconsciously, as this was indeed a crucial step for the Uchiha clan's development.
The other Uchiha in the shrine also showed their agreement.
"Becoming the Hokage is important, we all know that. But how do we make that happen?" one of the Uchiha asked.
The shrine fell silent as soon as these words were spoken.
Although this statement was painful to hear, it was the truth. Currently, the three Sannin were the top candidates for the position of Fourth Hokage, and there was no one within the Uchiha clan who could match their reputation and strength.
"Wonderful! Our Uchiha clan needs more ambitious individuals like you." Elder Hachiro, the eighth elder of the Uchiha clan, looked at Obito with admiration.
Some of the Uchiha found this strange. Why was the usually strict Elder Hachiro praising such nonsense? Shouldn't he be criticizing it instead?
"Didn't you watch the Chunin Exams? Uchiha Obito is undoubtedly the most talented young ninja of our Uchiha clan. Of course, that might change once Shisui graduates," said a Uchiha who had watched the exams, reminding the others.
Obito's participation in the Chunin Exams had made him somewhat famous within Konoha, and many Uchiha had heard of the young prodigy in their clan.
Upon being reminded, the Uchiha instantly understood. Talent and strength were what mattered in the clan, and Obito had more than proven his worth.
"I think we should open up the police force to other Konoha ninjas and allow them to join," Shisui suddenly spoke up, having given it some thought.
Shisui and Mu Yue had been studying history for over a year, and he felt that instead of focusing on becoming stronger, the Uchiha should be thinking about how to break free from their current predicament.
At present, the Uchiha clan was under constant surveillance by the ANBU, viewed with suspicion by their fellow villagers, and disliked by the civilian population. If they didn't address these issues and only sought to become stronger, the rift would only widen.
Shisui didn't yet have a solution to these problems, but he could ask Mu Yue for guidance. In her vision for the future, the police force was the first issue that needed to be tackled.
After all, the Uchiha clan's current troubles were largely due to the influence, direct or indirect, of the police force.
It was natural for a clan to be viewed with wariness when they solely controlled a department with so much power. Furthermore, the Uchiha in charge of the police force would inevitably become more arrogant due to their authority, and since most of the clan's ninjas worked in the department, they had minimal interaction with other ninjas, mostly socializing only with their own clan members.
Shisui's suggestion was like a stone thrown into a calm lake, instantly stirring up a storm in the entire shrine.
"How can we let outsiders join our police force? The emblem of the police force is our Uchiha clan's symbol! What if they fail to perform their duties properly and tarnish our Uchiha name?"
"Our Uchiha ancestors worked tirelessly to earn us the police force. We can't let their efforts go to waste."
"What if someone from outside the clan uses deceitful means to seize the position of captain? Then, our Uchiha clan will forever lose control of the police force."
"The police force is made up of our clan members, and that's how it should be. Outsiders will only disrupt the harmony within the force."
Voices of opposition filled the shrine, with almost everyone refuting Shisui's "blasphemous" suggestion.
"Shisui, where did you get such an idea? This is very detrimental to the development of our Uchiha clan," said Uchiha Inabi, shaking his head in disapproval.
He almost added that suggestions that went against the clan's unity were unwelcome.
Shisui hadn't expected to face so much opposition, and he had assumed that at least a few of the Uchiha would share his viewpoint.
"Shisui, your thoughts are dangerous. At your age, you need to study our clan's history more!" said a Uchiha jonin who recognized Shisui.
He only dared to speak so frankly because he knew Shisui was a genius; otherwise, what was the point of having a strong Uchiha who didn't stand with the clan?
Sensing the displeasure of the Uchiha around him, Shisui didn't back down. He opened his mouth to explain his perspective.
"Aren't clan meetings only for ninjas? Shisui isn't even a graduate yet," someone pointed out, noticing that Shisui didn't have a forehead protector.
"He's not a ninja yet, so he's still a child. What's a child doing at a clan meeting?"
Even though Shisui was being looked down upon, he couldn't help but frown slightly. After all, some of those speaking were people he couldn't defeat in a fight.
"So what if he's not a ninja yet? With Shisui's talent, becoming a ninja is just a matter of time," Obito said, unable to stand seeing his friend ganged up on.
"Aren't clan meetings a place for discussion? Are we not allowed to speak our minds just because you don't like what we have to say?" Obito countered sharply, using the same skill he had honed while arguing with Kakashi.
Obito's words were too sharp, leaving some of the Uchiha momentarily speechless.
"It's not about whether we like it or not. It's about breaking the rules," said a Uchiha jonin calmly.
The genin and chunin might have been hesitant to respond to Obito due to his strength, but the jonin didn't have that restraint—a talented junior was still a junior.
"It was my mistake. I wanted Shisui to experience the atmosphere of a clan meeting ahead of time," Fugaku said, stepping in as he saw that Shisui's words had incited anger.
"Fugaku, even though Shisui has shown exceptional talent, the rules still need to be followed," said a middle-aged Uchiha sternly.
"This won't happen again," Fugaku relented, knowing he was at a disadvantage and couldn't argue with the elders.
Shisui was smart enough to realize this, so he quietly left the shrine to spare Fugaku further embarrassment.
Obito had found the clan meeting boring from the start, and seeing that Shisui, the only person he was close to, had left, he didn't bother with formalities and followed Shisui out.
(End of Chapter)
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