I, Konoha's Sage of Life-Chapter 83 - : Konoha, Our Own Territory

"A Will of Fire that the Uchiha can accept?"

Kyoichi's shadow clone paused for a moment before contemplating for a few seconds. Then he said, "That depends on your target audience."

"They're kids—one is ten, the other no older than fifteen!"

Shisui had completely forgotten that at this moment, Kyoichi himself was only sixteen—

But in his mind, his teacher was omnipotent.

"Then it's simple. No need to make it complicated. You just have to help them understand that the Uchiha and Konoha are inextricably linked."

Without much thought, Kyoichi continued, "For example, the Uchiha are founding elders of Konoha. This village and the Uchiha's interests are intertwined. We can fight among ourselves all we want, but we can't just stand by and watch outsiders destroy our own property, right?"

"That makes sense. Anything else?"

Shisui nodded repeatedly. It was a solid argument.

According to clan records, Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama were once close friends, and there was even a chance for Madara to become Hokage. Even the old geezers in the clan would have to acknowledge this logic.

Using this against kids? A piece of cake.

As expected of Sensei!

"Establish a common enemy, unify the front, and give them a target to vent their frustrations on—find balance in struggle and solidarity."

"Got it! I already followed your previous teachings on that."

Shisui then briefly recounted his encounter with Tekka and how he had "reasoned" with him.

Kyoichi nodded in approval.

The "Scapegoat Hokage"—in a way, as long as Sarutobi bore the blame, things wouldn't go too far off track.

Divide and conquer—Shisui had done well.

After some thought, Kyoichi added, "Remind them that there are too many opposing forces right now. They shouldn't be too overt. Tell them not to inform their families. And most importantly, let them 'realize' the Will of Fire on their own."

"Right, right! That way, the impression will be much stronger!"

Shisui clapped excitedly.

People might question ideas forced upon them, but no one would doubt something they came to understand on their own.

"Children are the future of the Uchiha, but waiting for them to grow up takes too long and brings too many uncertainties.

For now, we must proceed cautiously. First, win over the younger generation in the clan. Work from the bottom up. Don't target the adults just yet."

"Understood. Thank you so much! Teacher, I'm waiting for news on my end, so I'll take my leave."

With that, Shisui dispelled his clone.

Kyoichi, now alone, fell into deep thought.

He remembered that in the future, many of the Uchiha kids from this generation would go on to achieve great things. Even Tekka, the one Shisui had just persuaded, would eventually awaken the Three Tomoe Sharingan. He might not be exceptional, but at least he wasn't weak.

If he could steer this group of young Uchiha, they would eventually have enough influence to shift the clan's decisions.

However...

There was still Uchiha Madara lurking in the shadows.

Even if Kyoichi could prevent Obito from going astray, who knew if Madara would find another pawn—someone like Tekka or another susceptible child?

After all, the Uchiha were numerous, and there was no shortage of impulsive individuals like Obito.

Madara could easily pick another target.

Still...

There was no other way.

At Madara's level, if he wanted to play the villain, no one could stop him. But if the Uchiha as a whole aligned with Konoha, Madara—half-dead as he was—would have a much harder time stirring up trouble.

"Whatever. That's a headache for my real body. Back to reading."

Kyoichi picked up a notebook and continued studying.

Meanwhile...

Shisui hadn't found Kurenai but had come across Rin Nohara and had her heal his injuries.

After some treatment and rest, both he and Tekka returned to the outskirts of the Uchiha compound.

"Did you come up with a plan?"

"I have some ideas, but I'm still a bit unsure. How about we discuss it together first?"

"Sure..."

Shisui then shared some of the points Kyoichi had taught him.

"The core of the Will of Fire is protecting the village and its future. That doesn't actually conflict with Uchiha's interests."

"What do you mean?"

"Our ancestors were among Konoha's founders, and that's why we serve as the village's police force. In a way, this village is our property. The common folk and smaller clans are like our business partners. Protecting our partners—isn't that only natural?"

"Hmm... that kinda makes sense, but they don't see us that way."

Tekka was momentarily stunned.

It... made a lot of sense!

But the civilians and minor clans didn't see the Uchiha as their partners.

"That's why we need to break down misunderstandings and show them the real Uchiha."

"That... makes sense..."

Shisui had put it in such a simple way that even Tekka, despite his limited perspective, could understand the logic.

"You can't become Hokage through brute force... At least, that's what the clan leader says."

Seeing how quickly Tekka accepted the idea, Shisui felt even more assured.

"Exactly! If brute force could do it, our ancestor Madara would have succeeded. But we're nowhere near his level—if he couldn't take Hokage by force, how could we?"

Tekka nodded repeatedly.

Hokage...

That was the Uchiha's ultimate goal, wasn't it?

The elders' ideas were too simplistic. If brute force alone was enough, then after Hashirama and Madara died, the Uchiha should have easily seized control.

But obviously, Madara had realized it wasn't possible and chose a more extreme path instead.

They couldn't repeat the mistakes of the past.

The clan leader was wise!

He had enlightenment!

A moment later, Tekka felt a bit ashamed.

Shisui, only five years old, had already grasped all this, while he had once thought Shisui wasn't doing enough for the clan.

Then, with a thud, he dropped to his knees.

"Shisui, I misjudged you. I'm truly sorry!"

"We're all comrades. No need for apologies—get up. As for your brother, my advice is to gradually introduce these ideas to him in daily life."

"Understood..."

"Good. I'll also find some relevant books for you. Read them and occasionally ask your brother questions. Over time, he'll naturally understand."

Shisui thought about it—just having Tekka talk might not be reliable.

This guy wasn't exactly the best speaker.

It was better to guide him step by step.

...

Meanwhile, on Kyoichi's side...

[Mission Completed: "Ideological Indoctrination"]

[Evaluation: Excellent]

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[Reward: Genjutsu – Crow Ephemera]

Huh? Where did that come from?

Since his shadow clone hadn't been dispelled yet, Kyoichi was momentarily confused, completely unaware of what had transpired.

But...

He was very pleased with the reward.

Crow Ephemera...

In the anime, this Genjutsu could be triggered by simply moving one's fingers or using crows as a medium. It could also be cast through the Sharingan. While not particularly powerful, it was extremely versatile.

Kyoichi had been eyeing this technique for a long time. He had planned to research finger-gesture-based Genjutsu, but never had the time.

Now, he had saved himself the trouble.

With this, even in low-light conditions, he could integrate Genjutsu into his swordplay.

The only downside...

In complete darkness or thick mist, where visibility was nonexistent, this Genjutsu still wouldn't work.

Truly...

No one understood the Uchiha better than Tobirama Senju!

Kyoichi had no idea that after returning, Shisui went on a persuasion spree. With patient guidance, he actually got Tekka to fully buy into the idea.

And...

The two of them were now brainstorming how to rope in Inaho as well.

At this point, they were already putting theory into practice.

For now, there was still some time for Shisui to carry out his plans. In a few days, however, Kyoichi might have no choice but to take them to the eastern border of the Land of Fire to guard against Kirigakure's ninja.

And possibly—

Not just Kirigakure ninja, but also those from Kumogakure, coming from the northeast.

The pressure was immense.

Of course...

Kyoichi wasn't the only one under pressure.

Hiruzen Sarutobi was, too.

After all, entrusting Kyoichi with leading the eastern front was seen as a risky move by certain individuals.

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