Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Kakashi were not narrow-minded individuals.
However, the village's past actions against the Uchiha clan were undeniably shady, especially Danzo's attack on Shisui, a stain the village leadership could never wash away.
After that incident, Itachi had reluctantly agreed to wipe out his own clan, not necessarily out of unwavering faith in the village's "Will of Fire," but more as a helpless choice between two evils.
Thus, Tsunade and Jiraiya, having returned to the village and learned the truth, couldn't help but feel guilty.
That said, if Sasuke were the only Mangekyo-wielding Uchiha, the village leadership could attempt to control and eventually tame him.
But if Shinji also awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan, two Mangekyo Uchiha joining forces would spell serious trouble for the village!
His gaze sweeping over the group, the Third Hokage removed his pipe. "Regardless, dealing with the Akatsuki is our top priority. We can't afford to disrupt our own ranks."
Jiraiya nodded slightly. "I've met both those kids. They're a bit headstrong and tough to handle, but they're not bad at heart. You can tell they care about the village."
Tsunade fell into thought.
As a princess of the Senju clan, she held no fondness for the Uchiha. But she wasn't petty. After weighing the situation, she said, "The Akatsuki's threat is imminent. Sasuke and Shinji are among the best of the village's new generation. Some risks are worth taking!"
Kakashi quickly chimed in, "I can vouch for Sasuke. He harbors no hostility toward the village."
The Third Hokage nodded. "The question now is what to do with Uchiha Shinji."
Tsunade frowned.
Jiraiya sighed.
Kakashi felt a wave of frustration.
Earlier, he had gone to great lengths to find a mentor for Shinji, but the village leadership, preoccupied with the First Hokage's cell transplant issue, had no time to spare. This allowed the advisory elders to swoop in first.
Now, Shinji's talent with the Sharingan was evident, and he knew how to trigger the Mangekyo Sharingan. Who knew when he might awaken it!
Seeing no one respond, the Third Hokage's expression darkened slightly.
Tsunade spoke up, "These two Uchiha brats have talent that's reached such a level that suppressing them is simply impossible! Instead of worrying about this and that, we should spend less time scheming and more time nurturing them."
Jiraiya and Kakashi nodded in unison.
Sasuke had awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan, and Shinji had unlocked a three-tomoe Sharingan. Suppressing them was no longer an option.
With external threats looming so large, eliminating Sasuke and Shinji now might prevent future problems but would also be like dismantling the village's own defenses.
Thus, it was better to face reality head-on and integrate the two into the village's power structure.
Moreover, the new generation included promising talents like Yakumo and Naruto, who might not be inferior to the Uchiha in the future.
The Uchiha's naturally defiant nature would inevitably make them enemies over time. As long as the village leadership didn't suppress them too overtly and ceded some power appropriately, the chances of winning over and taming the two Uchiha were quite high.
The Third Hokage, pipe in mouth, exhaled a thick plume of smoke before nodding.
"Instruct the shinobi academy to grant Uchiha Sasuke and Uchiha Shinji sufficient privileges. The archives will be fully opened to them—except for forbidden and secret techniques, they can borrow any jutsu scrolls without prior approval."
"Yes!"
Kakashi acknowledged the order.
The Third Hokage's gaze shifted to Tsunade. "Sasuke has Kakashi watching him, which I trust. As for Uchiha Shinji, I'll have to rely on you."
"Got it!"
Tsunade understood the Third Hokage's intent.
With Koharu Utatane already taking Shinji as her disciple, their side could only approach Shinji indirectly through the medical corps.
While this secret meeting unfolded in the Hokage's office, Shinji was summoned by Koharu Utatane to the advisory elders' office.
Without any pleasantries, Koharu cut straight to the point. "What's the deal with Uchiha Sasuke?"
Shinji shrugged and recounted the truth, filtered of critical details.
Knowing Sasuke's personality, Shinji was certain Sasuke wouldn't bother hiding these details. By now, the Third Hokage's side likely knew the full story. If Shinji concealed anything, it would only make him seem suspicious.
"What!?" After hearing Shinji's account, Koharu was briefly stunned before confirming, "You really awakened your Sharingan?"
Shinji closed his eyes. When he opened them, his irises glowed a vivid crimson, the three tomoe in his pupils striking and captivating!
"A three-tomoe Sharingan!"
Even Koharu, seasoned as she was, couldn't hide her astonishment.
Awakening a three-tomoe Sharingan right from the start was unthinkable in her experience. However, with Sasuke's Mangekyo Sharingan awakening stealing the spotlight, Shinji's three-tomoe reveal seemed less conspicuous.
Shinji quickly deactivated his Sharingan.
Using the village-wide uproar over Sasuke as cover, he had seized the chance to reveal his own Sharingan.
Given the strength he'd already displayed, failing to awaken his Sharingan for too long would have raised suspicions.
Since he already possessed the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan, he couldn't display the transitional single- or double-tomoe stages. By revealing his three-tomoe Sharingan while Sasuke drew all the attention, he avoided excessive scrutiny.
Koharu offered Shinji a few words of encouragement before dismissing him.
Sasuke's Mangekyo awakening had briefly made her doubt her choice, but learning that Shinji had awakened a three-tomoe Sharingan dispelled those doubts.
Shinji remained her key tool for extending her influence!
What she didn't realize was that the Third Hokage had already made concessions, planning to integrate Sasuke and Shinji, the last Uchiha remnants, into the village's highest power structure, reshuffling the deck.
As time passed, the dynamic where Shinji needed her support as an advisory elder would gradually shift to her needing Shinji.
And the mastermind behind all this was Shinji himself, unaware of the full extent of his impact.
It was his actions under the Akatsuki's name, stirring chaos in the village and creating an atmosphere of impending crisis, that forced the Hidden Leaf leadership, led by the Third Hokage, to make these concessions to counter a fabricated external threat.
If the Third Hokage and his allies ever learned that Shinji and Sasuke—the very Uchiha they were grooming to counter the Akatsuki's mysterious Mangekyo-wielding 'A' and 'B'—were themselves Akatsuki members, one could only imagine their reaction.
Sasuke's Mangekyo Sharingan awakening didn't fade quietly due to the village's low-key handling. On the contrary, over the next few days, the news spread across the shinobi world, quickly landing on the desks of the leaders of every major shinobi village.