After leaving the conference room, the Third Hokage returned to his office.
There, two masked Anbu shinobi one tall, one short were already waiting. These two were none other than Uchiha Shisui and Uchiha Itachi.
"Hokage-sama,"
Upon seeing him, both men respectfully greeted him, their eyes filled with admiration and reverence. Their posture and tone radiated sincere devotion.
"Hm."
The Third Hokage nodded with satisfaction, clearly pleased with their demeanor.
Although public propaganda had painted him as the "Strongest Hokage in History," he was well aware that his strength paled in comparison to that of the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju.
Still, he had his own points of pride.
In terms of raw power, he was no match for Hashirama.
In terms of strategy and political cunning, he fell short of the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju.
But when it came to psychological manipulation indoctrination he surpassed them both.
This fact was most evident in how thoroughly he had indoctrinated Shisui and Itachi.
"Remove your masks, both of you," he instructed.
"Yes, sir."
The two Uchiha obediently removed their Anbu masks, revealing their true faces.
"The reason I'm asking you to remove your masks is because the mission ahead must be carried out under your civilian identities."
He offered a brief explanation before turning his gaze toward Shisui.
"Shisui, you've likely heard about the deaths of Shimura Ryoma, Shimura Sosuke, and Shimura Ichiro?"
"Yes, sir. I've heard from my senior comrades in the Anbu."
"Good. Then you're to join the investigation into this matter," the Hokage said.
"Understood. Itachi and I will give our full effort to the investigation."
"No. You alone will handle the investigation. I have another task for Itachi."
He turned his attention to Itachi.
"Itachi, your mission is to remain within the Uchiha clan and monitor their activities."
"Monitor the Uchiha clan?"
Both Shisui and Itachi were visibly startled.
Though they had already aligned themselves with the Third Hokage, they were still shocked to hear such a direct order to spy on their own clan.
"Hokage-sama… may I ask why you want us to monitor the Uchiha?"
Shisui's expression shifted slightly as he questioned the order.
Itachi didn't speak, but his gaze locked intently onto the Hokage.
"Several days ago, the Uchiha held a clan meeting. During that meeting, the clan head openly expressed support for a coup d'état."
The Hokage's voice was calm but grave.
"What? The clan head supports a coup?"
"That can't be…"
Both Shisui and Itachi were stunned. They had always known that voices advocating rebellion existed within the clan, and they had never hidden this information from the Hokage.
But up until now, the clan head had always firmly opposed such actions.
They never imagined he would suddenly change his stance and openly support a coup.
"Hokage-sama, could there be some mistake in this intel?" Itachi asked anxiously.
"The source is highly reliable. There is no mistake."
The Hokage shook his head.
While Shisui and Itachi were his most successful indoctrination subjects, they were not the only ones in the Uchiha clan he had subtly manipulated.
In truth, there were others within the clan who had also secretly aligned themselves with him.
"There are others in our clan besides us who've secretly sided with Hokage-sama?"
Both Shisui and Itachi were taken aback.
They had never expected more of their kin to be working secretly under the Hokage's command.
"Ever since the Fourth Hokage's death, the other four great villages have kept a watchful eye on Konoha," the Hokage said, adopting a morally righteous tone.
"If a rebellion were to break out, it could invite foreign intervention, potentially sparking the Fourth Great Ninja War."
He spoke as if burdened by the weight of the world, but conveniently ignored the true cause behind the Uchiha's unrest—the repeated oppression and marginalization by Konoha's leadership, with him at the center.
It was precisely this long-standing suppression that had fueled the Uchiha's desire for rebellion.
But even if he had realized this, he wouldn't have changed his approach.
After all, this systematic pressure against the Uchiha had been a foundational policy laid out by the Second Hokage.
"To think this could ignite the Fourth Great Ninja War…"
Shisui and Itachi both felt a chill run down their spines.
Shisui had seen the horrors of the Third Great Ninja War firsthand.
And while Itachi had been too young to participate, he had witnessed its aftermath: the stream of returning corpses, the endless funerals, the sorrow that engulfed the village.
They could not let history repeat itself.
In their hearts, an overwhelming frustration toward their clan began to brew.
Why is our clan so short-sighted?
Why can't they look beyond the clan and see the bigger picture of the village?
How can they be so foolish as to consider rebellion?
"The Uchiha clan's coup must be stopped at all costs. Itachi, this surveillance mission is yours alone."
The Third Hokage's voice was firm.
"I understand."
Itachi nodded deeply.
For the sake of peace for the sake of the village he would not allow his clan to become the spark that ignited another war.
Even if it meant the destruction of the Uchiha, so be it.
For the first time, that terrifying thought took root in his mind.
And once planted, it began to grow uncontrollably.
He felt a dangerous urge—a desire to annihilate the Uchiha in order to stop them from revolting.
"Where the leaves dance, the fire will burn. You've done well, Itachi."
The Third Hokage looked at him with gentle approval.
And that look only solidified Itachi's resolve.
Moments later, Shisui and Itachi left the Hokage's office with steady steps.
The road ahead was treacherous, but their belief in their cause was unwavering.
For their ideals—for the village—they would betray their clan without hesitation, even at the cost of their lives.
As the office door closed behind them, the Third Hokage's kind and sorrowful demeanor vanished.
In its place was a calculating and enigmatic expression.
In the end, no matter how talented they are, they're just teenagers. Their minds are still immature.
Despite their strong convictions, their perspectives were narrow.
It had been all too easy to trap them within the illusion of duty and righteousness he had woven.
Which is more important family or the village?
That should have been a question open to debate.
After all, it was the existence of the clan that gave rise to the village,
and it was the village that in turn protected the clan.
But the Third Hokage had deliberately emphasized the village's importance while downplaying the clan's role.And clearly, neither of the two had noticed.