December 21st—it was once again time for Konoha's high-level meeting.
Konoha's high-level meetings were held every Friday, and were the highest-level gatherings in the village.
Normally on such days, representatives from the major clans, department heads, and a few elite Jonin would be extremely busy. Meanwhile, other Jonin could take this chance to relax a bit.
But today was different. Jonin across the village had dressed themselves properly, gathering here and there as they made their way toward Hokage Tower.
Hokage's office.
Hiruzen Sarutobi had arrived earlier than usual.
Leaning back in his chair, he lit his long-stemmed pipe—sparks flew, and a wisp of smoke curled upward.
No pens or paperwork lay on his desk—he had no official duties today.
The room was silent, as if even time had paused its passage.
But time waits for no one—it keeps moving forward, always fair, always unyielding.
Smoke scattered outward, gradually filling the room with the scent of tobacco.
"Knock knock!"
Hiruzen's slightly drowsy eyes suddenly brightened.
"Hokage-sama! Shisui Uchiha requests an audience!"
He couldn't help standing up, but quickly regained his composure, sat back down, and straightened his posture.
"Come in."
Shisui pushed open the door and entered the Hokage's office, bowing respectfully upon seeing the somewhat weary Hiruzen.
"Hokage-sama!"
Hiruzen waved him in gently before asking with concern, "How did it go? Is Fugaku willing to nominate you as Hokage Deputy?"
Shisui simply shook his head.
Hiruzen comforted him, saying, "That's fine. I'll nominate you instead. Even if the Uchiha don't support you, I will always stand by you."
Then, showing regret on his face, he sighed while shaking his head, "What a shame! If only Fugaku also supported you, your election as Hokage Deputy would have been assured!"
Shisui bowed slightly before replying, "I'm sorry, but I may have to disappoint your kind intentions. I do not intend to participate in this selection for Hokage Deputy."
"What?!"
Hiruzen's heart jolted as if thunder had cracked above him. He stared into Shisui's eyes, stunned beyond words.
Yesterday was when Shisui had just returned to Konoha. Even if the Uchiha wanted to promote him, there simply hadn't been enough time to reconvene a meeting and notify their allied ninja.
Therefore, he never truly believed Shisui would get the Uchiha's support.
The reason he planned to nominate Shisui during today's Elder election was twofold: one was to show goodwill toward the Uchiha who favored Konoha; the second was to fragment the Uchiha's voting blocs.
Never did he expect that Shisui would abandon his candidacy for Hokage Deputy altogether!
Seeing this, Shisui apologized sincerely, "Thank you for your kind offer. But right now, I lack both experience and reputation. Becoming Hokage Deputy wouldn't win the village over to our side. If anything, it might deepen their distrust of the Uchiha."
Staring directly into Shisui's eyes, Hiruzen questioned sharply, "Do you understand how rare an opportunity this is?"
Looking steadily back at Hiruzen with firm determination, Shisui responded solemnly, "Right now, Konoha's situation remains unstable. The Hokage Deputy should play a role in stabilizing morale. For the sake of Konoha, Shisui must reluctantly decline your generous offer!"
Looking at Shisui's thick eyebrows and bright eyes, listening to his righteous words, Hiruzen Sarutobi, who prided himself as the inheritor of the Will of Fire, fell silent.
Sacrificing personal interests for the greater good—wasn't this exactly the best embodiment of the "Will of Fire"?
After a long pause, Hiruzen finally sighed.
He walked up to Shisui, patted his shoulder, and said, "I'm sorry it has to be this way. Who has the Uchiha clan nominated?"
Shisui remained silent upon hearing the question—he had promised Aozora not to reveal anything.
A heavy silence filled the office.
Inside, Hiruzen felt anger rising—was Shisui betraying him?
Yet he maintained his composure; after all, Shisui still held value for him.
Therefore, he actively eased the awkwardness. "It's fine. It's an Uchiha secret. I understand."
Afterward, he sighed again, saying, "Ah, your Uchiha clan still remains somewhat estranged from the village."
"No, but..." Shisui hastily replied.
"It's fine!" Hiruzen waved off the concern. "You are you; the Uchiha is the Uchiha."
Shisui relaxed, relieved that the Hokage still trusted him.
After stating his decision, Shisui turned to leave. "Hokage-sama, if there's nothing else, I won't disturb you further!"
"Wait a moment!"
Hiruzen pondered briefly before speaking: "Shisui, you're an outstanding ninja! Even though you can't serve as my advisor, I still hate to see you wasting time on mundane missions."
He paused, then sincerely extended an invitation. "Would...you like to join the Shadow Guard Team?"
Upon hearing the offer, Shisui was stunned for quite some time.
Coming back to his senses, he immediately nodded eagerly. "Of course!"
The Shadow Guard Team served directly under the Hokage. Composed entirely of members personally selected by the Hokage, they safeguarded his safety and executed extremely dangerous missions such as capturing S-class rogue ninjas.
Because they worked so closely with the Hokage, the Shadow Guard was often seen as the royal guard of Konoha—the Hokage's true elite.
In addition, the Shadow Guard acted as the pool from which future leaders of Konoha were drawn. In fact, all current Konoha leaders were originally part of the Second's Shadow Guard.
Seeing Shisui's excitement, Hiruzen gave a satisfied nod.
Then he clapped his hands.
A hidden ninja instantly appeared in the room, kneeling down with one knee to await orders.
"Nobusuke," Hiruzen instructed, "take Shisui to complete the procedures and training!"
The ninja wearing a dog-faced mask simply nodded without additional words, then gestured to Shisui with a glance before vanishing again using the Body Flicker Technique.
Shisui followed immediately, disappearing alongside him from the office.
Hiruzen lit his pipe again, puffing smoke, his expression shifting between shadow and light like storm clouds.
Before long, Homura Mitokado entered through the door.
"Hiruzen!" he called out cheerfully, "Prepare yourself—the election is about to begin soon!"
Hiruzen's expression remained unchanged. "Shisui Uchiha has declined candidacy."
Homura's expression drastically changed. "Impossible? He actually gave up the Elder seat already within his grasp?"
He couldn't fathom how anyone would turn down an Elder position practically within reach.
Hiruzen Sarutobi said calmly, "He said the Hokage Deputy should help calm people's worries. Right now, his qualifications and reputation aren't enough."
"That's just an excuse!" Homura Mitokado snapped. "Which Uchiha are they planning to nominate?"
Hiruzen shook his head. "He didn't say!"
Homura replied coldly, "Uchihas are like wolves that can't be domesticated. I thought Shisui and Fugaku were exceptions. Now it seems we were all completely wrong!"
Hiruzen remained silent.
After venting his anger, Homura asked, "Then what about the Elder election now? If the Uchiha consolidate their strength, won't they gain an advantage?"
"It's just one seat. The Uchiha only have a shot at it—no guarantees."
After saying that, Hiruzen added, "Even if the Uchiha win the election, it might not necessarily be a bad thing."
Homura nodded. Winning would inevitably alienate other clans like the Hyuga.
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