Hiruzen Sarutobi could not make sense of it.
In his eyes, Uchiha Kai was nothing short of a madman.
But on the other side of the table, Shikaku Nara only shook his head and let out a faint, knowing laugh.
"Lord Hokage, don't be hasty.
From my perspective, Kai has gained plenty from this.
First, Uchiha Setsuna was his personal enemy. With his death, that grudge is gone.
Second, this incident has allowed Kai to wipe out every dissenter within his clan. The Uchiha are now united under him, solid as iron.
As for letting those people leave? At best they're waste material. To kill them all would hurt his image; to keep them around would waste food and manpower. Worse, they might stab him in the back one day.
Driving them out solved everything at once. And with Shisui as the front, Kai even extracted a fortune from you, Lord Hokage.
If you had been completely fooled, they could have kept playing this little duet indefinitely—staging fake battles, lowering your guard—while secretly strengthening themselves.
A single plan, and he profits in every direction."
Even Shikaku himself had to admire it. Such a scheme was terrifyingly efficient—removing rivals, avenging himself, fooling the Hokage, making money, and easing outside suspicion all at once.
Even he, Shikaku, couldn't be sure he could pull off something this elegant.
Hiruzen: "…"
He was dumbstruck.
Truly dumbstruck.
After Shikaku's analysis, all the questions that had plagued him suddenly snapped into place. It all made sense.
And that could only mean one thing: he had been tricked. Shisui's so-called defection had been nothing but part of the trap.
The realization darkened his face until it looked like storm clouds. His whole body trembled with rage.
Damn it. Since the day he became Hokage, he had never suffered a loss this humiliating.
Only moments ago—before Shikaku returned—he had personally handed Shisui two hundred million ryō. On top of that, he had allocated land for them and was even preparing to use the Hokage's authority to secure more benefits for them.
Now, all of that looked like a joke.
A cruel joke.
Hiruzen's hands slammed the table, his voice thunderous:
"Bastards! They dare plot against me like this? The Uchiha are begging for death! I swear—I'll destroy them!
U! Chi! Ha! Kai!"
His roar shook the room.
But after venting, reason clawed its way back. He was Hokage, after all—he could not afford to lose his head completely.
Taking a deep breath, he laid everything out for Shikaku—the benefits he had granted Shisui, the resources he'd promised—and then asked coldly:
"Tell me, Shikaku. Is there any way I can take back that two hundred million? Even if it means losing face, I'd rather expose this entire scheme and let all of Konoha see how shameless the Uchiha are. Better that than let them swindle me."
That was his pride speaking. He could not, would not, tolerate being played for a fool.
But Shikaku's reaction was swift and almost panicked.
"No! Absolutely not!" He leaned forward urgently. "Lord Hokage, you must stay calm. We cannot afford such a move.
First, we have no evidence. Without proof, who would believe us?
Second, even if we did have evidence, we still couldn't take that route. Why? Because of the other ninja clans.
For the mid- and small-sized clans, credibility is everything. If you publicly denounce Shisui now, without irrefutable evidence, they'll all assume you might do the same to them when they've outlived their usefulness.
That kind of doubt would drive them straight into the Uchiha's arms.
Lord Hokage, this is an open-handed scheme—no matter how we respond, Kai wins. We've taken this loss. We must swallow it.
In fact, to lure in other clans, we must go the other way. We have to uphold Shisui as an example, shower him and his followers with even more favor. Only by displaying magnanimity can we convince other clans to place their trust in us.
So you see, Hokage-sama—rage all you like in private, but publicly? Not only can you not retaliate, you must double down on supporting Shisui.
This is a critical juncture. Any misstep, any hidden move to cut Shisui down, will be seen through instantly.
To the other clans, Shisui's future is their possible future. If you betray him, they will take it as a warning sign."
Shikaku's tone was steady, but his words carried deep weight.
"Small sacrifices must be endured for the sake of the greater plan. Please, Lord Hokage—hold fast."
Yes.
This was how Shikaku Nara had earned his position as commander among the Jounin: not by personal ambition, but by sincerely and selflessly thinking on behalf of the Hokage.
And even Hiruzen, as crafty as he was, could see it clearly—Shikaku stood squarely in his camp.
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