"Something happened on the Uchiha side?"
"Wasn't that within everyone's expectations? Shisui already came by to report it some time ago—said he'd be carrying out an operation. Sigh…"
Minato let out a soft sigh.
Kushina remained silent for a long moment before finally speaking. "That child… Shisui has been bearing far more than someone his age ever should."
"The greater the ability, the greater the responsibility. If Kyoichi were still here, he would have supported Shisui in doing what he believed was right.
And the Uchiha's affairs can only be handled internally. If we step in, the nature of things changes completely."
After several years as Hokage, Minato was no longer the reckless youth he once was.
He understood very clearly which matters Konoha could involve itself in—and which it absolutely could not.
Supporting one faction to seize control of a clan was something that, unless it reached a truly critical point, could never be done. It would trigger widespread panic among the other clans.
That would be extremely detrimental to the village's overall stability.
"Being Hokage really isn't easy," Minato sighed.
Thankfully, each clan now had its own people keeping things in check. Otherwise, his headaches would have doubled. Setting everything else aside—if the Uchiha truly decided to fight for more power, Konoha would be in serious trouble.
Those people…
It wasn't that the Uchiha as a whole were incapable—it was that their hardliners were.
They took no responsibility whatsoever.
All they knew how to do was reap benefits and issue orders. When it came time to shoulder blame, they went completely silent. And if such a clan structure ever put one of their people in the Hokage seat, the outcome was easy to imagine.
The village wouldn't be ruled by a Hokage anymore—it would be ruled by a clan.
Who could feel at ease with that?
That was the real reason the Uchiha had been excluded from village-level decision-making in recent years. Until their internal power structure was sorted out, neither the village nor the other clans could feel safe.
I hope Shisui can resolve this, Minato thought.
---
The next day…
Minato arrived at the Hokage Tower and listened to the ANBU report. He froze.
He had expected Shisui to make a decisive move—but he never imagined Shisui would be so ruthless, directly slaughtering all the hardliners.
"Where is Shisui?"
"He's in ANBU headquarters."
"I need to see him."
---
Without hesitation, Minato used Flying Thunder God together with Hayate to reach ANBU headquarters. After winding through the corridors, he quickly met Shisui.
"Shisui—"
"Hokage-sama!"
Shisui stood and bowed lightly.
Minato patted his shoulder, then looked him over carefully before sighing with heartfelt praise. "You've worked hard. You eliminated a massive hidden danger for Konoha."
"Hokage-sama, I did it for my clan. I wouldn't say I did it for the village," Shisui replied calmly. "I came to ANBU because there's something I need to tell you."
"Oh? Go on."
Minato already had a faint suspicion.
Given how serious Shisui was being, this clearly wasn't trivial. There was no need to come here otherwise—and combined with yesterday's events, Minato suspected it had something to do with the Sharingan.
"I awakened my eyes," Shisui said.
"The Mangekyō?"
"Yes. One is a genjutsu-control eye, the other enhances taijutsu. Yesterday afternoon I checked the stone tablet—sure enough, I can now see the later sections."
"That's not unexpected," Minato nodded. "Madara himself admitted as much back then."
He exhaled softly. "Fortunately, Madara is already dead. Otherwise, your situation would be extremely dangerous."
The Mangekyō Sharingan's power was no small thing.
If Shisui had awakened it a few years earlier, Madara might have already set his sights on him.
"What do you plan to do next?" Minato asked.
"I intend to leave the village for a while—let things settle both in the clan and in Konoha. The hardliners have already been purged. The rest are mostly fence-sitters. As long as neither the clan nor the village destabilizes, nothing serious should happen."
Shisui's thinking was clear and orderly.
After wielding the butcher's blade, becoming clan head was no longer possible for him. As for becoming Hokage…
In an era like this—with no major wars—there was little stage for him to prove himself. The difficulty was enormous.
Minato considered for a moment, then said, "Why not join ANBU? We're short on manpower, and with your strength, you're more than qualified to serve as a squad leader."
"ANBU squad leader?"
Shisui was slightly taken aback.
In recent years, some Uchiha had joined ANBU, but the longest-serving among them had been Inabi—and he later withdrew for the sake of the clan.
To join directly as a squad leader…
"You know that the shinobi world is relatively peaceful right now," Minato explained. "ANBU still conducts patrols, but combat and special missions are rare. There aren't many chances to temper people in real situations. That's why I want to establish a proper ANBU training squad."
Minato was being completely candid.
An ANBU training squad.
The last person to hold such a position had since been publicly tried and executed.
Shisui paused for a moment, puzzled.
"Hokage-sama, aren't there already capable shinobi in ANBU? Is it really necessary for me to take this role?"
"There are—but they're all specialists."
Minato rubbed his temple.
At present, the strongest ANBU members were Gekkō Hayate and Mukai—one excelled in swordsmanship, the other in various forms of taijutsu. Neither was a true all-rounder.
Shisui was different.
Kenjutsu, ninjutsu, taijutsu, genjutsu—he excelled in all of them. A perfect instructor.
That realization was the result of Minato's full day of consideration.
If Shisui refused, the only alternative would be Kakashi—
But Kakashi's genjutsu simply couldn't compare to Shisui's.
"I see…"
Shisui's thoughts raced. He immediately understood that this appointment wasn't as simple as it appeared.
It wasn't just a position—it was a statement.
The Uchiha could hold high office.
And for the clan, this news would be deeply reassuring—perhaps even more so than his leaving the village.
After hesitating briefly, Shisui asked, "But how should I go about it? Danzō's old methods obviously won't work. If it's just straightforward training—"
"Didn't you run the Police Force quite well?" Minato smiled. "I've heard about it. In the Police Force, people like Inuzuka Hana were under you. You gave guidance outside regular missions. ANBU will be similar—just with more emphasis on mentoring and instruction."
Shisui thought it over, then nodded lightly.
"I'll give it a try. If it doesn't work out, I'll ask you to appoint someone else."
"You'll be perfect for it," Minato said with confidence. "Believe in yourself."
"I'll do my best," Shisui replied, letting out a breath.
Making this decision wasn't easy—but he knew it benefited both the clan and Konoha. And honestly, if he left the village, he wasn't even sure what he'd do.
Most likely, he'd just find somewhere rich in natural energy to cultivate—nothing more.
Staying in the village meant he could still contribute.
"Then from this moment on," Minato said, smiling, "you are an ANBU operative. Your codename is—"
"Changli," Shisui said, answering first.