"Shiyu, do not speak disrespectfully of the Hokage," said Uchiha Shizhi, though her tone wasn't particularly stern.
"Okay okay, I get it. Our Hokage didn't receive even a hint of news at all. He couldn't even grasp intelligence about the alliance of the Four Great Nations. He's completely incompetent and entirely unworthy of his position," Shiyu Uchiha replied half-heartedly apologetic at first, before quickly turning sarcastic again toward Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Uchiha Shizhi glared at Shiyu Uchiha again but kept quiet this time—she actually found his earlier words quite convincing. More importantly, she herself held no respect for that Hokage whatsoever.
After all, if Hiruzen Sarutobi really hadn't received any information, that would be a clear sign of incompetence; but if he had received reports yet chose to remain inactive, that would imply something even more serious.
Actually, Uchiha Shizhi hadn't truly been defending Hiruzen Sarutobi just then. She was merely warning her son that such words shouldn't be spoken outside their home, because everyone knew the Hokage had long oppressed the ninja clans both openly and behind the scenes. The Uchiha clan, being the most powerful family in Konoha, had suffered the most damage—there was no way their relationship could possibly be amicable.
Then Uchiha Shizhi asked Shiyu Uchiha, "What do you think? Does Lady Mito know?"
"I don't know, since I don't understand her well. But I believe she must have sensed something already. Still, she won't openly confront it herself—we need to give her a little push," Shiyu Uchiha responded ruthlessly.
"Isn't that inappropriate?" Uchiha Shizhi replied rather unconvincingly.
"We don't have to say anything directly either; that would seem too intentional and risk offending people. We can simply suggest that Hiruzen Sarutobi failed to recognize the incompetence shown by the alliance of the Four Great Nations, while mentioning that even the ninken (summoning hounds) noticed some whispers, though they couldn't dig up anything else."
"We could also subtly imply to Lady Mito how delayed the Hokage's response seemed during the rescue operation that saved the last surviving orphans of the Uzumaki clan, as though he were secretly coordinating with someone. Eventually, Lady Mito will connect the dots herself."
Although they were inside their own home, Shiyu Uchiha still instinctively lowered his voice as he spoke. After hearing this, Uchiha Shizhi unconsciously nodded her head in agreement. Then mother and son exchanged thoughts further before quietly burying this topic deep within their hearts.
Three days later, Uchiha Shizhi brought Shiyu Uchiha to visit Lady Mito Uzumaki. There, the Uchiha pair also saw Gekko Ryo and Izuno Hiroshi, and even Shinku Yuhi, who had just returned to the village.
Clearly, Lady Mito had specially gathered them together—to express gratitude for rescuing those orphaned survivors of the Uzumaki clan, and to discuss some private matters with Uchiha Shizhi.
Shinku Yuhi had already learned beforehand about Uchiha Shizhi through Shiyu Uchiha. Having long admired this senior known for her mastery of genjutsu, the moment they met, Shinku could intuitively tell that her expertise in Yin Release far surpassed his own.
Later, introduced by Shiyu Uchiha, Shinku Yuhi got to know her casually and planned to seek guidance from this respected elder in the future.
Hosted warmly by Lady Mito, they all sat down for a warm meal together. After dinner, Lady Mito presented each of the three with a scroll of ninjutsu as a token of appreciation for their previous assistance.
Gekko Ryo received two scrolls of sword techniques and a copy of the Shifting Body Technique; Izuno Hiroshi was given three Yang Release secret jutsu—all precious treasures of the Senju clan.
They also presented Shinku Yuhi with an A-rank genjutsu personally created by the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju—the Bringer-of-Darkness Technique—along with its development notes, originally handwritten by Tobirama himself and later copied overnight by Tsunade. This illusion technique combined visual suppression and sensing abilities, and had proven its power through countless Uchiha lives lost to it.
Shiyu Uchiha received a tanto forged from chakra metal, handed to him by Ling Uzumaki. After testing it, Shiyu discovered that the blade conducted chakra extremely well—an extremely rare trait throughout the ninja world.
Moreover, the sword's body was far more durable and sharper than he had expected. It was a top-tier treasure combining high chakra conductivity, durability, and sharpness—undoubtedly one of the finest blades in the entire ninja world. It was exactly the kind of weapon Shiyu had always dreamed of owning.
Shiyu took it for a few practice swings and found it perfectly suited him. Delighted—as if receiving a pillow just as he was about to fall asleep—he quickly stood up to thank Mito Uzumaki.
Mito Uzumaki then asked, "Shiyu, this blade now belongs to you. Give it a name. Since it was forged, it has never had one."
Shiyu first stood upright, then lowered his head to think, drawing a blank and feeling slightly awkward. But soon, he came up with a clever way to avoid the issue: "Elder, my current swordsmanship doesn't match this blade yet. I hope to earn the honor of naming it only when my strength becomes worthy of it. That way, I won't disgrace it, and it will serve as motivation for me. How does that sound?"
"It already belongs to you; it's your decision." Mito merely asked out of casual interest and didn't care much about Shiyu's answer. She let him decide for himself and then gestured for him to sit back down.
After Shiyu sat properly, he glanced casually at Ling Uzumaki, slightly puzzled about why she looked flushed. However, not particularly curious, he didn't press further.
Soon afterward, the other four people departed one after another, with Ling Uzumaki and her group following them out.
However, once only the four of them remained in the meeting hall, silence fell over the room. Shiyu could only exchange glances with Tsunade. Wanting to ease the quiet atmosphere, Tsunade casually asked, "Kid, what are your thoughts on war?"
Tsunade was outwardly asking Shiyu but actually speaking to Uchiha Shizhi, trying to gauge her stance toward Konoha.
Shiyu lowered his head briefly, recalling the conversation between his mother and Mito Uzumaki. He knew he couldn't afford to seem weak.
So he replied, "Individual reasons for war vary wildly and can be anything. But ninety-nine percent of collective wars are due to disputes over interests."
Hearing this unusual response, Tsunade fell into deep thought. As someone skilled in politics, she realized that although simple, this statement made a lot of sense—one she couldn't easily refute.
However, Uchiha Shizhi and Mito Uzumaki did not remain silent. After Tsunade's words broke the quiet, they continued speaking and moved deeper into the inner room for a private discussion.
After a while, Mito Uzumaki called Tsunade in as well, leaving Shiyu Uchiha alone in the room yawning.
It was quite a while longer before Uchiha Shizhi finally finished his conversation with Mito Uzumaki. Then Uchiha Shizhi and Shiyu Uchiha went back home together. On their way home, Shiyu Uchiha sensed that Uchiha Shizhi seemed somewhat different from usual—there was a relaxed feeling about him.
Once they got home, Shiyu Uchiha quizzed, "Hey, what's up? Why do you seem so happy, Mother?"
"Really? You noticed? I've got *three* reasons to be happy today, Shiyu. Care to guess?"
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