Since he could think this deeply, how could he not have a solution?
The moment that thought crossed Shisui's mind, his hesitation vanished. He immediately shook Uchiha Jin awake, who had been lying back with his eyes closed, enjoying the sunlight.
"Jin, wake up!" Shisui urged, voice filled with desperation.
"You must have a solution — tell me! Even if you've lost faith in the clan because of the radicals, we still share the same blood. You can't just watch the Uchiha be annihilated!"
Uchiha Jin opened one eye, visibly annoyed.
"...Seriously?" he muttered under his breath. He hadn't expected this of all things — Shisui asking him for help.
Good job, he thought grimly. That's what I get for saying too much.
He hadn't planned to get into heavy talk today. Especially not with someone like Shisui — someone whose heart still burned too brightly with loyalty and hope. People like him had to be guided slowly, not flooded with the truth all at once.
Still… a little push in the right direction wouldn't hurt. And throwing more shade at Sarutobi Hiruzen was always fair game.
Jin sighed, shaking his head. "Shisui, don't shake me. I'm just a kid. What could I possibly do?"
"The gap between the Uchiha and the Hokage's faction is too great. Think about it — the Uchiha are proud, arrogant, short-sighted. They think they're invincible just because of their bloodline and Sharingan."
"It's not that they're stupid — it's that they don't realize they're stupid."
"They still think the world runs on glory and strength, like during the Warring States era. Back then, a strong clan could conquer everything. But this is the age of villages now. The world has changed."
"Even if the Uchiha are strong, they're still part of a system — Konoha's system. Kill Sarutobi Hiruzen? Then what? You won't just be fighting him. You'll be fighting the Sarutobi, the Shimura, the Utatane, the Mitokado, the Ino–Shika–Chō, the Aburame, the Inuzuka — and every civilian who depends on the village to live."
He smirked coldly. "Even if we acted like the Hyūga and just swallowed our pride, we'd only lose a bit of face. But the Uchiha? The Uchiha can't bow. We're too proud for that. And that pride will destroy us."
He sat up, tone sharpening. "Forget the entire village — even the Sarutobi clan alone isn't something the Uchiha can deal with anymore."
"Back when Konoha was founded, the Sarutobi were a small family that defected from another village. But now? After decades under Hiruzen's rule… do you know how many ninja they have?"
Shisui frowned. "...How many?"
"Over three thousand," Jin replied flatly. "Nearly four thousand shinobi, all supported by village funds."
He continued, voice edged with scorn. "Meanwhile, the Uchiha scrape by with six or seven hundred active members, mostly from the Police Force. We work to earn every ryo through missions, while the Sarutobi control Konoha's finances — feeding their own clan through the budget every year."
"And tell me this — during all the great wars, how many Sarutobi did you see die on the frontlines?"
Shisui's silence was answer enough.
"The Sarutobi grow stronger in peace, while the Uchiha bleed on the battlefield," Jin said, eyes narrowing. "Can that even be compared?"
"Rebellion? Taking the Hokage's seat? That's a joke. If the Sarutobi alone fielded four thousand ninja, could the Uchiha even defeat three of them?"
"One man's spit could drown us."
He leaned back with a humorless chuckle. "Now do you understand why I hide my strength, Shisui?"
"The Uchiha are tearing themselves apart. Fugaku's leadership is useless — he lets the radicals and loyalists feud like children while our numbers dwindle. Why should I waste my life following fools like that?"
He exhaled slowly. "Even the Hokage faction isn't that suicidal. If I followed the clan now, I'd probably end up counting the money for them after they sold themselves to the elders."
"I'd rather stay quiet. Live freely. Watch it all burn."
Then, with a faint smirk, he added, "Here's my advice — be more open-minded. Don't waste your heart on lost causes."
"Nothing in this world is difficult… if you just give up."
Shisui's eye twitched. "Give up…?" He almost shouted it. The very idea was alien to him. No matter how bleak things seemed, surrender had never crossed his mind.
But still…
As he replayed Jin's words, he felt his beliefs beginning to crack. The Uchiha's position… the Sarutobi's hidden power… everything sounded disturbingly plausible.
He remembered walking through the Sarutobi district during his reports to the Hokage — rows upon rows of well-kept homes, training yards filled with ninja, families bustling with life.
Back then, he had thought, So this is the Hokage's clan. Prosperous indeed.
Now he realized how blind he'd been.
When Konoha was founded, the Sarutobi were a minor family. How had they grown so vast and wealthy in just a few decades under Hiruzen's reign?
Now, Jin had given him the answer — the village finances.
The Uchiha Police lived modestly, underfunded and disregarded. The Hokage's office rarely allocated resources to them.
So where did the money go?
The Daimyō of the Land of Fire sent over two billion ryō in annual funding, yet Konoha itself hadn't improved much — if anything, it had grown more strained.
Mission rewards came from clients, not the village treasury. The Hokage's office actually earned a cut from every job completed.
The hospital didn't need that much funding.
The Anbu's budget, even with its secrecy, wouldn't exceed twenty million a year.
The Torture and Interrogation Unit? The Mission Hall? The Academy? Pennies in comparison.
And during wartime, the Daimyō sent additional funds specifically for weapons and logistics.
So then…
Where did all the money go?