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"This is really troublesome…" Midorima scratched his head.
Originally, within the Uchiha clan, there were already many who advocated rebellion. People like Shisui or Itachi were the exceptions.
Just think—the Uchiha clan had already been harboring thoughts of rebellion, and now, with this incident, they were being framed for something they might not have done. How could they not be furious?
From Midorima's perspective, the Uchiha clan might not have been entirely innocent in "taking the blame." After all, the Uchiha had long been at odds with Konoha, and there were likely some underhanded dealings happening in the shadows.
"The higher-ups in Konoha also know they're in the wrong, especially since Danzo was the one pushing for measures against the Uchiha. Now, Fugaku is pressing the issue aggressively. The higher-ups initially didn't want to escalate things further, but now their pride is at stake, and they're starting to get genuinely angry," Tsunade added.
In other words, they were being sore losers who wanted to quit the game.
Midorima rolled his eyes. He understood this feeling all too well. The Konoha higher-ups had already lost their composure.
It wasn't that Uchiha Fugaku couldn't push back—it was that if he pushed too hard, he might end up hitting a nerve.
"Wait, you've already let things get this bad—what exactly do you expect me to do?" Midorima spread his hands helplessly.
This wasn't about cleaning up a mess—it was practically preparing for the aftermath of a disaster.
"Well, it's because you've been silent all this time," Tsunade grumbled.
"It's not that I didn't want to help, but I'm an outsider. If things go wrong and I end up getting branded a criminal by Konoha… tch, I might as well just die," Midorima shook his head.
"If you really do get branded a criminal over this, there's only one way that could happen—and that's if I'm dead," Tsunade said firmly. "Besides, I promise you this—as long as I'm alive, you'll always be a friend of Konoha."
Midorima sighed. "If only you were the Hokage… At least then I could walk openly on the streets of Konoha instead of hiding like this."
Tsunade suddenly fell silent.
Midorima glanced at her and noticed her expression had turned serious.
"Don't tell me the Third Hokage really intends to pass the position to you?" Midorima asked in surprise.
Most shinobi wouldn't be able to handle it, but Sarutobi Hiruzen had already done it once before.
As the saying went—there's only zero times and infinite times.
"Yeah. On one hand, my teacher was injured this time and needs time to recover. On the other, Danzo's 'Root' was established with his tacit approval, so he feels responsible. And then there are those experiments… Of course, I think the main reason is that the fire destroyed a lot of Konoha's jutsu scrolls. Right now, there aren't many in the village who can make up for that loss, and my teacher happens to be one of them. Plus, he believes he's the one who burned those scrolls, so he feels obligated to restore them. Compiling the lost scrolls is a time-consuming task, so…"
Midorima thought about it and figured the Third Hokage was mostly just embarrassed. After all, being betrayed by someone he trusted was downright humiliating.
"Still, this is just my teacher's idea. I'm still considering it," Tsunade added.
"Considering what?" Midorima laughed. "You don't actually think the Uchiha situation will be easy to handle, do you? Without authority, how do you expect to resolve this crisis?"
"So, you're willing to share your thoughts?" Tsunade quickly asked.
"Even if I tell you, what's the point? The most important factor here is time… To resolve this crisis, it'll take at least ten years—maybe even twenty."
"That long?" Tsunade was stunned.
"What did you expect? This isn't like the Chunin Exams, where everything's wrapped up in a week," Midorima said, rolling his eyes again. "Think about it—how long has it been since the Nine-Tails incident? Has the conflict been resolved? How many people have been dragged into this mess? If you can fix this in twenty years, you should be celebrating."
Tsunade rubbed her temples. Midorima was right—she had been too impatient.
"Then, please tell me what I should do."
"Before that, why don't you explain the specifics of the situation between Konoha and the Uchiha clan?" Midorima suggested.
He probably knew more about it than Tsunade did, but he had to follow procedure. Otherwise, anything he said next would seem too abrupt.
What if Tsunade suddenly accused him, "You know so much—are you a spy?" Who would he complain to then?
Tsunade nodded and began detailing the stances and points of conflict between the two sides. Midorima asked a few follow-up questions about potential key details before finally saying, "Right now, any rash move from either side could lead to catastrophic losses—losses that would be hard to recover from. But getting the Uchiha clan to let go of their resentment won't be easy either. Similarly, the higher-ups in Konoha, including the village elders, all have grievances against the Uchiha. And while the Uchiha oversee the Police Force, it might seem prestigious, but they don't actually hold much real power."
"Think about it—when it comes to shedding blood, the Uchiha haven't bled any less than other clans. But when it comes to Konoha's higher-ups—whether it's the elders, the head of the ANBU, or the head of the Education Department—none of those positions are held by an Uchiha. The leader of their entire clan is just the captain of the Police Force. Tell me, would you be satisfied with that?"
Tsunade gave an awkward smile.
The distrust of the Uchiha had started with Tobirama Senju. The current situation wasn't something the Third Hokage had created alone.
"Originally, the Fourth Hokage might have been able to improve relations between the two sides. He had enough prestige, and Obito was his student. If Obito had grown up, he might have had a chance to become part of Konoha's leadership, which could have eased the Uchiha's resentment. But then Obito died, and the Fourth Hokage was killed by the Nine-Tails. That was like tearing down the bridge all over again."
Mentioning Obito gave Midorima a headache, but since Tsunade didn't know Obito was still alive, he had to keep up the act.
"So, the conflict between the two sides has been building for a long time. The entire Konoha leadership is wary of the Uchiha, and the Uchiha aren't fools—they have plenty of sharp individuals among them. They're well aware of Konoha's little schemes. If this issue isn't resolved, the tension between Konoha and the Uchiha will never go away."
Tsunade's expression darkened. After a long silence, she finally said, "I know that's the case, but with both sides distrusting each other, it's hard for the Uchiha to enter Konoha's decision-making ranks."
"That was before. This time, Danzo messed up, and the Uchiha are furious while Konoha's leadership is in the wrong. In this situation, if there's someone who can earn the trust of both sides and become part of Konoha's leadership, it might help cool tensions."
"Is there even such a person?" Tsunade asked skeptically.
Someone who could gain the approval of Konoha's higher-ups and satisfy the Uchiha? That kind of person was nearly impossible to find.
Midorima sighed. "What a shame about Shisui."
Tsunade opened her mouth but couldn't find the words to respond.
Indeed, Shisui—like his ancestor Kagami—had been an outstanding shinobi, fiercely loyal, and self-sacrificing. During his lifetime, he hadn't just been the Uchiha clan's finest; he'd also achieved great feats in the last war, earning immense respect.
His death wasn't just a loss for the Uchiha—it was a loss for Konoha. And after Midorima mentioned his name, Tsunade understood that truth even more deeply.