Sarutobi Hiruzen began his performance.
Of course, he already knew what had happened to Uchiha Kagami's subordinates — but he had chosen not to intervene.
Why would he help a group of Uchiha who no longer served a purpose?
But now the situation was different.
Shisui was a valuable pawn, and Hiruzen could not afford to lose him.
Truthfully, his act was sloppy — Uchiha Jin would have spotted its flaws instantly.
Unfortunately, the one standing before him was Shisui — a Shisui who had been completely indoctrinated.
Shisui's face filled with gratitude as he interrupted the Hokage, speaking firmly:
> "No, this isn't Lord Hokage's fault!
You are burdened with countless duties every day — how could you possibly deal with such trivial matters?
The true culprits are those radicals within the clan. They are the ones deserving of blame!
Lord Hokage, please be at ease. As long as I, Shisui, am here, I will never allow those radicals to endanger the village!"
His voice was resolute.
Sarutobi Hiruzen smiled, satisfied.
After a short conversation, he spoke gently:
> "Shisui, you should return for now.
I fear that Fugaku alone may not be able to restrain the radicals.
Those victims were your grandfather's men — you have a duty to help Fugaku resolve this matter.
As for the village, we share some of the blame.
> "Therefore, I declare in the name of the Hokage: if the descendants of Kagami's followers face hardship and the Uchiha fail to support them, the village will bear the responsibility.
> "This is my failing as Hokage."
The Hokage's face was solemn, his tone heavy with sorrow.
Shisui felt his chest tighten. He nearly teared up, overwhelmed by gratitude.
What a just Hokage!
How could anyone in the clan accuse this man of bias?
He never realized that Sarutobi's generosity was merely words.
The men who had served Kagami had been purged long ago — their descendants were few and scattered.
The Hokage wouldn't need to spend a single ryo to fulfill this "promise."
This was Sarutobi Hiruzen's specialty — gaining virtue and favor without lifting a finger.
Better still, such a decree would deepen the divide between Uchiha moderates and radicals, further destabilizing the clan.
But Shisui understood none of this.
> "I thank Lord Hokage for his generosity, on behalf of Jin and the innocent," he said earnestly.
"Jin?" Sarutobi asked mildly.
Shisui quickly explained who Uchiha Jin was.
The Hokage nodded slightly, his goal achieved.
> "Very well, you may go.
Your mission will be reassigned — focus on helping Fugaku restore stability within the clan."
> "Yes, Lord Hokage. Thank you!"
Shisui left, grateful beyond words.
Once he was gone, Sarutobi's expression hardened.
> "Someone."
At once, a masked Anbu appeared, kneeling before him.
> "Lord Hokage."
> "Bring me Uchiha Jin's file."
The Anbu bowed and vanished.
Minutes later, a shadow clone of the same Anbu reappeared, placed a file on the desk, and dispersed.
Sarutobi ignored the clone, flipping open the folder.
The deeper he read, the more his brows furrowed.
Pathetic.
If Shisui was a prodigy, then Uchiha Jin was the clan's disgrace.
At twelve years old, Kakashi had already become a Jōnin.
Shisui himself was at the peak of Chūnin, with only a few missions standing between him and a promotion.
And Uchiha Jin?
Barely passing Academy standards.
His chakra reserves were pitifully low, and his only proficiency lay in the most basic Academy techniques.
Was this really an Uchiha?
Sarutobi felt a headache coming on.
Originally, he had intended to summon Jin, indoctrinate him with the Will of Fire, and use him to support Shisui's moderates.
But after reading this, he lost interest.
A boy this mediocre wasn't worth the effort.
Creak.
The office door opened.
An old man wrapped in bandages, leaning on a cane, entered without ceremony.
Shimura Danzō had arrived.