章 25: Chapter 25 - Problems with Shisui

The uprising of the Nine-Tails brought only grief and destruction to all the inhabitants of Konoha. Everywhere were destroyed buildings, scattered dead bodies and injured residents. Even those who were lucky enough to remain unharmed were like soulless puppets. This night claimed too many innocent lives.

Konoha Hospital.

Looking at Minato, who was unconscious in the hospital bed, Sarutobi Hiruzen frowned, "Why hasn't he woken up yet?" he asked the doctor standing next to him.

"Hokage-sama, Minato-sama's injuries are too serious, it's not even a matter of chakra depletion, the most serious injury is a wound in the chest area, if it were an ordinary person, he would have died a long time ago. He is only alive thanks to Kushina-sama's sacrifice, if she hadn't transferred most of her life force to him, I'm afraid we wouldn't be standing here right now." The head doctor looked very tired, with black circles under his eyes. to maintain the viability of the organism, whether it will come out of a coma or not, it is very difficult to say.

After listening to the Chief Medical Officer's explanation, Sarutobi Hiruzen's face became very grim, "If Tsunade is here, do you think she can handle it?"

"In medicine, Tsunade-sama is the best of us, maybe she really has a way to solve this problem," the head doctor wanted to believe in his own words, although they sounded completely unsure.

"Hokage-sama, what to do with the child?" An Anbu agent approached Hiruzen with Naruto in his arms.

Hiruzen looked at the baby, then at Minato, then sighed, "Send him to the Konoha Orphanage, and make sure he is well taken care of. In addition, his identity must be kept strictly secret, no one must know who he really is," Hiruzen ordered with icy severity.

The Anbu nodded and saluted as they left the hospital room with Naruto in their arms. Some time later, after the Anbu agent left, Kakashi entered the room, having recently received the news that his teacher was seriously injured and in a coma.

"Hokage-sama, he's sensei..." Kakashi asked anxiously looking at the Third Hokage's scowling face.

"He is seriously injured and barely survives, thanks to the help of doctors. At the expense of the coma, no one knows if he will wake up or not, - Hiruzen said as it is, not hiding anything, - Don't worry too much, I will organize a search party and return Tsunade to the village as soon as possible, I hope she can help him.

Kakashi sadly looked at his teacher, then turned to Hiruzen and asked: "Then what about the child, can I take care of him?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen shook his head in response, "You can't do it, besides, you have a job. Until Minato comes to his senses, I will leave Naruto's upbringing to the Konoha Orphanage."

"Konoha Orphanage? Isn't it that Hokage-sama, Minato-sensei, and Kushina-sama have sacrificed so much for the village that their child doesn't deserve better care?" Kakashi asked with a dark face.

"You don't need to remind me of their sacrifices, I know better than you that it was only thanks to them that peace was restored to the village. Regarding Naruto, his personality is now very sensitive as the Nine-Tails Jinchuuriki, so I decided to hide his identity and give him to an orphanage, where he will have everything he needs, I have already ordered about it. I'm sure if Minato were in my position, he would have done the same!"

***

On the third day after the tragedy, senior management took stock and announced the damage from the incident. Of the entire announcement, the following news was the main one: the Fourth Hokage was seriously injured and is in a coma, Uzumaki Kushina and Sarutobi Biwako, the wives of the Third and Fourth Hokage were killed, as were many shinobi, including Kurenai Yuha father, Iruka's parents and so on. The list of victims was quite long. Due to the condition of the Fourth Hokage, it was also announced that the Third Hokage had temporarily returned to the position of Hokage.

After that, there was a period of recovery. The Third Hokage stepped up the village's guards, ordered all Konoha shinobi to cut back on missions outside the village, and help rebuild.

In addition, the Third Hokage also ordered Jiraiya, who was on the lookout for Tsunade, to return to the village and become a deterrent. In return, he sent a special team in search of his student..

Taking a series of emergency measures, the Third Hokage convened a meeting of Konoha's high command to discuss a plan to rebuild the damaged areas. The head of the Uchiha clan, Fugaku, naturally had to attend this meeting, he asked Yuusuke to accompany him this time.

This was the first time that Yuusuke attended a senior management meeting. Sarutobi Hiruzen sat at the head of the table, Shimura Danzo to his right, and Homura Mitokado and Utatane Koharu to his left.

Behind the Third Hokage was an Anbu agent wearing a cat-faced mask. From his physique and hairdo, it was not difficult for Yusuke to figure out the agent's true identity, it was none other than Uchiha Shisui.

Apart from the council of elders and the Hokage himself, the rest of those present were the heads of great clans such as Hyuga, Nara, Ino, Akimichi, etcalley Behind each head of the clan stood one or two guards.

At first, the top leadership discussed some strategies for rebuilding the economy of the village after the war and resettling the wounded. While these two topics were being discussed, Danz stood up and took out a map that showed a village.

"The village has suffered a lot due to the attack of the Nine-Tails. Therefore, it was decided to make some changes to the zoning of the village," Danzo said slowly.

Danzo then made appropriate deployments for each clan, some remained where they were, while others were moved to more favorable locations, such as the Aburame clan moving from the original western part of the village to a forested area in the south where they could easily breed insects.

"When this area is rebuilt, the original location of the police station will need to be moved here," said Danzo, tapping his staff on the western edge of the village.

This place was located on the very outskirts of the village and was not suitable for the Uchiha clan, which was responsible for maintaining order in Konoha. It was clear that Danzo wanted to isolate the Uchiha clan from the main part of the village.

Seeing this, Fugaku immediately stood up and started arguing with him. Unfortunately Danzo was not alone, most of Konoha's senior leadership sided with him. Faced with this, Fugaku Uchiha was forced to compromise and sat down at the table again with a sigh.

The face behind Yusuke was expressionless, but he understood the current situation best of all. And he couldn't blame the head of the clan, everyone was against him, including the Hokage. However, Fugaku was not going to leave all this just like that, immediately after discussing the issue of relocating the clan, the head of the Uchiha clan raised the issue of the blockade of the Uchiha clan by Shimura Danzo during the attack of the Nine-Tails.

The Third Hokage decided to blame everything on Danzo, chastising him in front of everyone, thereby causing the latter's face to turn black like the bottom of a saucepan, and the meeting ended there.

After leaving the meeting room, Uchiha Fugaku looked so tired, as if he had gone through a great battle.

"Yusuke, you see the situation we are in right now. It is very difficult for us now, we cannot afford to take a wrong step! Fugaku Uchiha sighed. "Just one slip and we will have to pay a huge price."

Yusuke did not answer the clan leader's lamentations, but simply nodded in understanding.

"But you don't have to think much, just improve your strength. I have high hopes for you! Fugaku Uchiha patted Yuusuke on the shoulder and continued. "I have some other things to do, so I'll go."

After saying goodbye to Yusuke, Fugaku left. Looking at Fugaku's back, Yuusuke couldn't help but wonder, "Perhaps the only way out of the current predicament is for someone from the Uchiha clan to become Hokage?"

Suddenly, a voice came from behind Yuusuke, snapping him out of his thoughts.

"Yusuke-senpai, what do you think about the measures taken by the top leadership at today's clan meeting." Yusuke turned around and saw that Uchiha Shisui in the form of an Anbu agent was approaching him.

"I don't have an opinion," Yusuke replied dryly, he knew full well that whatever he said to this man would reach the Third Hokage's ears.

Yusuke's answer did not satisfy Shisui, he hoped to find like-minded people who would help integrate the clan into the village, and pinned his hopes on Yusuke, but in the end the latter did not live up to his hopes.

Looking at Yusuke, who was still indifferent towards the clan, Shisui's hesitation completely disappeared, "Yusuke-senpai, I officially challenge you! Three days later, at the Konoha Stadium," Shisui said solemnly, looking at Yuusuke.

Yuusuke didn't like Shisui's words, and the knowledge that this fool didn't know that he was just a pawn even made him a little angry: "Is it because of the rumors? I don't think you're the type who cares about such trifles."

Shisui shook his head, "You're right, I don't care about them, but right now I'm obligated to get this so-called useless title. The clan is in a very dangerous situation, and I must become the most prestigious shinobi in the clan, the only way I can help the clan avoid a crisis!"

After a few seconds of silence, Yusuke looked into Shisui's eyes and calmly asked, "Are you sure you're on the right track?"

With firm determination, Shisui said, "I am more confident than ever in my life!! Only when the clan puts aside their shortsightedness and narrow-mindedness, follows the advice of the Third Hokage-sama, and integrates into the village, can our clan be reborn!"

Taking a deep look at Shisui, Yuusuke turned and walked away.

"Your challenge Shisui Uchiha, I accept it!" - Yusuke no longer addressed Shisui as a friend or close acquaintance, only a detached formality remained, from now on only this way and nothing else.