Elders such as these, who had weathered countless storms, had long since possessed eyes that could see through everything.
Was the Hokage's purpose in specifically summoning the Commander-in-Chief and Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Anbu to attend not precisely to use this power to pressure them?
Although a sense of distrust toward the Uchiha still lingered in their hearts, the name Uchiha Kagami, and the expectations they held for his grandson, ultimately led them to make a concession.
They were giving this "face" to their departed comrade.
Of course, the prerequisite for everything was that Uchiha Kagami's grandson—that young man named Shisui—could truly take over the reins of the clan's power.
The person they trusted was Uchiha Kagami, not the current Clan Head!
At this moment, the gazes of the two advisors turned toward Takuno simultaneously, carrying a hint of re-evaluation.
How could this young man be so familiar with their past? How could he strike the chord regarding Uchiha Kagami so precisely?
If he hadn't conducted a deep investigation and known both himself and his opponents, how could he have achieved such a feat?
It seemed that their previous perception of this head of the intelligence department had been a gross underestimate.
Takuno's presence had seemed low-key, even leading people to believe for a time that he merely relied on the favor of the Fourth Hokage.
But after this encounter, his hidden, precise insight and control over intelligence had caused the two advisors to completely cast aside their contempt.
He was indeed the right person to sit in this position, far more dangerous than they had imagined.
"Furthermore, Commander-in-Chief." Minato's voice pulled everyone's thoughts back.
"Present." Takuno immediately focused his mind and responded respectfully.
"Shortly, I will personally notify Clan Head Fugaku and require him to fully cooperate with you in conducting a comprehensive review of the internal situation of the Uchiha clan."
Minato's tone became serious and deep. "Any hidden danger that might jeopardize the stability of the village must be nipped in the bud with every effort; the sparks must be thoroughly extinguished. This is an extremely important mission."
He commanded in a low voice.
"Yes..." Takuno sighed silently in his heart.
This task sounded simple, but its implications were deep. To conduct such an investigation within the sensitive and complex Uchiha clan was no different from walking on the edge of a blade; the difficulty could well be imagined.
"Of course, I know this isn't easy," Minato clearly perceived Takuno's concerns, a gentle yet firm smile appearing on his face as his gaze turned to the other side. "The Deputy Commander-in-Chief will assist you fully."
"Yes! Lord Hokage!" Kakashi immediately stood ramrod straight, his tone filled with unprecedented seriousness and determination.
At the same time, the look in his eyes as he watched Takuno was almost overflowing with admiration.
The clash where Takuno had just argued strongly with the two Advisors Elders and successfully guided the direction of the meeting—the wisdom and boldness he displayed—had deeply impressed this young Anbu elite.
One meeting had unexpectedly gained Takuno a "little fanboy."
"Then, Lord Hokage, we shall take our leave as well." Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu stood up, speaking with complex expressions. "We hope... that your vision will ultimately bring long-term peace to the village."
Their words still carried inherent doubts about the Uchiha, but their baseline desire for the stability of the village was also clearly expressed at this moment.
Compared to their dislike of the Uchiha, the peace of the village was ultimately more important.
"Advisors, please take care." Minato bowed slightly in acknowledgement, watching the two highly experienced elders leave the meeting room.
The heavy doors of the Hokage's office closed quietly behind the two advisors, and for a moment, the room fell into a brief silence.
Minato's tensed shoulders relaxed imperceptibly. He turned to Takuno at his side, his face no longer showing the gravity and restraint he held before the advisors, but rather a sincere smile of relief.
"Senpai, it was truly thanks to you being here this time."
The young Fourth Hokage's original expectations were nowhere near this smooth.
Even with an experienced senior like Takuno and his beloved disciple Kakashi assisting him, he knew that the stubbornness and persistence of the two advisors, Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu, were by no means easy to deal with.
However, Takuno's performance had greatly exceeded his expectations.
When the advisors used "following the research of the Second Hokage" as a shield to try and block all possibilities of reform regarding the Uchiha clan...
Takuno had almost immediately paid them back in their own coin, calmly bringing up the older, more symbolic "inclusive vision of the First Hokage when he established Konoha."
Following that, Takuno had even more skillfully awakened their buried memories regarding the long-departed Uchiha Kagami.
This recollection of a mutual old friend and former comrade-in-arms was like a stone thrown into a calm lake, instantly rippling with the "old sentiments" in the hearts of the two elders.
Time is heartless; the older people get, the easier it is to wallow in the past.
Perhaps when Uchiha Kagami was alive, the friendship between them wasn't necessarily deep enough to shake their stubborn positions.
But at this moment, the dual halo of "memory" and "sacrifice"—especially considering Senpai Kagami's heroic end of dying for the village—caused the emotional power contained within to be instantly magnified several times over.
Adding more weight was the unavoidable guilt over their own camp's past mistakes: Danzo's despicable act of privately gouging out Kagami's Sharingan for his own use had always been a massive weight of unresolvable guilt pressing on their hearts...
It was the interweaving and overlapping of these complex and heavy factors that finally pried open the advisors' stubbornness, barely trading for a tacit agreement to maintain the status quo.
Minato knew very well that if he were to rashly propose core issues such as giving the Uchiha clan the right to be elected Hokage at this moment, then the small amount of sentiment Takuno had painstakingly built by relying on Uchiha Kagami would vanish instantly, potentially even intensifying the conflict.
He shook his head slightly, dispelling the overly aggressive thoughts from his mind.
He had never harbored the extravagant hope that the Uchiha clan could obtain the right to be elected Hokage in the short term.
The advisors' concerns—the deep distrust and potential instability between the Uchiha clan and the village—did indeed exist.
Before resolving these fundamental contradictions, moving too fast could very likely be counterproductive.
The direction Takuno proposed during the confrontation with the advisors—resolving the problem of amplified negative emotions universally present during the awakening process of Uchiha clansmen through deep research—instead seemed particularly critical and practically feasible.
A determined light flashed in Minato's eyes. While the Second Hokage was an unparalleled genius in the field of ninjutsu development, as the generation of successors, it was not impossible for them to blaze a new trail in a field that the former sage had not completely conquered.
"This was all within my duty." Takuno nodded slightly, though his expression did not relax because of the temporary victory.
"However, Lord Hokage, in all fairness, while the views of the two advisors appear biased and extreme, they are not entirely without reason or basis. Their concerns stem from considerations for the village's safety and are worth being vigilant about."
Minato deeply agreed, his expression becoming solemn once more. "What Senpai says is absolutely correct; I understand the weight of it. Please rest assured, I will use the utmost caution to work on maintaining and improving the relationship between the village and the Uchiha, seeking breakthroughs amidst stability."
Kakashi, who had been observing in silence, was now filled with an indescribable confusion in his heart.
He had originally intended to strive for the rights of the Uchiha clan as much as possible out of his promise and guilt toward his late friend Obito.
However, the intense collision between Takuno and the advisors—revolving around history, emotion, interest, and policy—had allowed him to see the deep-seated, interlocking internal problems of the Uchiha clan more clearly than ever before.
It was like a bucket of cold water being poured over him, leaving him in a dilemma. If he continued to speak up for the Uchiha, would it instead foster some kind of instability?
Would his surge of goodwill truly lead in the right direction?
His gaze involuntarily turned toward his teacher, Minato.
Seeing the gentle yet firm expression on his teacher's face, Kakashi's tensed heartstrings relaxed slightly.
His teacher was clearly adopting a rational and inclusive strategy of "gentle persuasion," aiming to resolve contradictions rather than intensify opposition.
This meant he did not have to immediately face that painful choice: if the village and the Uchiha truly reached a point of irreconcilable hostility, should he stand with the kin of his departed best friend, or follow his own teacher?
"Sensei," Kakashi suppressed the turmoil in his heart and volunteered, his voice low and clear, "I will go now to arrange personnel to strengthen monitoring and information gathering across all areas of the village. I will ensure those potential friction points do not escalate into incidents."
This was the most practical support he could provide.
"Mm, thank you for your hard work, Kakashi." Minato looked at his most brilliant yet most pain-burdened student, his eyes full of warm concern. "The mission is important, but remember even more to take care of yourself. You must get some proper rest."
Kakashi nodded silently, his figure quietly withdrawing from the Hokage's office as if melting into the shadows.
Watching the slightly lonely back of his beloved disciple, who seemed to always depart with a hint of heaviness, Minato couldn't help but let out an almost inaudible sigh.
This child was exceptionally gifted, yet he had endured too much loss at an age when he should have been flourishing, and to this day he had not fully emerged from that heavy gloom.
Over the years, he and his wife Kushina had poured countless efforts into guiding and accompanying him, but the effect was ultimately limited.
Kakashi's stubborn retention of that transplanted Sharingan, refusing the proposal to temporarily seal it to reduce the burden on his body, was the most vivid manifestation of this obsession.
Minato knew well that compared to an average Jōnin, Kakashi's chakra levels weren't low, but they weren't high either.
With his talent, he should have possessed a vast amount of chakra far beyond his current level.
However, that Sharingan was like a vortex constantly draining power, greatly limiting the upper growth limit of his chakra reserves.
This heavy persistence, just like the past he couldn't let go of, was silently consuming him.
Even as his teacher, he couldn't easily say the words to tell him to let go of the past.
As Kakashi's departing figure vanished behind the door, Takuno leaned forward slightly, his gaze falling on the golden figure behind the desk as he spoke.
"Lord Hokage, regarding the frequent disturbances lately... it seems that within the Uchiha clan, it isn't just a case of ordinary individuals losing emotional control? A conflict of this scale and nature likely has deeper organization and premeditation behind it?"
Takuno wasn't asking casually. These were not accidental ripples, but the precursor to a long-brewing storm.
The Uchiha clan must have encountered some dramatic change—a power sufficient to ignite stagnant ambition and twist the will of some clansmen. Just as he secretly guessed in his heart, that legendary Mangekyō Sharingan had already reappeared in the world.
Minato did not intend to hide anything from Takuno. He raised his azure eyes, a weight showing in their depths as he spoke solemnly.
"Senpai has sharp insight. Indeed, within the Uchiha clan... that power which only exists in the records of ancient texts has awakened once again."
"Mangekyō Sharingan?" Takuno asked as if hearing it for the first time, though he thought clearly in his heart: As expected.
Minato had a grave expression and nodded slowly.
"Then," Takuno narrowed his eyes slightly, his fingertips unconsciously tapping on the back of his chair, "is it the arrival of this 'legendary power' that has allowed certain people in the clan... to see the phantom of 'hope' once again?"
"Perhaps... it is." Minato's tone carried a hint of uncertain drifting.
He had never personally seen the soul-capturing power of the Mangekyō. Could a vague and ethereal legend truly change the human heart so violently and ignite such a prairie fire?
He harbored doubts, but other than that, he truly could not find a more reasonable explanation.
"Which one has obtained this power?" Takuno timely revealed a perfectly measured "curiosity."
At the mention of this, the corner of Minato's tensed mouth finally pulled into an almost imperceptible curve—a complex expression mixed with relief and concern.
"The silver lining in the misfortune... is Shisui. Shisui has successfully awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan."
"So it's him." Takuno nodded with understanding, his tone calm as if this result, while unexpected, was within reason, carrying a sense of "just as I thought."
He pondered for a moment, then tossed out a key proposal: "Since it is Shisui... Lord Hokage, could you follow the momentum and consider pushing him to truly become the leader of the Uchiha clan?"
He looked up directly at Minato and analyzed: "If he were to take charge of the clan, with the deep roots between his grandfather Uchiha Kagami and the two advisors, this blood tie might become a bridge. At least it would allow the two Advisors Elders... to soften their attitude."
Hearing this, Minato showed a look of agreement, but then shook his head helplessly.
"What Senpai says is a beneficial direction for both the village and the clan. However..."
He sighed softly, his finger trailing across the desk. "The succession within a clan is, after all, the Uchiha's private business. Even as the Hokage, I must strictly observe boundaries. Forcible intervention will only be counterproductive."
Takuno nodded in deep understanding; the power of the Hokage was not infinite.
Seeing that the core business was concluded, Takuno stood up and bowed. "Then, Lord Hokage, if there is nothing else, I shall take my leave first."
Minato also stood up, a gentle and sincere smile reappearing on his face. "Thank you for your hard work, Senpai. Shortly, I will arrange for the Anbu to lead Fugaku to your place to assist you in handling the affairs of the Uchiha clan."
Takuno simply waved his hand casually in acknowledgement, and his figure steadily disappeared behind the door of the Hokage's office.