At this time, Koharu gave the Uchiha group a cold look, and Homura snorted, both seemingly saying to the Uchiha, "Good of you to be sensible, we'll let the Uchiha off this time."
Then, they were about to open the meeting.
At that moment, Shikaku stepped forward. "You two, may I preside over this meeting?"
Koharu and Homura looked at each other and thought it was acceptable. There was no reason for the superiors to work themselves to death while subordinates sat idly by. So, they took a step back and had their clan guards bring two grand armchairs, sitting one on each side behind Shikaku.
This made many ninjas feel slightly uncomfortable, but thinking that they were elders, Hokage Advisors, and the most senior people in the village, no one objected.
However, Shisui, Fugaku, and Itachi exchanged glances with strange expressions.
Fugaku: People like this can actually be Hokage Advisors?
Itachi: The Third practiced nepotism, these pests need to be eliminated quickly.
Shisui: Let's see what Shikaku wants to do first.
As the three of them withdrew their gazes, they glanced at the Uchiha Clan Members behind them who were wearing indignant expressions, as well as some others whose lips were twitching. They noted each of them down, categorizing them into those who needed to be disciplined and those who were clever.
Shikaku observed the changes in the expressions of the Uchiha and the others, his cheeks twitching slightly.
The Uchiha were already formidable, and now, under Hiromi's leadership, they had even learned his specialty—scheming.
And they were not arrogant.
The Uchiha were growing.
Given time...
He actually felt a strong sense of security. If Konoha were handed over to such Uchiha, then Konoha would reign supreme over the world, and might even recreate the glory of when Konoha was first founded.
Chaotic thoughts flashed through his mind, and Shikaku looked at the crowd in front of him, saying, "Everyone, Iwagakure and Kumogakure outside the village intend to start a war and are already closing in on Konoha. Hokage-sama has sacrificed himself, and Konoha is without a leader. If possible, I, Nara Shikaku, am willing to take on the position of acting Hokage."
Upon hearing these words, the ninjas were startled.
Weren't you always supposed to stand behind the Hokage? Now you are actually coveting the position of Hokage?
Before they could express their opinions, Koharu and Homura, who were sitting behind them, glared and slammed the table, rising abruptly.
"Absolutely not!"
Koharu and Homura were both Hokage Advisors, and they knew how busy the Hokage could be. They also knew their own abilities, and compared to Hiruzen and Danzo, the gap was easy to see. Therefore, let alone the position of Hokage, they didn't have much ambition even for the position of Hokage assistant.
But now, the position of acting Hokage had arrived. For them, it was an excellent opportunity. Even if it was just for a short while, even just a few days, it could greatly enhance their status—the person who stepped up to be the acting Hokage when Hiruzen sacrificed himself, leaving the village without a leader, saving the village from dire straits.
They could already imagine it—walking down the street, seeing everyone in the village looking at them with eyes full of reverence.
They couldn't help but smile but the next second, they looked at each other, filled with sharp hostility.
As for Shikaku, they didn't take him to heart. He was just a Jonin leader. While his status in the village was high, compared to the position of Hokage Advisor, he could only be considered a subordinate.
Especially since the two of them, as Hokage Advisors, had said no, what else could he say?
Shikaku had long expected this, so he stopped speaking, stepped aside, and closed his eyes to rest.
The ninjas stared blankly at Shikaku.
Wait, you're just backing down like that? Are you really going to let those two be the acting Hokage? Wouldn't Konoha be finished then? Are we supposed to entrust our lives to people like them?
They were starting to panic. This was the first time they felt the strong sense of security that Shikaku brought.
An extremely high IQ was synonymous with Shikaku. With him in command, everyone had confidence that they could win.
But now, with both Hokage Advisors opposing it, it was impossible for Shikaku to take the position of acting Hokage.
Could it be that they really had to let one of these two guys serve as acting Hokage?
Could Shikaku only serve as the acting Hokage's secretary?
But these two Hokage Advisors were both very stubborn. If they didn't listen to Shikaku...
For a moment, they were extremely uneasy.
Perhaps something was triggered, making them inexplicably recall the strange words Shikaku had said to them— "When the time comes, follow behind me and protect yourselves."
That day, everyone thought Shikaku had finally gone crazy from being too smart. But in this instant, they all suddenly realized—the higher-ups were incompetent, but they held extremely high seniority and were difficult to defy.
But what if everyone supported Shikaku?
It was feasible!
The crowd's expressions lit up with joy.
But who would be the one to stick their neck out?
The smiles on their faces froze.
Doing so would offend Koharu and Homura, these two Hokage Advisors with extremely high seniority.
Everyone looked toward the Uchiha clan, with whom they had conflicts, their faces filled with expectation.
But Shisui, Fugaku and Itachi all had their eyes closed, as if this matter had nothing to do with them.
Although the Uchiha Clan Members standing behind them looked somewhat smug, as if saying, "So now you know to come to the Uchiha for help, why didn't you do it sooner?", they didn't do anything extra.
They knew about Hiromi's inexplicable rage at the edge of the Sarutobi Clan Compound, and now they saw Shisui scolding his own clan members for the sake of those two old geezers, Koharu and Homura.
Such a change made them feel cold, and also made them doubt themselves with suspicion and uncertainty.
Shisui and the others seemed to have their own wills. This vague feeling allowed them to faintly see that Shisui and the others were walking on a common path, constantly moving forward.
While they, the clan members, were sitting on a vehicle called the "Clan," but didn't know where the destination was.
Getting something for nothing like this was very easy. But it gave them a very strong sense of unease. They didn't want to just sit on the vehicle and be pulled along, they also wanted to pull the "Clan" vehicle and move forward just like Shisui and the others.
Therefore, the Uchiha all kept their heads down without a word, or kept their eyes closed.
***
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