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On the battlefield, Hiruzen Sarutobi's brow was furrowed with worry. The situation wasn't looking good.
The Third Tsuchikage, Ōnoki, was a formidable opponent, his strength rivaling Hiruzen's. And Danzō was struggling against Rōshi, the Four-Tails Jinchūriki.
Konoha had divided their forces, so they were outnumbered by Iwa. They were gradually losing ground.
"Danzō, should we send Uzumaki Shin to the battlefield? He could help relieve the pressure," Hiruzen suggested.
"Absolutely not. Uzumaki Shin's reputation among the Konoha Shinobi is already high. Do you want him to gain even more influence and challenge you for the Hokage position?"
"Don't underestimate him just because he's young. He might not be a threat now, but in a few years, who knows? And don't forget, he has Tsunade's support."
Hiruzen fell silent. He had recalled Shin to Konoha partly due to Danzō's suggestion. Shin's popularity was indeed a concern.
It hadn't been a problem on the Kiri front. Although Shin had defeated the Kiri forces and killed the Third Mizukage, few knew about it.
No one had witnessed it firsthand. The Konoha higher-ups had kept it a secret.
But on the Suna front, Shin's reputation surpassed even Sakumo Hatake's.
They had witnessed his strength, his ability to overwhelm Kage and freeze an entire battlefield.
People admired strength, especially Shinobi. Shin might be young, but age didn't matter when it came to power.
Hiruzen felt threatened. Shin was young, but with the support of the Konoha Shinobi, he could potentially challenge Hiruzen's position.
The war had caused heavy losses for Konoha. The families and friends of the fallen Shinobi were grieving and angry.
That anger would be directed not just at the enemy, but also at Hiruzen.
Even though Hiruzen hadn't started the war, some villagers might lose their composure and demand his resignation.
And if a popular Shinobi emerged at that time, Hiruzen might be forced to step down.
Shin's age was a factor, but as Danzō had said, in a few years, when Shin was older and even more powerful, someone might try to make him Hokage.
And sometimes, youth was an advantage. It represented potential. Some believed Shin might become the next "God of Shinobi," surpassing even Hashirama Senju.
After much deliberation, Hiruzen decided against sending Shin to the battlefield.
He wasn't the same Hiruzen as in the future. He still valued his position as Hokage.
And Konoha wasn't in a desperate situation yet.
Shin, back in Konoha, was oblivious to Hiruzen and Danzō's concerns. If he knew, he would laugh.
He had never wanted to be Hokage. The position might be tempting to others, but to Shin, it was just a hassle.
He hated trouble, and being Hokage meant a lot of trouble.
The Hokage was responsible for managing the entire village. It was a headache.
Why would he burden himself with such a troublesome position when he could live a carefree life?
He valued strength, not political power. Even if people begged him to become Hokage, he wouldn't be interested.
He was currently fishing with Kushina and Mikoto by a river. Konan sat beside him, watching.
"Why are we fishing? I'm not interested in this," Kushina complained.
"It's a form of training. Fishing requires patience, just like training. Otherwise, you'll never master Sage Mode," Shin said.
Learning Sage Mode required a calm mind, which was a challenge for Kushina. So Shin had brought her fishing to help her improve patience.
After an afternoon of fishing, Shin and Mikoto had caught several fish, while Kushina hadn't caught a single one.
She was frustrated, especially with Konan's amused glances.
"Let's go. It's getting late," Shin said, carrying the bucket filled with his catch.
As they returned to the Senju compound, they saw an Uchiha Shinobi waiting for them.
The Uchiha handed Shin an invitation, then left without a word.
Shin looked at the invitation, confused.
"What does it say?" Kushina asked curiously.
"It's an invitation to the Uchiha Clan compound."
Shin handed the invitation to Kushina.
The Uchiha Clan's invitation wasn't unexpected. After all, Shin's Sharingan was no secret now.
What was surprising was that they had waited so long to invite him.
"It must be because of your Sharingan," Mikoto said.
"Shin, what are you going to do? Are you going?" Kushina asked.
"I think you should be careful," Mikoto said.
As an Uchiha, she understood their personality. They were prone to extremes.
This invitation could be a trap.
Shin smiled. He wasn't afraid of the Uchiha Clan, no matter their intentions.
He wasn't even afraid of a Hidden Village, let alone a single clan. Besides, most of the Uchiha were on the battlefield. There couldn't be that many left in the village.
"I'll go. I want to see what they're up to."
Mikoto didn't try to dissuade him, but she reminded him to be careful.
Although he had decided to go, it wouldn't be now. It was almost dark. And he wanted to make them wait.
He didn't care if they were offended.
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