To be honest, the Third Hokage never doubted Shisui Uchiha's loyalty to Konoha!
Similarly, Danzo Shimura also had no doubts!
After all, Shisui had willingly revealed his Mangekyō Sharingan and the powerful Kotoamatsukami. Was there any need to question his loyalty to Konoha?
So, could Shisui use Kotoamatsukami to stop the Uchiha clan from initiating a coup?
The Third Hokage believed in the power of Kotoamatsukami, and so did Danzo Shimura.
However, Danzo and the Third Hokage were fundamentally different!
The Third Hokage, based on Shisui's loyalty to Konoha, was naturally pleased at the prospect of using the Uchiha's power for his own purposes. If Shisui succeeded, the Uchiha's strength could be harnessed for the village, making the Hokage very happy.
But Danzo, in addition to being the root of Konoha and desiring the village's growth and prosperity, was also a man of flesh and blood!
And being a man of flesh and blood, he had his own personal desires.
One of those desires was his ambition for the position of Hokage!
Now, if Shisui truly eliminated the Uchiha threat, wouldn't the Third Hokage's influence grow even stronger with the Uchiha's power at his disposal?
And wouldn't the Third Hokage's position become even more secure?
This was something Danzo couldn't accept!
So, upon learning that Shisui was about to use Kotoamatsukami to suppress the Uchiha rebellion, Danzo couldn't sit still any longer. He immediately gathered the top members of the Root and set out to take action!
...
Leaving aside the current situation among Konoha's higher-ups, at this moment, Uchiha Akira was at one of Konoha's training grounds.
There, Might Guy, dressed in his green jumpsuit with his signature bowl haircut and thick eyebrows, was engaging in rehabilitative training!
One had to admit, medical ninjutsu was truly remarkable—serious injuries healed significantly in just two or three months!
"Guy-sensei, your body hasn't fully recovered yet, so it's best to avoid strenuous exercise!" Seeing that Might Guy had trained enough, Uchiha Akira advised.
On one hand, the original Might Guy was someone to be greatly admired.
On the other hand, this injury was largely due to his involvement.
As a result, Uchiha Akira often visited Might Guy, and over time, their relationship had grown much closer.
"Alright, I'll rest for now. After all, rest is also part of youth!" Might Guy agreed with a nod, stopping his training.
"By the way, Guy-sensei, your Eight Gates technique is truly impressive. Opening six gates allowed you to fight Orochimaru to a standstill!" After some casual conversation, Uchiha Akira steered the topic toward the Eight Gates.
"No, you misunderstand. I believe Orochimaru wasn't fighting with his full strength that day. If it had been a true battle to the death, we both would have perished at his hands!"
Might Guy shook his head in response to Uchiha Akira's words.
After all, Orochimaru was one of the Legendary Sannin, arguably the greatest of the three.
To have survived an encounter with him?
Honestly, even now, Might Guy found it hard to believe.
But if Orochimaru intended to attack, why didn't he go all out?
Might Guy pondered this for a long time but couldn't figure it out.
"By the way…"
After a long silence between the two, Might Guy suddenly turned to Uchiha Akira and said, "Now that the entire ninja world knows you're a genius, and it's rumored that you learn jutsu very quickly, would you like to try learning the Eight Gates?"
"Huh!?" Uchiha Akira was stunned, clearly not expecting Might Guy to suddenly offer to teach him the Eight Gates technique!
"I know you don't really need the Eight Gates, but you're a fast learner. I've heard you mastered the Clone Technique in one night and learned an S-rank technique in half a month!"
"Right now, I'm the only one in the ninja world who knows the Eight Gates, and I haven't found a disciple willing to follow me!"
"I don't want the Eight Gates technique to be lost to time!"
Seeing Uchiha Akira's astonished expression, Might Guy explained, looking somewhat dejected.
Indeed, with his bowl haircut, tight jumpsuit, and an overwhelming personality, it's hard for others to want to associate with him.
Although he was a ninja, if given another choice, most wouldn't want to stand beside Might Guy, right?
So, Might Guy remained alone, without any subordinates despite being a ninja.
As for Neji Hyuga, Tenten, and Rock Lee from the original story, they were probably still in the ninja academy, not yet graduated.
"In that case, thank you, Guy-sensei!"
This was the first time Uchiha Akira had seen Might Guy so disheartened. After a brief pause, Uchiha Akira accepted the offer.
While the Uchiha clan was known for their ocular abilities, the Eight Gates technique, which could greatly enhance chakra at critical moments, was certainly a valuable trump card.
After all, it would only require a few attempts, maybe dozens, and some money.
Learning the Eight Gates would be a powerful addition to his arsenal since this trump card would never be useless...