Hokage Building.
When Shisui arrived, the sky was completely dark. Dark shadows enveloped the building as Shisui walked into it without the slightest hesitation.
Before he could enter the Hokage building, an Anbu landed in front of Shisui, blocking his path.
Shisui looked at the Anbu and said, "Sorry, I have important matters to discuss with Hokage-sama."
"Hokage-sama isn't here at the moment. He's gone back to rest after work. You can return tomorrow."
The Anbu replied indifferently. He didn't harbor much dislike for the Uchiha clan, but he also didn't have a very good opinion of them. He was just fulfilling his duties as a guard.
Shisui gritted his teeth and looked towards the office door. He knew that the Third Hokage was on the other side and hadn't left at all. They were excluding him on purpose. It also meant that the Third Hokage already knew about the content of the recent Uchiha clan gathering.
Shisui sighed, as if drained of energy, he returned from the way he came. After watching Shisui leave, the Anbu disappeared from the corridor as if he had never been there.
When Shisui had just walked out the Building's main entrance, he immediately saw three figures, and his body tensed in surprise.
The three people appearing in Shisui's field of vision were none other than advisors Utatane Koharu, Mitokado Homura, and Shimura Danzo. Behind them were two Anbu. Seeing Shisui here, the three were also slightly surprised.
"Kagami's descendant? Aren't you Shisui?" Danzo was the first to speak, with a glint in his eyes as if caught up in memories.
Shisui nodded and said respectfully, "Yes, Elder Danzo."
"Well, you are very accomplished. Even I'm impressed by the reputation of Shisui The Teleporter. You are worthy of being Kagami's descendant and have brought him no shame," Danzo said as he walked past Shisui.
Koharu and Homura also nodded at Shisui with satisfaction, expressing their approval. Among the Uchiha, only Shisui was different. Uchiha Kagami was a comrade-in-arms who had lived and fought with them in the past. As his descendant, Shisui could not be equated with the rest of the Uchiha clan.
Shisui wasn't in the mood to linger. Seeing Danzo and the others here, he knew the situation was irreversibly bad. The three council elders wouldn't pay a sudden late visit to the Hokage at this time without reason. There could only be one reason for their coincidental arrival - the Third Hokage had summoned them here.
As for the meeting's content, Shisui could guess it must be about the Uchiha clan gathering.
'Itachi, you:ve screwed up,' Shisui thought wryly. It was his fault for not stopping Itachi in time.
At the gathering, Yashiro had quarreled with Itachi and Shisui had realized things were not right in a second. It was just that Itachi's decisiveness had completely exceeded his expectations.
"What should I do next?" Shisui kept thinking about this question.
Since it had already happened, having regret was useless. He had to take action to solve the problem. The method of gradually turning up the heat was no longer appropriate.
Itachi's actions had completely broken the delicate balance between the clan and village. Whether it was the clan getting destroyed or the village suffering devastating disaster with countless innocent civilians involved and a ninja war triggered, Shisui didn't want to see any of it.
In this turmoil of emotions, Shisui quickly grew irritable. Even though his parents had given him this name hoping he would remain calm no matter what he faced, when it came to choosing between the clan and village, he simply could not achieve calmness.
Finally, he made up his mind. In this restless state, the torment revealed his Sharingan. In the darkness, his Sharingan released red light. The three tomoe slowly merged, forming a pattern of giant shuriken.
The Mamgekyou Sharingan - the Uchiha clan's supreme doujutsu.
A tingling sensation poured into his eyes. Shisui couldn't help covering them as something hot flowed out, making his brain feel extremely heavy.
"I really didn't expect that in the end, I would need to rely on this cursed power to save the situation..." A self-deprecating smile emerged at the corner of Shisui's mouth.
Because of attaining these eyes, the more he understood how incompetent and fragile he was in the past and present. If possible, he really didn't want to rely on the power.
...
"Hiruzen, what is the meaning of summoning us here at this time?"
In the Hokage's office, the three had already arrived. Faced with Hiruzen's summons, Koharu was the first to ask questions. She didn't know why Hiruzen had sent Anbu to fetch them at this time.
Hiruzen sat there, took a puff from his pipe, and after exhaling the smoke, he said, "Itachi... come out and tell us what you know."
After Hiruzen spoke, Itachi, wearinghis Anbu attire, quietly walked out from the shadows. With the mask on his face, outsiders could not see Itachi's expression.
"Itachi?" Homura nodded secretly.
Like Shisui, Itachi was also a rare genius of the Uchiha clan. He was also the first Uchiha to join Anbu in Konoha's history. His recruitment had caused quite a stir two to three years ago, but they had suppressed any voices of opposition.
Itachi had also lived up to their expectations. In just two to three years, he had completed missions with 100% efficiency and was promoted from ordinary Anbu to squad leader. A year ago, he was specially selected as captain, managing the same squads as Kakashi.
For a thirteen-year-old boy, this was already high regard and attention. Moreover, coming from the Uchiha clan made it even rarer. He was a ninja with the Will of Fire who could transcend clan mentality and dedicate everything to the village. This made him Konoha's model ninja student.
Danzo also glanced at Itachi before closing his eyes and sitting there without saying anything, his thoughts unknown.
Turning to Itachi, Koharu asked, "So, did something happen with the Uchiha?"
Itachi saluted the three of them slightly before replying, "Yes, the Uchiha clan held a secret meeting tonight. The content was..."
Omitting the conflict between himself and Yashiro as well as other details, Itachi narrated the rest completely.
The radicals were intending to establish an Uchiha-exclusive political faction within the village. His father, Fugaku, had acquiesced to such behavior instead of stopping it.
Hearing Itachi's succinct narration, Koharu and Homura's expressions changed. They knew the Uchiha had been unstable since the Nine-Tails incident but they never expected things to have escalated to this point.
"If I remember correctly, a few years ago, Danzo predicted the Uchiha would attempt a coup. I hope the Anbu would take action..." Homura said, turning to glance at Danzo sitting next to him.
"I merely made an reasonable guess based on the information I had. Ever since the Fourth Hokage died sealing the Nine Tails, the Uchiha radicals have coveted the Hokage position. Additionally, Kiri's Fourth Mizukage action of overthrowing the Third Mizukage using a coup d'etat had given them the illusion that they could seize power through a coup... That's the origin of this disaster," Danzo calmly stated, causing the others in the room to ponder.
"It's a bit absolute to say that. Coups cannot happen overnight and right now, it's only a possibility with no actions taken yet from the Uchiha," Hiruzen countered.
"By the time they act, it will be too late,"
Danzo and Hiruzen shot back at each other, unwavering in their gazes.
"I believe it's still possible to negotiate with the Uchiha. There's no need for infighting," Hiruzen said firmly.
"What if they do attempt the coup?"
"As Hokage, I will do my best!"
"Hmph!" Danzo coldly snorted, thinking Hiruzen was just paying lip service.
"Alright you two, stop arguing. It seems for now that the Uchiha may not necessarily want an actual coup. it could just be talk. Don't be too sensitive," Koharu looked between Hiruzen and Danzo and shook her head slightly.
"That's right, we'll have to see how things develop. Itachi, continue listening in on the Uchiha and report any updates to us promptly. The future of the village and you clan rests on you," Homura said earnestly to Itachi.
"Understood. I'll take my leave then," Itachi nodded and disappeared from the office in a flash, leaving Hiruzen, Danzo and the other two to continue discussing the Uchiha clan.
....
Naka Shrine.
After leaving the Hokage office, Itachi didn't return home or to the Anbu headquarters directly. Instead, he came to the shrine alone.
Entering the shrine and turning a mechanism, steps leading down to an underground passage appeared. Itachi walked down to where the Uchiha clan's ancient stone tablet lay.
But unlike usual, a mysterious figure stood before the tablet, seemingly engrossed in examining it.
Hearing footsteps, the man didn't hide his presence as Itachi approached. He wore an orange spiral mask with a small hole on the left side sise and a black cloak with red clouds. His appearance was extremely mysterious.
"Uchiha Itachi,"
The mysterious man uttered Itachi's name and turned slightly. Through the sole hole in his mask, a Sharingan glowed scarlet, causing Itachi's body to tremble.
"It's me,"
Itachi managed to calm himself.
"I haven't seen you in four, five years. It's been a while," The man spoke to Itachi familiarly.
Itachi's eyes showed a trace of hatred before he suppressed it. Indeed, they hadn't met for four or five years. When Itachi was still on Minazuki's team, this man had killed Tenma, forcing Itachi to awaken his Sharingan. Though his appearance had changed, Itachi would not mistake that icy Sharingan.
This man was very dangerous.
"Are you the one manipulating Yashiro from the shadows?" Itachi asked.
"Oh? What makes you think that?" The man chuckled with interest.
"If they were bold enough, they would have attempted a coup earlier instead of suddenly proposing it now. And..." Itachi's voice grew quieter.
"And what?"
"You've been paying attention to my growth all this time, even forcing me to awaken my Sharingan. Back then, you deliberately killed Tenma in front of me. Minazuki-sensei was a capable ninja, but if you wanted to kill him, you could have done it in one move. Yet after killing Tenma, you left immediately..." Itachi tried his best to restrain his anger, but sadly could do nothing.
Izumo Tenma could be considered one of Itachi's few friends. Though they weren't close then, they were comrades who fought side by side. Because of this man wanting Itachi to awaken his eyes, Tenma had been tortured and killed right before him. That scene was still vividly recalled, an indelible trauma.
"Impressive. Indeed, I left those clues solely for you to notice my existence," The man clapped his hands in praise.
"Then who exactly are you?" Itachi raised his head to look straight at the man without fear.
The man laughed before turning back to the Uchiha stone tablet with a soft, wistful sigh. "With your intelligence, you should be able to guess without even thinking too hard. Especially a genius like yourself."
"..."
Itachi was silent for a moment. Indeed, he should be able to figure out this man's identity effortlessly. With a Sharingan that allowed him to sneak into the K9noha regardless of security barriers and move freely amongst the Uchiha, even knowing of this secret room...
The Uchiha who was presumed long dead. There could only be one person Itachi could think of - Uchiha Madara.
"You, who should have died ages ago, are now behind the scenes manipulating them into this coup attempt. What exactly is your goal?" Itachi asked.
"Hehe, you've actually got it wrong there. I didn't incite anything," Madara chuckled.
"What do you mean?"
"Believe it or not, I've never made contact with this Yashiro or the others in the clan. It's just that tensions between the village and the Uchiha have accumulated far too much and it just happened to explode right now. My only reason for coming.here from the start is to obtain your power."
"My power?"
Itachi was a little surprised. But he quickly calmed himself again. He had no way to ascertain if this Madara's words held truth and refused to fall for his pace.
"Yes. For me, as long as I acquire your power, whatever happens with the Uchiha clan is irrelevant to me," Madara stated plainly.
"I'll have to disappoint you then. I won't betray the Konoha as you did," Itachi said firmly, hostility filling his eyes as he regarded Madara.
"That won't necessarily hold. For a ninja like you who has always walked a thorny path, Konoha no longer holds suitable soil. You will definitely end up by my side," Madara smiled meaningfully before turning to walk away, his figure disappearing into the void within the secret room.
Itachi watched the space where Madara had vanished and slowly exhaled.
Uchiha, Konoha, Madara...things were growing more complicated by the minute. What was he supposed he do?
...
"Things are going smoothly, Guruguru,"
Madara said, wearing his Akatsuki coat as he stood atop the Hokage Rock overlooking the village, the night wind gusting past him. From within the stone, White zetsu and Black zetsu emerged..
White zetsu said with a choked smile.
No longer using the deep, hoarse voice from before at the Naka Shrine while masquerading as Madara, Guruguru let out a long sigh of relief.
"Ahh.. playing as Madara-sama really takes it out of me. And the lines you made me recite was almost too much to bear. I nearly couldn't help asking him how it feels when he poops,"
Black and White zetsu looked at him strangely. If he had uttered such a line before Itachi earlier, the mood would have been entirely ruined.
"In any case, Uchiha Itachi is now left sufficiently frightened and apprehensive. That fear will make him continue following our lead, with Danzo's cooperation as well," Black Zetsu stated confidently.
"Will Danzo really cooperate?" Guruguru couldn't help asking.
"He definitely will. Not just Danzo but the Hokage as well,"
"Huh?"
Guruguru and White Zetsu were surprised at this claim. Forget about Danzo, but how would the Third Hokage side with them? Wasn't he supposed to be neutral?
Black Zetsu sneered coldly. "If Konoha's council truly meant negotiating peacefully with the Uchiha, there were plenty of opportunities these past two to three years while Itachi was in Anbu for the Third to contact and negotiate with them. Yet it never happened. Sarutobi Hiruzen refuses to resolve tensions with the Uchiha, merely biding his time for them to attempt a coup."
"How can that be?"
"A ninja growing outdated with the times will naturally decline due to old age and fatigue. He no longer has the time or confidence left to balance relations between the Uchiha and the rest of the village. Since that balance cannot be achieved, there is only one way to resolve this conflict... For the Uchiha name to disappear into the cold annals of history, reduced to mere residue. If you cannot control something, you destroy it. Such is reality."
A chilling glint flashed in Black Zetsu's eyes. Guruguru couldn't help but gulp, shocked at his words.
"People's will inevitably declines with their aging body. Beings like Madara-sama are truly rare in the ninja world. Konoha is clearly past its prime. Once things conclude here, we can shift focus to the others. Don't forget the one who struck down Madara-sama. Our greatest enemy isn't Konoha."
Black Zetsu's eyes seemed to glow dimly in the darkness.
....
The next day.
Shisui once again came to the Hokage Building and met with the Third Hokage. This time, unlike the last time, the Anbu let him go directly into the office to meet the Hokage.
After Shisui entered, he found the aura in the office had disappeared and the Anbu had withdrawn, leaving only him and the Third Hokage present.
After a brief silence, Shisui suddenly didn't know what to say. However, Hiruzen was first to break the awkwardness.
"Shisui, I take it you've come regarding the Uchiha clan gathering last night?" Hearing Hiruzen take the initiative to ask, Shisui knew hiding was futile so he relaxed and nodded, "Yes."
Hiruzen sighed, a helpless smile on his face. "You still remain so cautious. If not for Itachi, we might have remained oblivious about what transpired there."
Shisui felt somewhat ashamed. As a Konoha Anbu, he should have reported the Uchiha gathering's content here as soon as possible to demonstrate loyalty to the village.
However, exposing that kind of inflammatory content risked plunging the clan and village into eternal conflict with the slightest carelessness. Until he found a solution himself, Shisui didn't think it was something to easily divulge.
"Forgive me, Hokage-sama. I..."
"Don't blame yourself too much. Neither of us considered this possibility. I understand how you feel having to choose between the clan and village. As Kagami's descendant, there's no need to mince words with me. No matter what, I'll always believe in your loyalty toward Konoha." Hiruzen had a gentle demeanor, putting Shisui at ease.
"You give me too much credit, Hokage-sama." Hearing his words made Shisui feel even more guilty.
"Based on Itachi's account, we've already discussed the Uchiha gathering. Though Danzo seems to advocate forceful suppression, I don't believe the situation has escalated that extremely. There's still room for compromise between the village and Uchiha. Further provoking Uchiha radicals now would be unwise."
Hiruzen's statement reassured Shisui. At the least, as Hokage, Hiruzen still prioritized peace. If he resolutely adopted a militant policy against the Uchiha, that would be the worst outcome.
"However, all this is based on the Uchiha not attempting an actual coup yet; there remains room for talk. Once they continue on the direction, negotiation becomes impossible. I hope you understand, Shisui," Hiruzen cautioned gravely.
"I understand completely, Hokage-sama."
"That's good. I hope you and Itachi will continue to buy more time for me, so that I have enough time to think about countermeasures. There's no need to worry about Danzo, I will restrain him and won't let Root mess around. So, next..."
As Hiruzen was about to share his thoughts, Shisui hesitated briefly before seeming to steel his resolve and interrupt suddenly. "Hokage-sama, I may have a better solution to resolve this matter entirely."
"Oh?"
Shisui's words now had Hiruzen's undivided attention, curious to know what he had in mind. If it was possible, open war between the Uchiha and the village could still be averted.
Shisui took a deep breath and revealed his long-held secret in a calm tone: " Hokage-sama, are you aware of the Uchiha legend regarding the Mangekyou Sharingan?"
"Mangekyou Sharingan?" Hiruzen's eyes widened in shock as he looked at Shisui.
Of course he knew of those eyes. His sensei, the Second Hokage Tobirama, had studied the Sharingan most extensively. Many of his records detailed secrets about the Uchiha eyes. Among them was content on the Mangekyou Sharingan.
For Shisui to mention this now, Hiruzen instantly grasped his implication.
"Shisui, could you have..."
Shisui raised his head to meet Hiruzen's gaze. The three tomoe in his eyes began morphing, forming a large shuriken-like pattern breaking away from the ordinary three tomoe basis.
An ominous feeling rose from the pit of Hiruzen's being but he suppressed his surprise. He now sensed Shisui could threaten his life if he so chose.
"Hokage-sama, this is my Mangekyo Sharingan. It is also the source of my confidence in stopping the clan's coup," Shisui stated with conviction.
"Impossible, even with the Mangekyou..."
"I can accomplish it, Hokage-sama. My Mangekyo's special ability is called Kotoamatsukami. It can erode and rewrite a target's mind without being noticed by anyone. If I use it to control the clan head and make him oppose the coup, it won't matter how much the others push for it. Without the clan head's approval, they cannot override his authority to launch any coup." Shisui's firm voice echoed within the office, conveying his determination.
In Shisui's perspective, Hiruzen's approach was too passive and ill-suited to the urgency of their situation. It was likely that while countermeasures were being weighed, the Uchiha would suddenly stage their coup.
That was Shisui's greatest fear. Therefore, without shirking from Hiruzen's sight, Shisui firmly established his stance and duty. "The Uchiha clan's affairs should be handled by a ninja from the Uchiha. Please be at ease, Hokage-sama. I will resolve this issue properly."
In doing so, the source of unease toward the Uchiha among the council would be removed. Afterwards, he would have enough time to cooperate with the Third Hokage to ease relations between the clan and village.
As for Itachi... Shisui sighed inwardly. He had hoped that by joining Anbu, the Itachi would, as the Uchiha heir, build a bridge between the clan and village leaders.
However, it seemed Itachi had failed at that task. On the contrary, because of his actions, tensions were now at the breaking point, forcing Shisui to reveal his Mangekyo Sharingan this way.