The night after Katsuro's exile, the Uchiha compound was eerily still. Peace had returned — on the surface. But Itachi knew better. Real peace was never quiet. It was tense, fragile, like a paper lantern held too close to the flame.
He sat on the roof of their home, eyes fixed on the Hokage monument. A soft breeze rustled the leaves.
> "They cheered for Father today," he thought. "But will they still cheer when they learn the truth about what the elders have planned?"
Footsteps behind him. He didn't turn — he already knew who it was.
> "Shina."
His older brother sat beside him without a word, tossing him a rice ball. Itachi caught it but didn't eat.
> "You've been watching the tower," Shina said simply.
Itachi nodded. "Danzo met with the Hokage late tonight. He left through the back. No guards."
Shina's eyes narrowed. "That means it wasn't official."
A silence passed between them. Not awkward — heavy.
> "You still think they'll force our hand?" Itachi asked.
> "They already are," Shina said. "Katsuro was reckless, but he wasn't wrong about one thing — they're keeping us in check."
> "So what do we do?"
Shina looked at him then. Calm. Focused. Determined.
> "We gather proof. Of what Danzo is doing. Of the Root operations. Of who's pulling the strings."
Itachi exhaled slowly. That wasn't easy. Not even for an ANBU captain.
> "If we get caught…"
> "We won't," Shina cut in. "We're Uchihas. And we've got Shisui."
---
Rooted Shadows
Two nights later, Shisui met them at a forgotten tunnel beneath the Uchiha District — an old wartime escape route.
> "Root has been moving under the training district," he said. "They're not just watching us. They're collecting DNA. Blood. Sharingan samples from the dead."
Itachi felt bile rise in his throat. Desecrating fallen clan members?
> "What does Danzo want with that?" Itachi asked.
> "Power," Shina muttered. "He wants to control the clan. Not destroy us — own us."
The three entered the tunnel silently.
They didn't need orders. They were brothers. They were a unit.
And they were walking into enemy territory.
---
End Scene: The Silent Archive
Deep in Root's underground lab, Shina held a scroll in his hand — one labeled Project Yami no Me (Eyes of Darkness). It detailed Danzo's plans to harvest Uchiha eyes, enhance operatives, and create an anti-Uchiha black ops force loyal only to him.
Itachi stared at it in stunned silence.
> "This… this changes everything."
> "No," Shina said coldly. "This confirms everything."
Footsteps echoed from the hallway.
Shisui's eyes flared. "They found us."
Shina tucked the scroll into his vest and turned toward the exit.
> "Then let's make sure they never forget who we are."
As Root agents poured into the hallway, three red-eyed silhouettes stood firm — Sharingan spinning in sync, hearts beating as one.
The Uchiha weren't just surviving anymore. They were fighting back.
---