Izumi had always been an outcast within the Uchiha Clan. Ostracized and isolated, she never attended the clan meetings, choosing instead to remain on the fringes. Yet, even from a distance, she was well aware of the brewing storm — the clan's plans for a coup against Konoha were undeniable.
Using her Kamui, Izumi secretly monitored the clan's movements and discussions. The evidence was irrefutable; the Uchiha were preparing to rebel. The tense atmosphere within the village's leadership was thick with suspicion and fear.
The source of much of the unrest stemmed from a contentious issue involving the Hokage succession. Uchiha Fugaku had approached the Third Hokage with a proposal: he wished for his son, Uchiha Itachi, to compete for the position of Hokage. This news unsettled the Third Hokage deeply. After all, he was still in office, and talk of a Fifth Generation Hokage felt premature. Worse yet, the candidate was from the Uchiha Clan — a clan long suspected of harboring dissent, despite Itachi's outward loyalty.
Though reluctantly, the Third Hokage acknowledged the idea as a potential solution to quell clan tensions. Still, he remained uneasy.
Even more displeased was Danzo Shimura. He had yet to become Hokage himself, and already Itachi seemed to overshadow him. Danzo saw Itachi's ambitions as a direct challenge to his own aspirations and a threat to his authority.
To counter the Uchiha's rising influence, Danzo ordered his subordinates to incite conflict between the village citizens and the Konoha Police Force. This insidious move further deepened the divide, worsening the already strained relations between the Uchiha Clan and the rest of the village.
When the Uchiha discovered the instigators' true allegiance — that they had been sent by Konoha's higher-ups — feelings of betrayal consumed them. Their frustration boiled over, and the decision to launch a coup was sealed.
At the same time, the Third Hokage, seeing the escalating tensions and fearing outright civil war, dismissed the proposal to appoint Itachi as Hokage. The fragile peace was slipping away.
Izumi, observing from the sidelines, watched the high-ranking officials and clan members with a triumphant glint in her eyes. Sticking out her tongue mischievously, she murmured, "It's coming… it's coming. I never expected it would happen this soon. Well done, Itachi."
As the plot unfolded, the increasingly anxious Uchiha Shisui made a critical choice. Recognizing the perilous situation, he decided to reveal his Mangekyo Sharingan ability — Kotoamatsukami — to the village leadership.
Kotoamatsukami was a legendary genjutsu, capable of subtly invading a person's mind and altering their will without detection. The power was so formidable that the affected individual would act in accordance with the caster's wishes, completely unaware they had been manipulated. Victory could be achieved without any conflict, by rewriting the opponent's thoughts themselves.
When the village elders learned of Shisui's power, a wave of unease washed over them. None could say whether they had already fallen victim to the genjutsu. They began to treat Shisui with wary suspicion, unsure of whether to trust him.
This fear led to Danzo's infamous intervention. He forcefully seized one of Shisui's eyes, sparking a deadly pursuit of the talented Uchiha.
After narrowly escaping, Shisui met with Itachi in secret. Before parting, he entrusted Itachi with his remaining eye — a sacred gift. To protect the eye from falling into the wrong hands and to help Itachi awaken his own Mangekyo Sharingan, Shisui then took the ultimate step.
In a desperate bid to warn the Uchiha Clan and prevent further conflict, Shisui sacrificed himself. He cast Kotoamatsukami one final time, then leapt into the rushing waters of the Naka River, ending his own life.
The effect was immediate. The Uchiha Clan, who had been planning a coup, fell silent for a year — a brief calm before their eventual annihilation. Izumi's manipulations had accelerated the clan's timeline, forcing events forward.
Now, all Izumi needed to do was wait and watch the chaos unfold, ready to exploit the situation for her own gain.
---
One day, while shopping in the village, Izumi unexpectedly bumped into Uchiha Shisui himself. The encounter was surprising, given Shisui's elusive nature.
"Izumi," Shisui greeted warmly, "have you been feeling any better lately?"
Izumi forced a smile, masking her inner turmoil. "I'm alright. After all, one must always look forward."
Shisui sighed deeply. "Don't blame the Clan Head. Even he has his own difficulties."
Izumi nodded, her expression shadowed with sorrow. "I know. It was wrong for Mother to hide forbidden Ninjutsu. But she did it all for my sake… I ended up killing her. That Root…"
Seeing Izumi on the verge of collapse, Shisui gently interrupted, "Izumi, you must pull yourself together. Don't let hatred blind you. You're young and have a bright future ahead. If your mother were alive, she wouldn't want to see you like this."
His words brought Izumi back from the edge.
"You're right. I should move forward," she said quietly.
Turning to leave, she hesitated, then looked back with a pale face and a forced smile. "If only it were possible to change the minds on both sides... that would be wonderful."
Shisui looked at her with a pang of guilt, knowing full well Root's fault in her suffering. But at this critical moment, he could not afford to let tensions between the Village and the Uchiha worsen.
Determined, Shisui clenched his fist and resolved to reveal his ability to the Third Hokage. He hoped to use Kotoamatsukami to prevent rebellion and save lives.
With that, he set off towards the Hokage's office.
Izumi watched Shisui's retreating figure, a cold smile curling on her lips. She licked them excitedly and whispered, "It's coming… it's coming! Hahahahahaha."
---
True to the story, after Shisui revealed his ability, the Third Hokage addressed him with grave sincerity.
"I'm counting on you, Shisui. If we can buy some time, the Village will find a way to treat the Uchiha Clan better in the future."
Relieved, Shisui nodded and left the room.
However, Danzo's suspicion lingered.
"Hiruzen," he said sharply, "were you caught in his genjutsu?"
The Third Hokage scoffed, "Of course not. But Shisui's power is tremendous. He may really be able to stop the rebellion."
Danzo sneered, "Hmph. His genjutsu can only influence a few people. You don't seriously think one jutsu can change an entire clan, do you? If the Uchiha found out and used his power against us, it would be disastrous."
The Third Hokage sighed and gave Danzo a meaningful glance. "Then you should talk to him. See what you can learn about the Village's problems."
Danzo smiled triumphantly. "That's more like it. I'll handle this. That's what I do."
After Danzo left, the Third Hokage rolled his eyes and looked out the window.
"It's truly a turbulent time," he murmured.
What he did not see was Izumi, seated quietly by the window, her eyes gleaming with contempt.
"Idiot," she whispered disdainfully.
---
The very next day, Uchiha Shisui was summoned by Danzo Shimura to discuss the Uchiha Clan's affairs.
Shisui obeyed but quickly found himself ambushed.
"Shisui," Danzo sneered, "you would use such precious power merely to stop a coup? Your genjutsu could control the entire ninja world."
Shisui easily blocked Danzo's initial assault, employing his Genjutsu to plunge Danzo into a deep sleep.
But Danzo's cunning was formidable. Using Izanagi — a forbidden technique that can rewrite reality temporarily — Danzo restored himself instantly.
Seizing Shisui's moment of complacency, Danzo struck with a rapid combo, sending Shisui hurtling into the air.
With ruthless precision, Danzo plucked one of Shisui's eyes and implanted it into his own socket.
Enraged, Shisui unleashed the Great Fireball Technique.
Suddenly, Root ninja appeared, performing Water Release techniques. Fire and water clashed, generating thick clouds of steam.
Using the chaos as cover, Shisui escaped.
Danzo's voice rang coldly after him, "Chase him! Bring me his eye!"
The Root operatives vanished in pursuit, and Danzo left with a smug smile.
---
Yet moments later, Danzo abruptly stopped in his tracks.
He stood motionless and fell into a deep, unnatural sleep.
From nowhere, Izumi appeared.
She plucked the implanted eye from Danzo's socket with ease.
Licking her lips triumphantly, she whispered, "Hehehe… The most triumphant moment is always the most relaxed. But under my genjutsu, no one can escape."
She cursed the stolen Sharingan and re-implanted it, binding it with her spell.
Izumi's cold smile deepened as she vanished from sight.
---
When Danzo finally awoke, a vague unease washed over him.
He didn't understand what had happened but attributed it to the new eye's unfamiliar power.
Overjoyed at the potential strength it offered, he dismissed his doubts and went about his business.
But little did he know, he had just stepped into Izumi's carefully laid