After parting ways with Uchiha Itachi, Shisui first dealt with the aftermath of the brawl incident.
It was merely a fight; no blood was shed. Standard procedure dictated a reprimand, educational counseling, and perhaps a week of confinement. Given that the ninja involved had already been confined, and for longer than usual, Shisui essentially just needed to deliver the reprimand and secure a guarantee against future troublemaking.
It might seem like little more than releasing the man outright, but this was the normal disciplinary process. Shisui handled it entirely by the book.
Unfortunately, his clansmen saw it as him selling them out. The ninja involved saw it as unfair judgment, Shisui abusing his minor authority. Once prejudice takes root, it's incredibly difficult to eradicate. How can objectivity exist when viewing things through a predetermined lens?
Having concluded that matter, Uchiha Shisui and Uchiha Itachi, almost simultaneously yet separately, headed towards two different destinations.
Uchiha Itachi received orders summoning him to the Third Hokage's office. Upon arrival, he heard the Third Hokage say:
"Itachi, I know you are different from other Uchiha ninja... No, perhaps I should say you are different from most ninja. Shinobi your age, and even those older, rarely possess your breadth of vision and depth of thought. For someone your age, this is truly remarkable."
Itachi deserved such praise. Born an Uchiha, he could nonetheless transcend the confines of his identity and consider the bigger picture from Konoha's standpoint.
But being intelligent, possessing wisdom, wasn't necessarily a blessing. It was precisely because he could think that Itachi felt such agony. He couldn't find a solution to the Uchiha problem – forget a solution, he didn't even have a concrete direction... Sometimes, he wished he could just be an unthinking killing machine; perhaps then he wouldn't be so tormented.
Look at the other Uchiha, the vast majority of them – they didn't suffer like this.
"Lord Hokage," Itachi said, his voice subdued, "I have thought long and hard, but I find it difficult to see the path ahead for the Uchiha clan."
The Third Hokage's worries mirrored Itachi's; they were essentially concerned about the same thing. He couldn't possibly dismiss the boy's anxieties as unfounded.
"Problems that have accumulated over decades cannot be solved easily," Hiruzen sighed. "You are not the only one who cannot see the way forward; even I struggle. However, that doesn't mean we should simply stand still because the path is unclear. Standing still will only lead us further astray. Therefore, no matter what, we must grope our way forward."
He paused, meeting Itachi's gaze. "You are the son of the Uchiha Clan Head; your identity is significant. Therefore, I am preparing to have you join my direct ANBU detachment... What do you think?"
If Habara had been present, he likely would have smirked, thinking that while the Third Hokage was indeed groping forward, he probably wasn't moving very far or fast. An improvement over standing still, perhaps, but only a marginal one. After all, the Third Hokage's decisiveness wasn't exactly trustworthy.
But to Uchiha Itachi, this decision demonstrated considerable courage from the Hokage. The direct ANBU detachment was the Hokage's absolute core force, sacrosanct. Its members had to be pure, utterly loyal. For the Hokage to allow him, an Uchiha, to join signified a clear, powerful message: the Hokage was still willing to trust the Uchiha.
The Hokage was also trying to mend the rift between the Uchiha and Konoha. Placing the Clan Head's son in ANBU created an additional, final channel of communication. It meant the Uchiha clan could bypass regular procedures and contact the Hokage directly.
Itachi's position was cleverly nuanced. As the Clan Head's son, he could, to some extent, represent the Uchiha's collective opinion. Yet, as a young prodigy, "still wet behind the ears," his words weren't necessarily binding, leaving room for negotiation... Both interpretations held validity, preserving space to advance or retreat.
In essence, everything was negotiable. Having such a channel could, to some degree, prevent the Uchiha clan from resorting to truly desperate measures.
Itachi quickly grasped the benefits. He nodded immediately. "I am, of course, willing to join ANBU, Lord Hokage. Thank you for this trust and opportunity."
"Very good," Hiruzen said, relieved. "There are troubling signs emerging. I hope we can work together to curb them."
On one hand, the Third Hokage wanted to express trust and strengthen communication. On the other, he hoped to exert influence over the Uchiha clan through Itachi. This decision was based on his thorough understanding of Itachi. Shisui and Itachi were both Uchiha ninja he valued greatly.
Allowing an Uchiha into the direct ANBU detachment could be seen as a major or minor event, depending on perspective. But if Konoha's advisors had been consulted, they undoubtedly would have voted against it.
Uchiha Itachi left the Hokage's office. As he walked back towards the Police Force district, he pondered how to break this news to his father, Uchiha Fugaku, and the other Uchiha elders... He prayed they wouldn't view the Hokage's trust as a loophole to exploit, nor see joining ANBU as planting a spy deep within Konoha's core, an opportunity to steal secrets.
His concern wasn't unfounded. Itachi, unfortunately, had a rather accurate understanding of the intelligence level and modus operandi of certain members of his clan.
Meanwhile, Uchiha Shisui arrived at a certain underground space within Konoha. There, Shimura Danzo awaited him.
"Lord Danzo, do you have a mission for me?" Shisui asked upon seeing him.
"Uchiha Shisui," Danzo began, his voice devoid of warmth, "the unease the Uchiha clan causes Konoha grows increasingly severe. Firstly, you need to expand your faction within the clan swiftly. The village trusts the Uchiha under your leadership. As your influence grows and theirs wanes, the fewer individuals harbor thoughts of overturning the status quo, the less significant their plots will become."
"Secondly," Danzo continued, "you must monitor their movements closely. If they truly intend to make a move, we need to react immediately and control the leaders planning the rebellion. This will minimize losses... losses for both Konoha and the Uchiha."
Shisui immediately wanted to protest, to clarify that he had absolutely no intention of splitting the Uchiha clan. But the words died on his lips. What was the point of saying that now? Regardless of his original intentions, there were undeniably two distinct voices within the Uchiha clan, and one of them was rallying under his leadership... As long as he firmly believed he was doing the right thing, something truly beneficial for the Uchiha's future, that had to be enough.
"I understand, Lord Danzo," Shisui said quietly. "I will do everything in my power to prevent such a thing from happening... Neither the Uchiha clan nor the village will suffer losses because of this."
It had to be said, Uchiha Shisui remained somewhat idealistic. Faced with an intractable dilemma with no perfect solution, he nonetheless aspired to achieve the impossible: save all the Uchiha, integrate them fully into Konoha, have Konoha trust them completely, all without triggering turmoil or causing deaths...
Is striving for the impossible, knowing it might be unattainable, truly worthy of praise?
Furthermore, some facts weren't quite as he perceived them. For instance, he believed Konoha's leadership supported his goal of making the Uchiha Konoha's Uchiha once more. But the man standing before him, Shimura Danzo, absolutely did not share that vision.
In Danzo's philosophy, if the thought of betrayal existed among ninja, the act of betrayal would inevitably follow. It was only a matter of time. Therefore, the correct response wasn't naive trust or appeasement, but eradication – cutting the weeds and digging up the roots to prevent future trouble.
Shisui might believe Konoha needed the Uchiha clan's high-level combat strength. But had he considered the possibility that, in the minds of some, the Uchiha clan simply wasn't that important?
Only a dead Uchiha was a good Uchiha... Shimura Danzo's thinking was just that "iron-blooded" and ruthless.
Aside from his excessive idealism, Shisui's current problem was his over-reliance on trusting Konoha's leadership. For example, right now, he shouldn't have come alone to Danzo's main base.
This time, nothing untoward happened. But what about next time? And the time after that?
In Danzo's view, while Uchiha Shisui might be different from other Uchiha ninja, he was still fundamentally Uchiha. His power was immense and uncontrollable. And people change... For instance, if Konoha were to carry out a large-scale extermination of the Uchiha clan, would Shisui still act according to Konoha's interests? Who could guarantee Shisui's thoughts wouldn't change?
Therefore, Uchiha Shisui was also an uncontrollable factor. Uncontrollable meant unreliable. Unreliable meant he belonged in the category of those who must eventually be eliminated... Danzo's chain of logic was quite tight, in its own way.
Uchiha Shisui departed, carrying Shimura Danzo's ostensibly benevolent, public-spirited instructions. Danzo himself remained motionless where he stood, the oppressive shadows of the underground space concealing his figure. In such darkness, who could know where his thoughts truly wandered?
The underground chamber fell silent once more. After an unknown amount of time, a soft hissing sound reached Danzo's ears.
Danzo glanced towards the sound's origin and saw a white snake coiled there. His expression unchanged, he gave a slight wave, and the snake obediently slithered closer.
Bypassing Konoha's barrier, especially given the recently enhanced defenses, was no simple task. The white snake, having diligently completed its transport mission, appeared rather listless. With considerable effort, it regurgitated a scroll.
Shimura Danzo took the scroll, inwardly letting out a sigh of relief.
While Jiraiya found it difficult to locate Orochimaru, Danzo re-establishing contact proved remarkably simple. After all, they had been colluding for a long time. What was the saying? Snakes of a feather flock together? Or perhaps, jackals from the same lair?
Back in Sunagakure, Habara, under the "protection" of his two "bodyguards," first toured the preparations for the joint Chunin Exams, given that "inspection" was his official reason for being there.
Shortly after, he met with Elder Chiyo, who was currently Sunagakure's de facto controller.
The "inspection" couldn't be finished in a single day. Habara quietly spent two or three days in Suna, discreetly observing the village's current operations. He nodded in satisfaction... Overall, Sunagakure was stable. Chiyo and the council she had established were effectively exercising the Kazekage's authority, keeping Suna united and orderly. It was merely their excessive caution and withholding of intelligence from Konoha that had led to the earlier minor misunderstanding.
Konoha had previously assumed Suna was in chaos. But regardless, a stable Sunagakure was very much in Konoha's interest. The Third Hokage could finally breathe a little easier. Facing potential internal turmoil, Hiruzen naturally desired a stable external environment; that was only human, especially given his advanced age and limited energy.
Having confirmed Suna's status, Habara had completed his mission. Thus, he could afford to relax a little and work on "strengthening relations" with the Suna shinobi. For instance, at this moment, he was inquiring of Sasori with utmost sincerity:
"I'm terribly curious," Habara began, his expression earnest. "How did the infamous Sasori – so wild, untamable, arrogant, viewing ninja villages as beneath contempt – end up wearing a Suna headband again? Doesn't wearing that thing on your forehead feel... itchy? Doesn't it make your face burn?"
It had to be said, language was an art form, and Habara was a master artist.
One doesn't punch someone in the face, as the saying goes, but Habara's words were deliberately provocative. Even though Sasori's body had undergone extensive puppet modification, he seemed to struggle against such a potent allergen.
The corner of his eye twitched once, then again. Ultimately, he managed to maintain his deadpan expression. It seemed that while Sasori was indeed arrogant, he could also possess considerable self-control when necessary... And what choice did he have? Attack Habara? A fine idea, except he couldn't possibly win.
The real reason Sasori was obeying Sunagakure wasn't because he'd turned over a new leaf. It was because his core components – his brain, thoughts, and spirit – were bound by a strict curse seal. This forced him into servitude.
Although he had lost his freedom, Sasori hadn't suffered any particular abuse. For one thing, the truth about his assassination of the Third Kazekage hadn't been widely disseminated. For another, the "key" to the curse seal was held by his grandmother, Chiyo.
As long as Sasori didn't act too rebelliously, his grandmother certainly wouldn't trigger the "head-tightening curse" constantly. Sasori's life was still long; his grandmother would eventually pass away from old age. Therefore, a wise man doesn't fight when the odds are against him. He needed to lie low for now.
While finding solace in adversity and practicing self-consolation, two things made Sasori feel Sunagakure wasn't entirely terrible. One was the perverse pleasure he derived from Suna's current suffering. The war had ended, but from the Kazekage down to the rank-and-file shinobi, Suna had lost so many lives. The village was in agony, which, to Sasori, made the internal environment... quite agreeable.
The other matter was even more interesting. Due to reasons that couldn't be easily described, he had lost a very important life-sized puppet figure. Now, he had received permission from Sunagakure; the village had provided him with equally precious material, allowing him to construct another life-sized puppet figure...
The previous one was dark lacquer; the next one would be glittering gold. Hard to say which was better. More importantly, the previous one couldn't see the light of day – it was a bootleg. The new one, however, had Suna's official authorization... What could be done? Forget about Kazekage dignity. Right now, Suna desperately needed to rapidly recover its strength. How? Puppet techniques were an excellent choice.
If the Fourth Kazekage knew, down in the Yellow Springs, surely he would understand everyone's actions. After all, he hadn't been much help to Suna while alive; contributing to the village after death – isn't that moving?
Compared to something like the Will of Fire, Sunagakure's legacy was clearly more epic and praiseworthy. A Kazekage working a non-stop grind while alive, only to be put on permanent duty after death.
All one could say was: Winning. Totally winning!