Dawn approached, the sky gray in the moments just before true light.
Within the Uchiha Compound, some shinobi were already starting their day. It didn't take long before they stumbled upon the four bodies lying discarded in a narrow alleyway.
A murder had occurred within the clan grounds. The news quickly reached the Uchiha leadership, drawing a crowd of shinobi who swarmed the crime scene.
Initially, the assumption was that fellow Uchiha had been murdered. Righteous indignation flared, and angry shouts for revenge echoed through the crowd. But just as quickly, they realized that wasn't the case.
An eerie silence fell over the crime scene. Everyone fell quiet, brows furrowed, a look of stunned confusion washing over them.
The silence remained unbroken until Uchiha Shisui, flanked by his two companions, pushed his way through the crowd.
"Excuse me, let us through…"
Shisui's reputation within the clan was currently in tatters, so he'd received the news later than others and arrived a step behind.
When he finally reached the center of the crowd and stepped into the crime scene, he found Clan Head Uchiha Fugaku standing motionless, several elders beside him.
"Clan Head, may I examine the scene?" Shisui asked.
As if a stone statue suddenly jolted to life, Fugaku stiffly turned his neck to look at Shisui, then gave a slow nod.
Permission granted, Shisui carefully approached the bodies and crouched down to observe. A discarded mask on the ground indicated the dead belonged to ANBU. With just a glance, he could tell the two shinobi who appeared to have killed each other were likely under the influence of a powerful genjutsu.
"Genjutsu…"
Shisui's heart sank. In all of Konoha, who possessed the strongest genjutsu? Which clan was most renowned for it?
But things went from bad to worse. When Shisui moved from those two bodies to inspect the other pair, merely seeing the animal masks they wore was enough to make him stand abruptly, his face rapidly draining of color.
"This… How is this possible?"
Disbelief warred on Shisui's face. He clenched his jaw, steeling himself to reach out and remove the masks. But as his fingertips brushed against the cold ceramic, his hand froze for an instant… It was fear, like being forced to lift the lid off hell itself.
Regardless, Shisui didn't falter. He flipped over the two masks, revealing the faces beneath and confirming their identities.
One of Shisui's companions, slightly older, quickly mirrored Shisui's horrified expression. The other, perhaps younger and less familiar with the village's key figures, didn't yet grasp the situation. He could only ask Shisui, "Shisui… what's wrong?"
An entire ANBU squad dead within the Uchiha Compound was undeniably serious, but it shouldn't have been enough to make Shisui look utterly despondent.
Shisui bit his lip hard enough that a trickle of blood ran down his chin. Suppressing the turmoil within, he told the younger ninja, "These two… are ANBU Commander Hyosube and his second-in-command."
"The ANBU… Commander?"
The younger ninja finally began to understand the gravity. ANBU were the Hokage's fists, and the ANBU Commander was undoubtedly a high-ranking figure. Theoretically, his status, influence, and power within Konoha far surpassed that of any clan head.
However, the young ninja still hadn't grasped the full severity.
Uchiha Shisui continued, his voice strained, "Hyosube and Kageonna are just ANBU code names, of course. Their real identities aren't exactly secrets; they use the code names out of respect for ANBU tradition and regulations. Specifically, the ANBU Commander and his second-in-command were… Sarutobi Shinnosuke and his wife."
"Sarutobi… Shinnosuke…"
Shisui's voice was heavy with difficulty. "Yes… The Commander of Konoha's ANBU… was the Third Hokage's eldest son."
"..."
Uchiha Itachi had reached the edge of the crowd. He'd intended to move forward, but after overhearing Shisui's explanation from afar, he stopped dead in his tracks. Silently, he turned and walked away. With the village head's son involved, no one paid any attention to the clan head's son leaving.
"Could we destroy the bodies and…"
Someone had just started to suggest a foolish idea when suddenly, sharp whistles pierced the air from various locations across Konoha. Destroy the evidence? Even setting aside the near impossibility of doing so completely, Konoha's ANBU could track them down using other clues. And what then? After destroying the bodies, would they have to silence witnesses? Could all the Uchiha present truly keep their mouths shut, not leaking a single word?
Explain rationally to Konoha, assist in capturing the culprit? If this had happened in the Hyuga clan's territory, Konoha might have been willing to cooperate. But this was the Uchiha Compound… Never mind Konoha not trusting the Uchiha; the Uchiha didn't trust Konoha either.
Some were already thinking it… Konoha finally had a pretext—a legitimate pretext—to completely annihilate the Uchiha clan. For Sarutobi Shinnosuke's death, the Uchiha had no way to defend themselves.
For the Uchiha clan, the implications of this incident were potentially more severe than the Nine-Tails attack that had led to the Fourth Hokage's death. After all, this time, the responsibility seemed terrifyingly clear – it pointed directly at the Uchiha.
At this point, who actually committed the murders, the identity of the killer, no longer mattered. What mattered was how they would respond.
"Fugaku, it's time to prepare," a white-haired Uchiha elder stated grimly to the clan head.
His words were meant for every Uchiha present.
Undeniably, the Third Hokage was a rational and patient man, primarily concerned with Konoha's core interests. But who could guarantee he would remain rational now? The Hokage was old, weary, and now his most valued eldest son had been murdered!
If Sarutobi Shinnosuke, a veteran of many battles, had died in war, it would have been an honorable end. But dying here, in the Uchiha Compound?
Once this accusation—this frame-up—stuck, the Uchiha clan would have no room left to maneuver. And thinking about it carefully, perhaps it wasn't entirely a frame-up, despite their apparent innocence… Wasn't Uchiha Obito still an Uchiha?
Uchiha Fugaku opened his mouth, but found no words would come out. He could only nod numbly. ANBU members had died within the compound before, but never like this. The implications were too devastating.
Shisui looked ready to argue, but Fugaku raised a hand to stop him. "Shisui, we will talk in detail later."
He then issued orders. "Leave two people here to guard the scene. If Konoha shinobi arrive, hand over the bodies to them. Do not engage, do not cause conflict… The rest of you, follow me back to the shrine."
Faced with imminent crisis, the Uchiha clan seemed to have lost their usual arrogance and brashness. Instead, they radiated a resentful helplessness—the feeling of being fish on a chopping block, completely at the mercy of others.
Most of the Uchiha shinobi followed Clan Head Uchiha Fugaku to the clan's Naka Shrine, including Uchiha Shisui.
Fugaku pulled Shisui aside into a private room and lowered his voice. "I will do my best to suppress the voices calling for revolt within the clan, and simultaneously assist ANBU in uncovering the truth. There's something suspicious about Sarutobi Shinnosuke's death. He was a top-tier elite jonin; who could kill him so silently? The Uchiha clan simply doesn't have a ninja capable of that! The Hokage understands this point as well. As long as the truth is revealed, there's still room for negotiation!"
The words sounded sincere, but Fugaku had other intentions. The rift between Konoha and the Uchiha could only widen; rebuilding trust was incredibly difficult, a gamble Fugaku dared not take.
Yet, Uchiha Shisui, hearing this, placed his trust in his Clan Head.
"Clan Head, I will work hard to maintain communication channels between the village and the clan."
"Also," Fugaku added, "if it truly comes to the worst-case scenario, I will not choose confrontation. I will lead the Uchiha clan in escape. Understand my helplessness in this—avoiding greater damage to Konoha is the absolute limit of what I can do. I hope the village won't pursue us relentlessly, won't try to wipe us out."
Escaping Konoha – this might have been Fugaku's actual plan, born from his understanding of the power disparity between the two sides. He, the Clan Head, was clear-sighted; he desired not rebellion, but secession.
However, his words were still problematic, framing Konoha's potential pursuit as Konoha's wrongdoing. In truth, if the Uchiha fled, Konoha would inevitably commit all its resources to their annihilation. This was non-negotiable, for reasons so fundamental they barely needed stating.
But Shisui didn't sense the dissonance in Fugaku's words. He was the type who hoped for the best for both sides. In his view, the Uchiha leaving was far preferable to a bloody, irreconcilable conflict with Konoha. Clearly, his idealism left him politically naive.
Fugaku then spoke privately with Shisui for a full half hour, detailing his thoughts in a way he never had before. This significantly calmed Shisui's heart, believing their goals were aligned. If they worked together, surely the worst could be avoided.
"Alright, go handle your affairs. I will do my best to calm everyone here," Fugaku said after half an hour, deciding the time was right.
Uchiha Shisui nodded. "Clan Head, if we work together from both sides, with unified hearts, we can definitely resolve this crisis."
"Good," Uchiha Fugaku said with a smile.
Under the strange gazes of the other clan members, an invigorated Uchiha Shisui left the Naka Shrine. He immediately headed towards the Hokage Tower at full speed. He had to explain the situation to the Hokage, and more importantly, convey the Clan Head's intentions accurately.
However, as he arrived before the Hokage Tower, four full ANBU squads instantly blocked his path.
Sixteen shinobi, standing ready, a formidable barrier.
"Everyone, I need to see the Third Hokage! I have important matters to report!"
The squad leader's voice was cold, emotionless. "Uchiha Shisui, your eyes are too dangerous. At a time like this, how could we possibly allow you near Lord Hokage?"
"..."
This reaction blindsided Shisui. The village leadership had always supported his actions. Why, at this critical juncture, had their attitude suddenly shifted?
"Why? Everyone, this concerns the village and the Uchiha! The situation is truly urgent!"
"Why?" The squad leader seemed to find Shisui incomprehensible. "What is there to ask? Between the village and the Uchiha, haven't you already made your choice?"
"What?"
"Uchiha Shisui, let me ask you: when you saw the situation, why didn't you report to Lord Hokage immediately? Is this how you repay the trust Lord Hokage and the leadership placed in you? And what did you do instead? You went off to conspire with the Uchiha!"
The color that had momentarily returned to Shisui's face drained away once more, leaving him deathly pale. He was speechless, finally understanding why he was being treated this way.
At such a critical moment, he had first followed the Uchiha to the Naka Shrine and stayed inside for over half an hour. From the village's perspective, this was a clear declaration of allegiance.
No wonder. No wonder Clan Head Fugaku had spoken to him with such earnestness and warmth.
Uchiha Shisui lacked political sensitivity. If he had truly wanted to clear up misunderstandings, he should have gone straight to the Hokage the moment he saw the bodies. That way, the village might have maintained its trust in him. Instead, he had foolishly followed the Uchiha's lead, proving himself politically unreliable.
Since Uchiha Shisui was no longer considered one of their own, how could the ANBU possibly let him see the Third Hokage? Perhaps the Hokage himself might have been willing to meet him, but the request would never reach him. Subordinates existed precisely for this purpose – to shield their leader. Uchiha Shisui was simply too dangerous.
At this point in time, the ANBU's actions were entirely correct. They were merely fulfilling their duty with loyalty.
If anyone was to blame, it was Shisui himself for not being astute enough.
And for Uchiha Fugaku? Whether the clan chose passive self-defense, a desperate breakout, or a mutually destructive final stand, Uchiha Shisui's combat power was indispensable.
The problem was Shisui's own naivety. He still clung to hopes of peace, seemingly blind to the perilous reality of the situation.
Since Uchiha Shisui was unwilling to choose a side, Uchiha Fugaku could only choose one for him. Fugaku didn't need Shisui to be perfectly aligned with his goals. Didn't Shisui desperately want to avoid bloodshed between the two sides? Now, it was the Uchiha who were poised to bleed. Would Shisui just stand by and watch?
Shisui wanted to protect both Konoha and the Uchiha clan. For Fugaku, if the Uchiha were to actively rebel, Shisui would undoubtedly be an obstacle. But if Konoha moved to punish the Uchiha, Fugaku wouldn't even need to persuade him; Shisui would know what he had to do.
To work for both sides, yet be seen as an outsider by both – this was the path Uchiha Shisui had chosen.
All Fugaku needed to do was delay Shisui's actions. At this critical moment, the trust Shisui had built with Konoha's leadership would instantly evaporate. After all, they trusted him precisely so he could act decisively in a crisis. Now the crisis was here, and where was his decisive action?
It could only be said: the politics of the heart, the manipulation of loyalties – it was always a dirty game.
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