The sun was setting.
Shift had just changed at the Police Force building. People flowed in and out, the noise rising and falling.
After a full day's work, Uchiha Shisui rubbed at his tired brow and was about to head home.
He had barely stepped through the front doors when a dark figure slid soundlessly into his path.
"Uchiha Shisui. Lord Danzō requests your presence," the newcomer said coldly.
"...Lead the way," Shisui drew a steady breath and nodded.
Following the Root operative, Shisui passed through a shadowed forest on Konoha's outskirts to a hidden underground entrance.
He descended cold, damp stone steps, the air thick with mildew.
At last he reached a dim chamber deep underground. A single oil lamp flickered in the corner, throwing warped shadows across the walls.
Shimura Danzō sat in the darkness ahead, half his face lost to shadow. The light caught on his lone visible eye, making its glint all the more chilling.
"Lord Danzō," Shisui bowed his head respectfully.
Danzō lifted his chin a fraction. His voice was heavy with authority. "Uchiha Shisui, what is the duty of the Police Force?"
Shisui straightened instinctively and answered aloud, "To suppress crime and maintain the village's public order."
Danzō made no comment, then pressed, "Be specific."
Shisui did not dare relax. He continued without pause, "Upon receiving a report from a victim or discovering signs of a crime, the Police Force first verifies the situation and apprehends suspects, then conducts interrogation and investigation, gathers evidence, and finally, according to the law, administers punishment for their crimes."
Danzō nodded slowly. His tone turned cold as a knife. "Well said. But if the Police Force itself breaks the law, how should it be handled?"
The words cracked across the room like thunder.
Shisui's mind rang. He looked up sharply, disbelief widening his pupils. "Th—Lord Danzō, what do you mean?"
Danzō rose and took a step forward, the lamplight drawing a ghastly gleam from his single eye.
"Yesterday the Police Force swept through the streets arresting people. By my information, more than twenty civilians were beaten so badly they're now in the hospital."
"By your own stated procedure, should you not interrogate and investigate first, then punish according to the crime?"
His voice hardened, questions pounding like hammer blows. "Why did you abuse extrajudicial force during apprehension? Or is it that when faced with mere civilians, you Uchiha cannot control yourselves and must resort to such extremes?"
The barrage left Shisui momentarily mute, cold sweat beading at his temple.
He knew the truth.
As enforcers, Uchiha in the Police Force had long-standing friction with ordinary civilians—oil and water. Recent slander against the Uchiha had pushed tempers to a breaking point. For many, yesterday's arrests were a chance to vent.
He knew such loss of control was wrong, but he hadn't been able to stop it…
Seeing his silence, Danzō's face sank. He pressed on. "Answer me. Why did you do it? Was this Uchiha settling scores under the guise of duty?"
Shisui opened his mouth. "It's not as you think…"
"Hmph."
Danzō cut him off with a contemptuous snort, continuing his advance.
"I've no time for quibbling. One question only—"
His eye sharpened like a raptor's. His voice rose. "If the Police Force commits a crime, how should they be dealt with?!"
Shisui answered quickly, almost pleading, "In this operation… while some actions were improper, at least the spread of rumors was curbed and those trying to divide Konoha struck down. If punitive measures are taken against the Police Force for this, it will only deepen the rift between the Uchiha and the village. Please reconsider!"
Danzō's face showed no change.
"Break the law and escape punishment? It sounds as if the Uchiha have grown that arrogant."
He looked down at Shisui for a long moment. Seeing the bowed head, an icy satisfaction crossed his features. His tone softened a fraction. "Of course, I know ANBU initiated this action, and your Police simply assisted."
"I will ask you a few questions now. If your answers please me, this overreach by the Police Force… can be overlooked."
Shisui felt as though pardoned. "Yes! Thank you for your magnanimity!"
Danzō narrowed his eye. "How much do you know about that Uchiha Eiya?"
Eiya…
Shisui blinked, not expecting the name.
His mind turned quickly as he chose his words. "A few days ago, Uchiha Eiya sparred with Itachi at the training grounds. When Itachi was on the verge of losing, I appeared and stopped their fight."
"Oh?" A glint passed through Danzō's eye. "What else?"
"Normally… we've hardly interacted, so I don't know much…"
He saw Danzō's face darken and hastened to add, "But Eiya and Itachi are both in ANBU now, and on the same squad. If anyone knows him well, Itachi would."
Danzō snorted and flicked his hand. "Bring Itachi to me."
"...Yes!" Shisui dared not argue and withdrew to obey.
…
Meanwhile, in the ANBU briefing room.
Kakashi was assigning the next day's Hokage-guard roster.
When he called "Uchiha Eiya," no one answered.
"Hm?"
He looked up and around. The Eiya who had a moment ago been lounging with his feet on the table was gone without a trace.
Tenzo sighed toward the doorway. The others wore the same unsurprised look.
Clearly, Eiya's habit of slipping out early had become routine.
A vein throbbed at Kakashi's temple. He pressed a palm to his forehead and muttered, "Itachi just got called away, and Eiya's already vanished…"
He could only sigh, listless. "Forget it. Dismissed."
…
[ Ding! Indulgence successful! ]
[ As an ANBU operative, you came and went as you pleased—late, early, ignoring rules and superiors. Indulgence level: C. ]
[ Reward settling… ]
[ Reward: Chakra capacity +20%! ]
Hearing the mechanical voice in his mind, Eiya paused on his way out of the village and chuckled, shaking his head.
At the same time, a warm surge welled up from within, racing along his meridians through every limb and bone.
Eiya narrowed his eyes, savoring the swell of power. His whole body felt unreasonably light.
Night had fallen. Leaving the ANBU base, Eiya wandered alone toward the outskirts.
Near Training Ground Three, on a small path, he saw a familiar figure standing beneath the trees.
A breeze passed. The figure stood with his back to him, gazing at Konoha's distant lights.
Moonlight slid through the branches, sketching a cool, sharp outline on the boy's profile.
It was Itachi.
"Where'd you go?" Eiya stopped and asked blandly.
Itachi didn't turn or answer, as if he hadn't heard.
Eiya shook his head. "Off duty and your mouth is sewn shut?"
After a long silence, Itachi finally turned.
His face lay half in shadow, only his eyes glinting with something unreadable. "Because… I was on a mission."
His tone was flat, emotionless, as if stating a fact that had nothing to do with him.
Eiya snorted. "How dutiful."
"Fulfilling the mission is a shinobi's duty," Itachi said, voice steady. "Only what has value deserves to exist in this world."
Their eyes met. Eiya stared into his, then asked, meaning heavy in his voice, "Then answer me—if one day you receive an order to kill your own kin and friends, will you accept it willingly?"
The air froze.
Itachi's eyelids trembled, almost too slight to see, then his calm returned like deep water.
After a few seconds, he answered low, "...If sacrificing a few can save the many, I will accept it."
Eiya gave a cold, soft laugh. "But no one wishes to be the 'few' who are sacrificed."
Itachi was silent. He did not refute it.
He only drew a kunai, the black blade flashing with chill light under the moon.
"So—that is the meaning of our existence as shinobi."
After a beat, Itachi frowned slightly and spoke first. "I'm curious. That night—why did you try to kill me?"
Eiya's mouth curled, smile unreadable.
"Just a spar, wasn't it?"
Itachi's body tensed. Wariness and dread flickered in his eyes. "No… that's wrong. I could feel your killing intent clearly—just now as well."