In the dark depths of his consciousness, light gradually seeped in.
Shisui's eyes shot open—or rather, he tried to open them. A sharp pain came from his empty eye sockets, a reminder that he had lost his sight.
But what shocked him more was that he could still think, still feel the touch of the tatami mat beneath him, and besides the poisonous insects, his injuries were completely healed.
I'm still alive?
The realization made his whole body tense. He had chosen to die by jumping off a cliff... why?
"Yo, you're awake?" a cheerful male voice came from his right. "You were out for a pretty short time. Want to rest a bit more?"
Shisui instinctively turned towards the source of the sound. Although he couldn't see, he could feel that someone was sitting there.
"Who are you?"
"You must have a lot of questions," the person seemed to shift into a more comfortable position, the rustle of fabric audible. "About my identity, or why I saved you."
Shisui grew wary. It seemed this wasn't a random rescue but a planned contact.
"This is our first time meeting, but as for my identity... you've definitely heard of me."
Shisui's brow furrowed deeply. He instantly tensed his entire body. Although he was so exhausted he could barely perform the most basic Body Flicker Technique.
"My name is Menma Uzumaki, a few years older than you," the person continued on his own. "My current position is the leader of the [JIN] organization... that should be enough, right?"
The air seemed to freeze.
...What?
Shisui's empty eye sockets trembled slightly. Menma? [JIN]? The leader of the terrifying organization that had single-handedly attacked Konoha and shaken the entire ninja world? But what concerned him more was—why would such a figure save a dying Uchiha? Could he be an imposter?
As if seeing through his doubt, Menma chuckled softly. "Don't be so hostile. When I attacked Konoha... I didn't kill a single person."
The following conversation was like a series of thunderclaps in Shisui's ears. Menma accurately stated the existence of "Kotoamatsukami." He described in detail how Danzo had taken his right eye. He even pointed out accurately that he had entrusted his remaining eye to Itachi.
Shisui's expression shifted from questioning, to shock, to hostility, and finally, to complete rigidity. Although he had lost his eyes, he could clearly feel the oppressive pressure coming from the person opposite him—it was an almost tangible aura that could only be accumulated through countless life-and-death battles.
Right now... I am no match for him.
In the end, he slowly relaxed his tense shoulders and took a defensive stance. For now, conversation was the only option.
"So..." Shisui's voice was hoarse and restrained. "What is your purpose in saving me?"
"I no longer have the Sharingan."
There was a probing in his words. Shisui deliberately didn't mention the possibility that terrified him most—if Menma's target was the "Kotoamatsukami" he had entrusted to Itachi...
The thought had just surfaced when he forcibly suppressed it. If this man, who could stand against the five great nations, were to obtain a dojutsu capable of rewriting a person's will, the consequences would be unimaginable.
"I think you've misunderstood something," Menma's voice was tinged with a bit of laziness. "The Sharingan and Kotoamatsukami... are not my objectives."
"I'm not the type to be obsessed with power. To me, power... is just a tool to achieve a goal."
"I want to stop war. Whether it's a war between the great nations or an internal conflict within a village... as long as it's a conflict that will cause unnecessary casualties, I will not stand by."
"This matter..." Shisui chose his words carefully. "I have already entrusted it to my dear friend."
He looked up slightly. Although he had no eyes, the gesture still carried a sense of determination.
"She will stop the conflict between the Uchiha and Konoha... and carry on my will."
This was a more polite way of putting it. In fact, Shisui was subtly refusing Menma's intervention—he clearly remembered how this man had "intervened" last time, by critically injuring the Raikage. He believed that such "mediation" would only bring deeper hatred and turmoil.
"I see..." Menma's voice was thoughtful. "Itachi Uchiha, you mean?"
Shisui keenly noticed that when Menma said this name, there was a slight pause in his tone. He couldn't see that at this moment, the image of the black-haired girl he had seen on the cliff was flashing through Menma's mind.
The great filial son from the original story became a great filial daughter...
The thought flashed through Menma's mind, but he quickly composed himself.
"Did you know?" Menma suddenly changed the subject. "Sometimes, one person's resolve... is far from enough."
Menma looked at Shisui's clenched jaw. He remembered the controversy surrounding Itachi Uchiha in the original story—the man known as "Itachi the God," and how his reputation had undergone such an extreme reversal online in another world.
From the initial tragic hero to the later questioned extremist—slaughtering his entire clan, and then having Sasuke kill him with his own hands... and then using a will-altering technique to make his brother return to Konoha.
Each of these acts was enough to spark intense moral debate.
Imagine putting yourself in the shoes of those innocent Uchiha civilians in the original story. Villagers who had worked hard their whole lives, only to have their entire family suddenly slaughtered in the middle of the night by a genius from their own clan. And when the truth was revealed, everyone was exclaiming,
"Wow! So the massacre was for peace!"
"It was so great of you to bear the darkness alone!"
The grievances of those who died in vain became a backdrop to highlight the nobility of "Itachi the God."
Naruto believed that this twisted value system might have originated from Itachi's experience of being sent to the battlefield at the age of five—a child who had been exposed to death too early was bound to see the world differently from ordinary people.
"You believe she can stop the civil war..." Menma's voice was tinged with a bit of amusement. "So in your imagined scenario—"
"What exactly will Itachi Uchiha... do?"
What will Itachi do...
The weight of the question made Shisui's breathing slow. He looked up slightly. Although he had lost his sight, the gesture still held a contemplative air.
"Itachi's talent..." his voice was filled with an unquestionable certainty. "Is more suited to acting in the shadows than mine."
"She will definitely find a way to please both sides."
This sentence contained so many unspoken words. In Shisui's idealized vision...
Itachi would continue to use her ANBU identity to maneuver between the village leadership and the clan, using precise intelligence manipulation to delay the coup.
If she really couldn't delay it any longer, she would eliminate the most radical hawk faction members when necessary.
Finally, she would leave as a rogue ninja, bearing all the blame.
Even... using the Konoha secrets she had learned during her time in the ANBU as a bargaining chip to ensure the village wouldn't harm the other Uchiha.
This plan perfectly represented Shisui's idealism—he believed in his comrade's ability, yet underestimated the cruelty of reality.
"...Alright," Menma suddenly stood up. "It seems you have a lot of confidence in Itachi Uchiha."
Shisui heard the rustle of fabric and felt Menma approaching. The oppressive chakra made his skin involuntarily tense.
"I will save you, and then we'll see what Itachi Uchiha does," Menma's voice was tinged with a bit of interest. "You have... the Aburame clan's poisonous insects in your body right now, don't you?"
Shisui's body stiffened almost imperceptibly.
"Don't be so on guard," Menma was now crouching in front of him. "I saved you because the Uchiha clan still needs you."
"Now, can you feel where the insects are in your body?" Menma's voice suddenly became focused. "I'm at least 90% confident I can get them out—"
"But the process... might be a little painful."
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