Uchiha Jin was dumbfounded.
What a mess.
He could only give a wry smile. Why bring this up now.
Did no one understand Shisui's temperament.
More importantly, in another world this might end with anger and a shouting match.
Here it was different.
The shinobi world was called the world of eyes.
Especially for the Uchiha, strong negative emotions could trigger the Sharingan.
Shisui was a once-in-a-generation prodigy.
If he got pushed into awakening the Mangekyo, Jin's dream of a quiet life was over.
Try lying low while the village elders and the clan leadership stared holes through you.
While Jin wrestled with the thought, Shisui drew a long breath.
"Sorry, Jin-kun."
"In the past I focused too much on strength and ignored everything else."
"But that is over."
"Now that I know, I will not let this stand."
"Wait here. I will demand justice for you."
In the blink of an eye, Shisui vanished.
Shisui of the Body Flicker indeed.
But Jin did not need that.
He had meant to talk him down, and before he could speak, Shisui was gone.
"…"
A thousand curses jammed in Jin's throat with nowhere to go.
What a disaster.
He only wanted to ride out the Third Great Ninja War and slowly build power.
Why was it this hard.
He truly had a headache.
He had considered showing his hand, playing both sides, and growing step by step.
It would not work.
Madara was old, but still alive.
He had already despaired of the world and was pushing his dream plan.
Whether the clan was wiped out or not, he did not care.
If Jin suddenly rose, he would either be turned into a piece on the board or erased as a variable.
And in the Pure Land, there was the Sage of Six Paths, the ultimate schemer.
Who knew what the old man would think. Would he sense a soul from another world.
Even without looking so far, Sarutobi Hiruzen and Shimura Danzo were opponents Jin could not handle yet.
Enough.
Thinking would not change a thing. He would block soldiers with shields and water with soil.
He shrugged helplessly and let himself sink into the sofa.
[Chakra +12]
[Fire Style +11]
[…]
He basked in the joy of lying flat, and the sour mood melted away.
A faint smile traced his lips.
As for the future.
Let it come.
He would lie low, not cower.
On the other side, Shisui strode straight to the clan head's residence.
"Shisui-nii, is your mission over."
As he stepped into the garden, young Itachi ran to meet him.
Shisui's frosty expression softened.
"Yes, finished."
"I have seven days of leave. Is your father home."
"I need to see the clan head."
Itachi frowned slightly.
He was a prodigy too and felt Shisui's mood was off.
He did not pry. He nodded.
"Father is in the sitting room. Go on in."
"When you are done, will you take me to play."
Shisui ruffled his hair with a smile, then nodded solemnly.
He moved on.
"Clan head."
"Shisui, have a seat."
Fugaku's face was calm, but he smiled when he saw Shisui.
A leader felt better when the clan had more geniuses.
For Shisui, the brightest of them, Fugaku was willing to treat him as an equal.
"Clan head, I…"
Shisui drew in a breath, wanting to speak but hesitating.
For a moment, he did not know how to begin.
Fugaku read the struggle and smiled.
"If you have a problem, say it. No matter how troublesome, I will help you solve it."
The Uchiha were in a bad spot in Konoha.
Fugaku wanted to win over every talent.
As long as it was not impossible, he would make it happen.
Hearing that, Shisui felt something unclench.
He did not embellish or hold back.
He laid out Uchiha Jin's life, and what had happened after Uchiha Kagami's death to the men who had followed him.
By the end he was in tears.
He breathed deep, looked Fugaku in the eye, and his tone sharpened.
"Clan head."
"Even if they once followed my grandfather, how could they be treated like that."
"Were those men not Uchiha too."
"On what grounds were they cast aside."
"If not for Teuchi and his wife, Jin-kun might not have lived to adulthood."
Shisui's voice was low and heavy.
Fugaku stared, stunned.
Was this true. He had never heard of it.
It was not entirely his fault.
He was the clan head, but also the head of the Konoha Police Force.
He had too much on his plate.
The elders handled many internal affairs.
And his power was not as great as people assumed.
While Kagami lived, Fugaku's father had held the reins.
Only after Kagami's death did Fugaku take the seat in haste.
Back then he wore the title, but the real power lay with the elder Uchiha Shanna. Only in recent years had Fugaku clawed it back.
So the news shocked him.
"How could this be."
"I am sorry, Shisui. I only learned this now."
"You know I have not been clan head for long. In those early years Elder Shanna ran the clan."
"So…"
"I will deal with this at once. Believe me, I am not of the hotheads' stripe."
He stood up and left in a rush.
He was truly anxious.
The Uchiha were already weak in the village, and internal strife never stopped. Now this.
What were they doing. Begging for annihilation.
As clan head, once he knew, he had to act.
Watching him go, Shisui allowed himself a small smile.
He had always believed Fugaku was a good man.
Even if someone had messed things up, it was only a few.
Then he spent the afternoon with Itachi.
When he left the compound, a masked ninja with a rabbit mask appeared in front of him.
"Shisui, the Hokage summons you."