The room was dim, lit only by a sliver of moonlight.
"Shisui," Uchiha Yoru said quietly, rising from his chair, "the information you saw earlier was real. But as for whether it was the ANBU or Root behind it… I believe that part is false. It can't be that simple."
Shisui slowly lifted his head.
For the first time, stubborn defiance surfaced in his eyes as he stared at Yoru, whose gaze remained half-hidden in shadow.
"Yoru-niisan," Shisui said steadily, "do you really think I'd believe that?"
He stood up straight, meeting Yoru's eyes without flinching.
"I am Uchiha Shisui. An elite jōnin of the village. An Uchiha genius." His voice hardened, word by word. "I'm not a child. Are you planning to protect me forever? How long do you think you can keep doing that?"
The frustration he'd been holding back finally broke through.
The brother he admired always carried the filth, the shadows, the things that couldn't be spoken aloud. Yoru never wanted Shisui to see them, never wanted him involved. Instead, he pushed Shisui forward as the clan's pride, the perfect prodigy.
But Shisui wasn't weak.
He had strength. He had control. He believed he could keep secrets. He believed he could help.
"Yoru-niisan," he said, his voice low but unwavering, "you can't carry all of this alone. I want to help you. I want to shoulder this darkness with you."
The resolve in his eyes was unmistakable.
For a moment, Yoru faltered.
Then he lowered his head, his voice rough.
"Shisui… the village is conducting human experimentation using the First Hokage's cells."
Shisui froze.
"And they're doing the same with the Sharingan."
In an instant, Shisui's pupils flared crimson. Three black tomoe spun into place without warning.
Yoru sank back into his chair as if the strength had drained from him, his eyes dull, his voice hollow.
"The Senju and the Uchiha founded Konoha," he muttered. "And now… they've become rare materials in underground laboratories. What a joke."
He laughed quietly. There was no humor in it.
"What's worse is that this was an S-rank classified research mission assigned to Orochimaru."
Shisui's mind reeled.
The clans that built the village. The clans that protected everyone. And now the village was turning its blades inward?
If anyone else had said it, Shisui would have dismissed it outright. But this was Yoru. And Yoru was Orochimaru's disciple.
"The first successful test subject," Yoru continued, closing his eyes, "was Shimura Danzō. His right eye was implanted with a Sharingan. Orochimaru was experimenting with suppressing the Sharingan using First Hokage cells. Whether it fully succeeded… I don't know."
His expression twisted briefly, then went still.
Shisui felt as though the world had flipped upside down.
Danzō. Sharingan implants. Hashirama's cells.
The peaceful village he believed in suddenly felt alien.
"Yoru-niisan," Shisui demanded, fury rising, "why would the village do this? What are they trying to achieve?"
His pride shattered into something raw and burning.
"The Senju and the Uchiha built Konoha! They protected everyone! Why would it come to this?!"
Betrayal.
That was the only word that fit.
His eyes blazed red, killing intent leaking uncontrollably. At that moment, Yoru opened his own eyes.
The two tomoe spun violently.
And before Shisui could react, they completed their rotation.
Three tomoe.
Yoru's Sharingan fully awakened before him.
"Shisui," Yoru said coldly, locking eyes with him, "remember your name. Remember who founded this village. If this information leaks now, do you understand what will happen?"
His voice sharpened.
"The Uchiha will sever all ties with the Hokage's faction. Civil conflict will follow. Konoha will be crippled. And that chaos could ignite a Fourth Great Ninja War."
The words struck like blades.
"The Third War barely ended," Yoru continued. "Do you want the village drowned in blood again?"
Then, with terrifying clarity, he said:
"Shunshin no Shisui. I know how strong you are. But if you become the spark that burns this village… I will kill you myself."
There was no hesitation in his tone.
This was not a threat born of anger. It was resolve.
Shisui's rage collapsed into shock.
Fourth Great Ninja War.
The phrase alone sobered him instantly.
Looking at Yoru now, Shisui felt warmth and guilt intertwine in his chest. He finally understood the ground his brother stood on. How dangerous it was. How lonely.
And how close he himself had come to doubting him.
"Yoru-niisan," Shisui said quietly, "I understand."
He bowed his head.
Despite the betrayal, despite the rot beneath the village, he did not want war. He could not allow it.
Only now did he truly grasp why Yoru had been so tense these past days. The information he carried was nothing less than a fuse tied to the entire shinobi world.
Outside the office window, hidden in the darkness, one eye widened in shock.
After a long silence, Shisui looked up again.
"Then… what do you plan to do?"
Yoru glanced briefly toward the window, sensing the trace of lingering chakra beyond it. This entire exchange had been deliberate. Every word was true. Some conclusions were inferred, yes, but they were inescapable ones.
Sooner or later, anyone who investigated would arrive at the same answers.
"As long as Konoha exists," Yoru thought calmly, "it belongs to the Senju and the Uchiha."
The Senju had faded.
Which meant what remained was obvious.
For the sake of the village.
For the sake of the Uchiha.
He was serious.