When the message from Kakashi reached him, Uchiha Shisui was genuinely surprised.
The fake Kakashi walking around Konoha? Shisui spotted that bullshit instantly.
His Sharingan made it obvious—the chakra signature was off, and the way the impostor used jutsu didn't match the real Kakashi at all.
Shisui had assumed Kakashi was stuck in Sunagakure, probably rescued and recruited by the Sand. But now the real one was suddenly near Konoha?
"Kakashi-senpai, I don't have much time. You know how the Uchiha are being watched right now. If I disappear too long, it'll cause problems."
"Whatever you need, just say it."
Kakashi nodded.
"Alright, I'll get straight to it. Shisui, leave the Leaf. Come help me. This ninja world is completely rotten. Help us save it."
Shisui froze, eyes widening.
"Huh?"
Kakashi hadn't expected an instant yes, but he was confident he could convince him. The Uchiha clan's situation was already a disaster.
Kakashi kept going. "You know exactly how the Uchiha ended up like this, Shisui."
"Before, I thought the same as everyone else—that it was the clan's fault."
"But now? I don't buy it anymore. The real problem is the village."
"Even guys like Uchiha Gen are dead."
"These hidden villages are all corrupt. They only care about power and profit. No right or wrong. No justice. They just keep starting wars and murdering people…"
Shisui listened and realized Kakashi wasn't working for the Sand after all.
This was a third party.
Save the ninja world? Walk away from the village completely? Stop obsessing over the Uchiha-Leaf conflict?
Shisui's eyes lit up. This gave him a completely new angle.
But he still hesitated.
"Kakashi-senpai… how exactly do we save it?"
Kakashi shook his head.
"I can't give you the details until you decide to join us. But I can tell you this—we're going to win."
"The era of hidden villages needs to end."
"Just like the old ninja clan era ended before it."
Shisui was tempted. The Leaf had already shown him there was almost no hope left for the Uchiha and the village to coexist peacefully.
If the Hokage seat stayed locked in the Sarutobi family forever, what then?
But actually leaving the village? Throwing away the Uchiha name?
He couldn't decide that fast.
"Kakashi-senpai… can I have some time to think?"
Kakashi's eyes flashed with disappointment, but he understood.
He'd only joined the Akatsuki after Danzo tried to murder him. That moment had forced him to see the truth—Hiruzen had killed his father, and Danzo had come to finish the job. Once the Akatsuki pulled him out of that hell, their goal became exactly what he wanted.
Shisui was different. He still held onto some hope for the Leaf.
"Don't worry, Kakashi-senpai. I won't tell anyone about today. Not even the other Uchiha."
Kakashi nodded.
"If you decide to join us, head west."
"Got it, Kakashi-senpai."
Shisui walked away. Zetsu shook his head beside Kakashi.
"Even with the Uchiha in this much shit, he's still holding onto hope for the Leaf. That kid's way too naive. He can't save them."
Kakashi's eyes flickered.
"I believe Shisui's smart enough to figure it out eventually."
…
The Konoha Weekly hit the streets with the joint statement from Hiruzen and Jiraiya front and center. Everyone saw it the second they opened the paper.
"I knew it was a rumor."
"The Hokage is Jiraiya's teacher, and Jiraiya's the Hokage's student. Their bond is that tight. There's no way the Hokage would hurt him."
"Plus there's still no real proof about Minato's death. Jiraiya wouldn't turn on his own teacher over a guess."
"The Hokage wouldn't move against Jiraiya just because of some wild theory either."
"If the Hokage was really that kind of man, Danzo would've been dealt with years ago."
Hearing his own name made Danzo's brow twitch.
The gossip continued.
"Danzo's gone rogue more times than anyone can count. He ignores the Hokage's orders whenever he feels like it. And everyone knows how badly he wants the hat."
Another voice chimed in.
"Wasn't the talk that Danzo's too weak to actually threaten him?"
Danzo's face darkened.
"Weak or not, he's still dangerous. Poison. Ambush. The Hokage can't stay on guard every second of every day."
"Better to just kill him than keep watching his back."
The other person nodded.
"Fair point."
Medical Wing.
Jiraiya held the paper with his one remaining arm, reading the bold statement.
"With my name and sensei's on this, that rumor should finally die. The ninja world's morals really have gone to hell. Using this kind of dirty trick just to mess with people."
Jiraiya shook his head and set the paper down.
"Still… it's over now. Good."
Time in the hospital bed moved fast.
Night fell quickly.
Jiraiya closed his eyes and drifted into deep sleep.
He never noticed the strange stream of light that slipped into his body.
Then the dreams began.
A long, incredibly vivid dream.
In it, Jiraiya saw pieces of the past… and fragments of what was coming.
It felt so real it didn't seem like a dream at all.
It felt like reality.
"One-Night Dream Fabrication… activate!"