In the depths of a shadowy forest...
Naruto, closely monitoring Shisui's physical condition, moved swiftly toward the Naka River.
He had waited half a month in ambush for the moment when Shisui would be critically weakened, during which he meticulously familiarized himself with the terrain around Konoha. His goal: to obtain Shisui's Kotoamatsukami Sharingan.
The reason was simple—Kotoamatsukami posed too great a threat.
If even Danzo and the Third Hokage couldn't tolerate such a power, then neither could he. A genjutsu that could alter someone's will was something he couldn't leave in the hands of others.
Shisui might not have had any reason to use it on him—but Danzo and Itachi were another story. What if they turned it on him? He had to seize control of his own destiny.
To deceive the highly perceptive Shisui, Naruto didn't transform into Itachi directly. Instead, he disguised himself as a random Uchiha clan member. He imitated Itachi's mannerisms and traveled using Uchiha-style fluid body techniques to dispel Shisui's suspicions as much as possible.
As they approached the area near the Naka River, Naruto stopped and turned to look at Shisui with a complicated expression.
"Shisui, did your mission fail?"
Shisui nodded. "I tried to control Captain Fugaku to prevent the coup, but Danzo didn't trust the Uchiha. He attacked and took my right eye, planning to stop the coup in his own way."
Naruto averted his gaze from Shisui's eyes and asked, "What are you planning to do now?"
Shisui let out a soft sigh. "Controlling Captain Fugaku is no longer possible. I plan to end my own life to prevent all of this. After I'm gone, I'll entrust you with both my Mangekyō and my ideals."
As he spoke, Shisui reached toward his left eye, preparing to remove it as a symbol of his resolution. But he suddenly paused and asked, "By the way, do you still remember our agreement?"
"Of course I do," Naruto replied, while slowly closing the distance and preparing to strike.
But Shisui sensed something was off and quickly pulled away, questioning sharply, "Wait… You're not Itachi. He would never use a transformation jutsu to deceive me. Who are you really?"
Naruto said nothing. A Rasengan had already formed in his hand and crashed into Shisui's body.
Already on the brink of collapse, Shisui couldn't resist. He fell to the ground and blacked out—his remaining left eye now gone.
Naruto dispelled his transformation and looked down at the unconscious Shisui. While sealing his chakra points using Gentle Fist, he said with a feigned voice, "I never claimed I was Uchiha Itachi. You just assumed that yourself."
Pausing for a moment, Naruto placed the Kotoamatsukami Sharingan into a glass container and continued, "Still, you really were too easy to fool. Duped twice in one day—both Mangekyō Sharingan taken."
Blinded and with his chakra sealed, Shisui was filled with dread. "Who… are you really?"
Even if he overlooked the Uchiha-style fluid motion techniques, the precision of the chakra point sealing clearly showed deep knowledge of Gentle Fist. The level of mastery was on par with rogue Hyūga shinobi he had fought before.
Naruto ignored Shisui's question and had a shadow clone search his body.
Soon, he found a prepared suicide note. After a quick glance, he chuckled. "Didn't expect you to have a will already written. Even if I kill you now, with this note, it'll look like suicide."
Shisui said nothing, face cold, though regret gnawed at his heart. He'd misjudged his enemy.
Even in his weakened state, if he had realized the truth in time, he could have destroyed Kotoamatsukami rather than let it fall into the wrong hands.
No one understood better than Shisui how terrifying that genjutsu truly was. He had always vowed only to use it as a last resort, burying it deep within his heart.
While Shisui's mind raced, Naruto was already counting his spoils.
As expected from one of the Uchiha's top jōnin, Shisui carried valuable gear and tens of thousands of ryo—enough to support Naruto until graduation from the ninja academy. He wouldn't need to rely on the Third Hokage anymore.
The Nine-Tails couldn't help but comment, "Naruto, that Uchiha over there is still alive. You might want to maintain your image as a proper jinchūriki."
Naruto glanced at the fox, suspecting it was reminding him to finish the job—but he had no proof.
Still, some truths were better left unspoken. Like why he snuck out to ambush Shisui, or how he even knew Shisui would be there.
The Nine-Tails couldn't find a solid explanation either and chalked it up to Naruto's exceptional analytical and sensory abilities.
For now, they were aligned in purpose. Both sought to leave Konoha. That was enough.
After organizing the loot, Naruto grinned. "With this much money, we're eating well tonight. Hey, Kurama—can a tailed beast eat real food?"
Kurama pondered for a moment. "Probably. I've eaten humans before… though I ended up getting eaten myself."
Naruto blinked. "Tailed beasts really are strange beings. You exist between chakra and flesh. But what is chakra, really?"
Kurama crossed its arms and replied, "Chakra is chakra. Nothing more."
Naruto smiled but didn't reply. Though they got along, when it came to real secrets, both Kurama and himself knew to keep certain things hidden.
Back in the real world, Naruto glanced at the immobilized Shisui and, still wary, tied him up with rope.
Then he lifted Shisui and fled toward the Forest of Death. He had previously prepared a temporary base there—perfect for imprisoning Shisui.
He wouldn't let Shisui die easily. Not until he had squeezed every last drop of value from him.
Once at the temporary base, Naruto casually threw Shisui inside and left a shadow clone to guard him. The real Naruto rushed back to the village.
After all, despite narrowly defeating a Kage-level shinobi like Shisui, he still had school the next day.
---
Meanwhile, atop a cliff near the Naka River...
Uchiha Itachi stood in silence, waiting.
But no matter how long he waited, Shisui never appeared. A growing unease gnawed at his heart.
The clan was already holding a meeting to finalize plans for the coup. If Shisui didn't show soon, the coup they feared would become a certainty.
A violent clash between clan and village was inevitable—and no matter who emerged victorious, it wouldn't be a true win.
Other great ninja villages would only seize the chance to wage war on a fractured Konoha.
Just then, Itachi noticed something floating in the river below. He squinted—and his eyes widened in shock. A headless corpse in a Konoha jōnin vest was drifting by. Its build closely resembled Shisui's.
Itachi's heart sank. He leapt from the cliff to the riverbank and dragged the corpse from the water.
While the build was similar, the body clearly wasn't Shisui's. The most terrifying possibility had not come to pass.
Still… Shisui was nowhere to be found.
It was as if he had vanished from the world.
(End of Chapter)
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