Kai's gaze swept the treeline before he faced Yoshiro and Kotaro. "There are four Root operatives lurking at the edge of camp," he said quietly. "Handle them. No witnesses."
Yoshiro and Kotaro melted into the shadows, silent as wraiths. Moments later, muted thuds and a hushed scramble confirmed the eavesdroppers had been dealt with.
Mei stood and brushed pine needles from her sleeve, eyes fixed on the brothers. "Once word reached us that Shishui was marked and being hunted by ANBU, the Clan began mustering every available shinobi," she said. "We've stockpiled supplies, reinforced sector posts, even drafted contingency plans in the event of open conflict."
A hush fell as the gravity of the situation sank in: the Uchiha were on high alert, quietly preparing for open rebellion and war. If they were truly evacuating and preparing for battle, Konoha's extensive surveillance should have detected their movements. The clan now teetered on the brink of war.
Kai stepped between the two brothers, eyes sweeping the silent assembly. "We've all been pawns long enough," he said. "Tonight, we decide how to protect Konoha—and our clan—together. Speak your truths. Find our path. Then we act."
Itachi drew in a breath, voice quiet but resolute. "I stand with preserving peace and stability of the village."
Shisui's gaze, though weary, held fire. "My fight was always for unity. I will do whatever it takes."
A hush fell. Yoshiro inclined his head; Kotaro's fist pressed once to his chest. Mei's eyes glistened with relief. Kai nodded, satisfied. "Then let the accord begin."
Lanterns swayed overhead as the Uchiha's future was laid bare in solemn words—not blades—beneath the moonlit sky.
Mei's voice cut through the tense air. "Let's start with today's events, please. We have to move fast if we want to stop the war between the clan and the village."
Kai met her gaze and exhaled slowly. He turned and eyes fixed on Shisui and Itachi who had to come to stand beside Shishui. "Outline everything—from the morning to Shisui's try to dive into the Naka River to kill himself. No detail is too small."
The clearing went silent, every pair of eyes locked on Shishui, waiting for his answer.
Shisui's gaze darted to Itachi, uncertainty tightening his chest. Itachi offered a small, steadying nod. Kai stepped forward, voice calm but resolute. "Shisui, Itachi—you've carried this burden alone long enough. Let us share it. Tell us everything you faced this morning and afternoon. We're here to help."
A hush fell over the group. Mei drew a slow breath and added, "We need your story—only then can we truly protect you, and the village. Or else, we can step into war once we leave this training ground."
With that gentle insistence, the invisible wall between confession and silence cracked. Shisui swallowed, found his voice, and began. "I remember the chill of dawn as Itachi and I stepped into the Hokage's courtyard. I bowed deeply before the Third, then explained a solution, a way out of the conflict between the clan and the village."
Shishui: When I mentioned the solution, I watched surprise flash across his features. The Sandaime then drew in a thoughtful breath and asked, "How can you quell this unrest when it has been festering for years?"
At that moment I activated my eyes. The crimson spirals of my Mangekyō flickered into view—and for the first time, Kai, Mei, and the others saw that sacred pattern blazing in my gaze. Their breaths hitched at the raw power on display. I felt the endless possibilities, the pure power radiating from the spinning Mangekyo Sharingan: momentarily forgetting Itachi and Kai had just awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan as well. This power was his only hope to avert the clan's war with the village.
Shishui: "I explained Kotoamatsukami as the pinnacle of genjutsu — a technique only possible to be executed by my Mangekyo Sharingan, that can subtly reweave a person's convictions without them ever knowing it. It doesn't break the mind, it reshapes it, planting ideas so gently that they blossom into wholehearted belief. To perform it, one must awaken a Mangekyō Sharingan fine-tuned to that single, supreme spell."
Shishui: "Kotoamatsukami doesn't shatter wills—it gently rewrites the urge to rebel, so loyalty blooms in their hearts without a trace of coercion." were the words I last spoke to get permission from the Sandaime Hokage.
Then, Itachi spoke up, "I followed Shisui that morning as silent as smoke, awed by his unwavering resolve. Watching him unveil Kotoamatsukami, I saw not just power but mercy—his intent was to save lives without bloodshed."
Itachi: Watching from the side, I saw the surprise on the face of Sandaime-sama morph into cautious resolve. His voice carried both the weight of the village and the weariness of age when he challenged Shisui: "How can one technique undo decades of distrust?"
Shisui's answer came soft but unwavering: "Because it seeks not to destroy trust but to restore it at its root." In that moment, I realized the depth of his conviction—and the peril it entailed.
Shishui then spoke up that Hiruzen pondered for a long time, looking at Shishui, Itachi, the Hokage Rock before he nodded. "Proceed—alone, and report back as soon as you're done." Relief and burden pressed at once on my chest as I bowed deeply and slipped away to set the plan in motion.
Itachi followed, "When Sandaime-sama finally granted permission, Shisui bowed, and I felt the tremor of history shifting beneath our feet. I followed him to the secluded yard, certain only that his sacrifice this morning was the thin line between peace and civil war."
Shishui: I slipped away to the training yard nestled on the riverbank, where moonlight danced on the Naka's gentle currents. The world felt hushed, a perfect stage for the conviction I had to steel myself around. I knelt on the damp grass, drawing in a slow breath to steady the storm in my chest, readying my Mangekyō for the monumental task ahead.
Before I could rise, shadows moved at the periphery of my vision. Root shinobi materialized in silent rows, their white masks reflecting faint moonlight. From the darkness emerged Danzo Shimura, his single eye gleaming beneath the brim of his hat.
"You think words and illusions will stem a treachery that's festered for decades?" he hissed, voice low and unyielding.
I steadied myself on the railing of a broken training post. "Sandaime-sama entrusted me with Kotoamatsukami precisely because he saw no other path. He believed mercy and subtlety could heal our clan's broken bond—and save the village without drowning it in blood."
Danzo's lips curled in contempt. "Mercy is for the weak. When traitors raise arms against Konoha, the only answer is annihilation. You would rewrite their wills today—and tomorrow more will rise, emboldened by your illusions."
My heart thundered. "Erasing minds is no less violent than spilling blood. You'd have us slaughter our own to enforce a peace built on fear."
He stepped close enough that I could smell the dust on his cloak. "True peace demands strength, Uchiha. And if the disease of rebellion takes root, you cut it out—no matter how deep its roots grow."
The words had barely left his mouth when his hand shot forward. Pain flared like lightning as he grasped my right eye, tearing my Mangekyō from its socket before I could react. A scream caught in my throat, and the world tilted.
Danzo held the crimson lens between his fingers, his gaze unflinching. "Only I can be trusted with this power," he declared, voice echoing in my dimming vision. Then he slipped away into the shadows, leaving me clutching at blood and betrayal.
His voice now louder: "Such power is too risky in the hands of an Uchiha. Only I, who has lived for Konoha, can be trusted with it." A flash of agony blinded me as he plucked my eye free, the crimson lens slipping wetly into his palm. Staggering back, I tasted iron in my mouth, heart hammering with equal parts rage and shock.
Pain still scorched his cheek, but Shisui's spirit burned brighter. With a silent breath, he activated Body Flicker—vanishing from sight in a blur of motion. When Root shinobi turned, he reappeared behind their vanguard, slicing through their ranks with a single drawn kunai. Squad One fell in stunned silence before they even realized they'd been targeted.
No time to linger. He spun, sealing his hands for Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu followed by the Fire Release: Phoenix Fire Jutsu. A towering sphere of flame roared from his mouth to distract while the Phoenix Fire engulfing Squad Two in multiple smaller infernos that cracked the wooden posts around them. Screams echoed through the training ground as embers drifted like dying fireflies.
Shurikenjutsu followed. Shisui summoned three razor-sharp wind blades, spinning them in a dance of steel. They whistled through the air, shredding the armored masks of the third squad and forcing them back under a hail of metal. Two squads lay broken; only one remained.
As the final squad advanced, Shisui's left eye flared—Mangekyō Sharingan awakening Susanoo's protective might. A ghostly warrior clad in spectral armor manifested around him, its massive shield snapping into place just as Danzo lunged for Shisui's remaining eye. The spectral blade deflected Danzo's desperate grab, steel clashing against ethereal armor.
Fury in his single eye, Danzo snarled orders. However, he soon realized that the commotion being caused had drawn attention. "Finish him!" Under his breath, he cursed the transient power of illusions when true strength went unquestioned.
With a practiced hand, Danzo drew a smoke bomb and hurled it at Susanoo's feet. Thick grey tendrils snaked outward, obscuring vision in seconds. In the haze, Danzo slipped past the stunned Root shinobi, melting into the shadows beyond the training dummies. His last command faded in the smoky air as he vanished: "Don't let him live!"
By the time the smoke cleared, Root's third squad hesitated, for just a moment — then charged. A single kunai whistled past, and Itachi emerged from the darkness. Unsheathing his blade, he moved with lethal precision. Within heartbeats, every masked operative lay motionless in the sand, their weapons scattered like broken promises.
Itachi knelt beside his wounded brother, placing a gentle hand on Shisui's shoulder. The Susanoo's aura flickered and vanished, leaving only two silent figures amid the carnage.
Itachi looked up, eyes dark with unspoken grief. "Danzo came. Shisui fought. I arrived too late for Shishui's eye that was taken but just in time to end the Root's pursuit. He bought us time—now we must carry his will forward." He exchanged a glance with Shishui hoping to keep the second eye secret. Shishui nodded. No one noticed except Kai, but he let it be.
Then, half an hour later, Kai, Mei, and the others emerged at the training ground's ruined gate. They found Itachi standing opposite Shisui.