The Silent Sea and the Burden of Truth
"He led the team through the Land of Whirlpools for six days, evaded Kirigakure forces countless times, and even killed several of their elite shinobi," Shisui said, his tone heavy with both disbelief and admiration.
"Especially when he encountered Hōzuki Mangetsu—one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen—he still managed to survive for hours with only two subordinates and held out until reinforcements arrived from Konoha."
He took a deep breath. "Why, Jin? If you have that kind of strength, why hide it?"
Uchiha Jin looked calm, even indifferent.
"Why else? I don't want to," he said simply.
Shisui frowned deeply. "You don't want to? Why?"
"I don't want to get involved in the mess between the village and the Uchiha clan," Jin replied, his voice steady but carrying an edge of disdain. "In my eyes, the Uchiha are doomed. Their destruction is inevitable."
Shisui's eyes widened slightly, but Jin continued.
"If I reveal my true strength, the clan's elders will try to recruit me into their foolish schemes. I don't want that. When the Uchiha are annihilated—and they will be—the village will see me as part of them, and I'll die with them.
Why should I die for a clan that's already lost its way?"
He gave a faint, ironic smile. "It's better this way. When the Uchiha fall, I'll be treated as an orphan, maybe even spared. If not… at worst, I'll become a rogue ninja. The village wouldn't bother hunting someone like me too seriously. They'd just post a small bounty and move on."
Shisui was stunned speechless. His mind went blank, disbelief clouding his expression.
He had imagined countless reasons for Jin's attitude, but not this one.
Uchiha extermination? Impossible.
"No," he said quickly, shaking his head. "You're wrong. There won't be a conflict between the clan and Konoha. I've been working for years to prevent that. I'll make sure it never happens."
But Jin couldn't help laughing. "Sorry," he said between quiet chuckles, "I usually don't laugh unless I can't help it. But Shisui—stop joking."
"There are no radicals in the Uchiha clan. If there really were, would they be in this state? What you have are moderates, appeasers, and a clan head too weak to lead."
His tone turned cold.
"The Uchiha are relics of the Warring States era, clinging to pride in a time that no longer exists. They can't adapt to this world—one ruled by politics and subtlety instead of open war. Their destruction isn't a question of if, but when. Whether it happens today or years from now doesn't matter."
Jin's gaze turned to the horizon, where the waves lapped against the shore.
He knew he was treading on dangerous ground. But Shisui—Shisui had once shown him kindness when few others did.
He wasn't ungrateful. If possible, he wanted to save him.
He didn't mention the Third Hokage or Danzō directly. There was no need.
Shisui was too loyal, too idealistic to see through the manipulation yet.
Still, Jin believed he could reach him. Slowly. Piece by piece.
If he could get Shisui to think, to doubt, even for a moment, then maybe he could change something—no matter how small.
At least, that's what he told himself.
Shisui's brows furrowed, his expression full of conflict. "I don't understand. Why do you think that way?"
Jin sighed deeply. "Because, Shisui, the so-called radicals are just barking dogs. If they truly wanted change, they'd keep quiet, bide their time, and strike decisively when no one expected it. But what do they do instead? They shout about rebellion at every meeting, and still—no plans, no action. Not even the courage to eliminate a single enemy spy or adviser from the Hokage faction."
"They think that by making noise, the village will try to appease them. But all they've done is paint a target on their backs. The moderates are no better—they just want influence. None of them see that their infighting only makes it easier for the village to tighten the leash."
He turned his gaze toward the sea again.
"They don't realize that Konoha's leadership already made up its mind the moment the Uchiha were corralled into the outskirts of the village."
His voice lowered. "And that's why the clan will die—not because of rebellion, but because they were too proud to change and too afraid to act."
Shisui sat in silence.
The wind carried the scent of salt and the sound of waves, but between them hung only a heavy, suffocating quiet.