The road from the Uchiha Training Grounds to the Hokage Tower had never seemed so long to Shisui.
His feet moved quickly, almost mechanically, while his mind remained trapped in the events of the afternoon.
Fugaku's expression.
The anger in the eyes of the Uchiha.
Itachi's silence.
And above everything else, Naruto's voice.
"Silence isn't peace, Shisui-san. History bears witness that the one who wins a war is the one who decides what the Will of Fire truly meant."
Shisui clenched his fists.
He hated how much those words had affected him.
He hated even more that Naruto had been right.
Less than nine months.
That was all the boy had needed to shake almost every corner of Konoha.
The Uchiha had changed.
The political conversation inside the village had changed.
People who had once considered the Uchiha problem a simple matter of security were beginning to question the village's own role in creating that problem.
And Shisui himself—
Shisui had become the center of the storm.
His left cheek still throbbed from Naruto's punch.
That pain was almost insignificant compared with the humiliation.
He had considered himself one of Konoha's finest young shinobi.
He was Shisui of the Body Flicker.
He had believed that his speed, his intelligence, his Sharingan and, most importantly, his secret Mangekyō Sharingan ability gave him the ability to resolve the Uchiha crisis.
He had approached Naruto believing he could convince the boy to stop interfering.
Instead, Naruto had listened to him.
Then dismantled his argument.
Then exposed his secret.
Then mocked the very foundation upon which Shisui had built his confidence.
And finally—
punched him.
At the time, Shisui had been too angry to understand what had happened.
Now he did.
Or at least, he thought he did.
He planned it.
Everything.
He knew exactly how I would react.
He made me expose myself in front of the clan.
He made me lose control.
And then he demonstrated that even physically, I couldn't simply intimidate him.
Shisui swallowed.
His thoughts turned toward the summons waiting for him at the Hokage Tower.
Hiruzen had called for him.
Until that moment, Shisui had intended to report everything eventually.
His approach toward Naruto.
His attempt to persuade Naruto.
His Mangekyō Sharingan.
Kotoamatsukami.
Everything.
But one thing had followed another.
There had always been another crisis.
Another suspicion.
Another development.
And now Naruto had revealed everything publicly.
Shisui had no idea who he could trust anymore.
That thought frightened him more than he wanted to admit.
I need to explain myself.
I need to prove where I stand.
He accelerated.
The Hokage's administrative chamber was quiet when Shisui entered.
Hiruzen sat behind his desk.
Danzō stood several steps away, leaning against his cane.
Koharu and Homura were seated nearby.
All four turned toward the door.
Shisui immediately noticed the atmosphere.
This was not a routine report.
Hiruzen studied him for several seconds.
Then his eyes settled on the bruise covering Shisui's cheek.
"Shisui."
"Yes, Hokage-sama."
"What happened?"
Shisui remained standing.
Hiruzen continued.
"I received a report about an incident at the Uchiha Training Grounds. I want to hear it from you."
Shisui lowered his eyes.
"It began with my meeting with Naruto Uzumaki."
Danzō's eye sharpened.
Hiruzen motioned toward the empty space before his desk.
"Start from the beginning."
Shisui obeyed.
He explained how he had approached Naruto.
How he had intended to convince him to stop challenging the village's authority.
How he had tried to explain the importance of maintaining peace.
How Naruto had questioned the very definition of peace.
How Naruto had dismantled his reasoning.
How the conversation had eventually moved toward his Mangekyō Sharingan.
And finally, how Naruto had revealed Kotoamatsukami in front of the Uchiha.
Shisui described the humiliation.
He described Fugaku's reaction.
He described Itachi's silence.
Then he stopped.
Hiruzen's expression remained grave.
"So Fugaku is preparing a coup?"
"Fugaku-sama may not want one," Shisui answered.
Hiruzen frowned.
"May not?"
"After what happened today, I don't think Fugaku-sama is the greatest danger."
"Then who is?"
Shisui hesitated.
His throat felt dry.
"Naruto Uzumaki."
The room became silent.
Hiruzen leaned slightly forward.
"Naruto?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
Shisui took a breath.
"He is forcing everyone into confrontation."
Hiruzen's eyes narrowed.
"You're saying this is deliberate?"
"Yes, Hokage-sama."
"Shisui, are you reading too much into this?"
"No."
The answer came immediately.
Shisui looked directly at Hiruzen.
"He told the clan that the village had hurt him. He said that the people who had isolated him would eventually have to answer for it."
"He believes that confrontation is necessary."
"And you believe he intends to start a civil war?"
"He wants to create a situation where the village and the Uchiha are forced to confront each other."
Hiruzen was silent.
Shisui continued.
"He is smarter than I am."
Danzō gave a faint scoff.
Shisui ignored him.
"He proved it today."
"How?"
"By exposing me in the open."
Shisui's fingers tightened.
"When I approached him, I believed I was the one controlling the conversation. I thought I understood what he wanted."
"I was wrong."
"He allowed me to speak."
"He let me believe I was persuading him."
"Then, when the moment came, he revealed my secret in front of everyone."
Shisui's voice became quieter.
"He made me angry. I couldn't see what he was doing at the time."
"But now I understand."
"He planned it."
Hiruzen's expression became troubled.
"You think he deliberately provoked you?"
"Yes."
"And the punch?"
Shisui looked away.
"He knew I would react."
"He didn't only expose my ability."
"He made me look powerless in front of the clan."
A painful silence followed.
Hiruzen finally asked,
"Why didn't you tell me about your Mangekyō Sharingan earlier?"
Shisui closed his eyes.
This was the question he had feared.
"Hokage-sama..."
He lowered his head.
"I have no good explanation."
Hiruzen waited.
"When I awakened it, I intended to report it."
"I wanted to tell you about Kotoamatsukami."
"But when I returned, Naruto had begun revealing information about someone hunting Sharingan and about a traitor somewhere within the village."
Shisui's voice trembled.
"I didn't know who to trust."
"Then one thing happened after another."
"The situation with the Uchiha became worse."
"Then my own investigation."
"Then the political pressure."
"Every time I intended to report it, something happened."
"And now Naruto has revealed everything before I could."
He bowed deeply.
"I accept responsibility for hiding it."
"I should have told you."
Hiruzen watched him carefully.
"Why did you intend to use Kotoamatsukami on Fugaku?"
Shisui slowly raised his head.
"Because I believed I could prevent the coup without bloodshed."
"You intended to alter Fugaku's mind?"
"I intended to make him abandon the idea of a coup without realizing that his thoughts had been changed."
Hiruzen's expression hardened.
"You were willing to take away his freedom."
Shisui lowered his gaze.
"I believed the alternative was worse."
Danzō finally spoke.
"And you still believe that?"
Shisui looked toward him.
"I don't know anymore."
Danzō's eye narrowed.
That answer told him more than any confident declaration could have.
Shisui was shaken.
And a shaken man possessing Kotoamatsukami was dangerous.
But what Danzō wanted was not merely the technique.
He wanted the eyes.
Hiruzen turned back toward Shisui.
"If the Uchiha really did decide to launch a coup..."
He paused.
Then asked quietly,
"what do they have against us?"
Shisui answered after a moment.
"They have the Sharingan."
Hiruzen nodded.
"I know."
"No, Hokage-sama."
Shisui's expression became grim.
"You know the Sharingan."
"You don't know everything the Uchiha have preserved."
The room became still again.
Shisui took a breath.
"I came here to prove my loyalty."
His voice was almost broken.
"I have already hidden too much."
"I don't want to hide anything anymore."
He looked directly at Hiruzen.
"There are techniques preserved within the Uchiha that very few outside the clan know about."
Danzō's attention sharpened immediately.
"Tell us."
Shisui swallowed.
"The first is Izanagi."
Hiruzen's eyebrows rose.
"Izanagi?"
"I've heard the name in old records."
"It is real."
Shisui explained that Izanagi allowed its user to reject an unfavorable outcome and turn it into an illusion while imposing a chosen outcome upon reality.
But it was not true time travel.
It did not rewind history.
Its effect depended upon the user's chakra and the strength of the technique.
And the price was absolute.
The Sharingan used for Izanagi would permanently lose its light.
Hiruzen listened carefully.
Shisui continued.
"In ancient times, Uchiha warriors used it against one another."
"If one warrior killed another, the victim could reject that death."
"Then the battle would continue."
"Eventually, killing someone became meaningless."
"That is why another technique was developed."
Hiruzen already knew what came next.
"Izanami."
Shisui nodded.
"Izanami traps the victim within a repeating mental sequence."
"The purpose isn't simply to defeat them."
"It forces them to confront themselves."
"It ends only when the victim accepts reality and acknowledges the truth about themselves."
"Like Izanagi, its use permanently sacrifices one Sharingan."
Nobody spoke for several seconds.
Danzō's mind was already working.
Two techniques.
Two eyes.
And one young Uchiha carrying an even more valuable ability.
Kotoamatsukami.
Shisui finally finished his report.
He felt exhausted.
But strangely relieved.
He had told the Hokage everything.
He had finally explained himself.
He had proved that, despite his mistakes, he remained loyal to Konoha.
Hiruzen looked at him.
"Thank you, Shisui."
The words were gentle.
"You have given me information that you could easily have kept hidden."
"You have also admitted your mistakes."
Hiruzen sighed.
"But you are not in a condition to continue operating normally."
Shisui blinked.
"Hokage-sama?"
"Go home."
"Rest."
"Until further orders, withdraw from your active responsibilities."
Shisui bowed.
"Yes, Hokage-sama."
He turned and walked toward the door.
The door closed behind him.
For a few seconds, nobody spoke.
Then Danzō broke the silence.
"You cannot seriously intend to leave this matter alone."
Hiruzen looked at him.
"I didn't say that."
"You know what he possesses."
"I know."
"Kotoamatsukami."
Danzō's voice became colder.
"An ability that can change another person's decision without that person knowing."
Hiruzen's expression darkened.
"That is precisely why it must not be abused."
"And Izanagi?"
Hiruzen didn't answer.
Danzō stepped closer.
"These are weapons capable of deciding wars."
Hiruzen looked down at his desk.
Then he said quietly,
"If Naruto could be controlled..."
Danzō stopped.
Hiruzen continued.
"Would that be better?"
The question hung between them.
Danzō answered immediately.
"Yes."
Hiruzen looked up.
"You're certain?"
"Completely."
"He is destabilizing the village."
"He is influencing the Uchiha."
"He is challenging the authority of the Hokage."
"And he possesses the power of the Nine-Tails."
Hiruzen's eyes hardened.
"Naruto is not the Nine-Tails."
"Perhaps."
Danzō's voice remained cold.
"But the village cannot afford to gamble on what he may become."
Hiruzen stood.
"He's Minato's son."
"And that is precisely why we should understand what he may become."
Hiruzen walked toward the window.
The village lights were beginning to appear below.
"You're suggesting that we use Kotoamatsukami on him."
"I'm suggesting that we prevent a disaster before it occurs."
"By controlling him?"
"By ensuring stability."
Hiruzen turned.
"Where does stability end, Danzō?"
"When we decide that one person's freedom is acceptable to sacrifice?"
Danzō stared at him.
"Where does morality end, Hiruzen?"
"When an entire village burns because you were too afraid to make an unpleasant decision?"
Hiruzen's expression tightened.
Danzō continued.
"You call it morality because you sit behind this desk."
"I call it responsibility."
Hiruzen's voice became quiet.
"And what happens when someone decides that you are the threat?"
Danzō didn't answer immediately.
Then he said,
"Then I will accept the consequences."
Hiruzen knew that was a lie.
But he also knew something worse.
Part of him understood Danzō's argument.
That frightened him.
Because Naruto was changing the village faster than anyone could predict.
And Hiruzen did not know where that road ended.
The difference between Hiruzen and Danzō had always been that Hiruzen believed people should be trusted.
Danzō believed people should be controlled.
Tonight, fear was making the distance between them dangerously small.
Danzō left the tower.
His expression was calm.
His thoughts were not.
He had another problem.
Naruto.
Mikoto's hypothesis had become increasingly difficult to ignore.
According to it, Naruto was searching for whoever had leaked the information concerning Kushina's delivery.
The theory had spread through the village.
Everyone seemed to believe that Naruto was deliberately shaking the board.
Danzō had initially dismissed it.
Now he couldn't.
Because if Naruto eventually discovered the truth—
Danzō's secret would become a death sentence.
He had never intended for Minato to die.
His original plan had been far smaller.
Create an incident.
Make Minato look incompetent.
Allow suspicion to fall upon the Uchiha.
Increase political pressure.
That was all.
Then something completely outside his calculations had entered the equation.
The Nine-Tails attack.
Minato had died.
Kushina had died.
The village had suffered enormous losses.
And Hiruzen had returned to the position of Hokage.
Danzō had gained nothing.
Worse—
Naruto remained.
A child who seemed to understand people far beyond his years.
A child who was already searching for the person responsible for leaking the information about his birth.
Danzō felt something he hated admitting.
Fear.
Not fear of Naruto's current strength.
Fear of Naruto's future.
If he discovers the truth now, what will he do?
Then another thought followed.
What happens when he becomes older?
Danzō believed he understood everything.
He believed intelligence gave him the right to control others.
But for perhaps the first time in years, he felt as though someone else was moving pieces on a board he couldn't see.
His eye hardened.
He would obtain Shisui's eye.
If Kotoamatsukami could be placed under his control, then perhaps Naruto could also be controlled.
Danzō turned toward the darkness.
"Root."
Several masked shinobi appeared.
"Follow Shisui."
Inside the Uchiha compound, Fugaku sat silently.
Itachi stood before him.
Neither spoke for several minutes.
The revelation of Kotoamatsukami had changed everything.
Shisui had been their bridge to the village.
Now that bridge was broken.
Worse, Naruto had exposed it himself.
Fugaku finally spoke.
"The village knows."
Itachi nodded.
"Yes."
"Shisui revealed even more afterward."
"I know."
Fugaku leaned back.
"We have lost another path."
Itachi remained silent.
Then Fugaku said,
"We need to decide what we do next."
Before Itachi could answer, the door opened.
Mikoto entered.
She looked at both of them.
"You're still discussing politics?"
Fugaku gave a tired sigh.
"Unfortunately."
Mikoto looked at her husband for a moment.
Then her expression softened.
"Then perhaps we should discuss something else."
Fugaku raised an eyebrow.
"Such as?"
"Naruto."
Itachi's attention immediately shifted toward her.
Mikoto smiled faintly.
"His birthday is coming."
Fugaku paused.
October 10th.
For a moment, nobody spoke.
Mikoto lowered her eyes.
"I have been thinking about it for some time."
Her voice became softer.
"I was supposed to be his godmother."
Fugaku's expression changed.
Mikoto continued.
"And I wasn't there."
"The village's politics made everything complicated."
"Then he became isolated."
"And we allowed it to happen."
She looked at Itachi.
"Naruto spent years without anyone celebrating his birthday."
"I don't want that to happen again."
Fugaku hesitated.
"You want to invite him?"
"Not just invite him."
Mikoto smiled.
"I want to hold a real birthday party."
"A big one."
"For once, I want that child to walk into a room and find people waiting for him."
Fugaku remained silent.
He thought about Naruto.
The boy had warned them.
He had exposed dangers that none of them had properly understood.
He had forced the Uchiha to look at their own situation from another perspective.
And perhaps most importantly—
he had given them a chance to step away from the political trap consuming them.
Fugaku slowly smiled.
"All right."
Mikoto looked surprised.
Fugaku stood.
"I've decided."
"We will hold the biggest birthday celebration we can."
"It will be Naruto's first real birthday party."
"He warned us about the real danger."
"So we should give him something too."
Then Fugaku's expression became serious.
"And also..."
He looked at Itachi.
"From now on, the Uchiha are stepping out of this stupid political game."
Itachi's eyes widened slightly.
"We will remove ourselves from every political position we currently hold."
"The Police Force?"
"Everything."
Fugaku's voice was firm.
"We will serve the village as ordinary shinobi."
"If we are not sitting at the political table, nobody can use our position to manipulate us."
He exhaled.
"Our survival is our biggest priority."
For the first time in years, Fugaku felt as though a mountain had been lifted from his chest.
The endless pressure.
The expectations.
The anger.
The political struggle.
The responsibility of representing an entire clan in a game where the rules were constantly changing.
For a moment, all of it disappeared.
Fugaku smiled.
It was a genuine smile.
One Itachi had rarely seen.
Itachi lowered his head.
"Father."
Fugaku looked at him.
"I will follow your decision."
Mikoto's eyes softened.
Seeing her husband smiling and her son accepting his decision made her heart feel lighter.
She stepped closer.
"Itachi, I want you to inform Naruto."
"Ask him if there is any problem with the party."
Fugaku raised an eyebrow.
Mikoto smiled.
"I intend to invite everyone."
"His friends."
"His family."
"Anyone he wants there."
Itachi nodded.
"I'll tell him."
He turned toward the door.
And disappeared.
Night had settled over Konoha.
Naruto sat quietly inside his room.
He wasn't seeing the future.
He had never possessed such an ability.
He didn't need one.
He knew people.
He knew their habits.
He knew their fears.
And he knew Danzō.
More importantly, the Nine-Tails had been keeping watch.
Danzō's movements had not gone unnoticed.
The Nine-Tails had heard Root's orders.
Naruto already knew what would happen next.
Shisui had revealed his secrets.
Danzō would not ignore that opportunity.
Naruto opened his eyes.
A moment later, the window moved.
Itachi entered.
Naruto looked at him.
"Mikoto-san wants to invite you to my birthday," Itachi said.
Naruto smiled.
"Really?"
"Yes."
Itachi explained the party.
Then he told Naruto about Fugaku's decision.
The Uchiha would withdraw from political positions.
They would abandon the political struggle.
They would serve Konoha as ordinary shinobi.
Naruto remained silent.
Then he looked toward the window.
"It is too late."
Itachi frowned.
"What?"
Naruto stood.
"Go to the Naka River."
"The waterfall."
Itachi's expression changed.
"Why?"
"Save Shisui."
"Now."
That was all.
Itachi stared at Naruto.
There was no explanation.
No prophecy.
No mysterious vision.
Just certainty.
Itachi trusted that certainty.
He disappeared into the darkness.
The Naka River roared beneath the moonlight.
Shisui sat beside the waterfall.
He was exhausted.
His mind kept returning to the Hokage Tower.
I told them everything.
They know.
I proved my loyalty.
For the first time in hours, he allowed himself to relax.
Then—
movement.
Shisui's eyes snapped open.
Six figures emerged from the darkness.
Their clothing suggested Kumogakure.
Shisui immediately stood.
"Kumo shinobi?"
The attackers said nothing.
They attacked.
Shisui moved.
His Body Flicker activated.
Kunai flashed.
The first attacker was pushed back.
Then another came from the side.
Shisui's instincts immediately detected something wrong.
The coordination.
The formation.
The movements.
This wasn't Kumo.
Root.
His eyes widened.
Before he could escape, sealing marks erupted beneath his feet.
His chakra network locked.
Shisui struggled.
"Root..."
His voice shook.
"Danzō."
One of the masked shinobi stepped forward.
Shisui finally understood.
They weren't trying to kill him immediately.
They wanted something.
His eyes.
The operative reached for his face.
Shisui struggled violently.
"No!"
The hand seized his right eye.
Pain exploded through his body.
His scream disappeared beneath the roar of the waterfall.
His right eye was ripped away.
Blood ran down his face.
For several seconds, Shisui could think of nothing.
Then his mind returned to the Hokage Tower.
I told them everything.
I trusted them.
I thought loyalty would protect me.
His breathing became ragged.
Naruto was right.
A bitter laugh escaped him.
"I chose this..."
His remaining eye trembled.
"I trusted them."
He swallowed.
"And this..."
His voice broke.
"...is my reward for loyalty."
The Root operative sealed the stolen eye.
Another shinobi approached.
The remaining eye.
They wanted both.
Shisui could do nothing.
The sealing technique had completely suppressed him.
The second hand reached toward his face.
Then—
A massive shuriken tore through the darkness.
It struck the Root shinobi's hand and shattered the sealing formation.
The Root members jumped back.
A figure landed between them.
Three tomoe spun within crimson eyes.
Itachi's sword was already drawn.
"Shisui!"
The Root shinobi froze.
Itachi's killing intent filled the forest.
The operative holding Shisui's stolen eye immediately understood.
Their objective had already been achieved.
"Retreat!"
Smoke erupted.
The Root shinobi vanished into the darkness.
Itachi didn't pursue.
He ran to Shisui.
"Shisui!"
He caught his friend before he collapsed.
Shisui's remaining eye opened weakly.
"Itachi..."
"I'm here."
Shisui's hand grabbed Itachi's sleeve.
"I..."
His voice broke.
"I told them everything."
Itachi's expression tightened.
"Don't speak."
"I thought..."
Shisui struggled to breathe.
"I thought loyalty..."
He touched the empty space where his right eye had been.
"...would be enough."
Itachi's jaw tightened.
Shisui whispered,
"They took my eye."
His remaining eye slowly closed.
"Itachi..."
"Yes?"
"Naruto was right."
Then Shisui lost consciousness.
Itachi held him tightly.
For several seconds, he simply stared into the darkness.
Naruto's words echoed in his mind.
Go to the Naka River.
Save Shisui.
Itachi finally understood.
Naruto had not seen the future.
He had simply understood the people involved.
He had understood Danzō.
He had understood Shisui.
And he had understood what would happen when those two were placed in the same situation.
Itachi lifted Shisui onto his back.
Then he disappeared into the night.
Behind him, the waterfall continued to roar.
And somewhere in the darkness of Konoha, Danzō believed he had won.
He had obtained one of Shisui's eyes.
But he did not yet understand what he had actually accomplished.
He had not merely stolen an eye.
He had destroyed another bridge between the Uchiha and Konoha.
He had shown Itachi exactly how far the village's shadows were willing to go.
And, without realizing it, he had pushed the Uchiha one step closer toward the person who had warned them that the real danger was not necessarily where they had been looking.
The political game had changed again.
And this time, the first price of loyalty had been paid in blood.