"Shisui… remember what I told you before? Orochimaru-sensei may be the official commander of the border, but he's also handling a classified research project behind the scenes."
Yoru spoke carefully, as if rehearsing every line a hundred times.Shisui nodded at once, eyes bright with trust.
"You said as much. Did something change?"
Yoru drew in a breath.
"Konoha's still unstable after the Nine-Tails attack. Funding for Orochimaru-sensei's research dried up. The clan's contribution barely restarts it."
He hesitated, letting the moment stretch.
"…and Sensei had me sign the Ryūchi Cave summoning contract."
Shisui's eyes widened. Yoru continued before the shock could settle.
"As for Itachi… Orochimaru-sensei said he's swamped with command duties and confidential missions. If Itachi comes to the front, Sensei can observe him… when time allows."
It wasn't a rejection.But it wasn't approval either.It was the polite version of don't bring me more work right now.
Shisui didn't hear ambiguity. He only heard hope.
"The Ryūchi contract… Yoru-nii, that means you've already become Orochimaru-sama's student!"
His voice nearly cracked. To him, this wasn't a personal win for Yoru. It was the first open door the clan had gotten in years.
"Yoru-nii," Shisui said, almost breathless, "the clan doesn't care whether it's Itachi or you. What matters is that an Uchiha stands beside a future Hokage."
Yoru allowed himself a weary sigh. "I only hope the Clan Head won't feel disappointed."
"Impossible." Shisui grew firm. "He'll be relieved."
Yoru hid a satisfied spark.Everything was moving exactly as he'd arranged—layer by layer, fear wrapped in duty, wrapped again in necessity.
Then he added the final piece.
"Orochimaru-sensei said something else. His research can restart now, but the funding we delivered only covers a month. Konoha can't spare much; after the Nine-Tails attack, everything is stretched thin. And with the border this unstable…"
He didn't need to finish.The implication hung heavy.
The clan had to keep providing money.
Shisui stiffened, guilt briefly rising when the Nine-Tails was mentioned—even though the clan hadn't caused it, suspicion had never left them.But the second half of Yoru's sentence eased him.
"So… he doesn't blame us?"A quiet exhale of relief."If Orochimaru-sama only needs support for his research, that's easy. I'll report this to the Clan Council. Funding won't be an issue."
Of course it wouldn't.For the Uchiha, chakra techniques and secret arts were precious, but money was disposable. Wealth could be earned. Political alignment could not.
Yoru smiled warmly. "Then Sensei can complete his mission for Konoha, and when he becomes the Fifth Hokage, he won't forget who stood behind him."
That single sentence lit Shisui up—the distant dream of reconciliation between the Uchiha and the village suddenly felt reachable.
Meanwhile, inside Yoru:
[Current Balance: 1,530,000 ryo]
He nearly laughed out loud.
One donation, and he'd earned the equivalent of an S-rank mission—without risking a limb, a lung, or an early grave. No month-long infiltration, no brush with enemy ANBU. Just… clan funds redirected with political justification.
"Shisui," Yoru said softly, "this is all for the clan."
He meant it.And he also meant the quiet thought that followed:
And if I can pull another two or three years of funding before Orochimaru defects… I'll be a jōnin-level powerhouse before anyone notices.
But there was one more step.
"Shisui," Yoru lowered his voice, "there's something else."
He produced a sealed scroll. Shisui immediately sensed the weight behind it.
"A classified mission," Yoru continued. "Root is stretched thin. Orochimaru-sensei needs results fast. Some… off-the-record tasks will fall to the Uchiha."
Shisui opened the scroll.His pupils tightened.Then he shut it quickly, breath unsteady.
"…Human experimentation?"
Yoru didn't flinch. "Materials for Sensei's research. The border is crawling with small-nation shinobi and enemy scouts. They're already risking Konoha's safety. Better they serve a purpose."
Shisui stared at him, shaken.Human experimentation was forbidden—publicly.But Shisui knew how the village worked beneath the surface. He'd seen the ANBU files, the Root disappearances, the way certain forbidden jutsu were studied regardless of policy.
What shocked him wasn't the mission.
It was Yoru's absolute composure.
"Yoru-nii… you're serious."
"For the clan," Yoru answered again, steady as steel. "For Konoha."