Chapter 27 — Radical
The one standing before Shisui was none other than Uchiha Setsuna—the current Great Elder of the clan, and the most fervent disciple of Uchiha Madara's ideology in all of Konoha.
After receiving word from "Lord Madara," he had wasted no time tracking Shisui down—
far faster than Obito had ever expected.
Shisui stared coldly at the group blocking his path, his single eye reflecting a hard gleam.
"This is a question I should be asking you, Uchiha Setsuna."
After the past few days spent scouring Root's bases—
after all the evidence and deductions finally aligned—
Shisui had reached a conclusion:
He and Danzō had both been used.
Or rather… they had both fallen into the calculations of someone who had been lurking in the shadows from start to finish.
Before tonight, he still lacked a concrete suspect.
But the moment Setsuna appeared before him, everything clicked into place.
"Impressive methods."
"These days… you've been toying with me and Danzō in the palm of your hand, haven't you?"
Across all of Konoha, the true nature of Shisui's Mangekyō was known only by a handful of top-level officials.
He had never revealed the full extent of his jutsu even to the clan head.
Someone who had waited, watched, and struck only after Shisui's eye was taken—
someone who possessed another Mangekyō,
someone with the authority to monitor most of the Uchiha compound,
someone with the motivation to cripple Shisui—
Only one man fit every condition:
Uchiha Setsuna.
Shisui's voice hardened with certainty.
Setsuna blinked in confusion.
"…What?"
Shisui's single eye narrowed sharply.
"Don't play dumb with me, Setsuna!"
"Where is that other Mangekyō user hiding—the one among your radicals?"
"You think stealing one eye is enough to make me bow?"
Another Mangekyō hidden among them…
Someone who had stolen Shisui's eye…
Someone who manipulated both him and Danzō…
Then he recalled the "orders" given by the mysterious "lord."
The implications hit Setsuna all at once.
His breath stopped.
His eyes brightened.
Of course!
Lord Madara wasn't merely guiding them—
he was setting the pieces of a far grander game.
Another pair of Mangekyō?
Who else could that be?
It could only be that person.
Setsuna's tone grew calm… yet faintly mocking.
"Since you already know the truth, you still choose to struggle pointlessly?"
"That is not a wise choice, Shisui."
"You've already lost an eye. Surely you understand what that means, don't you?"
But Shisui's gaze sharpened,
a cold light flashing in his lone Sharingan.
"A coward who hides behind petty tricks…
Someone too afraid to even look into my eyes…"
"That kind of man deserves to be called a 'lord'? Don't make me laugh, Setsuna."
His voice dropped into a frigid whisper.
"Return my eye."
Hearing this junior dare to call the man he revered as a lifelong idol a third-rate nobody, Uchiha Setsuna's fury surged instantly.
"You insolent brat— that man is—!"
But halfway through his roar, his voice faltered.
A faint, almost reverent sneer tugged at his lips.
"You really don't understand, Shisui."
"That lord wields the true power."
"Before him, all of us—yes, even you—are mere insects."
"Take care, unless you wish to be crushed beneath his heel."
Without waiting for a reply, Uchiha Setsuna turned away, leading the radicals out of the alley.
Shisui's brows furrowed deeply.
So cautious…
So guarded…
And yet—
Setsuna had just referred to someone as "that lord."
A title even Clan Head Fugaku had never been given.
Could it be… one of the elders?
He searched his memories.
But no matter how he sifted through every possibility, no answer emerged.
Who… could it be?
---
Meanwhile…
The moment Setsuna turned away from Shisui, his expression changed completely—
from calm to barely-contained excitement.
"At last… at long last!"
"Lord Madara has finally chosen to act for the clan's sake?!"
He had waited far, far too many years.
Unlike the younger generation raised entirely within the stability of Konoha,
Uchiha Setsuna—now seventy-four years old—was one of the last living relics of the Warring States Era.
He had witnessed with his own eyes:
Uchiha Madara
Senju Hashirama
and the final battle that destroyed the Uchiha's original homeland.
He knew—
what a true godlike power looked like.
Compared to them, Sarutobi Hiruzen—praised as the "strongest Hokage"—
wasn't even worth mentioning.
To Setsuna, Hiruzen was a man who, in the Warring States Era,
would've struggled even to lead a large clan,
let alone a village.
And as Madara's most fanatical worshipper,
Setsuna had been entrusted with a private method of communication—
a signal left behind when Madara disappeared.
A lifeline.
For years the signal had gone silent.
He feared the worst.
But recently—
someone had used that same signal to contact him again.
Although the figure who appeared was younger and physically different,
Setsuna was convinced:
Lord Madara must have restored his youth using some forbidden technique.
That he did not act before was understandable—
such power must have severe costs.
But now?
Now that he'd stolen Shisui's eye and moved his pieces into place—
Madara must have regained enough strength to intervene.
Setsuna trembled in excitement.
If the clan could once again rise under Lord Madara's guidance—
what was Konoha to them?
What was the entire ninja world?
"The coup must accelerate."
His eyes burned with zeal.
"I must not drag Lord Madara down!"
---
Momentum swept through the clan like wildfire.
Tensions buried for years now erupted in full view, stirred by unseen hands.
Whispers turned into outrage.
And nothing inflamed the clan more than one revelation—
Uchiha Shisui, the clan's brightest star, had his eye taken by the village for 'research.'
The radicals' shouts grew louder.
The clan's mood worsened by the hour.
In just a few days, crowds gathered before the clan head's residence, roaring for answers.
Even the large Uchiha estate felt small under the weight of their fury.
In the backyard, young Sasuke stopped mid-throw, confused by the noise.
"Brother… what are they shouting about?"
But when he turned—
He found Itachi's expression darker than he had ever seen.
A deep, suffocating shadow.
Noticing Sasuke's gaze, Itachi forced himself to soften his face.
"Keep practicing, Sasuke."
"I'll see what's happening."
Sasuke hesitated, but nodded obediently.
"Okay."
Itachi hurried toward the commotion.
There he saw Fugaku, exhausted, addressing the mob outside.
Itachi did not interrupt—only waited.
Hours passed before Fugaku finally returned, drained.
Itachi offered him a glass of water.
"Father… what happened?"
Fugaku rubbed his temples.
"A rumor has spread."
"They say Shisui's eye was taken by the village."
"They want answers."
"Shisui?!"
Itachi froze.
They had met just weeks ago—how could something so drastic happen?
And Shisui…
Shisui was the most loyal Uchiha in the entire leaf.
Would the village really lay hands on someone like him?
Even now, Itachi believed the rumor ridiculous.
Fugaku took a sip of water, his voice flat.
"Whether true or not doesn't matter. The clan simply needs somewhere to vent."
Itachi fell silent.
Yes.
He understood.
The relocation from the village center to the far edge by Naka River—on paper, a simple administrative decision—
was in essence economic suppression.
The Uchiha historically thrived through commerce.
Moving the entire clan to the outskirts crushed their livelihood.
Less traffic.
Fewer customers.
Declining business.
Bleak prospects.
Year after year, resentment built.
A single spark was enough to ignite the entire forest.
Today's protest was merely a fraction of the rage simmering beneath the surface.
The more Itachi thought about it, the colder his hands felt.
His voice trembled.
"Father… does this mean we truly must…?"
Fugaku's eyes dimmed.
"This is no longer up to us."
Itachi's breath caught.
Silence swallowed him.
A coup…
was becoming inevitable.