Early morning.
The sky above Konoha was overcast, the air damp with lingering spring chill.
April in the Land of Fire was usually refreshing. But Shisui Uchiha, having gone without sleep, had no mind to appreciate it.
He stood before Ryoma's residence, his raised hand hovering inches from the door.
For the first time in years, indecision rooted him in place.
"Resolve."
It was the word he lived by — yet now, he could not take a single step forward.
He had reread the documents Ryoma had given him repeatedly through the night. Combined with their earlier conversation, they revealed something he had never allowed himself to consider:
Flaws in the Third Hokage's governance.
Not the man Shisui revered in childhood stories of Hashirama Senju's era… but a different reality.
Hiruzen Sarutobi's decades of prestige had obscured those cracks.
And Shisui — like Itachi — had been raised to trust the village's leadership without question.
Only now, from the perspective of an outsider, did the contradictions become visible.
Ryoma's appearance had been abrupt, his words even more so.
Like a thunderclap splitting clear sky.
And worse — he had evidence.
Shisui finally knocked.
The door slid open.
"Shisui-nii? This early?"
Ryoma stood there yawning, hair unkempt, eyes half-lidded.
"I couldn't sleep," Shisui admitted, drawing a slow breath. "You said you would tell me the rest today. So I came."
Ryoma studied his grave expression and sighed inwardly.
Why do people always look like they're about to face execution when talking to me?
"Breakfast first," Ryoma said, stepping outside. "We'll talk at Ichiraku."
"I'm not hungry," Shisui replied. His voice betrayed impatience.
"But I am."
Ryoma started walking.
"…Fine."
Ichiraku Ramen was already open, steam curling from the pots.
"Tonkotsu," Ryoma ordered automatically.
Shisui nodded. "Same."
Before their bowls arrived, a loud voice burst through the entrance.
"Old man! Extra pork ramen!"
A small blond boy rushed past, wearing an orange jacket far too bright for the gloomy morning.
Shisui's eyes widened. Instinctively, he leaned toward Ryoma.
"Let's leave."
"Why?" Ryoma asked, calmly taking his seat.
"We shouldn't be seen near him," Shisui whispered. "It would bring unnecessary suspicion upon the Uchiha — especially now."
Ryoma raised an eyebrow. "Because he's the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki?"
Shisui stiffened. "You know that, yet you brought me here?"
Ryoma accepted his bowl and took a sip of broth before answering.
"Yes. Because he's exactly what I wanted you to see."
"I don't understand."
Ryoma glanced at Naruto — alone, loud, and yet unmistakably avoided by the adults around him.
"Tell me, Shisui. The Third Hokage preaches the Will of Fire — that everyone in Konoha is family. So… is this how family treats a child?"
Shisui frowned. "People are afraid. The Nine-Tails destroyed the village. Their fear is understandable."
"Understandable?" Ryoma's voice sharpened slightly. "He was an infant when it happened. And yet the hatred falls on him — the Fourth Hokage's son. Of all possible solutions, why choose the one that isolates him?"
Shisui hesitated.
"…Root leaked his identity. That was Danzō's doing. It wasn't the Hokage."
Ryoma smiled faintly.
"Ah. Danzō — the convenient shadow."
He tapped the rim of his bowl.
"Tonkotsu and ramen. Which one is responsible for the flavor?"
"…Both," Shisui admitted.
"Exactly. Saying Danzō acted alone while Hiruzen remained uninvolved is like claiming the hand struck you but the person didn't."
Shisui fell silent.
Ryoma's tone softened slightly.
"I don't believe Hiruzen hates Konoha. He gave his life protecting it. But he is not infallible. And blind faith will only lead you to tragedy."
Shisui's fingers tightened around his chopsticks.
"Is conflict truly the only path?" he asked quietly.
Ryoma shook his head.
"No. If Konoha suffers another internal war so soon after the Nine-Tails' attack, other villages will strike. Everyone loses."
"Then what do you propose?"
"Fix the root cause," Ryoma said simply.
Shisui's eyes widened. "Impossible."
Ryoma exhaled slowly.
"…Then let's start smaller. Tell me — what do you think of the current state of the Konoha Military Police?"
"…Bad," Shisui admitted. "The clan's pride makes cooperation difficult."
"And the Hokage knows this," Ryoma said. "So why does he allow the situation to fester instead of mediating?"
Shisui froze.
"…He wouldn't—"
"Wouldn't he?" Ryoma asked gently. "Or is the clan being nudged further from the village's center?"
Shisui's composure finally cracked, uncertainty flickering in his gaze.
Ryoma snapped his fingers.
"Words mean little without proof. So — we test it."
"How?"
Ryoma leaned closer and whispered a plan into his ear.
Shisui's eyes widened instantly.
"That's— That's completely against protocol!"
Ryoma grinned.
"Unconventional methods are sometimes necessary, Shisui-nii. Especially when the system refuses to listen."