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Itachi was well aware of Shisui's death, but he couldn't bring himself to reveal everything Shisui had said.
A master of the Uchiha clan, a prodigy of Konoha—Shisui hadn't fallen on the battlefield but had been driven to his death by Danzō and Root. The resentment in Itachi's heart was something he could hardly explain to outsiders.
Tsunade was indeed someone worth confiding in, but would she even believe him?
Moreover, Uchiha Shisui had chosen to take his own life to prevent Konoha from being exploited by other nations due to internal strife. If Itachi exposed Danzō and Root, and if Tsunade believed him, wouldn't that only create new divisions within the village? And if the Uchiha clan learned that Shisui had been forced to his death by Danzō, their rebellion would become inevitable.
"Danzō is determined to protect the village at all costs, even if it means resorting to his own methods."
Those were Shisui's own words to Itachi.
Everything Danzō had done was for Konoha's sake—did Shisui truly support the idea of revealing everything?
Itachi was at a loss.
---
"I can see you're still struggling."
Tsunade's gaze fixed on Itachi. "But some things can't be resolved by you alone."
"Lady Tsunade, what do you mean?"
Itachi didn't understand her stance, nor did he know how to respond.
"The Uchiha clan is in a dangerous position right now, aren't they?"
Tsunade interlaced her fingers, her eyes never leaving Itachi's face.
"You… know about that?"
Itachi was taken aback, then sighed. "Of course. The Uchiha clan… Hasn't Konoha's higher-ups already made their decision?"
"We all know what the higher-ups think. But I want to know the Uchiha clan's stance."
Just as Itachi was about to speak, Shisui's final words flashed through his mind:
"Danzō doesn't trust me…"
Would Tsunade trust him?
---
"What about you!?"
Tsunade slammed her hands on the table and stood up. "What is your stance? You should at least tell me that much! Do you want misunderstandings to grow between us, or do you want to resolve this crisis? Give me an answer! I came all the way back here for the sake of the Uchiha clan. As a member of the Senju clan, I refuse to let conflict arise from misunderstandings! Konoha doesn't just run on the blood of the Senju—it's also built on the sacrifices of the Hyūga, the Uchiha, and every villager who has ever protected this place. Isn't that right?"
"I…"
Itachi looked at her, unsure how to respond.
Even if he trusted Tsunade at this moment, putting everything into words was still difficult.
After all, the situation was far too complicated.
---
"Hey, wait—you can't just—"
Shizune's voice suddenly rang out from outside the door, drawing the attention of both Itachi and Tsunade. Before they could react, the door was pushed open, and Shizune stumbled into the room, forced aside by the intruder.
Tsunade's brow furrowed as she stared at the man who had entered, though she managed a strained smile.
"Lord Danzō… What brings you here?"
"Lady Tsunade, I should have visited you sooner after your return, but my duties kept me occupied."
Danzō smiled politely.
"Today isn't the best time. I still have matters to attend to."
Tsunade's eyes flicked toward Itachi.
"Very well. Uchiha Itachi, there's a mission requiring your assistance. I trust you won't refuse?"
Danzō's gaze settled on Itachi.
In an instant, Itachi became the focal point of their silent struggle.
"Lord Danzō, while you lead Root, you have no authority over ANBU, do you?"
Tsunade's voice was icy.
Root had been established under the guise of being ANBU's training division.
Root answered to Danzō.
ANBU answered to the Hokage.
The implication was clear—Root and ANBU were separate entities.
"You misunderstand. While ANBU doesn't fall under my command, the two organizations cooperate based on mission difficulty."
Danzō remained unruffled.
"What mission requires his involvement?" Tsunade pressed.
"That's confidential. Of course, Lady Tsunade is welcome to join us—but can you handle the sight of blood?"
Tsunade's expression darkened instantly.
Itachi glanced between them, then stood and bowed deeply to Tsunade.
"Lady Tsunade, today's conversation was enlightening. I hope we can both be better prepared next time."
He turned to Danzō. "Shall we go, Lord Danzō?"
"Hmph."
Danzō turned and left, Root operatives following in his wake. Itachi closed the door behind them.
---
Tsunade clenched her fist, barely stopping herself from smashing the table—her own monstrous strength made the thought dangerous.
"Lady Tsunade… I'm sorry."
Shizune lowered her head.
"Why apologize? You couldn't have stopped him."
Tsunade forced herself to calm down.
Danzō was her elder, a man who had dedicated himself to Konoha. For many reasons, she had to show him respect.
"No, it's just… There was something I didn't get to tell you."
"What is it?"
"I followed your orders and tailed Uchiha Itachi. He noticed me, but… I didn't realize someone else was following me."
"Who?"
"I don't know. The moment Itachi spotted me, the two of them fled. He didn't pursue them."
"Is that so?"
Tsunade slowly sat back down, her brow furrowed.
Who would be following Shizune—or Itachi? And Danzō's timing was far too convenient.
Could it have been him?
Konoha's higher-ups held deep suspicions about the Uchiha clan, and Danzō, as one of them, had made his stance clear. Sending someone to monitor Itachi wouldn't be out of character.
But why summon Itachi now?
Was this the will of the other elders, or Danzō's alone?
The more Tsunade thought, the tighter her frown became. Against her will, an image of Yūsuke Terauchi surfaced in her mind.
"Shizune."
"Yes?"
"Do you think Midorima can be trusted?"
"Why bring him up?"
Shizune was puzzled.
Tsunade exhaled deeply and shook her head.
Before returning, she had believed the Uchiha crisis wasn't unsolvable. But now that she was in the thick of it, she realized—it was truly a deadlock.
---
Meanwhile…
Uchiha Itachi followed Danzō, his mind still replaying his conversation with Tsunade.
A realization slowly formed in his heart:
Perhaps she really is worth trusting.
But the Uchiha clan's rebellion was real, and he couldn't condone their methods. The key now was figuring out how to make Tsunade stop this internal conflict before it was too late.
"My apologies for interrupting your discussion with Lady Tsunade."
Danzō led the way into a back alley.
"No need. As an ANBU member, it's my duty to carry out missions."
Despite his words, Itachi's wariness toward Danzō hadn't lessened in the slightest.
"I had no choice but to request your assistance. I'm glad you didn't refuse. The mission is simple: There have been sightings of Orochimaru near the village. I want you and two others to investigate."
"Orochimaru!?"
Itachi's focus sharpened instantly.
"Indeed. You're no match for him yet, so just confirm his location and report back."
Itachi nodded solemnly.
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