Chapter 239: Shisui and Itachi
"Shisui, when you spoke like that, you made the clan members dissatisfied with you."
Uchiha Itachi wasn't yet an adult, but his face was already quite mature. At the same time, his skills had progressed with abnormal speed. Since he was young, he had possessed eyes that could see through to the heart of matters. He had clearly seen the dissatisfaction on his father's and the other clansmen's faces back in the room.
But Shisui, whom he saw as an older brother, just smiled. It wasn't that he didn't know. But some things, you couldn't just not do because others were dissatisfied.
"I know, Itachi. But I still have to do it. Do you know why?"
Uchiha Shisui was a descendant of Uchiha Kagami, born with the meaning of "tranquil water, clear mirror." He held goodwill toward Konoha, toward everyone, and adhered to a ninja way of "violence cannot forge peace." Even when facing enemy shinobi, he mostly used his great strength and genjutsu to deter them.
Furthermore, Uchiha Shisui saw Itachi as his own brother, and he had been teaching this clansman, who shared his transcendent perspective, since he was a child. He was still, out of habit, guiding Itachi now.
Itachi knew the reason well.
"Because you're the strongest in the Uchiha, Shisui. You think your attitude will make them change their minds about... that?"
Uchiha Shisui nodded. He was clear about many things, but even after seeing all the darkness of the shinobi world, his heart still yearned for the light. He wanted true peace.
His strength and his fame had become weapons that deepened his clan's arrogance and rebellion. The Uchiha clan, facing pressure and suspicion from the village, didn't even deign to explain themselves. They were resolutely determined to confront the village.
But Shisui knew that the world could never return to the Warring States period. A single clan could not survive on its own.
So he continuously sent out the signal, "I am Konoha's Shisui," hoping to calm his increasingly fanatical clansmen. If I, the strongest, do not want to launch a coup, then perhaps... some people will hesitate and slow their pace.
Uchiha Itachi hesitated, wanting to say more. Even though he was heavily influenced by Shisui, at his core, Itachi was an absolute "rationalist." Or, you could say, he was an absolute "utilitarian."
Just like a few years ago, when he awakened his Sharingan after witnessing his teammate's death, his father had praised him. He had felt disappointed that his clan craved power more than they cared for a human life.
And after meeting Shisui, when they faced Root members who were hunting an ANBU, the Root member said, "That ANBU carries information on a traitor that endangers the village. We must kill him for the good of the village." At that time, the 8-year-old Uchiha Itachi's thought was:
On one hand, the life of one ANBU. On the other, the safety of the entire village. Perhaps sacrificing one person is the better outcome.
He had actually agreed more with Root's decision at the time. If not for Shisui's influence, Itachi might have been more inclined to help Root kill that ANBU member.
And his so-called "thinking like a Hokage at age 7" was also based on this moral framework. An overly "broad" perspective and an overly mature value system had made Uchiha Itachi ponder many things since he was a child.
At this moment, Itachi was faintly certain: his clansmen would not, as Shisui believed, stop their actions just because he expressed his affinity for Konoha.
Huu~
Uchiha Itachi sighed. He suddenly felt a sense of disappointment in his clan's "capacity."
He knew, no matter what Shisui did, those clansmen couldn't see the bigger picture. They all thought that with these eyes, they could take whatever they wanted, just like [Shisui of the Body Flicker]...
Pat.
Shisui patted the braid on the back of Itachi's head, interrupting his thoughts. He looked at the deepening tear-troughs on Itachi's face and felt that perhaps his little brother carried too much.
"Haha, Itachi, don't worry. We will stop it."
Shisui had already steeled his resolve. If necessary, he would use that jutsu. Even if it meant forcibly twisting his clansmen's minds, he would stop the coup from happening.
Uchiha Itachi smiled, but his heart was not at ease. His own thirst for power was also becoming more urgent.
The two left the Uchiha compound and happened to see the female ANBU member with the blonde hair. Itachi frowned. This woman's origins were mysterious, but her abilities were outstanding. In just a few weeks, she had gained the trust of the village leadership.
"Shisui, Itachi. Have time to talk?"
As ANBU, one shouldn't speak so casually with members of the Uchiha. But Uchiha Shisui and Itachi had both secretly joined ANBU. Because of this shared identity, they didn't just walk away.
Instead, they followed the woman to the edge of the forest at the village border.
Here, the woman removed her mask. This action made Shisui frown even more.
For an ANBU, one's true identity was the greatest secret. But this woman seemed to have no such awareness.
Beneath the mask, the woman had a beautiful face, with emerald-green eyes and skin so pale it seemed to glow.
"Let me guess. You two are leaving the village to hunt down a woman?"
Shisui and Itachi showed no emotion. They didn't have a good impression of this woman, who was rumored to be a "rabble-rouser."
"State your purpose."
Shisui revealed his Sharingan, and his entire aura changed. Providence, seeing this, stopped playing games.
"I was just curious about the two geniuses of the Uchiha clan and wanted to meet you. And, to give you a little... warning."
"A warning?"
Itachi naturally ignored the woman's flattery. He looked at her coldly. According to his father, this woman's existence had intensified the leadership's pressure on the Uchiha clan.
This woman seemed to be intentionally bringing up the Uchiha shinobi who had appeared during the Nine-Tails attack years ago.
Providence nodded. She turned her back, pacing, and boldly presented her completely undefended back to the two Uchiha powerhouses.
Providence knew very well that although these two were strong, they were perhaps the safestUchiha at the moment. These two were too used to thinking from the "village's" perspective, so much so that they ignored the interests of their own clan.
In a way, the Uchiha tragedy was inextricably linked to these two top-tier powerhouses of their generation.
"Yes. A friendly warning."
"You should know by now. The one protecting that woman... is a person like me. Those people and I come from the same place. But for us, usually, the later a person appears in this world, the stronger they are."
She was tactfully warning them that the Reincarnator with Hana Hiranaka was stronger than her.
Providence wanted to control the Uchiha clan, so she had to weaken it. But at the same time, she didn't want to lose powerful assets like Shisui and Itachi. That would be detrimental to her future plans. So, she was placing bets on both sides.
She knew very well that Shisui and Itachi, at this point in the timeline, could probably take on an average Kage-level ninja if they teamed up. But Uchiha Shisui's "no-kill" ninja way was a definite liability when facing Reincarnators—especially those who specialized in killing.
She couldn't have something like [Kotoamatsukami] being stolen by someone else.
Seeing that the two Uchiha ninjas had no reaction to her warning, she decided she would feed some more information to Danzo later.
Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh...
Several figures returned from outside the village and flashed toward the Hokage's Tower.
Shisui and Itachi, who had just been leaving, glanced back before heading out of the village. Providence, however, realized that something major must have happened.
She was soon summoned by the Hokage. Entering the tower, she saw that all the high-ranking officials had ashen faces.
The Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, hadn't even lit his pipe. He, too, was struggling to hide his anger.
"How far has this news spread?"
A Konoha ANBU estimated based on the time and location of the intel.
"It should be spreading widely within that town, reaching several thousand people. But as time passes, merchants will likely carry the news to neighboring regions. If there are enemy scouts nearby, this information will quickly spread to other nations..."
BANG!
Sarutobi Hiruzen rarely lost his composure like this in his old age. Danzo was also furious.
"Hiruzen! I told you, we must deal with that clan with lightning-speed! Now that everyone knows, Konoha will probably be targeted by the other villages. The Fourth Great Shinobi War might even break out!"
"We must mobilize the ANBU immediately! We just received intel that Uchiha Shisui and Uchiha Itachi have left the village. If we strike now, we can end this before the other villages have time to react!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen thought for only a moment before rejecting Danzo's proposal. An operation like that could not be launched without preparation.
"No. It's too rash."
Danzo looked at the "weak" Hiruzen, his disappointment total.
"You will regret this, Hiruzen."
Sarutobi Hiruzen just glanced at his old friend, his voice low.
"Danzo. I am the Hokage."
Danzo's face was as dark as it could be, but he didn't explode. He just snorted and left the office.
Sarutobi Hiruzen then turned to the ANBU beside him.
"Summon Uchiha Fugaku to see me. Immediately!"
Then, the Third Hokage looked at Providence and spoke.
"The matter of the Uchiha plotting a rebellion has been leaked. Now... do you have any proposals?"
(End of Chapter)
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