Naruto's face hardened.
He still had a long way to go before becoming strong enough to protect everything.
If, during that time, Konoha fell into chaos or even ruin, leaving him nothing but ashes to inherit, what good would it do him?
No. The Uchiha clan had to be saved.
But how?
By Naruto's own deduction, the relationship between Konoha's leadership and the Uchiha clan had already reached the point of no return—like oil and water. Shisui, who should have been the bridge between them, had failed to change anything.
In short: one side would have to disappear for peace to return.
The Uchiha clan couldn't vanish. But if the higher-ups were destroyed, wouldn't the village crumble too?
Even if Naruto became invincible and killed the entire Konoha council—the "F4" of the village—without leadership, Konoha would collapse into disorder. And the other great villages would surely seize the chance to invade.
Either way, the result was disaster.
So what was the path forward?
"These are just your assumptions," Shisui argued, trying to push back. "Lord Third Hokage is kind and merciful. How could he ever treat the Uchiha like that?"
"Kind and merciful?" Naruto scoffed. "You mean indecisive. Just as the Uchiha have radicals, so too does the village leadership. And what about Shimura Danzo? He runs Root—an organization parallel to the Hokage's Anbu. Even the Hokage can't interfere."
"If the Uchiha rise up, you think Danzo won't? You think Root won't?"
"When that day comes, the Third might cry a little and toss some dirt on your graves, but that'll be the extent of his kindness."
Shisui froze, Danzo's shadowy face flashing in his mind. Those piercing, unsettling eyes… Naruto's words suddenly felt too real.
But he resisted, clinging to denial.
"You're an outsider. How can you be so sure Danzo is as ruthless as he looks?"
Naruto suddenly shifted. "The Mangekyō Sharingan. That's the advanced ability of your clan's Sharingan, right?"
Shisui instantly stiffened, his eyes narrowing with suspicion. Ninja never revealed their true abilities lightly, and Sharingan techniques were the deepest secrets of the Uchiha.
"Relax," Naruto waved. "I don't care what your ability is. You couldn't beat me anyway."
Shisui faltered, unsure if he should laugh or seethe.
"From the way you two talked," Naruto continued, "your Mangekyō ability must be terrifying—something that can completely alter the balance of power."
Shisui hesitated, then gave a tiny nod.
"And you told the Third about it, didn't you?"
"…Yes."
"Then Danzo knows too. No doubt about it."
Naruto slapped his thigh with certainty.
Shisui fell silent. If the Hokage knew, of course Danzo would know too.
"Bad news for you, Shisui."
Naruto's tone grew mocking, almost playful.
"What bad news?"
"You're going to die."
Both Shisui and Itachi froze, eyes wide in disbelief.
"What did you just say?" Itachi demanded, unable to stay quiet.
"Think about it. Danzo knows your power. He sees it as uncontrollable, dangerous, a threat. Naturally, it has to be erased. That's how he thinks."
"But—"
"But nothing. Danzo trusts no one. I heard Root shinobi are forced to accept a cursed seal to ensure obedience. Even his own subordinates aren't spared. You think he'd ever trust you?"
Naruto had spent years lurking around Konoha, listening to gossip and rumors. He knew enough about Root to piece together Danzo's character.
"Danzo worships control. If he doesn't own power, he feels unsafe. So yes, Shisui, he's already marked you."
"Your death is only a matter of time."
Naruto delivered the words with a grin, though the weight of them chilled the room.
Shisui's voice wavered. "That's just… your guess."
But his confidence was gone. Naruto's words rang 90% true.
"Oh, I see it clearly now," Naruto pressed. "If the Uchiha clan is to be exterminated, then their number one genius can't be alive. Without you to mediate, tensions will explode. No one left to stop it. Conflict will spiral out of control until the clan is wiped out."
He leaned in, voice cutting like a blade.
"Danzo wants the Uchiha dead. Every last one."
"And if you die, who would he use to carry out the slaughter? Simple—he'd find someone inside the clan. Someone with status, power, and loyalty to the village. Someone whose weakness could be exploited to destroy Uchiha from within…"
Naruto's gaze shifted suddenly, his eyes locking on Itachi. His grin sharpened.
"The answer's obvious."
"The real butcher of the Uchiha clan is you—Uchiha Itachi!"
He pointed directly at Itachi, no hesitation.
Itachi froze, blood running cold. Those words—absurd, outrageous, yet somehow terrifying.
Me? Kill my clan?
As the patriarch's son, he loved his clan, his brother, his family. How could he—how could he ever—?
"Me? Exterminate the Uchiha?"
Itachi's voice cracked, his scalp prickling, heart racing with shock at the sheer audacity of Naruto's claim.
It was unthinkable. Impossible.
And yet, something deep inside him stirred with unease.
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