"So… what's your plan now?"
By this point, Naruto was certain the man he'd killed that day hadn't been Danzo.
"Kid, I want your opinion."
Shisui's lone eye fixed on him, filled with hope.
"Itachi's handling your fake death?" Naruto asked.
"Yes. I left a suicide note, and Itachi will take care of the rest. From this moment on… Uchiha Shisui is dead."
Shisui's voice was heavy with loneliness.
If not for the looming threat of Uchiha's annihilation—and if not for Danzo's treachery—he might have truly taken his own life, sparing the village from turmoil.
But after hearing Naruto's deductions, after witnessing Danzo's ruthlessness, Shisui realized he couldn't give up yet. He needed to remain useful, to wait for the right time.
Now, though, he was lost—desperate for direction.
"Itachi is here too."
A voice cut through the silence. Uchiha Itachi stepped into view, calm but weary. Naruto only nodded, unfazed.
"Weasel…" Shisui turned toward him, eyes full of longing.
Itachi shook his head.
"I told the Third Hokage what Danzo did to you. Do you know what he said? That Danzo will be punished—with, at most, three cups of sake."
Sadness shadowed Itachi's face. He wasn't stupid. He'd seen it clearly in Hiruzen's eyes—hesitation, weakness. The Hokage couldn't bring himself to strike Danzo, not even now.
Just as Naruto had warned: Hiruzen was shocked to hear of Shisui's death, and wept bitterly… but what good were crocodile tears if no justice followed?
No matter how much he cried, he refused to punish the guilty.
And Shisui's life, it seemed, was worth less than Danzo's influence.
"…I see."
Shisui let out a long, bitter sigh, his spirit darkening completely.
"It's time to face the truth," Naruto said flatly. "You need to give up on the Third Hokage and the rest of the village elders. The rot in Konoha comes from them. They're not the idealistic shinobi they once were."
He clicked his tongue, his voice sharp with contempt.
"Think about it. They crush their own clans again and again—the Hyuga, now the Uchiha. Even before that, the White Fang incident. Piece by piece, they've torn down their own pillars. Hiruzen, that old fool… and Danzo, that snake. Why dig up Konoha's roots themselves?"
Naruto shook his head in disbelief.
And yet, he knew they weren't faking their loyalty. Hiruzen and Danzo truly believed they loved Konoha—swearing they'd give their lives for it. And at a critical moment, Hiruzen would die to protect the village.
But somehow, everything they did in the meantime only weakened it further.
Both Shisui and Itachi lowered their heads, their silence an admission of bitter agreement.
"Let's break it down," Naruto continued. "With Shisui dead, the Uchiha lose a major asset. The radicals in your clan will quiet down, at least for a while. At the same time, Hiruzen will suppress Danzo a little, even if only for show. That buys a period of peace—maybe a year, maybe three. But after that… Danzo will move. And when he does, the Uchiha will face total annihilation."
Naruto mimed an explosion with his hands. "Boom. Gone."
The words hit like a kunai to the chest. Both Uchiha felt their hearts jolt violently.
"Shisui, you've got three choices."
"First path: sacrifice everything. Rally the Uchiha, storm Root, and kill Shimura Danzo outright. You have the perfect excuse—he ambushed you. The Hokage couldn't interfere. And once Danzo's gone, Hiruzen will never dare touch the Uchiha again. No more threat of extermination."
Shisui's eyes flashed with interest… then dimmed again. He shook his head.
The idea was tempting, but such a fight would bleed Konoha dry. That was the one outcome Shisui could never accept.
"Fine. Then the second path doesn't even need to be said."
"Why?" Shisui asked.
"Because it's even more radical. Overthrow the Third Hokage himself. Put an Uchiha in the seat. With the Hokage's power in your hands, the threat of massacre disappears overnight."
Naruto's tone carried a dangerous edge—an urge to test it.
With the Uchiha backing him, he could seize control, crush any rebellion, and force Hiruzen to step down. Clean out Konoha's corruption in one sweep. Make the village new again.
But he knew Shisui would never accept it.
Sure enough, Shisui shook his head at once. Even Itachi's eyes hardened in disapproval.
"Then only the third path remains," Naruto said. "You play dead. Leave Konoha. Search the world for a way to safeguard your clan."
"…That would make us traitors," Shisui whispered.
"You're too rigid," Naruto shot back. "I'm not saying you defect. I'm saying you preserve your strength. Hiruzen won't be Hokage forever. He'll step down eventually. And when the next Hokage takes over, you can return."
Shisui's eye sharpened. "And how do you know the next Hokage won't turn against the Uchiha as well?"
Naruto turned his gaze toward the Hokage Monument, his eyes sweeping across the four stone faces carved into the mountain.
A slow, confident smile spread across his lips.
"Because the next Hokage… the new Hokage… will be me."
His voice rang out, firm and unshakable, overflowing with pride and ambition.
So full of confidence it made the air itself tremble.
Shisui and Itachi both froze, stunned by the sheer audacity of his words.
But deep down… they almost believed him.
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