Chapter 31 Behind the Scenes
Uchiha Itachi raced toward the place where Shisui was fighting.
What had happened tonight shocked him: Danzō had actually sent Root operatives to confront Shisui directly. Itachi knew Shisui's skill and temper—if anyone could be pushed to such extremes, it would be Danzō's doing. Even the usually composed Itachi felt a sharp anxiety tighten his chest.
"Hurry, hurry!" he urged himself as he ran. If he arrived late, he could not predict the outcome. Even the most talented individual jōnin could be overwhelmed by coordinated, callous tactics; and the man Shisui faced was Danzō—Itachi understood all too well the danger that name represented.
Since joining ANBU the previous year, Itachi had seen the darker side of village politics. It was only the warmth of the Will of Fire and Shisui's steady example that had kept him from sinking into despair. Now he broke into a faster stride.
Corpses lay strewn along the path—Root operatives felled in the struggle. Inspecting the wounds, Itachi recognized Shisui's signature: lightning-fast slashes, precise kunai drives, and patterns of chakra release that matched wind, fire, and water techniques. He followed the trail relentlessly.
Ahead, a figure blocked his way. Itachi skidded to a halt. The person was short, an odd height for a shinobi—more like an academy student than a battlefield veteran. The man turned. Itachi's eyes widened.
It was a face he remembered: Uchiha Makoto, Shisui's new pupil. Itachi had heard of the boy's brilliance; Shisui himself admired the youth's talent.
"What are you doing here?" Itachi asked sharply. He had no time for academy games, even if he himself was still a teenager.
Makoto answered without hesitation. "If the Uchiha clan is to survive in this village, Danzō must die."
He continued, voice steady: "I warned Shisui about Danzō's secret actions. Because of my reminder, Shisui recognized Danzō's intent and is fighting him now. Had I not warned him, Shisui might have been careless and lost. That would have killed any hope for peace between clan and village."
Itachi felt moved; he had not expected Makoto to take such risks. If Makoto's warning had indeed saved Shisui, then the boy deserved respect. Itachi's gratitude rose in his chest—brief and guarded.
But Makoto's next words chilled him to the bone.
"How should Danzō die?" Makoto asked bluntly. "What will become of Danzō and Root if they fall? How will the elders react? Those are the questions I've been asking."
"In my inference, Shisui will not lose to Danzō. But how can we ensure Danzō dies?" he went on. "Incite the Uchiha who threaten a coup, let them strike while they're gathered—slaughter Danzō before the Third and the village ninja can intervene."
Makoto's plan unfolded like a blade: "The Uchiha are powerful; with the Sharingan's might, after Danzō's death, the Nine-Tails can be used to coerce the village and force a temporary peace in our favor."
He added, coldly pragmatic: "The village is not the only shinobi nation. Others watch. If the Third decides to exterminate the Uchiha, Konoha itself will suffer grave losses. If Hiruzen wishes to preserve Konoha's strength and keep this peace, he will rethink open war with the clan."
Itachi stared, disbelief and alarm warping his face. What warped calculus lived inside this boy's heart? If Makoto truly meant what he said, if he schemed to murder Danzō and manipulate public fear, then could the Uchiha remain the Uchiha of old? Could Shisui—who risked everything to bridge clan and village—remain in Konoha if such a plan unfolded?
What frightened Itachi most was Makoto's cold rationality: calculating the elders' likely reactions, using their psychology to secure a future for the clan. It was the reasoning of a traitor.
Itachi's own murderous aura flared. He stepped forward, voice low and dangerous. "Which matters more to you—clan or village?" he demanded. "Can the Uchiha truly reconcile with Konoha? Even if Danzō dies, many in the village will still fear and hate us. The village is the strongest of the shinobi nations, yet it hides men like Danzō in its shadows."
Makoto's question struck a raw chord. On the eve of the family's clash with the village, Itachi had not been certain where his loyalty would land—but now, the choice crystallized in his heart. He knew which side he must stand on.
Before Itachi could act, Makoto revealed one last provocation with a casual smile. "Even if you cut me down now, it won't matter—I'm only a shadow clone standing here. I've already transformed into you and gone to the clan meeting to inform the elders."
"The plan has already been set in motion, and there's no turning back. Even if you claim it wasn't you, who else in the clan—or the village—would believe otherwise?"
Itachi was once again shaken by Uchiha Makoto's words. This boy… if he survived, he would undoubtedly bring great change to the shinobi world—whether that change was salvation or ruin.
To impersonate him, to disguise himself as Itachi of all people, and to weave such a reckless strategy… how could Makoto dare to shoulder something so bold?
"Let's move," Makoto urged, turning toward the direction of the battle. "The fight between Shisui and Danzō is still raging ahead. I need to confirm the situation myself."
Seeing this, Itachi followed. As much as he now harbored suspicion and even hostility toward Makoto, Shisui's safety—and the fate of the clan—remained paramount.
Just as Itachi had sensed earlier that Makoto carried a faint disdain for the clan, he now found himself reciprocating with unease, even hostility, toward this strange kinsman.
"Itachi! Where is Shisui now?" a voice called.
After several minutes of tense silence, Itachi and Makoto crossed paths with other Uchiha clansmen rushing toward the same direction.
"Isn't that Itachi? And beside him… isn't that Makoto, the one Shisui's been mentoring recently?"
"Looks like he came here too. Of course—he must be worried about Shisui. Wasn't Shisui training him directly?"
"As expected of an Uchiha youth!" one clansman muttered with a mixture of pride and relief.
Among the group was Uchiha Mikoto, her face pale with maternal concern. She reached out and grasped her son's hand tightly. "Itachi, why are you here? Tell me—how are Shisui and Danzō? What's happening out there?"
"Yes," Fugaku added, his expression stern but shadowed by worry. "Why are you not by Shisui's side? What became of him?" Other clan members echoed the question in anxious tones, pressing Itachi for answers.
Itachi felt a knot of helplessness. How could he know Shisui's exact state? He had already lost precious time, delayed by Makoto's schemes and words, and only now had reached this place.
Just as Itachi struggled to respond to his father, a colossal green figure suddenly appeared in the distance outside the village walls.
The air shifted violently. The towering giant, more than ten meters tall, radiated with the unmistakable form of chakra armor.
All eyes turned at once, drawn in awe and dread.
It was Shisui's Susanoo.