Chapter 39 Awakening
Open your eyes — in front of you lies a room where even the faint reflection of water feels distant and still.
Konoha's Hospital. After earning his fame as "Shisui of the Body Flicker," he had survived numerous life-threatening missions. Yet most of the time, when enemy shinobi learned that the man they were facing was Konoha's Uchiha Shisui, they would retreat rather than risk death against his unmatched speed.
What time is it now? How long has he been unconscious? He must have slept for days.
The chakra within him had stabilized, but Shisui could feel that its liveliness had dulled. It was like the few lazy ninja cats he had once seen on the Uchiha rooftops — basking silently in the sunlight, unmoving, unbothered.
His whole body ached. Compared with the long, sleepless missions of the past, the fight against Danzō and Root hadn't lasted long — but it had drained not only his body, it had tested the limits of his resolve.
During the battle, he couldn't stop thinking about the Uchiha and the village.
What will become of the clan now…? Hokage-sama, how will you judge this?
He closed his eyes, unwilling to think further. Only one thought burned clear within him — Danzō Shimura is unforgivable.
Unforgivable… Shisui repeated the words in his heart.
As the pain flared again, his right eye ached violently — the same eye Danzō had stolen, the same Sharingan that once belonged to his ancestor, Uchiha Kagami.
Danzō had not only taken that eye, but had also dared to manipulate Root to provoke conflict between the Uchiha and the village. That man would never be forgiven.
But if Shisui truly intended to kill Danzō, there was one man he would inevitably have to face — the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, the mentor who had always looked upon him with gentle trust.
What would the Hokage do if he knew?
Closing his eyes, Shisui recalled the scene clearly.
After his jutsu shattered Root's Earth Flow Wall, Sarutobi had appeared at the last possible moment — saving Danzō with a summoning barrier.
It was a pity. Had the Third Hokage arrived a moment later, Danzō would have died. Now, killing him would require not only power, but also cunning and patience.
Danzō was not one to sit quietly and wait for the blade to fall.
The Uchiha clan meeting must have been disrupted too. His battle had caused too much noise.
What about the clan now? Did they go through with their planned coup?
Probably not yet.
Gritting his teeth, Shisui pushed himself upright despite the sharp pain in his abdomen. Within seconds, sweat streamed down his face.
I need to see what's happening with the clan…
With one hand bracing the hospital bed, Shisui tried to stand — but—
"Wait! You can't move yet! A patient should behave like one. Lie back down!"
The door burst open, and a young nurse hurried in. Though she looked new to the job, her voice carried the authority of someone used to scolding reckless shinobi.
"You need to rest properly. The Third Hokage personally instructed me to keep an eye on you and not let you run off again."
"You must listen to Nurse Rie Keiko. Don't push yourself," she added, raising an index finger like a teacher lecturing a mischievous student.
"What else did Hokage-sama tell you, Miss Rieko?"
Shisui's breath was shallow; sweat dripped from his temples as he looked up and asked quietly.
She cleared her throat and replied in an exaggerated, gravelly voice, clearly mimicking the Hokage:
"Hmph! Shisui should rest well. If he wakes up and asks, tell him the promise still stands — the village is willing to ease tensions with the Uchiha clan."
"…Is that so?"
That's enough, Shisui thought. He didn't care what would happen to himself — only whether the bond between the Uchiha and the village could still be mended.
"Just call me Rieko, Shisui-san!" the nurse said cheerfully, hands on her hips.
"By the way, a boy a few years younger than you just left. He was holding an apple and said he'd come to peel it for you later."
Ah… Itachi. It must have been him who carried me here.
Thank you, Itachi.
"Rieko, can I ask… how long have I been in the hospital?"
"Don't worry," she replied with a soft smile. "You've only been asleep for one day. The events from that night weren't so long ago. It's now early morning of the third day — just a few more hours until dawn."
Did I really sleep for so long?
"Thank you, Rieko."
"Do you have any other questions? If I know the answer, you can ask."
Shisui gently shook his head.
"Then I'll continue my rounds. Remember — you're still recovering, so stay in bed and rest properly."
Rie Keiko gave Shisui a few last words of advice, then turned and quietly left the ward.
Shisui smiled faintly and lay back against the pillow, his mind unable to rest even though his body demanded it.
Apart from concerns about the clan and the village, there were only three names that occupied his thoughts — Uchiha Makoto, Uchiha Itachi, and Shimura Danzō.
The first two were the juniors he cared deeply for — each a prodigy of the clan. The third was the man he wished he had been able to strike down before losing consciousness.
He thought to himself that it would be wonderful if he could one day properly introduce Itachi to Makoto. If fate allowed, he wanted to see what kind of sparks would fly when the two most gifted heirs of the Uchiha's new generation finally met. Both possessed strength and vision far beyond their age.
With them in Konoha, perhaps even without him, the rift between the Uchiha clan and the village could one day heal.
But what Shisui did not yet realize was that both of them — though equally brilliant — already harbored quiet hostility toward each other.
One was Itachi Uchiha, a shinobi of Konoha who placed the village above the clan;
The other was Makoto Uchiha, a young visionary who dreamed of reshaping the shinobi world itself.
Setting aside his thoughts, Shisui turned his focus inward and began to assess the state of his body.
Having received Hokage-sama's promise, he tried to release his anxiety over the clan, if only temporarily.
If he could not find peace even after hearing the Hokage's personal assurance, then perhaps there would truly be no place left for the Uchiha in Konoha.
Danzō had suffered heavy losses — losing Root operatives and one of his Sharingan — so he shouldn't be able to act against the Uchiha again, at least not in the short term.
Enough guessing.
For now, Shisui needed to calm his mind. He wanted to quietly sense the current condition of his Sharingan.
The ward was empty. In the silence, the faint image of Kotoamatsukami, the most powerful genjutsu of his Mangekyō Sharingan, flickered within his eyes.
Outside the window, however, a small Anbu surveillance team was stationed around his room — and a familiar chakra signature was approaching fast.
Turning his awareness back inward, Shisui examined his Mangekyō carefully. Though the difference was subtle, he could clearly feel that his ocular power had weakened.
Compared to the time when he had just awakened the Mangekyō, his pupil force had indeed declined.
Moreover, even now his chakra reserves felt sluggish and unresponsive. Though the amount was the same as before, it lacked vitality — a sign that his body had not yet recovered from its internal damage.
Was it because of Susanoo? Shisui wondered silently.
When he had first manifested the half-bodied form of Susanoo, he hadn't felt much strain. But forcing his body to sustain a complete Susanoo during the clash with Danzō and Root… that might have exceeded his physical limits.
The Mangekyō Sharingan truly was powerful — but its strength came at a terrible cost.
How could he resolve this? He couldn't afford to die yet. His eyes — and their power — must not be taken by anyone else.
squeak—
The door slid open gently.
Itachi stepped into the room, holding a freshly washed apple in his hand.