Night in the Uchiha district carried a strange kind of silence—calm on the surface, but heavy underneath, like something waiting to happen.
I stood outside my house, letting the cool air settle my thoughts. Training, clan politics, Fugaku's probing questions… it was a lot for one day. And yet, deep down I felt it—
The future is shifting.
Threads are moving.
Someone is watching.
And that someone… wasn't Uchiha.
A faint rustle echoed from the rooftops.
I didn't turn my head, but my hand quietly touched the kunai hidden behind my hip.
Chakra signatures don't lie. And this one carried a familiar, suffocating coldness.
Root.
They weren't even hiding their presence properly.
"Danzo…" I muttered under my breath. "You moved faster than I expected."
I stepped into the shadow of my doorway, keeping my breathing calm and steady. If Root wanted to observe me, that meant two things:
1. They had already noticed changes in "Shisui."
2. Danzo was preparing to interfere—again.
I clicked my tongue softly.
"I just got here. Can't you let me settle in for one week?" I whispered dryly.
But of course, Danzo Shimura was a man who believed patience was a weakness.
A shift in the darkness to my right. Subtle. Precise.
Another Root operative.
Two on the roofs, one on the street, one watching from a distance.
Four total. A standard surveillance net.
I exhaled slowly.
They weren't expecting me to react. That was good. Let them underestimate me.
—
Inside My Mind — The System Speaks
A chime echoed in my head so quietly even I almost missed it.
---
New Alert — Threat Detected
Entity Level: High-risk (Danzo-affiliated)
Advice: Maintain behavior consistent with canon Shisui
Optional Task: Counter-surveillance
Reward (Optional):
• +1 Hidden Skill: "Silent Flow — Shadow Escape"
• +5 Sign-In Points
---
I blinked.
"Silent Flow… that sounds useful."
The system rarely suggested actions. That meant this situation mattered—greatly.
I scanned the rooftops one more time, then slipped back into my home, shutting the door with just enough normalcy that a Root operative would think:
He's going to sleep.
Perfect.
Predictable.
Good.
Because predictable was the last thing I planned to be.
—
Danzo — Somewhere in Konoha (Short POV Switch)
I knew he was watching.
Danzo sat in a dim room lit by a single candle, his bandaged arm resting on the table, his single eye narrowed.
"Shisui Uchiha… too talented. Too idealistic."
He spoke the words like a curse.
"Good tools are obedient. And he is not obedient."
A Root operative knelt before him, mask lowered in respect.
"Target's behavior remains consistent with profile, sir. No anomalies detected."
Danzo grunted.
"Keep watching. A weapon as precious as Shisui must be handled carefully."
A sinister pause.
"And if he strays from the path… I will clip his wings."
—
Back to Me — Midnight Practice
I waited until the moon climbed high and Root's vigilance dipped to its natural lull.
Then—
I moved.
Not fast enough to give myself away, but smooth, quiet. I slipped through the window and landed silently in my backyard.
My chakra suppressed, footsteps light, breathing steady.
One Root operative straightened slightly, sensing a disturbance.
I froze.
Then let my chakra "flatten," mimicking sleep-like inactivity.
The operative relaxed.
"Still too easy," I whispered.
I made my way toward the far side of the compound, moving from shadow to shadow, using the system-assisted knowledge from the War Manual.
Every step felt natural—like instincts I was borrowing from a warrior I never was.
Finally, I reached a low wall behind the training grounds, far from where Root operatives expected movement.
Here, I spoke softly:
"System. Activate optional task: Counter-surveillance."
The familiar chime rang.
---
- Task Activated -
Begin Shadow Escape
Time Limit: 10 minutes
---
My vision sharpened. My heartbeat slowed. My senses expanded in all directions.
And then I moved—truly moved.
Not Shisui-fast.
Not Body Flicker-fast.
Something else.
Silent Flow.
My body felt like mist weaving through the night.
I leapt over the wall, my landing softer than falling feathers. The operative on the far rooftop twitched. His gaze swept across the darkness—
—but I was already behind him.
I exhaled against his mask.
He stiffened.
Then saw nothing.
Because I vanished again before sound or chakra betrayed me.
"This ability is broken," I whispered in awe.
I circled the district once, twice, memorizing Root patrol routes, watching them from angles they couldn't imagine.
Four operatives.
None of them saw me.
Not once.
By the time I returned to my house, the task timer hit zero.
---
✔ Optional Task Completed
Reward Gained:
• Hidden Skill: "Silent Flow — Shadow Escape"
• +5 Sign-In Points
---
A rush of energy filled me.
My limbs tingled with the afterglow of power.
This… this was exactly the kind of skill Shisui would master. Subtle, lethal, elegant.
I slipped back into my bed, heartbeat steady, posture relaxed.
Half a minute later—
TAP.
A faint sound on my window frame.
Root checking.
I didn't move.
After ten seconds, the presence faded.
"Yeah," I murmured into my pillow. "Go ahead and report I'm asleep."
Let Danzo believe he was watching me.
Because the truth was simple:
I was watching him back.
—
Morning ...
I woke early, dressed, and stepped outside with a yawn for realism.
Root was gone.
Danzo had pulled them back.
Either He thought surveillance was enough.
Or he had a new plan.
Knowing Danzo?
Definitely the second.
As I walked toward the clan's training field, the system chimed one more time.
---
New Event Detected: "Danzo's Next Move"
Type: Involuntary Plot Progression
Risk Level: Severe
Warning: Prepare yourself.
---
"Oh perfect," I muttered.
In the distance, I spotted Itachi running toward me, worry in his eyes.
"Shisui! Something happened at the Hokage Tower."
My stomach tightened.
"What kind of something?"
Itachi hesitated for a heartbeat.
"A request for you. A formal one. From elder Danzo himself."
The wind stilled.
Root surveillance was only the beginning.
Danzo had just moved to the next stage.
And I—
I had to be ready.
---
END OF CHAPTER