"One can never be too careful when dealing with Shisui."
At the Ninja Academy, Masahiko let out a long, measured breath.
The plan was proceeding exactly as scheduled. Crucially, he had managed to avoid revealing the true extent of his chakra to Shisui. In fact, prior to this, he had never allowed Shisui to examine him with the Sharingan.
As long as Shisui harbored no suspicions toward him personally, Masahiko's cover would remain intact—even after he intervened to save him. The identity of 'Yagyu Masahiko' would remain separate from the savior in the shadows.
The only remaining complication was the Root. He could not afford to be exposed to them, either.
He intended to utilize the river, employing Water Release to mask his approach and extraction of Shisui. This strategy offered a significant tactical advantage: prior to engaging, the flowing water would shield him from the Aburame clan's parasitic insects and the sensory techniques of the Yamanaka clan. Once the deed was done, the river would serve as a rapid, untraceable extraction route.
Every step of the operation had been simulated in his mind countless times.
There was no room for error.
Uchiha Clan District.
Residence of the Clan Head, Uchiha Fugaku.
"Have you heard about the situation in the village and within the clan?"
"I just returned today, so I haven't heard anything yet. What happened?" Shisui looked up, his expression concerned.
Fugaku briefly described the escalating tensions. He then looked at the young prodigy. "Shisui, I am caught between a rock and a hard place. What is your take on this?"
"Clan Head, I believe... Konoha may already be prepared. If we launch a coup rashly, defeat is inevitable."
Shisui still wanted to try his way.
Although Kotoamatsukami was powerful, it was ultimately just a jutsu. If he could resolve the crisis through diplomacy and reason, that would undoubtedly be the superior outcome.
Fugaku sighed softly. "Do you think I don't know that?"
He fell silent for several seconds before speaking again. "Since you have returned, you should attend the next clan meeting."
"Yes, sir!" Shisui nodded. This aligned perfectly with his plan.
After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Shisui bid farewell and left Fugaku's home. Yet, as he walked away, his heart was filled with hesitation and turmoil.
The Clan Head was not a stubborn man.
Shisui's mind drifted back to the words written on the paper strip he had found:
'I know your plan, but it cannot save the Uchiha.'
It cannot save them... really?
Shisui gazed up at the sky. His once-steely resolve was now clouded with doubt.
Who was the author of that note? And what did they mean by 'Beware of Danzō'?
He frowned, unable to unravel the mystery.
As he walked home and pushed open his front door, his instincts screamed. Something was wrong.
In an instant, the three tomoe of his Sharingan spun into existence as he scanned his surroundings.
Almost immediately, a figure emerged from the shadows within his home.
"Lord Danzō requests your presence to discuss certain details regarding today's conversation that were left unresolved."
"Lord Danzō?"
Shisui's heart skipped a beat, the warning from the note echoing in his mind.
"Yes. Lord Danzō stated that the matter is of grave importance and requires you to be there in person."
The messenger nodded stoically.
Should I go?
Shisui hesitated.
After weighing his options for a few seconds, he took a deep breath. "Alright. Are we going now? Where is the meeting?"
"By the stone cliffs outside Ryūtō Street. It is one of the former training bases for the ANBU. You should know the place. Lord Danzō is waiting for you there."
"Understood. I will head there immediately."
Shisui nodded, masking his inner turmoil.
"Good."
Upon receiving the confirmation, the messenger's body dissolved into a swarm of insects and scattered.
Shisui held his breath, waiting until the insects had completely dispersed before exhaling gently. The location flashed in his mind.
Ryūtō Street was a night market district on the edge of the village. It was relatively remote, but a river cut through the area, making it a well-known scenic spot. The old base Danzō mentioned was located in the intermediate zone between the river and the Hokage Rock.
It was quite a distance from the main thoroughfare of Ryūtō Street.
If not for the mysterious note—and the fact that it had so accurately predicted Danzō's invitation—he might not have thought twice about the location.
But now...
That location was a decommissioned ANBU facility. It was riddled with traps and secret passages. It was the perfect killing ground for an ambush.
Shisui's mind was in chaos.
On one hand, his instincts told him this invitation was a trap.
On the other hand, Shisui felt... this might be an opportunity.
The situation with the Uchiha had deteriorated to this point; there was no way Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, was unaware of the causes. The Hokage had explicitly given him permission to execute his plan...
Perhaps Danzō really just wanted to discuss the details?
Shisui wavered, but he reasoned that since the Hokage had been so clear during the day, surely Danzō wouldn't blatantly defy the Hokage's orders.
Moreover—if he didn't go, Danzō would use his absence as leverage to pressure the Uchiha further.
If that happened, his plan would fail before it even began!
'I have to go!'
The Uchiha were on the brink of extinction. Shisui had no other choice.
Ryūtō Street District.
Near the cliffside.
In front of a structure half-embedded into the rock face, a solitary figure had been waiting for some time.
The setting sun cast long, blood-red shadows.
Whoosh.
Hearing the sound of arrival from behind, Danzō opened his eye and spoke indifferently. "You've come."
"Lord Danzō!"
Shisui bowed respectfully upon landing, showing no sign of insubordination.
Danzō nodded slightly.
"I called you here to supplement the details of your plan. After all, your clan could gather again at any moment. Some matters cannot be delayed."
"Yes, please speak," Shisui responded.
Danzō turned around, fixing his exposed eye on the young Uchiha. His voice dropped to a whisper.
"I heard about your jutsu from the Hokage. It is indeed incredible. But do you truly believe that controlling the Clan Head alone will change everything?"
"Perhaps not completely. But as long as the Clan Head does not turn against the village, we can restrain the radical faction just as before. Civil war will be averted, and after this purge, the Uchiha clan will pledge its loyalty to the village."
Shisui answered with sincere conviction.
This was the conclusion he had reached after deep contemplation on the way here.
Sacrificing a portion of his clansmen to ensure the survival of the clan as a whole, and to secure recognition and coexistence within Konoha...
It was the best possible solution in a worst-case scenario.
Danzō remained silent for a few seconds before sighing lightly. "Your thinking... is still too naive."
Shisui sensed danger immediately. His eyes turned crimson as the three tomoe spun into focus.
But at that exact moment, a sharp, twisting pain convulsed through his body.
Poison?
When did I...
Shisui's eyes widened as he recalled the Root ninja from the Aburame clan earlier.
It was him!
The tomoe in his eyes spun violently.
Genjutsu: Activate!
Danzō attempted to retreat, but the illusion took hold instantly. His body went limp, and his head slumped forward.
Shisui drew his tantō. Several afterimages appeared around him, weapons drawn and pointed at Danzō, his expression fierce. "Cough, cough! Where is the Aburame clan member? Hand over the antidote!"
The Root agent from before emerged from the shadows.
He paused for a moment, then twitched his finger. Several specialized kikaichū beetles flew out, landing on Shisui to drain the toxins from his body.
Moments later, Shisui felt his condition stabilize.
But.
Suddenly, Danzō's figure distorted and vanished from where he stood.
Shisui sensed the fatal shift instantly. He prepared to use the Body Flicker Technique to escape, but a shadow flashed past him, followed by an agonizing, blinding pain.
This is...
He looked up, his face a mask of shock and disbelief.
In the next second, Shisui grabbed a handful of smoke bombs and explosive tags from his waist and threw them all at once.
Smoke billowed out, engulfing the area.
In the split second that Danzō had snatched his eye, Shisui had forced his body backward, maintaining his Body Flicker Technique with his remaining eye. Immediately following that—
His hands flew through seals.
BOOM!
The explosive tags detonated, completely obscuring the area where the smoke had spread. Danzō flickered out of the fire and smoke, unharmed.
But simultaneously, a massive fireball erupted from Shisui's mouth.
"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"
A Root ninja hiding in the dark immediately flickered in front of Danzō, unleashing a Water Style jutsu to counter the flames.
Above, a dark cloud of insects coalesced, swarming to encircle Shisui completely.
At this moment, Shisui felt another wave of intense pain.
The poison from the parasitic insects hadn't been completely neutralized!
Forcing down the agony, Shisui's mind became paradoxically calm.
That warning note said that if absolutely necessary, I should get close to the river!
Regardless of who the mysterious ally was, the river was safer than the shore!