It Would Have Been Better if Danzo Hadn't Died

Though he vaguely felt that something was off, he also couldn't see anything wrong. Uchiha Shisui shook his head.

Whatever the case, the problems between the clan and the village had been resolved. That was enough.

Just then, a figure came to Uchiha Shisui's bedside.

Hiruzen Sarutobi puffed on his pipe and looked down at Uchiha Shisui, especially at his sunken eye sockets. He sighed inwardly.

Kotoamatsukami...

He'd always had a good impression of Uchiha Shisui. He was a good kid who had inherited the will of his deceased teammate, Kagami Uchiha. He hadn't expected Danzo to target Shisui and try to steal those eyes—the ones with the Kotoamatsukami Dojutsu.

From what he knew of Danzo, the man was indeed capable of doing such a thing. If Danzo hadn't been his teammate, and if Hiruzen hadn't needed a black-gloved enforcer as Hokage, he would have dealt with him long ago, back when Danzo tried to assassinate him.

Danzo, why did you have to die? Without you, who's going to do my dirty work?

Looking at Uchiha Shisui lying in bed, Hiruzen sighed and shook his head.

"Shisui, how are you feeling?"

Hiruzen lowered his pipe and looked down at Uchiha Shisui, asking with concern.

"Lord Hokage, I'm feeling very well now. The problems between the village and the clan have been resolved, and I feel better than ever. I never imagined that everything before was a plot by Clan Head Fugaku and Lord Danzo. If not for Lord Kazuto..."

Uchiha Shisui's face showed immense gratitude. As someone who revered Hiruzen Sarutobi and the Will of Fire, how could he not be moved by the Hokage's concern? A few tears welled up and ran into his sunken eye sockets. He was so touched that even his voice grew excited.

"It's good that you're all right. I'm the one at fault for not discovering the plot between Danzo and Uchiha Fugaku in time. Your eyes..."

Hiruzen shook his head, his face full of remorse. Then his gaze fell on Uchiha Shisui's sunken eye sockets.

"How could you be to blame, Lord Hokage? It was all Lord Danzo and Clan Head Fugaku's fault. If not for them, the village and the clan wouldn't have ended up like this. Lord Hokage, Lord Danzo deceived you too!"

Uchiha Shisui shook his head, his expression earnest. After all, how could the Hokage be wrong?

"As for my eyes, didn't Lord Kazuto already explain, Lord Hokage? Lord Danzo destroyed them. It's for the best. Something so dangerous is better off destroyed."

A faint smile appeared on Uchiha Shisui's face.

Had they really been destroyed?

Hiruzen puffed on his pipe and looked at the optimistic Uchiha Shisui, then shook his head. He took out a photograph. It showed only Danzo elbowing Uchiha Shisui and taking one of his eyes. But what about the other one?

Had it not been photographed?

Uchiha Kazuto... had Shisui's eye really been destroyed?

Hiruzen left Shisui's hospital room and went into the corridor, smoking as he recalled Uchiha Kazuto's expression at the time. How righteous, how impassioned he had looked—like a good kid who believed in the Will of Fire, a good kid who had exposed a conspiracy!

But everything now was based on what you'd said, Kazuto. There was no actual evidence. And yet, it all seemed true, as if nothing were wrong, because Danzo really was the kind of person who could do such things. He'd never said it to his face, but Hiruzen knew Danzo was a ruthless bastard with no bottom line.

Besides, hadn't Fugaku admitted it? It had all been a plot!

Everything seemed fine, but Hiruzen felt a faint unease.

Uchiha Kazuto, what were you thinking? What were you really trying to do?

Hiruzen wanted to do something about Uchiha Kazuto, but then he thought of those eyes and Kazuto's current attitude. What if? What if all of this was just his imagination, just his suspicion?

What if Uchiha Kazuto really was a good kid with the Will of Fire?

What if it really was a plot by Shimura Danzo and Uchiha Fugaku?

After all, Uchiha Kazuto had those eyes and the support of the Uchiha Clan. If he wanted to, he could launch a Coup.

If Uchiha Kazuto didn't have those eyes, Hiruzen could make more moves and put him to more tests. But he couldn't now.

Konoha couldn't withstand any more upheaval. The other villages were watching Konoha like hawks. The moment Konoha showed weakness and fell into chaos, those villages would pounce, tear into Konoha, and bleed it dry. Konoha couldn't afford to be thrown into disorder.

He couldn't tell. He really couldn't tell!

"sigh..."

Hiruzen exhaled a cloud of smoke and sighed. If only Danzo were still alive. For all the things Hiruzen hesitated over—things he wanted done but couldn't handle himself—he only had to hint at them, or not even hint, just mention them, and Danzo would eagerly take care of it. If anything went wrong, Hiruzen could simply disavow him and blame him. He would remain the spotless, benevolent Hokage.

Unfortunately, Danzo was already dead. He'd died that dusk, at the hands of someone they never would have expected.

"Lord Hokage!"

Just then, a figure appeared at Hiruzen's feet.

"Itachi?"

Hiruzen looked at Uchiha Itachi, who had suddenly appeared, and paused. His eyes softened. Uchiha Itachi was a good kid, too. At seven, he'd already thought like a Hokage, able to see things from the Hokage's perspective. He was a rare genius. What a pity that, as a member of the Uchiha Clan, his loyalties were suspect. Otherwise, he might even have been qualified to become the Hokage's... dark side.

"Itachi, you know what happened, don't you? My condolences. Who could have imagined your father..."

Hiruzen looked at Uchiha Itachi and shook his head as he spoke slowly.

"No, Lord Hokage. I'm certain my father wasn't that kind of person. There must be something wrong here. There must be a conspiracy!"

Uchiha Itachi shook his head, his expression serious. In truth, he didn't really care whether his biological father had been falsely accused, nor did he care whether that father lived or died. What he truly cared about was Uchiha Kazuto and the strangeness this whole affair revealed. He felt that a deeper, more terrifying conspiracy must be hidden beneath it all.

He knew his father. Given his father's personality, how could he have come up with a plot like this with Danzo?