Uchiha Hikari

Shisui hurried toward Konoha as fast as he could, returning to the village before the sun had set.

The sun sank in the west.

Konoha was as lively as ever. The setbacks on the Kirigakure front and the death of Jiraiya of the Sannin didn't seem to have been announced by the Konoha High Command yet.

The entire village was still caught up in the joy of Sunagakure signing a surrender agreement and Konoha's great victory in the Battle of Kannabi Bridge.

The streets were crowded with people. Konoha's residents laughed heartily in taverns and restaurants, raising their cups in celebration. No one noticed Uchiha Shisui, dressed in his battle gear, striding through the passageways and hurrying straight toward the Uchiha Clan Compound.

Quite a few ANBU noticed Shisui.

According to regulations, while a war was still ongoing, any ninja returning from the front was supposed to report in immediately and give a briefing to the Third Hokage. Shisui's decision to head straight to his clan compound was technically a violation.

But they seemed to know what had happened, and didn't try to stop him.

By the time Shisui returned to the Uchiha Clan Compound, he could already sense the heavy atmosphere hanging over the clan.

The mood made his heart sink. He quickened his pace.

A graceful figure stood waiting outside the entrance to Shisui's home. When she saw him approaching, her gentle face relaxed with relief.

"Shisui!"

"Lady Mikoto!"

Shisui hurried over.

Mikoto's gaze immediately fell on his right eye, wrapped in bandages. Her expression changed. "Shisui, your eye..."

"It's nothing, Lady Mikoto. Just a minor injury."

Shisui smiled, but his gaze passed right over her and fixed on the house.

The once-warm home was now silent, a stark contrast to the lively village. Several Uchiha clan members were waiting outside, including elders responsible for matters such as handling the remains of the dead.

"Shisui, your father..."

Mikoto followed his gaze, her expression darkening. "For the past few days, your father's been in and out of consciousness. His mind has even become confused, but he keeps calling your name. That's why I asked Fugaku to bring you back."

"I understand. Thank you, Lady Mikoto."

Shisui nodded and hurried into the house.

The Uchiha gathered at the entrance stepped aside as Shisui pushed open the door and went inside.

The room was sparsely furnished, with only a bed and a figure lying on it.

He wasn't particularly old, just middle-aged, though he looked a little older than Fugaku.

Rather than lying flat, he was propped up against the headboard. His dark eyes stared out at the dusky sky, his expression vacant. He didn't even notice Shisui enter. Only when Shisui walked up to him and called out did a glimmer of light return to his eyes.

"Father."

"Shisui..."

A smile tugged at Uchiha Hikari's face, but it quickly faded when he saw Shisui's bandaged right eye. His eyes turned into Three-Tomoe Sharingan, and he cried out in agitation, "Your eye! What happened to your right eye?!"

(In the anime, Shisui called Kagami "my father," but the timeline doesn't quite add up. Kagami was of the same generation as the Third Hokage and Danzo, so his son should have been of the same generation as Fugaku. How could he have been of the same generation as Itachi? Still, it's certain that they were related by blood. In chapter 627 of the manga, the Third Hokage says, "Uchiha Shisui is a descendant of Uchiha Kagami, and also a friend of your older brother Itachi." So I've made Shisui Kagami's grandson, not his son.)

"Izanagi? No, that's not right. He isn't blind. Was it gouged out? That bastard Fugaku... cough, cough... How could he break his promise to me? Cough, cough, cough."

Shisui hurried forward and patted Uchiha Hikari's back as he gently explained, "Father, it wasn't the clan head's fault. We ran into an incredibly terrifying opponent on the front lines. I'm lucky just to have made it back alive. Losing one Sharingan is nothing."

"An incredibly terrifying opponent..."

Uchiha Hikari's expression shifted at those words, but he still gave a cold snort. "No matter who the opponent was, you should have protected your eye! The Sharingan is the foundation of our Uchiha Clan. Even if you lost an arm or a leg, you shouldn't have let them take your eye!"

After saying this, Uchiha Hikari gradually calmed down. "Tell me what happened on the front lines."

"Yes, Father."

"At first, the fighting on the front lines was going smoothly. Kirigakure launched many attacks against us, but we repelled them all. Then a man named Yuki Yoru appeared on the battlefield and attacked our supply base in Souta Village..."

Shisui recounted what had happened at the front. As he listened, Uchiha Hikari's expression grew grave. He even sat up to hear Shisui's account more clearly, occasionally interrupting to ask about the details.

They continued talking until Shisui told him how Jiraiya had entered Sage Mode and died at Yuki Yoru's hands. Uchiha Hikari's face twisted into an expression that was hard to distinguish as either laughter or grief.

"I never thought Jiraiya would die in the war against Kirigakure... No, that's not enough. There's still Orochimaru..."

Uchiha Hikari murmured, then suddenly raised his head and looked at Shisui. "That Yuki Yoru really does sound like a monstrous prodigy."

"Yes. He's powerful. His Body Flicker Technique and everything else completely outclass me."

Shisui unconsciously ignored the first two things Uchiha Hikari had murmured.

Ever since his grandfather, Kagami Uchiha, had died in the First Great Ninja War, his father had harbored a deep hostility toward the Hokage's side. No matter what he did, he put the Uchiha Clan first.

After Shisui was born, Uchiha Hikari often told him to restore the Uchiha Clan to its former glory. In every conversation, his father brought up the clan every few sentences.

It troubled Shisui greatly. The Ninja Academy taught that they were all working for Konoha as a whole, and the entire village believed in the Will of Fire. So why was his father so stubborn, talking about the clan over and over again?

Between the clan and the village, which mattered more? Could his father really not tell?

Shisui always thought his father was far too narrow-minded. He had even gotten into arguments with Uchiha Hikari over it more than once.

As a result, their relationship had become very strained...