Shisui's Secret

"Shisui, introduce yourself to Lord Hokage."

Fugaku's words made Minato glance at the Uchiha jōnin behind him. He gave a slightly awkward, rueful smile.

Shisui bowed. "Lord Hokage, I'm Shisui Uchiha. I'm currently a squad leader in the Konoha Military Police Force."

Minato scratched his head, looking a little embarrassed. "I'd only heard of you as Body Flicker Shisui on the battlefield. Then you joined the Military Police Force, so..."

"Phew... Please wait a moment, both of you."

Minato let out a breath, took out a scroll, and formed Hand Seals.

"Barrier, seal!"

He released his hands from the seals. Seeing Fugaku looking somewhat tense, Minato smiled and explained, "It's a barrier that blocks the senses around us. We don't know whether the enemy has accomplices, and that ability to become intangible can pass through the village barrier, so..."

After a pause, Minato's expression grew serious. He looked at Fugaku and asked, "So first, I'd like to know whether either of you has awakened the legendary eyes of the Uchiha Clan—the Mangekyō Sharingan!"

Silence fell over the barrier.

After a long while, Fugaku sighed and stepped forward. "The Mangekyō Sharingan has only ever been awakened by Madara Uchiha and his younger brother, Izuna Uchiha, in the entire Uchiha Clan. It's far too generous of you to ask whether Shisui and I have awakened it, Lord Hokage."

Minato furrowed his brow. After pondering for a long time, he said, "In truth, ever since I took over the Hokage Position from the Third, I've gradually come to understand the conflict between the Uchiha and the village. I understand your concerns, Captain Fugaku, but the enemy I mentioned just now absolutely isn't the Uchiha of Konoha."

"This is Konoha's opportunity—and the Uchiha's last chance. So please, tell me honestly: has either of you awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan?"

Fugaku was at a loss for words...

After a long while, a voice broke the silence.

"Lord Hokage, can I trust you?"

Minato turned sharply toward him. In Shisui Uchiha's slightly raised eyes, the tails of the three Tomoe gradually joined together, eventually forming a pattern like a shuriken.

The sight stunned not only Minato, but also Fugaku and Kakashi, who stood nearby.

He was so young, yet he had awakened the legendary eyes. As Hokage, Minato knew what it took for the Uchiha to awaken them, and he was even more shaken by the pain this boy had endured.

To gain love, then lose it...

Most Uchiha sank into pain and darkness as a result. A few, like Kagami Uchiha, according to the records, instead became even more eager to love.

The boy before him, Shisui Uchiha, was one of the very few in the Uchiha Clan—if everything that Black Shadow had said was true.

Minato exhaled. "You can trust me. And I can promise that I'll do everything I can to maintain the relationship between the Uchiha and the village, and even help the Uchiha truly become part of Konoha!"

Fugaku looked as if he wanted to say something but couldn't. Minato turned to him. "Trust has to go both ways. So... tonight, Kushina's child—my child, too—will be born. And Kushina has the Nine Tails sealed inside her!"

Those words left Fugaku and Shisui stunned.

Kushina had told Fugaku's wife, Mikoto, that she was going to give birth. The two were friends, but the exact date was confidential.

And the Nine Tails had once been controlled by the Uchiha in the past. This show of trust was enough for Fugaku and Shisui to see Minato's sincerity.

Compared to six years later, when Shisui died, the Uchiha had yet to reach the point where they had no choice but to rebel. Shisui hadn't even told anyone about his Mangekyō yet.

It wasn't until six years later, when Itachi was eleven, that Shisui revealed the almost-buglike power of Kotoamatsukami. In the end, because of Konoha's king of conspiracies, he could only delay the rebellion by two years with his death.

Fugaku bowed slightly. "I'm counting on you, Lord Hokage."

Beside him, Shisui clenched both hands. His feelings were plain to see. With the Fourth Hokage, Namikaze Minato, supporting them, perhaps the family and the village could... Then there was the power of Kotoamatsukami...

A moment later, Shisui asked respectfully, "Lord Hokage, what can I do?"

Minato glanced over his shoulder at Kakashi. "I've received information that the Sharingan Kakashi got from Obito awakened its Mangekyō long ago, too. He just doesn't know how to control its power yet. I need you to help Kakashi bring out the power of his left eye."

"It's not that I don't trust you. The information shows that the power of Kakashi's Sharingan happens to counter the enemy's ability... intangibility!"

"He can send part or all of his physical body into another dimension at any time to avoid damage. Most ninjutsu and Taijutsu are useless against this ability. So..."

Shisui understood what Minato had left unsaid and immediately replied, "I trust you, Fourth Hokage. My Mangekyō Sharingan happens to have a genjutsu ability. I can use a genjutsu called Kotoamatsukami without making eye contact."

"Kotoamatsukami?" Minato looked puzzled.

Since Shisui had brought it up, he continued naturally, "Kotoamatsukami plants a seed in the enemy's consciousness, making them act naturally in pursuit of that seed."

"Under those circumstances, few people can realize they've been caught in a genjutsu. But... the weakness of this technique is that it requires a continuous output of Chakra, so..."

Shisui didn't finish, but he keenly noticed... Lord Hokage seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.

As expected!

No matter where an ability like Kotoamatsukami appeared, politicians in high positions would be wary of it.

The power of his left eye's Kotoamatsukami, which he had already used when he awakened it... couldn't be revealed for now!

The morning light had only just risen above the horizon when the sounds from the kitchen woke Uchiha Yun.

For five years, his mother had gotten up this early every day. After making breakfast, she would head out to work. She was always in a hurry and had never once taken a day off.

Even so, she remained optimistic. She did it all for Yun and Izumi to grow up well.

"Could you take the afternoon off today?"

Uchiha Hazuki turned around, puzzled. "Is something the matter, Yun?"

Yun shook his head. "I just want to eat your tempura, Mother. Could you come back early and make it for me?"

Uchiha Hazuki smiled from the kitchen. She reached out to ruffle Yun's hair, then drew her hand back, remembering that her son was precocious and didn't like having his hair ruffled.

"Of course. I'll ask the shop owner for time off and go to the market early to buy the ingredients. You should come back early today, too, Yun. Izumi and I will go to the market together."

Uchiha Yun nodded. "I'll be back after lunch. I'll let Uncle Teuchi know."

After breakfast, Yun headed to Ichiraku Ramen to quit his job.

He had plenty to do that morning. He needed to visit the Nara Clan's grounds and the Tatsumi Shelter. If there was enough time, he also had to go to the mountain behind Kage Rock.

He hadn't been able to properly test the Secret Scroll Clone the night before. He'd have to try it out before he could figure out how to make the most of it.

(Note: In the Infinite Tsukuyomi, the Fourth Hokage, Namikaze Minato, had prepared for both possibilities. If he couldn't come to an agreement with the Uchiha, he would still have exterminated the clan.)

(Note: Danzo took the right eye. The TV Version clearly states that its Chakra output was cut off, but the left eye was able to override Impure World Reincarnation even when it was in a crow. The difference is enormous. Considering that the Mangekyō usually has two abilities, one with a long cooldown and one with a short cooldown, one that plants a permanent subconscious suggestion in a single use, and one that requires a continuous output of Chakra...)

(Note: Shisui's eye was taken when Itachi was eleven. That was also when he proposed to the Third that he use Kotoamatsukami to control Fugaku. Perhaps he hadn't told the higher-ups about Kotoamatsukami before then. The Uchiha were already on the brink of rebellion, so he revealed the ability then. Otherwise, Danzo wouldn't have waited until that point to take his eye. Clearly, he was wary of Kotoamatsukami.)