Shisui's Concealment

"Shisui, introduce yourself to the Fourth Hokage."

Fugaku's words caused Minato to look at the Uchiha jonin behind him, a slightly dejected smile on his face.

Shisui bowed and said, "Lord Hokage, I am Shisui Uchiha. I currently serve as a squad leader in the Konoha Military Police Force."

Minato scratched his head, looking a bit awkward. "I had only heard the name 'Body Flicker Shisui' on the battlefield, and later you joined the Military Police Force, so..."

"Whew... you two, wait a moment."

Exhaling, Minato pulled out a scroll and performed hand seals with both hands.

"Barrier, seal!"

Releasing the seals, he looked at the slightly tense Fugaku and said with a smile, "A barrier to block all surrounding perception. Since I don't know if the enemy has accomplices, and that phasing ability can bypass the village's barriers, I had to..."

Pausing to collect his thoughts, Minato's expression turned serious as he looked at Fugaku and asked, "First, I need to know if either of you has awakened the legendary eyes of the Uchiha Clan: the Mangekyō Sharingan!"

As his voice fell, silence descended within the barrier.

After a long while, Fugaku sighed, stepped forward, and said, "The Mangekyō Sharingan has only ever been awakened by Madara Uchiha and his brother, Izuna Uchiha, in the entire history of our clan. For you to ask me and Shisui, Lord Hokage, is to hold us in far too high regard."

Minato frowned, pondered for a long time, and then spoke. "In truth, ever since I took over the position of Hokage from the Third, I have gradually come to understand the conflict between the Uchiha and the village. I understand Captain Fugaku's concerns well, but the enemy I spoke of is absolutely not the Uchiha Clan of Konoha."

"This time... it is an opportunity for Konoha, and it is also the last chance for the Uchiha. Therefore, please be honest with me: has either of you awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan?"

Fugaku was left speechless...

A long time later, a voice sounded.

"Lord Hokage, can I trust you?"

Minato looked over sharply. In the slightly widened pupils of Shisui Uchiha, the three tomoe connected, eventually forming a pattern resembling a dart.

This sight shocked not only Minato, but Fugaku and Kakashi, who were standing to the side, were also left dumbfounded.

To awaken the legendary eyes at such a young age. As Hokage, Minato knew the requirements for awakening the Sharingan, and he was even more shocked by the pain this youth must have endured.

To receive love and then lose it...

Most Uchiha would sink into darkness and pain during this process, while a rare few, like the recorded Kagami Uchiha, would become even more desperate for love.

If what that shadow said was true, then this youth before him, Shisui Uchiha, was one of those very few.

Minato exhaled. "You can trust me, and I can guarantee that I will do my utmost to maintain the relationship between the Uchiha and the village, and eventually, truly integrate you into Konoha!"

Fugaku opened his mouth to speak but hesitated. Minato looked at him and said, "Trust is built on a foundation of mutual effort. So... tonight, Kushina's child—my child—will be born. And Kushina... she has the Nine Tails sealed within her!"

Once these words were out, Fugaku and Shisui were stunned.

Kushina had told Fugaku's wife, Mikoto, about the pregnancy, as the two were friends, but the specific timing was classified.

Historically, the Nine Tails had been controlled by an Uchiha. Such a display of trust was enough for Fugaku and Shisui to see Minato's sincerity.

Compared to six years later when Shisui died, the Uchiha were not yet at the point of no return, and Shisui had not mentioned his Mangekyō to anyone.

It wouldn't be until six years later, when Itachi was eleven, that Shisui would reveal the ability known as Kotoamatsukami, a power so broken it defied logic. In the end, because of the "King of Pots" in Konoha, he could only sacrifice his life to delay the rebellion by two years.

Fugaku bowed slightly. "Everything is in your hands, Lord Hokage."

Beside him, Shisui clenched his fists, his inner turmoil evident. With the support of the Fourth Hokage, Namikaze Minato, perhaps the gap between the clan and the village... and then, the power of Kotoamatsukami...

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

Minato glanced back at Kakashi. "I have received intelligence that the Sharingan Kakashi obtained from Obito has also awakened the Mangekyō, but he does not yet know how to control this power. I need you, Shisui, to help Kakashi unleash the power of his left eye."

"It is not that I don't trust you, but the intelligence indicates that the power of Kakashi's eye is the perfect counter to the enemy's ability... Phasing!"

"By shifting part or all of his body into another dimension at will to negate damage, most ninjutsu and taijutsu are ineffective against him. Therefore..."

Shisui understood what Minato left unsaid and immediately responded, "I trust the Fourth, and my Mangekyō Sharingan happens to be a genjutsu ability that can cast a technique called Kotoamatsukami without the need for eye contact."

"Kotoamatsukami?" Minato looked puzzled.

Having already reached this point, Shisui replied naturally, "Kotoamatsukami can plant a seed within the enemy's consciousness, causing the opponent to act as if they are pursuing that seed's goal of their own volition."

"In this state, very few people can even realize they are under a genjutsu. However... the weakness of this technique is that it requires a continuous output of chakra, so..."

Shisui didn't finish his sentence, but he keenly noticed that... the Hokage seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.

As expected!

No matter where a power like Kotoamatsukami appears, high-ranking politicians will always be wary of it.

The ability of his left eye, Kotoamatsukami, which had already been used upon awakening... he could not speak of that yet!

The morning light had just risen above the horizon when Uchiha Yun was awakened by the sounds from the kitchen.

For five years, his mother had risen this early every single day, busy with breakfast before heading out to work, never once taking a day of rest in her hurried life.

Despite all this, she remained optimistic, all for the sake of Yun and Izumi's growth each day.

"Can you take the afternoon off today?"

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

Yun shook his head. "I just wanted to eat the tempura Mother makes. Could you come home a little early to make it for me?"

Uchiha Hazuki laughed in the kitchen, reaching out as if to ruffle Yun's hair before pulling her hand back; she remembered that her son was precocious and disliked others touching his head.

"If Yun wants to eat it, of course you can. I'll ask the shop owner for leave so I can head to the market early to buy ingredients. You should come home early today too, Yun; I'll be going to the market with Izumi."

Uchiha Yun nodded. "I'll be back after noon, and I'll let Uncle Teuchi know."

After finishing breakfast, Yun headed toward Ichiraku Ramen with the intention of resigning.

There were still many things to do in the morning; he needed to visit the Nara clan compound and the Tatsumi Shelter, and if time permitted, he would also have to go to the mountain behind the Hokage Rock.

He hadn't been able to properly test the specifics of the Secret Scroll Clone last night. He would need to try it out to figure out how to operate it for maximum benefit.

(Note: Within the Infinite Tsukuyomi, the Fourth Hokage, Namikaze Minato, had made two sets of preparations; if negotiations with the Uchiha could not be reached, it would likewise result in the clan's extermination.)

(Note: In the TV Version, it is explicitly stated that the chakra output was severed when the right eye was gouged out by Danzo, yet the left eye was able to override the Impure World Reincarnation even while inside a crow, showing a massive discrepancy. Combining this with the fact that Mangekyou usually possess two abilities, one likely has a long cooldown while the other is short—one plants a permanent subconscious command in a single instance, while the other requires continuous chakra output.)

(Note: Shisui's eye was gouged out when Itachi was eleven, which was also when he proposed to the Third to use Kotoamatsukami to control Fugaku. Perhaps the ability of Kotoamatsukami had not been disclosed to the higher-ups before then, and it was only because the Uchiha were already on the verge of rebellion that the ability was revealed. Otherwise, Danzo would not have waited until then to gouge out the eye; it is clear he feared the power of Kotoamatsukami.)

I ask all the big shots to please invest, thank you.