Brother Shisui, can you help Naruto find out about his origins?

A few days later, before Naka Waterfall.

"Since you've arrived, come on out."

The young man standing at the cliff's edge turned to the side, his expression peaceful and his voice gentle.

Hearing this, Arata slowly stepped out from behind a giant tree, his gaze cold as he looked at the person in his field of vision.

A tall, upright frame, sharp short hair, and a face that was unremarkable yet radiated an infinite sense of stability—this was Uchiha Shisui. If they were comrades, he would undoubtedly be the most reliable and powerful support one could ask for.

However, Arata did not have a very high opinion of Shisui.

Indecisiveness was the man's greatest flaw.

He possessed eyes capable of altering the will of Konoha's high command, yet he only thought of turning them against his own clan. One had to realize that what had driven the Uchiha to this desperate state was precisely the distrust coming from those old geezers!

Furthermore, just a few days ago, this man had ruined his plans. All of these factors combined caused Arata's hostility toward him to rise rapidly.

However, Shisui was ultimately not like Itachi.

He did not stand unequivocally on the side of the village, he constantly thought of his clansmen, and until the very end, he never forcibly controlled the will of his kin.

In this regard, he was a hundred times better than Itachi, the son of the clan head!

"Yo, long time no see, Arata."

"I remember when I left for the border, you were only about this tall."

Uchiha Shisui did not immediately ask about the reason for the sparring match that day; instead, he gestured with his hand like an older brother from next door, greeting him warmly.

He was gentle to everyone, and even when fighting enemies, he rarely caused them harm.

This was Shisui's character.

But in a ninja world like this, such gentleness was nothing more than a white lotus—it would wither sooner or later.

A miserable, tragic withering.

"I wanted to kill Itachi."

Arata skipped the pleasantries and spoke coldly.

Rather than letting the other party interrogate him with genjutsu, it was better to just say it himself.

After all, he couldn't even resist Itachi's three-tomoe sharingan, let alone the Mangekyō of the ninja world's greatest genjutsu master.

Moreover, aside from Kotoamatsukami, he knew nothing of Shisui's true strength. If he accidentally exposed the existence of the Hundred Ghost Scroll and the Shikigami Record, he would truly have no chance of turning the tables.

Arata's frankness caught Shisui slightly off guard.

The gentleness on his face was disrupted for an instant, and an inexplicable certainty lingered in his heart, clearly telling him that this was the true answer.

"Why?"

After a short while, Shisui finally asked.

He had expected the boy to use the cruel torture within the Kasegui world or some other matter as an excuse.

He had not expected Arata to be so direct; this little guy had truly made up his mind long ago.

"Because Itachi is on the side of the village."

"Once a problem arises, he will definitely strike at the clan. Therefore, I must eliminate this hidden danger for the Uchiha."

Arata's voice was cold and calm.

He had reached this conclusion while in the infirmary.

Deception was useless against someone proficient in genjutsu.

It was better to lay everything out on the table.

If he could manage to change Shisui's will as well, it would be a blessing for the entire clan!

Through these days of contemplation and review, he had also realized one thing: trying to stop this genocidal disaster on his own was as difficult as ascending to heaven.

Because by Itachi's side, there was not only Shisui and Obito, but also the lurking Shimura Danzō and the Root he commanded!

He needed more than just his own strength; he needed more companions who could walk this path with him!

"Itachi wouldn't..."

Uchiha Shisui had initially wanted to categorically deny such a conjecture, but he suddenly recalled the hesitant look on the other's face when he had questioned him on the day of their spar.

For a moment, he became somewhat uncertain himself.

After all, even he wanted to use Kotoamatsukami to change the will of his own clansmen.

"The village is indeed more important."

"Without Konoha, there would be no Uchiha."

"You are still young; leave the matters between the village and the clan to us."

Shisui changed the subject.

He was somewhat afraid to think any deeper.

Since returning from the border, he had indeed noticed that Itachi was different; not only did he have more on his mind, but the distance between the two of them had also grown increasingly vast.

"Shisui, brother."

After a moment of deliberation, Arata chose to use this form of address.

Because he could perceive the other's wavering; perhaps, this was a breakthrough.

"Have you already forgotten history?"

"Konoha was forged by the Senju clan and the Uchiha clan, yet now the Senju clan no longer exists, and even Hashirama's own granddaughter is still wandering outside the village."

"Instead, it is the Sarutobi clan that occupies the heart of Konoha, constantly developing and growing stronger."

"Does the current Third Hokage truly have our best interests at heart?"

The boy's voice was soft, devoid of its previous coldness, yet every word struck at the heart.

"Arata! Watch your tongue!"

Shisui Uchiha suddenly barked, the gentleness on his face completely torn away.

He held the current Hokage in high regard and believed that the man truly wished to achieve peaceful coexistence between the village and the Uchiha.

Now, to hear that venerable elder questioned in such a manner instantly touched Shisui's raw nerve.

Yet, when he met the boy's unyielding gaze, a turbulent wave inadvertently surged deep within his heart.

"Pity, disdain, mockery, sarcasm."

Those negative emotions were visible at a glance.

"On the day of graduation, Izumi took me to the main city of Konoha."

"There, I met a little guy whom all the residents and ninja living there called a disaster, calling him a fox demon."

"Izumi said that he, like me, was an orphan."

"We simply treated him to a bowl of ramen, yet that very night, we were warned by the Konoha Anbu never to approach him again."

"He said his name was Naruto Uzumaki."

"Brother Shisui, you are in the Anbu; can you look into his background?"

"Can you help him prove that he is not a fox demon?"

Arata Uchiha's voice was very soft.

He was simply narrating a story.

But every word and every sentence fell upon Shisui's heart like the tolling of morning bells and evening drums, echoing incessantly.

He naturally knew of that little fellow who bore the name of the Nine-Tails.

In fact, every member of the Anbu, save for those in his own squad, had been tasked with monitoring the boy at some point.

As for the little guy's background...

It seemed he was the offspring of the Fourth Hokage.

Of course, this was only information he had pieced together from scraps of evidence; he could not be entirely certain.

Locked in Arata's gaze, Shisui Uchiha's state of mind wavered more and more, to the point where he almost forgot his primary objective.

"Itachi is in contact with an outsider; Brother Shisui, are you aware of this?"

Just then, Arata dropped another bombshell.

The existence of Obito was known to fewer than a handful of people, and as a reincarnated soul, he happened to be one of them.

Moreover, if that guy hadn't dealt with the elites of the Police Force, Itachi alone would truly not have been enough to wipe out the entire clan!

"I saw their contact by chance; the man wore a mask, so I couldn't see his face."

Arata continued, adding more.

He blurred out certain details.

After all, Obito's mask and the masks of the Anbu were vastly different.

"That might just have been an Anbu colleague passing on a mission."

Shisui argued.

But his conviction was growing weaker by the second.

"Mm."

To this, Arata merely offered a perfunctory hum, saying nothing more.