How Is This Any Different from Killing Us?

Shisui Uchiha stood at the street corner, his expression conflicted.

He watched the angry residents storm off and the members of the Military Police Force cheer in triumph. A trace of regret rose in his heart.

Things seemed to have gotten a little out of hand.

Relations between the village and the Uchiha were already growing increasingly tense, and now there was another point of contention.

That point of contention was how to deal with Arata.

At the thought, Shisui's gaze shifted slightly behind him.

The boy at the center of the storm stood quietly behind him, his gaze wandering as if lost in thought. He seemed completely unaffected by the turmoil around him.

But if he truly regretted it, was he supposed to stand by and watch two Root shinobi of jonin caliber suppress Arata and take him away?

He couldn't do that.

He really couldn't!

When it came down to it, the village—no, Shimura Danzō—had gone too far!

Arata was only an eight-year-old junior, yet Danzō had sent an elite squad of battle-hardened shinobi to lay a trap for him! Was he really treating the Uchiha like outsiders?

For a moment, Shisui's resolve wavered even more fiercely.

Before, his heart had been with Konoha, and he had only held on to the bottom line of protecting his clan. Now, though, the scales were balanced!

Last night, when he reported Arata's situation to Clan Head Fugaku, he had raised a question: "Clan Head, I heard that when Sasuke was born, the Fourth Hokage's wife was about to give birth as well?"

At the question, Fugaku Uchiha, who usually kept a stern expression, grew even more solemn.

It was a simple question, and not even a particular secret to many people.

But the clan head said nothing for a long time. His sharp eyes seemed to see straight to the heart of the matter.

"Yes."

Only after a long while did he utter a single word.

"Then..."

Having received his answer, Shisui wanted to ask more.

Had the Fourth Hokage's wife given birth before the Nine-Tails appeared? And was the little one called the Nine-Tails Demon Fox truly her child?

After all, the boy was the same age as Sasuke, yet his normal records contained no information about his origins. There was only a brief entry: an orphan after the Nine-Tails Incident. It was as if an invisible hand had buried the truth.

"Yes."

"Just as you suspected."

"So, what are you going to do?"

This time, before Shisui could ask his question, Fugaku Uchiha had already answered.

Though he hadn't laid everything out in the open, both the one asking and the one answering clearly understood that they were talking about the same thing.

"I..."

"I don't know."

Shisui opened his mouth, but in the end, he couldn't come to any conclusion.

Minato's child had been treated like a Demon Fox, mocked and ostracized by everyone. If the Fourth Hokage knew about this in the afterlife, would he be angry enough to tear the village apart?

Even gentle Shisui was furious and trembling with rage after learning the truth.

He was Konoha's hero, the hero who had saved half the village from the Nine-Tails' claws!

That was also the most direct reason he had followed Arata today.

He wanted to understand the boy for himself.

How could an eight-year-old see so clearly the things that so many of them struggled to understand?

He hadn't expected Root to target Arata the moment he left the clan compound.

Arata's impressive victory over Itachi, along with his two Kekkei Genkai, must have made the always-cautious Danzō uneasy. He didn't want to let Arata grow any further.

After all, Arata's stance was unmistakable: he was firmly on the Uchiha's side.

"Come with me."

After taking a long look at the quiet boy, Shisui spoke and left the street corner first.

Arata didn't answer. He simply followed in silence.

His feelings were complicated. His restless thoughts were like ten thousand alpacas stampeding across a grassland, leaving everything in disarray.

Arata was hostile toward Shisui!

The mere fact that Shisui wanted to use Kotoamatsukami to control the entire clan was unforgivable.

Even if his intentions were good, and he wanted to prevent a war.

Having the thoughts of everyone in the clan controlled like puppets was terrifying and utterly helpless.

And on that day, the dark green Susanoo had blocked Arata's fatal blow against Itachi, driving his opinion of Shisui to rock bottom.

Though Arata had compromised when facing him yesterday, that had only been a concession forced by the circumstances, and a necessary step toward using Shisui for his own purposes.

But Shisui's intervention today had left him at a loss.

Arata was a simple person who clearly distinguished love from hate.

When someone treated him well, even if they were a shinobi from another clan, or belonged to the Third Hokage's Anbu, he was willing to respectfully address them as "teacher."

But when that person was someone he was hostile toward, the clash between those two convictions left him without a clear answer.

At the same time, Arata knew exactly what would happen if Root took him away.

Simply staying alive would already count as lucky.

That old man Shimura Danzō had a thousand ways to shirk responsibility and frame someone else.

And if Uncle Yashiro chose to start a war to save him, then with Shisui and Itachi turning against them, the entire clan would be plunged into ruin.

"So, how am I supposed to treat him?"

Arata's mind was a mess.

Shisui had been walking for a long time.

They passed through the bustling shopping district and the quiet residential area.

He said little along the way, only warmly greeting a few children he knew when they crossed paths.

He seemed to like children very much.

Arata didn't speak first, either, and didn't try to guess where Shisui was taking him. He simply followed close behind.

If Shisui really wanted to hurt him, it would have been all too easy.

At last, when the roar of rushing water reached their ears, Shisui stopped.

Naka Waterfall.

Here again.

He seemed to be especially fond of this place.

"Relations between the village and the clan are getting worse and worse. If the two sides go to war, which side will you stand on?"

Shisui asked quietly.

It was the first thing he had said after walking all that way.

Arata was a little stunned. He hadn't expected Shisui to ask such a question so bluntly.

But wasn't it a little pointless to ask him that?

Just as Arata was about to answer, Shisui continued, his back still turned to him. "Think about it carefully when you get home tonight, then come tell me tomorrow."

"But you need to understand that war isn't as simple as you children make it sound when you talk about it on paper. Once war begins, it will bring irreversible, catastrophic consequences."

"The village will fall apart, enemies will take the opportunity to invade, and there will be many orphans like Naruto and you."

Shisui didn't say much more. He knew that Arata was different from other children. He had more mature, independent thoughts and wasn't as extreme as Inabi.

Arata remained silent.

As Shisui had asked, he didn't answer right away.

"My eyes are different from yours. I can control the will of everyone in the clan, make them give up the idea of opposing Konoha, and let us all live together in peace. What do you think?"

Shisui spoke again.

It was both a test and a confession. He wanted someone to guide him, but the clan's leaders weren't suitable. He had once thought Itachi shared his convictions, but lately, Itachi had begun to harbor other ideas as well.

For the first time in his life, Shisui felt utterly alone.

"Would the proud Uchiha tolerate living in an illusion forever?"

"How is that any different from killing us?"

This time, Arata didn't hesitate at all.

His words were cold.

He sounded as if he stood firmly on the opposing side.