"Sora, what exactly did you mean by what you said last night?"
Early morning,
By the lakeside in the clan compound, Shisui asked with a troubled look.
He was the one who most wanted to see relations between the clan and the village improve. Uchiha Sora's words at last night's clan meeting had given him a bad feeling, and he had barely slept.
Splash... splash... splash...
Uchiha Sora skipped stones across the water and said calmly, "I made myself clear. I don't like where things are headed."
Shisui knitted his brows. "Have you discovered something?"
Uchiha Sora didn't answer. Instead, he asked, "Shisui, if the village and the clan went to war, what would you choose?"
Shisui's pupils contracted sharply. He hurriedly shook his head. "That's impossible! The village has already accepted us..."
"Heh. Accepted us."
Uchiha Sora smiled. "So you know they don't really see us as part of the village."
"Are the Uchiha outsiders who just joined from another village? Why do we need their acceptance?"
He lifted his gaze toward Hokage Rock, his eyes darkening.
"But..." Shisui tried to say more.
"Enough."
Uchiha Sora cut Shisui off, and the two met each other's eyes.
"Shisui, I'm not like you."
"You're a descendant of Kagami Uchiha. The Second taught your ancestor, and his ideas have shaped you."
"I grew up on the clan compound's commercial street. I know what ordinary Uchiha are like."
"Uncle Shoyaki, Aunt Jing, Big Brother Yakumi..."
"They don't have such lofty ambitions. They just want to live in peace."
The distance between them seemed to close. It was the first time Shisui had seen his mild-mannered companion look at him with such an intimidating gaze.
It was the last day.
Uchiha Sora had no intention of playing the good guy anymore. He would show his true nature.
Arrogant, stubborn, haughty.
And... deeply loving.
"Unlike you, who has to consider the relationship between the village and the Uchiha, I only have to think about the clan."
"I also want my people to live peaceful, quiet lives..."
Uchiha Sora touched Shisui's forehead with a finger. The gesture was unnecessary, since the image was transmitted through his ocular power.
Shisui, who had never thought to guard against a fellow clan member, fell under Uchiha Sora's genjutsu.
He was about to dispel it when the first image he saw made him freeze.
Whoosh—
A flash of gleaming steel severed a young girl's head.
Shisui recognized her. She was the daughter of the clothing shop on the commercial street.
Then...
A blurry shadow kicked open door after door, dragging out all the children, women, and elderly...
And killing them.
Blood drenched the commercial street. Even the full moon overhead seemed stained red.
The scene shifted.
The Police Force lay dead across the ground.
At last...
The shadow raised its long blade and cut off the heads of the clan leader and his wife.
—
—
When Shisui emerged from the genjutsu, he was drenched in sweat. Cold sweat trickled down his forehead, and his breathing was ragged.
"What... was that thing?"
"That was... the Hell Viewing Technique, right? It did bring out what I fear most..."
As a master of genjutsu, Shisui knew the Hell Viewing Technique couldn't create such detailed surroundings and people. It was merely a genjutsu that evoked fear.
This genjutsu... felt more like an image being transmitted.
He forced a smile. "Your new technique is pretty good, but don't use me as a test subject next time. It wasn't fun..."
"That's what will happen in the future."
Uchiha Sora interrupted him again, cutting off his words and his speculation.
"I saw the future. In the end, the village still turned on the Uchiha Clan. The entire clan was wiped out."
"The Uchiha Clan, with its thousand-year history, will come to an end in a few years."
Shisui shook his head unconsciously.
"How could that be...? Things were clearly moving in a good direction, and besides... seeing the future is just too hard to believe!"
Splash... splash... splash...
Uchiha Sora tossed the last stone in his hand, then stood up. "It doesn't matter whether you believe me. You'll find out tonight anyway."
"Shisui, your power matters, but you're not indispensable."
Watching Uchiha Sora turn away, Shisui hesitated for a moment, then couldn't help calling out, "Sora, who's going to turn on the Uchiha? What are you planning to do?"
—
"You'll find out tonight."
"I'll shoulder the fate of the Uchiha Clan."
"I'll accomplish... what Madara Uchiha couldn't."
Uchiha Sora didn't look back as he walked away.
Shisui stood frozen by the lake, his mind flashing again and again with bloodied faces and the blurry shadow swinging its butcher's blade.
Who was it?!
Who was going to kill his clan?!
Kill him!!
He had to kill him!
As his emotions surged, three black tomoe slowly appeared in Shisui's scarlet eyes.
—
—
At the clan training ground,
Two tomoe appeared in Uchiha Sora's eyes as he looked around. He didn't notice anything unusual.
He bit his fingertip, swiftly formed Hand Seals, and slapped his palm to the ground.
Summoning Technique.
Poof!!
When the white smoke cleared, a blue ninja cat stood there on two legs, a row of throwing knives hanging at its waist.
The blue cat came up to about Uchiha Sora's chest. It wore an eyepatch over one eye, giving it the air of a pirate captain.
"Yo, Kong! Lord Jialuo is here!"
"It's not payday today, is it? Why summon me now..."
Shhk—
The blue cat named Jialuo pulled out a cigar from somewhere and lit it. His voice was low. "So, who do you want dead?"
Thump!
"Meow!"
Uchiha Sora punched Jialuo on the head. The cigar fell to the ground, and the eyepatch went flying.
He crouched down and lowered his voice. "Tell Granny Cat the time has come."
Jialuo picked up the eyepatch and put it over his other eye.
"Sora... are you really going to defect?"
Uchiha Sora shook his head and smiled faintly. "Watch your wording. I won't run away in disgrace like some homeless snake."
"I called you because bringing too many people along would be a hassle. I need you to help carry the luggage."
Jialuo was Uchiha Sora's summoning beast. They had known each other since he was little and were true companions. Jialuo knew a lot.
"Are you sure anyone will go with you? Granny Cat told me no one went with Madara Uchiha back then."
"Times have changed."
"Peace had only just been established then. It was normal that no one wanted to go with Madara Uchiha."
"Tonight, I'll rip the truth open and lay it before them, forcing them to choose."
Jialuo picked up his cigar and took a puff, then shook his head. "You're as awful as ever, Kong."
"Making decisions for the whole clan based on what you think."
"Are you sure your choice is the right one?"
Uchiha Sora's lips curled into a smile.
"Yeah... of course."
"I never doubt my choices. If things don't go as I want, then I'm just unlucky."
Uchiha Sora was a perfectly ordinary Uchiha.
In his eyes...
The world was the only thing that could be wrong. Never me.
—
Time slipped by.
Night fell,
In the Hokage Building office, the Third, Sarutobi Hiruzen, was helping Namikaze Minato with his paperwork when he turned to look at the full moon outside the window.
For some reason...
A sudden unease stirred in his heart.
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