"Who is he, Itachi?" Outside Konoha, in a secluded location, Shisui Uchiha warily watched Naruto, whom Itachi had brought along.
Of course, he trusted Itachi, but during such a sensitive time, one could never be too careful.
"Uzumaki Naruto, the Fourth Hokage's son and Konoha's current Nine-Tails Jinchuriki," Itachi explained. Shisui's expression shifted slightly.
After a moment, he asked, "So you're Naruto, the one looking for me?"
"Yeah." Naruto nodded, then got straight to the point. "Itachi recommended that I meet you. He said your position within the Uchiha Clan carries considerable weight. I hope to speak with the Uchiha higher-ups face-to-face."
"You want to meet the Uchiha higher-ups?" Shisui froze for a moment, then turned his gaze toward Uchiha Itachi.
"Yes. Naruto has brought Konoha's goodwill. The Fourth Hokage intends to make concessions and hopes to resolve this through dialogue."
"Really?!" Shisui exclaimed softly, a flash of delight appearing in his eyes before vanishing.
The Uchiha Clan was, in a sense, a notoriously eccentric and divided clan. Throughout the entire Naruto World, they were a collection of contradictions, prone to taking things to extremes at the slightest disagreement.
Uchiha Madara, Obito Uchiha, Shisui Uchiha, Uchiha Itachi, and even Sasuke later on were all like this.
Compared to the others, Shisui and Itachi were relatively better. At the very least, circumstances had forced their hands. Of course... that did not erase the fact that their methods were extreme.
Shisui in particular had worried himself sick over the Uchiha Clan's situation, enduring torment every day without seeing even a glimmer of hope.
At a time like this, Naruto's appearance was like a ray of dawn in the darkness. No matter how faint it was, it made him feel that his efforts had finally been rewarded.
"Alright, I'll help you." He agreed