Danzo, I'm Coming

"Shisui, I heard you beat Senior Inabi, my father's assistant in the Military Police Force. You're the best, Shisui!"

After awakening the Mangekyō Sharingan, Shisui hadn't rushed off to the Land of Water. Instead, he'd stayed home and studied the forbidden jutsu in the Scroll of Sealing to strengthen himself.

During this time, four-year-old Itachi Uchiha had been living at Shisui's house and training alongside him.

"Our Itachi is pretty impressive, too. You've already mastered a few D-rank jutsu. Once you're a little older, I'll teach you some C-rank jutsu that suit you."

As he spoke, Shisui instinctively reached out and ruffled Itachi's little head. Itachi clearly enjoyed it, narrowing his eyes and smiling happily.

"But Father says things have been unsettled in the clan lately. Elder Setsuna of the Hawk Faction and Elder Tenwa of the Dove Faction are fighting more fiercely by the day, and the rift between the two sides keeps growing."

At the mention of the clan's internal factional strife, Itachi furrowed his little brow.

"Shisui, don't you think they're being too narrow-minded?"

Whenever Itachi couldn't figure out an answer, Shisui was his teacher.

This time, though, Shisui didn't answer outright. Instead, he asked, "Then what do you think it means not to be narrow-minded?"

"I think both sides are too narrow-minded. They don't have the Will of Fire like Lord Hokage. They should think more about the village instead of fighting over their own interests," Itachi answered earnestly.

Hearing Itachi's answer, Shisui couldn't help but marvel at the power of historical inertia.

Shisui wouldn't force any ideas on Itachi. His role was to guide him from what he could see on the surface toward understanding what lay beneath.

"Then what about the First, the founder of the Will of Fire? Do you think he was right?"

As Konoha's foremost founder, Hashirama Senju, the First, had also founded the Will of Fire.

"The books say the First founded the village so everyone could stop living a life of wandering. The people in the village loved one another and lived together in peace and happiness."

In this life, at Shisui's insistence, four-year-old Itachi hadn't been sent to the Ninja Academy. Shisui hadn't expected him to have come across books like these anyway.

Shisui didn't give him an answer. He wanted Itachi to find one for himself.

"Let's set aside whether it was right or wrong. What's the Senju Clan's situation in the village now?"

"The Senju Clan..." Faced with Shisui's question, Itachi was at a loss.

A few years earlier, the last member of the Senju Clan, Tsunade, had left the village. Since then, the clan had all but vanished from Konoha.

Before Itachi could answer, Shisui continued, "The First brought peace after the First Shinobi World War. So why were there a Second and a Third Shinobi World War? Why are freshly graduated ninja sent to the battlefield? Is that part of the Will of Fire, too?"

"Uh..." There was no way four-year-old Itachi could sort through questions like that. Shisui had left him completely stumped.

"Listen, observe, and think things through. A one-sided view can be just another kind of prejudice, so don't rush to conclusions."

After Shisui ruffled Itachi's hair yet again, their discussion came to an end.

"Okay, Shisui. Thank you. I still have a lot to learn."

Itachi still looked troubled, but Shisui knew he would seriously consider what they'd talked about that day.

"Cute. You're not so hard to handle after all."

In this life, Shisui would lead Itachi down a different path.

"All right, it's lunchtime. Come on, I'm taking you out for barbecue today."

"Barbecue? Great! You're the best, Shisui!"

A child's troubles came and went quickly. At the thought of delicious barbecue, all of Itachi's worries disappeared.

What Shisui didn't know was that two people wearing cat masks had been watching them from the moment they left the clan compound.

"Lord Danzo, Shisui Uchiha has left the compound. He isn't alone, though. Itachi Uchiha, Fugaku Uchiha's son, is with him."

In a hidden underground base in Konoha, Shimura Danzō listened to his subordinate's report.

"Fugaku Uchiha's son? He'll cause us some trouble, but that evil little brat Shisui can't be allowed to live. He has the Three-Tomoe Sharingan at eight years old. If we don't act now, he'll become the next Uchiha Madara."

In this life, Shisui hadn't joined the Anbu. Danzō saw him as a threat because he couldn't control him, and now he intended to eliminate that threat.

As for Itachi, unless there was proof, who could pin the blame on Danzō?

"Call in all our people. This mission must succeed. Failure is not an option." As Danzō assigned the task, he considered whether he'd overlooked anything.

"Yes, Lord Danzo." His subordinate received the order and immediately set things in motion.

"Just watch, Hiruzen. Even without you, I can still accomplish something great."

Meanwhile, Shisui had no idea Danzō had set his sights on him. He found out only when two men in cat masks blocked his way.

"Shisui Uchiha, Lord Danzo wants to see you. Come with us."

The scene felt all too familiar from Shisui's memories.

"Are you from Danzo's Root Division? Sneaking around like this really is Danzo's style."

Last time, Danzō had ambushed him for the Kotoamatsukami in his Mangekyō.

What did he want this time?

"You Uchiha brat, don't you dare slander Lord Danzo! Are you trying to rebel?" The two masked men were furious at Shisui's words.

"You really are Danzo's faithful dogs. You Root Division rats are nothing but vermin scurrying in the streets, and you think you're somebody. But don't worry. I'll go with you."

Hearing that Shisui was willing to come, the two masked men temporarily suppressed their anger.

They knew all too well what would happen if they failed their mission.

"Itachi, you're coming with me. It might take a little longer, but we'll still get our barbecue today."

Shisui patted Itachi's head and spoke softly.

He didn't trust Danzō enough to let Itachi leave on his own. Danzō had no bottom line.

It was safer to keep Itachi by his side, where he could protect him.

"I'll do what you say, Shisui. Don't worry about me. I'm a ninja, too." Four-year-old Itachi already understood a lot. He could sense the hostility coming from the two masked men.

"Good. Then you can watch a good show in a bit."

As he faced another ambush set by Shimura Danzō, the hatred Shisui had kept buried all this time began to surface. His normally peaceful expression twisted into a grimace.

Before, Shisui hadn't been strong enough, and he'd never had the right opportunity. He could only bury his hatred deep inside.

Now Danzō had come looking for him. At last, Shisui had an outlet for all that hatred.

"Danzo, I'm coming."