Obito and Zetsu

There was no helping it.

Just like what had happened to the White Fang of Konoha.

No matter how tolerant or great he was as the "strongest Hokage in history,"

he could never allow a being beyond the Hokage's control to emerge in Konoha.

It was a matter of principle.

He bore the weight of all Konoha on his shoulders.

If Uchiha Shisui harbored ill intentions

and turned him, the Hokage, into a puppet, the harm that would do to Konoha would far exceed even the Nine-Tails.

As the Third Hokage was lost in thought, an Anbu Ninja hurriedly knocked on the door.

"Something terrible has happened, Lord Third Hokage."

Sarutobi Hiruzen's lips curled slightly. Even through the door, he could sense the man's urgency.

It seemed Danzo had succeeded.

"Come in."

Sarutobi Hiruzen was secretly pleased, but kept his expression composed as he ordered the Anbu Ninja to enter and report.

With a creak, the office door swung open.

The Anbu Ninja strode to the center of the room, dropped to one knee before Sarutobi Hiruzen, planted his clenched right fist on the floor, and bowed his head. He did not look up until the Hokage addressed him.

"What happened?" Sarutobi Hiruzen asked softly, though he already knew.

The Anbu Ninja took a deep breath and reported what he had learned from monitoring the Uchiha Clan Compound. "Lord Hokage, Uchiha Shisui is dead."

At those words, a flicker of delight passed through the depths of Sarutobi Hiruzen's eyes.

Still, he feigned shock, shooting to his feet and widening his eyes as he asked in anguish, "What?! Shisui is dead? How could this have happened?"

"Lord Hokage, Uchiha Shisui is indeed dead. The Anbu Ninja assigned to watch him saw his body with their own eyes."

"Apparently, he took his own life and left a suicide note. The cause of death is still under investigation."

Seeing the Third Hokage's concern for his subordinates, the Anbu Ninja was touched. He briefly gathered his thoughts, then shared all the information he had so far.

"However..."

The Anbu Ninja changed tack. "It seems someone gouged out Uchiha Shisui's eyes. And someone saw Root Division ninjas under Lord Danzo summon him earlier today."

"Danzo." At the name, the Third Hokage's cloudy old eyes immediately grew penetrating. It seemed his old comrade had scored quite a prize.

Still, he would have to keep Danzo in check, lest he turn those wicked designs on him.

Meanwhile.

In the Land of Water, in Kirigakure.

Uchiha Obito was controlling the Fourth Mizukage and methodically carrying out his plan to establish the Bloody Mist Village and persecute bloodline-limit ninjas.

It was all to honor Nohara Rin's memory.

As Obito considered his next move, the combined form of Black Zetsu and White Zetsu emerged from the ground.

In a hoarse voice, Black Zetsu said, "Obito, something major has happened in Konoha."

"How many times have I told you to call me Lord Madara?" Obito frowned beneath his mask and said coldly.

"Of course, Lord Madara," Black Zetsu replied respectfully, though he secretly sneered.

You and Uchiha Madara are both nothing but pawns for reviving Mother.

Only then did Obito's tone soften a little. "Go on. What happened?"

White Zetsu spoke first. "Uchiha Shisui, hailed as the strongest genjutsu ninja in the Uchiha Clan, is dead."

"Uchiha Shisui is dead?" Obito froze. "When?"

After the Fourth Hokage's death, who in all of Konoha did Obito fear most?

Sarutobi Hiruzen?

Danzo?

Uchiha Fugaku?

No, none of them. Before his Kamui, they were all mere insects.

It was Uchiha Shisui.

The reason was simple: he had awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan, and its power was both strange and formidable.

Even Obito, who had also awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan, didn't dare face him head-on.

How had someone so powerful died?

"Yesterday. The Uchiha Clan is holding his funeral now," Black Zetsu replied in a hoarse voice, like leaves rustling in the wind—a sound that made anyone who heard it deeply uncomfortable.

White Zetsu added, "They say he killed himself."

"You believe that nonsense?" Obito said irritably.

Black Zetsu chimed in. "Uchiha Shisui really did take his own life. The Uchiha Clan was on the verge of a coup, and to prevent a civil war in Konoha, Shisui willingly died to crush the clan's morale and weaken its fighting strength.

"But before he died, he apparently tried to use his Mangekyō Sharingan to control Uchiha Fugaku, bring the Uchiha Clan to heel, and stop the coup.

"He failed.

"Danzo ambushed him and took his right eye."

"Hmph. What a fool. Someone with eyes and power like that ended up falling to Danzo. Pathetic." Obito snorted, his words dripping with contempt. "Does Danzo have Shisui's eye now?"

"No. Danzo doesn't seem to have gotten the Sharingan."

"According to intelligence gathered by a Spore Clone from Root, not only did Danzo fail to get Shisui's right eye, but just as he was taking it, a mysterious stranger appeared, severed his left arm, and stole the eye."

Black Zetsu sorted through his thoughts, then laid out all the information he had gathered using a White Zetsu Clone.

White Zetsu gloated, "Danzo suspects you did it."

"A mysterious stranger? Interesting. Seems Konoha isn't as simple as it looks." Obito murmured, then continued, "What about the left eye?"

"Don't know. But..." Black Zetsu paused briefly before adding, "The first person to find Uchiha Shisui's body was Uchiha Itachi."

"Uchiha Itachi was Uchiha Shisui's close friend. After Shisui died, he also awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan. I think he probably has Shisui's left eye."

"Itachi?" Obito frowned. "Another troublesome one."

"Madara, what are you planning to do?" Black Zetsu asked.

"The Uchiha coup was stopped this time, but it's only a matter of time before it breaks out again. Once things are settled here, I'll head to Konoha and look for an opportunity to bring Itachi into Akatsuki," Obito said. "An Uchiha who's awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan has earned that right. He'll be an asset in capturing the Tailed Beasts someday."

"Also, find a way to track down the person who stole Shisui's right eye. Anyone who could snatch it from Danzo right under Konoha's nose must either be a Space-Time Ninjutsu user or someone from within Konoha."

"I understand." Black Zetsu bowed respectfully, then slowly sank into the ground and disappeared.

The next day, word spread that Uchiha Shisui, the Uchiha Clan's strongest genjutsu ninja, famed as Body Flicker Shisui, had died.

The Uchiha Clan was devastated by the loss of its strongest Mangekyō wielder.

Their morale plummeted, and even the hawkish clan elders lowered their banners and stopped talking about a coup.

Konoha once again settled into a brief period of peace.

Of course, it was only the calm before the storm.