Shisui's "Defection"

Dusk.

The setting sun, red as blood, stained the Hidden Leaf Village in a deep, dark crimson.

The entrance to the Root Base was located in a secluded forest on the outskirts of the village, a place where even birds and beasts rarely ventured.

Two Root guards wearing masks were hidden in the canopy, watching their surroundings with vigilance.

Suddenly, a gust of wind blew by.

The leaves rustled, but there was nothing out of the ordinary.

Yet, when the guards looked back down at the ground, their hearts skipped a beat.

A young man had appeared out of nowhere in the previously empty clearing.

He wore the Uchiha Clan's signature high-collared dark top and carried a short blade on his back, his black curly hair swaying slightly in the breeze. He did not hide his presence, nor did he adopt a combat stance; he simply stood there quietly, his expression one of desolation and inner conflict.

"Who goes there!"

The guards instantly used the Body Flicker Technique to land on the ground, their kunai aimed at the youth's throat.

The youth slowly raised his head, revealing a pair of deep, pitch-black eyes.

"Shisui Uchiha."

He stated his name calmly. His voice was not loud, yet it made the two guards instinctively take half a step back.

Body Flicker Shisui.

In the current ninja world, this name represented extreme danger.

"I seek an audience with Lord Danzo," Shisui said, bowing slightly, his posture humble. "I have important intelligence regarding the Uchiha Clan that must be reported in person."

Deep within the Root.

Danzo was reviewing documents. On his desk lay the very intelligence report Tieshan had delivered yesterday regarding the "Uchiha internal strife."

"Shisui is here?"

Upon hearing his subordinate's report, the pen in Danzo's hand paused in mid-air.

A sharp glint flashed in his single eye.

The intelligence matched.

Just as his spy reported that the radical faction of the Uchiha was rising and Fugaku could no longer keep them in check, Shisui—the only representative of the "moderate faction"—had come knocking on his door.

This indicated that the situation had indeed deteriorated to the point where even a "pacifist" like Shisui could no longer sit still.

"Let him in." Danzo set down his pen, a playful arc forming at the corner of his mouth. "No, take him to that room."

That room referred to the Root's "Brainwashing Room." Although Danzo did not intend to act against Shisui just yet, he needed that oppressive environment to exert psychological pressure on the young man.

A few minutes later.

Shisui was brought to a secret chamber with metal walls on all four sides.

Danzo stood in the shadows, leaning on his cane, his single eye coldly scrutinizing the youth who had walked in.

"Shisui," Danzo's voice was raspy and authoritative. "You rarely come to see me of your own accord. Is this because of Fugaku?"

Shisui did not speak; instead, he knelt on one knee.

This action caused the wariness in Danzo's eyes to dissipate significantly.

"Lord Danzo," Shisui raised his head, his face filled with pain and confusion—a performance worthy of an Oscar. "I... I am very lost. I don't know what to do anymore."

"Speak," Danzo said, walking up to him.

"The situation in the clan is worse than I imagined," Shisui's voice trembled slightly. "Since the last clan meeting, the voices of the radical faction have grown louder. Yesterday, Tieshan even defied the clan head in public, clamoring for armed confrontation against the village. And Clan Head Fugaku... he seems to have given up on suppressing them, locking himself in his study all day."

Danzo sneered inwardly. It was exactly as Tieshan had described.

"I am worried," Shisui clenched his fists. "If this continues, a coup will happen sooner or later. By then, both the village and the Uchiha will be plunged into the flames of war... I don't want to see that happen."

"Shisui."

Danzo reached out and patted Shisui's shoulder like a kind elder.

"You are the only clear-headed one in the Uchiha Clan. You should understand that the narrow interests of a clan are not worth mentioning in the face of the village's greater good."

Danzo's voice took on a seductive tone: "Fugaku is old and muddled. To keep his position as clan head, he has actually indulged those lunatics. Such a man is not fit to lead the Uchiha."

Shisui's body jolted, and he looked up at Danzo abruptly: "You mean..."

"For the sake of the village's peace, one must sometimes make difficult choices." Danzo stared into Shisui's eyes. "If it comes to the point of no return, would you be willing to sacrifice your own kin for the sake of the village?"

This was a test.

And a form of coercion.

Shisui remained silent for a long time. His eyes showed struggle, as if he were undergoing an intense internal battle.

Finally, he seemed to have made up his mind.

Hum—

In Shisui's eyes, the three tomoe spun rapidly, transforming into that Mangekyo Sharingan that made the entire ninja world shudder.

The four-pointed pinwheel pattern emitted an eerie red glow in the dim chamber.

"I also want to stop all of this," Shisui looked at Danzo, his tone becoming firm. "Lord Danzo, these eyes... possess the ability to completely alter another person's will in an instant. That technique is called 'Kotoamatsukami'."

"Kotoamatsukami..."

Danzo's breathing stopped for a split second.

Even an old fox as calculating as him could not help but let a flicker of naked greed flash in his eyes upon hearing that name.

The ultimate genjutsu.

It could modify a person's will without them ever realizing it, turning enemies into loyal followers. This was simply a divine artifact for controlling the ninja world!

The fingers Danzo used to grip his cane turned white from the pressure. For a moment, he even wanted to order the Root ninja lying in ambush to move in and seize them.

But he held back.

Shisui was still in his prime, and his Body Flicker Technique was unrivaled in the ninja world. If he couldn't kill him in one strike, the consequences of letting him escape or fight back would be unimaginable.

More importantly, this "blade" was now being handed to him voluntarily.

"Alter will?" Danzo took a deep breath, suppressing the greed in his heart. "A fine ability. If used on Fugaku, perhaps this crisis could be resolved without shedding a drop of blood."

"That is what I thought as well." Shisui retracted his Mangekyo, his expression becoming submissive once more. "If Clan Head Fugaku truly decides to launch a coup, I will use Kotoamatsukami on him to forcibly change his mind and make him commit to the peace of the village and the clan."

"Very good."

Danzo nodded with satisfaction.

That was it. As long as Shisui used Kotoamatsukami on Fugaku, the threat of the Uchiha would be neutralized. Once that was done, an exhausted Shisui would be at his mercy. These eyes would eventually be his for the taking.

"Since you have this resolve, then serve as a special liaison for the Root," Danzo said. "From now on, you don't need to go through intermediaries; you can report directly to me. Once Fugaku shows signs of losing control, you are to be responsible to me immediately."

"Yes, Lord Danzo."

Shisui bowed respectfully and then turned to leave.

Watching Shisui's departing back, Danzo turned to his confidant in the shadows and said, "Watch him. But do not act. These eyes are our trump card now. Once he has finished off Fugaku, we will come to reap the fruits of victory."

"Yes," the confidant acknowledged.

The moment he stepped out of the Root Base, the sun had completely set, and night had fallen.

A cool breeze blew through the forest, carrying away the scent of decay from underground.

Shisui stood on a treetop, looking back at the bottomless hole.

Just a moment ago, he had clearly felt the greed and killing intent erupting from Danzo. If he hadn't voluntarily dangled the bait of "Kotoamatsukami," it would have been difficult to escape unscathed today.

In his previous life, it was in this very place that he was ambushed by Danzo and lost an eye.

And in this life...

Shisui reached out and touched his right eye socket.

It was intact, filled with ocular power.

The confusion, pain, and conflict on his face vanished in an instant. In their place was a chilling smile.

There was no warmth in that smile, only bone-deep coldness.

"Danzo, do you want these eyes?"

Shisui whispered to himself, his voice as light as the wind.

"Then watch closely. This time, my eyes will be watching you... watching you step by step into the grave we have prepared for you, watching you head toward destruction."

"Kotoamatsukami will indeed be activated. But the target will certainly not be Clan Head Fugaku."

With that, his figure blurred and vanished from the spot.

At the same time.

The busiest street in the Hidden Leaf Village was brightly lit.

A long line had formed in front of a dessert shop with a sign that read "Kanmidokoro."

Itachi Uchiha was dressed in casual clothes, holding the hand of five-year-old Sasuke.

Sasuke was staring longingly at the three-colored dango in the display case, his mouth practically watering.

"Nii-san, is it our turn yet?" Sasuke tugged on Itachi's sleeve, asking in his childish voice.

"Soon."

Itachi gently patted Sasuke's head, but his gaze drifted past the crowd toward the other end of the street.

There, a man wearing a haori with a golden mane was walking slowly toward them with a gentle smile, accompanied by a red-haired pregnant woman.

The Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze.

And the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, Kushina Uzumaki.

Itachi's eyes narrowed slightly.

The actors were in place, and the stage was set.

Next, it was time for this grand play called a "chance encounter."