You and Shisui's Conversation

Outside the Police Force.

Uchiha You had just stepped out the front gates when he stopped.

Not far away, a young man in Konoha ninja attire stood quietly.

He had short black hair and a short sword strapped to his back.

His face was gentle, though he could not hide his exhaustion.

Shisui Uchiha.

One of the most brilliant geniuses of the Uchiha Clan's younger generation.

At the same time, one of the few people in the clan whom Uchiha You could call a friend.

Shisui looked at Uchiha You and let out a soft sigh.

"You."

"Let's talk."

Uchiha You was not surprised.

The incident on the commercial street had caused such a huge commotion that Shisui could not possibly have missed it.

He said blandly:

"If you're here to persuade me to let them go, don't bother."

Shisui fell silent for a moment.

"You were too impulsive today."

Hearing Shisui's words, Uchiha You revealed a mocking smile.

"Of course."

"That was the first thing out of your mouth."

Shisui frowned and said:

"I'm not saying that vendor was innocent, nor am I saying Shimura Takuma was innocent."

"But you shouldn't have made such a scene in the middle of the street."

"The village's relationship with the Uchiha is already tense. What you did will only make the higher-ups more wary of the Uchiha and make the villagers fear us even more."

Uchiha You looked at Shisui.

"So?"

"Keep enduring?"

Shisui said in a low voice:

"At the very least, we should resolve it in a gentler way."

Uchiha You asked:

"What way?"

Shisui froze.

Uchiha You took a step forward.

"Tell me, what counts as a gentler way?"

"That vendor illegally occupied the road, injured villagers, and insulted the Police Force."

"Shimura Takuma sheltered a lawbreaker, obstructed law enforcement, and was even prepared to attack."

"The evidence is conclusive. We have both witnesses and physical evidence."

"Yet in your mouth, I'm the one who was too impulsive?"

Shisui opened his mouth.

"That isn't what I mean."

Uchiha You sneered.

"Then what do you mean?"

Shisui took a deep breath.

"You, I know the clan has suffered a lot of grievances lately."

"But if we respond with force every time, the conflict will only deepen."

"The Uchiha are part of Konoha. We cannot push ourselves to the village's opposite side."

Uchiha You stared at him for a moment.

Then he suddenly asked:

"Shisui, have you been to the commercial street lately?"

Shisui was slightly taken aback.

Uchiha You continued:

"Have you heard how the villagers curse the Police Force?"

"Have you seen clan members get spat on while enforcing the law, yet have no choice but to endure it without fighting back?"

"Have you seen Police Force members return injured, only to be told by the clan elders not to cause trouble?"

Shisui fell silent.

Uchiha You's voice grew colder and colder.

"You haven't."

"Because you've been busy monitoring the Uchiha for Konoha's higher-ups."

Shisui's expression changed.

"You!"

But Uchiha You did not stop.

"You've been busy proving to the Third Hokage that the Uchiha have no intention of rebellion."

"Busy using your Will of Fire to reform the clan."

"Busy thinking about how to stop a coup."

"But Shisui, have you ever considered why the Uchiha would want a coup?"

Shisui's fist slowly clenched.

Uchiha You walked toward him step by step.

Less than half a meter separated them.

"Because the clan is inherently evil?"

"Because the Sharingan is cursed?"

"Or because the Uchiha have been driven to a point where they have no way to survive?"

Shisui's gaze wavered for an instant.

But he quickly suppressed his emotions.

"The village does not want to destroy the Uchiha."

"Both sides simply lack trust."

"As long as we can prove that the Uchiha pose no threat to Konoha, everything will get better."

Uchiha You could not help laughing.

There was not a trace of joy in that laughter, only deep mockery.

"Prove it?"

"Shisui, how much more must we prove?"

"During the Nine-Tails Incident, the Uchiha were excluded from the battlefield, then suspected of controlling the Nine-Tails afterward."

"Our clan grounds were relocated, and the Uchiha endured it."

"The ANBU watched us, and the Uchiha endured it."

"The Police Force was stripped of its authority, and the Uchiha endured that too."

"Now even relatives of the Shimura Clan dare to trample on the Uchiha, and you still want us to prove ourselves?"

A cold glint flashed in Uchiha You's eyes.

"At the end of all this proving, do we have to wash our necks and wait for Danzo's blade to fall before it counts as the Uchiha loving Konoha?"

Shisui's pupils contracted.

"Lord Danzo may be extreme in his methods, but he does it for the village."

Uchiha You's face turned completely cold.

"For the village?"

He suddenly reached out and grabbed Shisui by the collar.

Shisui did not resist.

Or rather, he had not expected Uchiha You to suddenly do this.

Uchiha You stared into his eyes and said, word by word:

"Shisui Uchiha."

"Are you Konoha's Shisui Uchiha, or the Uchiha's Shisui Uchiha?"

Shisui's body trembled.

Those words were like a heavy hammer, smashing brutally into his heart.

Uchiha You continued:

"Tell me."

"If one day Konoha's higher-ups order you to kill your own clansmen, what will you choose?"

Shisui's face paled slightly.

"That day will never come."

"And if it does?"

"It won't..."

"I said, if it does!"

Uchiha You's voice suddenly rose.

Several nearby Uchiha clansmen were drawn over. They watched the two from afar, but no one dared approach.

Looking into Uchiha You's cold eyes, Shisui felt an inexplicable unease.

He wanted to say it would never happen.

But for some reason, he could not say the words.

Uchiha You released his collar, disappointment filling his eyes.

"See?"

"You don't even dare answer."

Shisui said quietly:

"You, you're too extreme."

Uchiha You shook his head.

"It isn't that I'm too extreme."

"It's that you're too naïve."

"You think taking one step back brings peace."

"But in Danzo's eyes, taking one step back means weakness."

"You think you can change the relationship between the Uchiha and the village with those eyes of yours."

"But have you ever considered that what Danzo wants might be your eyes?"

Shisui abruptly looked up.

"What do you mean?"

Uchiha You did not continue.

It was not yet time to lay everything bare.

Shisui still held fantasies about Konoha.

Some words were useless if spoken too soon.

Only when the blade truly stabbed toward him would he awaken.

Uchiha You turned and walked back toward the Police Force.

"Shisui."

"You can tell the Third Hokage about what happened today."

"You can also tell the clan head."

"You can even tell Danzo."

Shisui's brows knitted tightly.

"You, I won't harm you."

Uchiha You stopped but did not turn around.

"I know."

"That's why I'm willing to say this much to you."

"But remember."

"If one day there is only one choice between Konoha and the Uchiha."

"I will choose the Uchiha."

With that, Uchiha You walked straight into the Police Force.

Shisui remained where he was, unmoving for a long time.

The morning sunlight fell upon him, but it brought little warmth.

Uchiha You's words kept echoing through his mind.

If one day Konoha's higher-ups order you to kill your own clansmen, what will you choose?

That day will never come.

Shisui told himself this in his heart.

Yet for some reason, an indescribable chill rose from deep within him.

Hokage Building.

The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, sat behind his desk with a pipe between his lips.

Through the curling smoke, he stared at the report in his hand, his brow tightly furrowed.

Conflict on the commercial street.

Uchiha You had injured Shimura Takuma in broad daylight.

The Police Force had arrested members of the Shimura Clan.

This was more troublesome than expected.

If it had merely been an ordinary dispute, Hiruzen Sarutobi could have suppressed it.

But the problem was that Uchiha You had acted under the banner of "law enforcement" from beginning to end.

The illegal occupation of the road was real.

The assault on villagers was real.

Shimura Takuma's obstruction of the Police Force was real as well.

There had even been a great many villagers who witnessed it.

That made it difficult for the Hokage Building to openly favor the Shimura Clan.

Otherwise, the Police Force would certainly refuse to accept it.

The Uchiha Clan was already emotionally unstable. Forcing them down again would only make the situation more dangerous.

Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado were also in the office.

Neither of them looked pleased.

Koharu Utatane said coldly:

"That Uchiha You is far too presumptuous."

"He seriously injured a fellow Konoha ninja in the street. That is not normal law enforcement at all."

Homura Mitokado adjusted his glasses.

"The Uchiha Clan's attitude has indeed become increasingly dangerous lately."

"If they are not brought under control, I fear there will be serious consequences."

The Third Hokage did not speak immediately. He merely took a draw from his pipe.

At that moment, the office door was pushed open.

Danzo Shimura entered, leaning on his cane.

His expression was grim.

"Hiruzen."

"The Uchiha must be restrained."

The Third Hokage glanced at him.

"Danzo, the matter has not yet been thoroughly investigated."

Danzo snorted coldly.

"What is there left to investigate?"

"Uchiha You severely wounded a Konoha jonin in public, provoked the Shimura Clan, and incited the Police Force to oppose the village."

"This is no longer an ordinary conflict. It is the Uchiha testing the village's authority."

The Third Hokage's frown deepened.

"But Shimura Takuma did indeed obstruct the Police Force in carrying out its duties."

Danzo said coldly:

"That is still no reason for Uchiha You to strike so heavily."

Koharu Utatane nodded.

"Hiruzen, Danzo is right."

"Uchiha You is far too radical. If he remains in the village, he will only further provoke the Uchiha Clan."

Homura Mitokado added:

"He can be temporarily transferred out of Konoha."

The Third Hokage fell silent for a moment.

"Transferred out of Konoha?"

A trace of imperceptible coldness flashed through Danzo's eyes.

"Information has recently come in from the Land of Water."

"The Hidden Mist Village is in turmoil, and there are signs of rogue ninja activity."

"Uchiha You can be sent there to investigate."

The Third Hokage looked at Danzo.

"He is, after all, a member of the Uchiha Clan."

"If we send him out of the village at a time like this, Fugaku may have his own thoughts on the matter."

Danzo said gravely:

"Precisely because he is an Uchiha, he should be made to prove his loyalty to the village."

"If Uchiha You refuses the mission, it means he has something to hide."

"If he accepts the mission and leaves the village for a while, it may also allow the Uchiha Clan to calm down."

The office fell quiet.

The Third Hokage smoked his pipe without speaking for a long time.

He knew what Danzo was thinking.

But he also knew that Uchiha You's actions today had indeed made the village leadership feel threatened.

An Uchiha who dared to publicly trample on the Shimura Clan.

An Uchiha who could rekindle a hardline attitude among the Police Force members.

If someone like that remained within the Uchiha Clan, he was highly likely to become the core of a new radical faction.

After a long while, the Third Hokage slowly exhaled a plume of smoke.

"The mission can be arranged."

"But it cannot be too obvious."

Danzo said flatly:

"I will send three ANBU with him to ensure the mission proceeds smoothly."

The Third Hokage looked at him.

"ANBU?"

Danzo's expression did not change.

"Of course, ANBU."

The Third Hokage fell silent.

He knew they would most likely be Root.

But he did not expose him.

Some things could not be spoken of openly.

The Third Hokage said in a low voice:

"Do not go too far."

A cold smile flashed through Danzo's eyes.

"Everything I do is for Konoha."

The Third Hokage did not answer.

The smoke in the office grew thicker.

Uchiha Clan Grounds.

Evening.

Uchiha You sat on a rooftop, looking toward Hokage Rock in the distance.

The setting sun stained the faces of the four Hokage a dark red.

From this angle, the Third Hokage's stone likeness happened to overlook all of Konoha.

Like a kindly old man guarding the village.

But Uchiha You found it nothing but ironic.

"The Will of Fire..."

He murmured softly.

"When it burns down someone else's home, it sure burns brightly."

At that moment, a figure landed beneath the eaves.

Uchiha Chuan looked up and said:

"You, someone from the Hokage Building has come."

Uchiha You was not surprised.

"I've been summoned?"

Uchiha Chuan nodded, looking somewhat worried.

"It is a personal summons from the Third Hokage."

"It is probably because of what happened today."

Uchiha You rose to his feet and dusted off his clothes.

"Let's go."

Uchiha Chuan hurriedly said:

"Should we notify the clan head first?"

Uchiha You shook his head.

"No need."

"This is not an interrogation."

Uchiha Chuan froze.

"Not an interrogation?"

A cold glint flashed through Uchiha You's eyes.

"If I'm not mistaken..."

"They should be giving me an opportunity to leave the village."

Uchiha Chuan did not understand.

But Uchiha You had already leaped down from the roof and headed toward the Hokage Building.

The sunset fell behind him, stretching his shadow long.

A faint smile curved Uchiha You's lips.

Danzo, Danzo.

You think this is your killing move?

No.

This is my chance to escape Konoha's surveillance and make contact with Akatsuki.

The blade you have prepared—whose neck it will ultimately cut is still uncertain.