Itachi finally turned his head this time. His gaze settled on Shisui's face with an earnestness he had rarely shown in front of others.
"That's right. Now you see it too, don't you? Uchiha Yongye doesn't care about Konoha at all! The enemy is slaughtering people, and he couldn't care less. We have to get rid of him, for Konoha!"
Shisui repeated silently to himself, That's right. It's for Konoha! I'm sorry, Itachi!
He swallowed the ache rising in his chest and slowly nodded.
Seeing how pale Shisui looked, Itachi assumed he was upset about betraying Yongye and gently reassured him.
"For Konoha, sometimes we have to make sacrifices! We have no choice. Don't blame yourself."
Shisui nodded again, agreeing wholeheartedly. Some color returned to his face.
He took a deep breath, forced the turmoil back down, and steadied his voice.
"Do you have a plan? Uchiha Yongye is too powerful for ordinary methods to work against him."
Itachi looked back toward the Ruins in the distance. His voice grew heavy. "I know. I have something in mind..."
The two moved closer and lowered their voices further. Itachi spoke, Shisui asked questions, and they discussed the matter in fits and starts. At several points, Itachi tipped his chin in different directions, as though indicating positions and routes.
At last, Itachi straightened and gave Shisui a slight nod. Then he flickered away, vanishing into the shadows behind a broken wall.
After he had gone some distance, a Crow dropped soundlessly from a nearby treetop. It folded its wings in the dusk and landed on Itachi's shoulder.
Itachi kept walking. He merely turned his head and pressed a fingertip lightly to the Crow's head.
The information in the Crow's mind flowed into his consciousness through that brief contact.
The images were brief,