Arrangements

Seeing Shisui Uchiha alive again, with no apparent aftereffects, Qiu Shan Uchiha finally felt the anxiety weighing on him ease. He had been confident that Izanagi could bring Shisui Uchiha back to life-Madara Uchiha had already set a precedent, after all.

But knowing was one thing, and worrying was another. Seeing Shisui Uchiha smiling at him, Qiu Shan Uchiha tried to hold himself back, but ultimately failed. He strode over, spread his arms, and hugged the bastard who had made him worry so much, giving him several hard pats. Shisui Uchiha offered no resistance and let Qiu Shan Uchiha do as he pleased.

After all, he had died once. Only someone who had come close to death knew what it felt like. Besides, when he agreed to this plan, he had already prepared himself for the possibility that the resurrection would fail and he would die for good. There were simply too many variables. If Shimura Danzō had kept him inside the Root Base, for instance, he would undoubtedly have gouged out his Mangekyō Sharingan after his death. In that case, the Izanagi Qiu Shan Uchiha had hidden in his eyes would have failed.

And who knew whether Izanagi would work when the time came? It was a forbidden technique of the Uchiha Clan, so no one knew its limits. Reviving him after some time had passed might have exceeded those limits. If that happened, bringing him back might only have been possible once Qiu Shan Uchiha's Sharingan evolved into the Rinnegan and he could use Rinne Rebirth.

Thus, Shisui Uchiha had carried out Qiu Shan Uchiha's plan at the risk of almost certain death. He had done it not only for the Uchiha, but also because he trusted Qiu Shan Uchiha. That was why he had willingly risked his life to fight for a future for the Uchiha.

Shisui Uchiha's successful resurrection thrilled not only Qiushan, but Shisui himself as well. That was why he let Qiushan vent his emotions.

At the sight of Shisui Uchiha returning to life, Uchiha Itachi's normally composed expression had already crumbled. His face was filled with emotion, and his lips trembled slightly as he tried to say something. But though he opened his mouth several times, no words came out.

No one could remain perfectly calm in front of someone they cared about. The fact that Shisui Uchiha's death had awakened Uchiha Itachi's Mangekyo showed just how important Shisui was to him.

After embracing Qiushan and letting their emotions out, Shisui Uchiha stepped past him and approached Uchiha Itachi. Seeing the emotion on Itachi's face and the intense feelings in his eyes, he spread his arms just as Qiushan had and pulled Uchiha Itachi into a tight hug.

Once everyone had calmed down, Shisui Uchiha looked at Qiu Shan Uchiha and asked with concern, "How did the plan go? Nothing went wrong, did it?"

Hearing that Shisui was about to discuss the plan with Qiu Shan Uchiha, Uchiha Itachi tactfully asked, "Um, should I step outside?"

Qiu Shan Uchiha glanced at Shisui's expectant eyes, then at Uchiha Itachi's somewhat lost expression, and said irritably, "I had you keep vigil for Shisui because I was planning to tell you about our plan anyway. Just don't point a kunai at me next time."

Uchiha Itachi was quite happy to hear that he could stay. But when Qiushan brought up how he had pointed a kunai at him, he rubbed his nose awkwardly, his gaze drifting elsewhere.

Seeing Uchiha Itachi's embarrassment, Qiu Shan Uchiha did not press the matter. Instead, he told Shisui Uchiha how the plan had progressed. "The Third Hokage has agreed to let our Uchiha Clan move out, but in exchange, I have to join the Anbu. I originally wanted to use this opportunity to kill Shimura Danzō, but he escaped using Izanagi. I hadn't expected Danzo to have secretly implanted a Sharingan, let alone learned our Uchiha forbidden technique. The Third Hokage was there at the time, so I didn't keep pursuing him. I wanted to avoid any further complications."

Shisui Uchiha nodded in understanding.

Qiu Shan Uchiha paused, then continued, "Even if our Uchiha Clan moves away, we won't have the means to set up a school for now. So I simply offered to leave the Uchiha Clan's children here to attend school, and that was what got the Third Hokage to agree to the move. Those children's parents will also stay behind to look after them..."

Hearing that the plan was proceeding smoothly, Shisui Uchiha let out a long sigh of relief. He loved not only his clan, but also the village where he had been born and raised. If the conflict between the clan and the village had not become irreconcilable, he would never have agreed to help the Uchiha Clan move away. He had done so to keep either side from being hurt.

Qiu Shan Uchiha took a sip of water, then continued with amusement in his voice, "We also had an unexpected bonus while carrying out the plan. This kid, Uchiha Itachi, awakened his Mangekyō Sharingan because of your death."

Hearing Qiushan's words, Shisui Uchiha turned his gaze to Uchiha Itachi. Having experienced it himself, he knew just how much grief it took to awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan. Obito Uchiha, for instance, had outright rejected the entire world because of Rin's death and wanted to create a world where she existed. That made it clear just how deep and pure Uchiha Itachi's feelings for Shisui had to be for his death to awaken Itachi's Mangekyō Sharingan.

Looking into Uchiha Itachi's eyes, Shisui Uchiha smiled faintly and gave a slight nod. "Itachi, thank you. And I'm sorry." His thanks were for Itachi's affection, and his apology was for making him worry.

Uchiha Itachi understood, of course. He shook his head slightly. "It's nothing. As long as you're alive, Shisui, that's all that matters. Besides, something good came out of it for me too. I awakened my Mangekyō Sharingan."

Qiu Shan Uchiha watched their exchange from the side. After waiting a while, he clapped his hands to get their attention. "All right, all right. That's enough catching up. We still have things to do. You'll have plenty of time to chat later."

Once both of them turned to him, Qiushan said, "Shisui, you can't go outside right now, so I brought you both takeout from Ichiraku Ramen. Eat it while it's still warm. Once you're done, pack your things. I've already found a good place outside, and I need to get you there before dawn."

Seeing their puzzled expressions, Qiu Shan Uchiha briefly explained Whirlpool Island and his dōjutsu, Takamagahara. However, he had no intention of giving Shisui or Uchiha Itachi a space mark. It was his trump card for escaping in a crisis, and Qiu Shan Uchiha did not intend to give a space mark to anyone he did not trust completely.

Obito Uchiha was a perfect example. Because he had given one of his Sharingan to Kakashi, Kamui had acquired a vulnerability once his identity was exposed, leaving him at a severe disadvantage. Otherwise, with a practically game-breaking ability like Kamui, Obito Uchiha would have had no trouble escaping unscathed.