Konoha Village, the Uchiha clan.
Times had changed.
Several years had passed. Konoha was no longer the Konoha of old, and the Uchiha were no longer the Uchiha they once were.
The clan had lost its early control over the Military Police Force, lost its vast, isolated clan compound. The area around their residences no longer had walls, and they were almost completely integrated with the rest of the village.
Without those familiar fan-emblazoned garments, they were nearly indistinguishable from other clans.
The results were obvious.
Shisui walked down the street. Even dressed in full Uchiha attire, the villagers around him chatted and joked with him naturally, greeting him as he passed.
"Shisui-sama."
"Yamada-senpai, back from a mission?"
"Yeah. This mission went smoothly thanks to your guidance. I'll treat you to a drink sometime."
"No need, no need. You'd be better off buying Ayori some nice clothes."
"Hahaha. Either way, thank you so much."
"Mm."
Shisui smiled and nodded, then continued toward the former clan district, the boundary where Uchiha territory met the rest of the village.
Now, there were no Uchiha guards stationed there anymore. Even the clan's distinctive symbols were nowhere to be seen.
The streets of the Uchiha were no longer occupied solely by Uchiha—many civilians lived here as well.
This kind of scene would have been unthinkable seven or eight years ago.
Back inside the district, people greeted him one after another, and Shisui returned each greeting in turn.
But…
As he neared home, he lowered his head, a trace of melancholy flickering in his eyes.
A clan becoming perfectly unified was, in the end, unrealistic—especially a clan like the Uchiha.
"Sensei… you were absolutely right," Shisui sighed inwardly, then pushed the door open and went inside.
After returning from a mission, the desk inside was already coated with a thin layer of dust. He created a shadow clone, and together they cleaned the house from top to bottom. By the time they finished, dusk had already fallen.
And yet—
He hadn't eaten.
"Looks like I didn't buy any groceries. Forget it, I'll eat outside."
Shisui glanced around, then stood up, preparing to find a shop on the street and eat something simple.
He wouldn't be cooking today.
Just as he opened the door and reached to lock it behind him, he noticed a figure standing outside the courtyard, hesitating as if unsure whether to come in.
"Itachi? Come in."
"Yes, Shisui-niisan. I brought some food. I wasn't sure if you'd eaten yet…"
Itachi stepped inside, carrying a bag of food, looking somewhat stiff and reserved.
Shisui smiled, then said more seriously, "You come here so often—aren't you worried that Fugaku-sama will say you're neglecting your training?"
"I came after finishing my training."
Itachi shook his head, clearly not bothered by the comment.
Shisui went back inside, and Itachi followed, placing the food on the table.
It was a bag of sushi.
"What I meant wasn't just training."
"I know."
After saying that, Itachi fell silent.
Shisui wasn't talking only about training—he meant the quiet tension and hidden conflicts between Fugaku on one side and Inabi and Shisui on the other.
The Uchiha were once again undercurrents beneath the surface.
Fugaku was still the clan head, but Inabi and Shisui had grown steadily stronger and now controlled much of the mid- and lower-level authority. Fugaku's orders often failed to reach where they needed to go.
So…
Although Fugaku was still the clan head in name, in practice he and the other elders were little more than empty figureheads.
Unless one side backed down, this situation would inevitably end with one side losing completely.
Shisui glanced at Itachi, then sighed softly and picked up a piece of sushi.
He and Itachi…
Back when they trained at Fugaku's home, learning the Uchiha's secret techniques, Itachi had often stuck close to him. Over time, they had grown familiar, and after growing up, they became good friends.
But…
Fugaku stood between them, making their relationship increasingly complicated.
After finishing his food, Shisui looked Itachi over carefully.
"You're close to becoming a full-fledged ninja now, right?"
"Yes…"
Itachi nodded.
In truth, with Itachi's ability, he would have graduated long ago in Shisui's era. But now, it was a time of peace, making early graduation difficult. And more importantly—
The education system had changed.
The Ninja Academy was now a 6+3 system:
Six years as an academy student, followed by three years as a ninja trainee.
Even after skipping multiple grades, Itachi still had to go through three full years of practical training. During that time, he had to study and carry out missions alongside his classmates.
Unlike fixed squads, trainee missions involved randomly assigned teammates, and sometimes even entire classes deploying together. For example, on his last mission, his entire class rode a train to mine ore.
"Do your best. You don't need to worry too much about clan matters."
Shisui reached out and patted Itachi's head.
Itachi tilted his head away to dodge.
"Why not? I think you and Inabi-niisan are doing the right thing. Since integrating with Konoha, the Uchiha have been moving in a better direction. If this continues, our clan might even produce a Hokage. It's Father's hesitation and indecision that led to this situation…"
He couldn't understand.
Itachi was very intelligent. Shisui had taught him a great deal when he was young. After nearly being kidnapped, he returned even more driven, training relentlessly. Now, among the younger generation, he was unquestionably the strongest.
So…
Though he appeared gentle and dutiful on the surface, he had his own way of thinking—and that thinking clearly aligned more with Shisui's views.
Shisui crouched down and placed a hand on Itachi's head, forcefully ruffling his hair.
"Forgive me, Itachi. You can be involved in anything else, but not this. Leave this matter to Inabi and me. Don't get mixed up in it. Go home."
"But—"
"Go home. Next time, I'll teach you a new sword technique."
"…Alright."
Though unwilling, Itachi had no choice but to leave after Shisui said that.
After Itachi left, Inabi climbed in through the back window and sat on the sill.
"Why not let him help? If he were with us, we'd have a clearer picture of the clan head's movements."
"Our strength has already grown enough. The older generation has been stagnant for years. Why drag a child into this?"
Shisui shook his head.
He looked outside. Even at night, the Uchiha district was lively, streets brightly lit. Uchiha and non-Uchiha mingled freely, indistinguishable from one another.
Shisui's gaze drifted.
If their teacher were still in the village, what would he do?
Then—
He shook his head lightly.
Most likely, their teacher would simply say something casual like, "Do what you think is right." At this point, there was no turning back.
Some things were never meant to be compromised.
"If the old guard won't go gracefully, then we'll give them their 'grace.'"
"Well said. When do we move?"
Inabi grinned.
"In a few days. Give them some time—see what they choose to do. If they choose violence, then we'll answer violence with violence."
"Mm."
Inabi nodded, then vanished in a flash.
The Uchiha were now covered in their informants. If the old generation made any move at all, they'd know immediately.
Shisui drew the newly acquired Kusanagi sword from his waist.
Clan Head…
Will you draw your blade?