"'Only one who is acknowledged by everyone can become the Hokage'?"
Masahiko did not answer immediately. Instead, he repeated the most famous mantra of Konoha, his tone lingering somewhere between mockery and approval.
"Is it not laughable," he continued, "that the leader is decided by a gaggle of fools?"
"The people… aren't as unbearable as you claim," Shisui retorted, though his voice lacked conviction.
Masahiko offered a smile that wasn't quite a smile. " The White Fang. The Demon Fox. The Uchiha… Which of these was not harmed by the ignorance of the masses?"
Shisui opened his mouth to refute him, but the words died in his throat. He had nothing to say.
The tragedy of the White Fang was controversial, yes, but one fact remained indisputable: Sakumo Hatake's merits were immense, and his 'crime' did not warrant death. Yet, everyone had pointed their fingers, forgetting his past glories over a single failed mission, eventually driving the White Fang to suicide.
And the Demon Fox… naturally, he meant Uzumaki Naruto.
As an Uchiha and a member of the Anbu, Shisui didn't know the full details of Naruto's situation, but he knew enough to understand the boy was not the literal "incarnation of the Demon Fox." Yet, in all these years, no one had formally clarified the truth for him. Uzumaki Naruto lived a life steeped in disdain and suffering.
Masahiko caught the hesitation in Shisui's silence. He glanced sideways, the corners of his mouth curling upward. "By the way, there is something you might not know… Uzumaki Naruto's father is the Fourth Hokage."
"What?!"
Shisui's head snapped up, his eyes wide with shock. "That's impossible!"
"Many truths are often difficult to accept. The Fourth's wife was named Uzumaki Kushina. The village made Naruto take his mother's surname," Masahiko said with a satirical sneer. "If this is how they treat the son of the Fourth, what hope is there for you Uchiha?"
"Uzumaki… The Village Hidden in the Eddies?" Shisui's face turned even paler.
Naruto was the descendant of Namikaze Minato and the Uzumaki clan…
At that moment, the radiant image of the Third Hokage—the Professor, the benevolent leader—began to crumble within Shisui's heart. It was just as this masked man said: If even the Fourth's son is treated like this, what implies the Uchiha will be spared?
"The current rules are not about 'whoever is acknowledged becomes Hokage,'" Masahiko said indifferently. "It is more accurate to say that a minority of idiots hold the power to decide who gets to be Hokage."
Shisui was shaken by the man's arrogant declaration, but he also realized that the stranger was intentionally trying to recruit him. Otherwise, there would be no need for such an elaborate verbal dismantling of his beliefs.
But right now, his mind was a blank slate, occupied by only one burning question.
"Why would Lord Third treat the Fourth's son this way?"
"You are in the Anbu. Have you heard of the Tailed Beasts?" Masahiko asked in return.
Shisui nodded. "Back in the chaotic era, Lord First sealed many Tailed Beasts and distributed them among the other ninja villages, hoping to achieve peace through mutual deterrence."
"Whether peace was achieved is up for debate. But since you know of them, aren't you curious where our village's Tailed Beast has gone?"
Shisui froze. Then, his eyes widened dramatically, the shock causing the wound in his empty right eye socket to tear open and bleed once more.
"Don't tell me…"
"The child who bears that terrifying power is, in a sense, the savior of the village from that night. Yet, he is reviled by the villagers as the Demon Fox," Masahiko sighed, shaking his head.
Then, his gaze sharpened.
"Do such rotten rules have any necessity to exist? My desire is to shatter everything, to reconstruct the rules, so that everyone can receive the respect and status they deserve…" Masahiko looked down at Shisui, his voice resonating with charisma. "That is the great undertaking I seek to accomplish!"
"There is no conflict between you and me. In fact, in certain areas, we share a common goal."
"You mean… Danzō?" Shisui asked.
Masahiko nodded slightly, laughing. "Danzō is a hypocritical and laughable man. He considers himself a hero, yet possesses none of a hero's character."
"So, what do you intend to do?" Shisui was confused, yet his heart began to race.
"I will let him become a hero, just as he wishes…" Masahiko's voice dropped to a chilling whisper. "And then, I will make him a criminal spat upon by all."
"Those who play with public opinion shall die by public opinion. There is no ending more fitting than that."
Although the man wore a mask, Shisui felt as though he could see the contemptuous sneer beneath it. He understood clearly… the word "hero" coming from this man's mouth was not a compliment.
Reconstructing the rules…
Shisui fell silent, offering no immediate answer.
"Haven't made up your mind yet?" Masahiko chuckled low in his throat. "Sometimes, living can be more despairing than death."
"What do you mean?" Shisui looked up.
Masahiko smiled but said nothing. Must I explain Itachi's shocking philosophy to you right now?
Instead, he laughed softly. "That other Kotoamatsukami… make sure you guard it well."
His tone carried absolute confidence, a certainty that Shisui would agree.
"I haven't agreed to help you yet," Shisui said, though his resolve was wavering.
"The Uchiha matter is far more complex than you imagine. Your plan has already failed thoroughly. Only I can fight for a sliver of survival for the Uchiha."
Masahiko's voice took on a commanding weight. "Until the dust settles on the Uchiha affair, the only one you can rely on is me."
Could it be… Shisui thought. Is there a deeper cause behind the clan's situation?
Shisui took a deep breath. "I need you to reveal some information. If you can convince me, I will pledge my loyalty to you!"
"Danzō is not the only one who wants to exterminate the Uchiha. There is another faction hiding in the shadows. The Nine-Tails Incident back then… it is very likely their handiwork," Masahiko answered without hesitation.
Shisui's face contorted with unsuppressable shock.
Actually… there is another faction!
During the Nine-Tails Incident, Shisui had been too young and hadn't yet entered the Anbu. The details of that night were completely sealed, leaving him in the dark.
But now—hearing these words—the doubts in his heart were instantly resolved.
Why was the Uchiha clan targeted step by step after the Nine-Tails Incident? Why was their district relocated to the fringes of the village?
The root of it all was the Nine-Tails Incident!
His blood surged, and his eye socket throbbed with pain. In this moment, a torrent of negative emotions flooded Shisui's heart. If he hadn't already awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan, the revelations of this single day would have been enough to force them open.
But now, the one thing he no longer felt was confusion.
If what this man said was true—that there were so many secrets and hidden eyes watching from behind the scenes—how could he possibly think of entrusting this burden to anyone else?
I have to live!
Shisui propped himself up.
"If things are indeed as you say, I am willing to serve you!"
"As long as you remain alive and vanish from everyone's sight, you will eventually witness the truth." Masahiko chuckled lightly. "Find a place to hide and live well. In the future, when the Uchiha face their calamity, you might at least be able to save a few of them."
"Then, how should I contact you?" Shisui asked.
Masahiko shook his head. "There is no need to contact me. You only need to know that we have a common goal and are fighting for a common cause."
"I believe in your capabilities; otherwise, I wouldn't have gone to such lengths to save you." Masahiko added, "Consider this a test. Also, give me your ninja vest. And a token—I have a use for them."
Shisui stripped off his flak jacket and handed it over. Even if Masahiko hadn't asked, Shisui would have destroyed these clothes to prevent the Inuzuka clan's hounds from tracking his scent.
In addition, he handed over a necklace. Hanging from it was a miniature shuriken.
"This was a birthday gift from Itachi. It can prove my identity."
"Good. I'm leaving."
With that, the masked figure vanished via the Body Flicker Technique.
Shisui calmed himself and swallowed a standard antidote pill. While it couldn't specifically target the insect venom, a portion of the poison from the kikaichū had been extracted earlier, so the medication would barely suppress the rest.
He possessed some crude medical skills. As long as he could rest and slowly expel the toxins using chakra, his life would not be in danger.
As for his other eye…
A trace of hatred flashed through Shisui's remaining vision.
Danzō!
That eye… I will take it back sooner or later!
Although he made a fierce vow in his heart, for a moment, he didn't know where to go.
Shisui hesitated for a long while. He did not go to the Naka River or any of his old haunts. Instead, he turned and dove straight toward the Forest of Death.
Compared to the Naka River or the outskirts of the village, the Forest of Death was currently the safest place to be!