A few days later, news of Shisui's disappearance spread throughout the Uchiha clan.
With their strongest fighter gone, the Military Police's coup plan basically deflated like a punctured balloon.
If even Uchiha Shisui could vanish without a trace, then launching a rebellion sounded less like a revolution and more like collective suicide.
Between "continue being treated unfairly" and "get wiped out," most people reluctantly chose option one.
Living with discrimination was still better than dying dramatically for nothing.
Still, everyone cared about one question:
Where the hell did Shisui go?
Did he defect?
Was he assassinated?
Kidnapped?
Did he just walk off and forget to come back?
They couldn't even find a body.
After several days of fruitless searching, suspicion slowly shifted to one person.
Uchiha Itachi.
On the day of the clan meeting, only Itachi and Shisui hadn't shown up.
Too coincidental.
Either he knew something…
Or he was the killer himself.
So several Uchiha jōnin gathered in front of Fugaku's house, waiting like an angry debt-collecting squad.
The door opened.
Fugaku stepped out, face dark as thunder, subordinates behind him.
He barked, "Yashiro, what exactly do you want?"
Uchiha Yashiro didn't sugarcoat it.
"Captain, we suspect Itachi killed Shisui."
Fugaku's expression stiffened.
"Shisui was Itachi's closest friend. Why would he kill him?"
Yashiro said bluntly,
"What if he wanted Shisui's Mangekyō Sharingan? That's a legendary eye. People kill their own brothers for less."
The implication hung in the air.
Fugaku fell silent.
…Damn it.
With the way the Sharingan worked, this kind of thing wasn't impossible.
Inside the house, Itachi listened quietly from his study.
His face was gloomy.
On the desk lay the suicide note Shisui had left behind.
Shisui had sacrificed himself to stop the coup…
Entrusting both his ideals and the future to Itachi.
The note was real.
The handwriting was unmistakable.
But the body was gone.
If he didn't know Shisui's writing so well, he'd suspect someone forged the whole thing.
Outside, his own clansmen were accusing him like idiots.
Shisui died trying to save them…
And they repaid him by pointing fingers.
Itachi felt something snap.
Are these people… even worth saving?
At this rate they'll just march themselves to their own graves out of pure arrogance.
Dark emotions surged.
Yin chakra flooded into his eyes.
The three-tomoe Sharingan twisted—
And changed.
A new pattern formed like a spinning shuriken.
At the same time, knowledge instinctively appeared in his mind.
Tsukuyomi.
Amaterasu.
"Kaleidoscope… Mangekyō Sharingan…"
Itachi muttered.
Surprised for only a second.
Then calm.
The Sharingan reflected the heart.
If these eyes were born now…
Then this must be the path he had to walk.
A few crow feathers drifted down.
The next second—
He vanished.
Outside the yard.
Before the jōnin could react—
BAM.
BAM.
BAM.
Itachi casually knocked them back like adults bullying kindergarteners.
No effort. No mercy.
He grabbed Yashiro by the collar and slammed him into the wall.
Crack.
The Sharingan spun coldly.
His voice was icy.
"People like you… think you understand Shisui?"
"You're not even qualified to say his name."
"If you want to lecture me…"
"First get the same eyes as mine."
Then he tossed Yashiro aside like garbage and walked away without looking back.
Total boss exit.
Half a minute later, Yashiro shakily stood up.
Face pale.
"Itachi… awakened the Mangekyō too…"
"And it's completely different from Shisui's."
The other jōnin froze.
Another Mangekyō?
Great.
As if one walking nuke wasn't enough.
Fugaku fell into thought.
If Itachi and Shisui both had Mangekyō…
Then maybe—
Just maybe—
An Uchiha could actually become Hokage someday.
Ten minutes later — Hokage Building.
Itachi stood before Konoha's top brass.
He calmly explained:
Shisui had committed suicide to prevent the coup and protect peace between the Uchiha and the village.
Hearing this, Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, sighed heavily.
The advisors also looked regretful.
Shisui had truly been loyal.
Hiruzen looked at Itachi.
Expression complicated.
"It's unfortunate… We've lost Shisui, the bridge between the Uchiha and the village."
"Itachi… are you willing to become the new bridge?"
Itachi nodded.
"I am."
"But Shisui's body is still missing. I hope the village can help search for it."
Hiruzen sighed.
"I'll send people immediately. He was a hero. We can't let his corpse lie abandoned."
Truthfully…
He felt sad.
But also—
A tiny bit relieved.
Kotoamatsukami was terrifying.
Those eyes could rewrite his brain anytime.
Having that kind of subordinate was stressful as hell.
At that moment—
Danzō suddenly spoke.
Coldly.
"We must recover the body. Those eyes cannot fall into the hands of other villages. They belong to Konoha."
Itachi glanced at him.
Didn't say anything.
Then bowed.
"I'll return to the clan. They're unstable. We must prevent another coup."
After he left—
Hiruzen glared at Danzō.
"Danzō, are you trying to destroy the only bridge we have left? Shisui just died!"
Danzō snorted.
"Hiruzen. Don't forget what those eyes can do."
"If Itachi has Kotoamatsukami, that's a bigger threat than any enemy."
Hiruzen's eyes turned cold.
"Or maybe… you had something to do with Shisui's death?"
"Your recent personnel transfers are suspicious."
The room went tense.
The advisors quickly stepped in.
"Enough. Stop fighting."
"Shisui's death only delayed things. The Uchiha will rebel again sooner or later."
Silence fell.
They were right.
After a long pause, Hiruzen said,
"With Itachi, peace is still possible. The Uchiha aren't all unreasonable. Some understand the Will of Fire."
Danzō's voice was icy.
"I say we strike first."
"While they're unprepared. Eliminate the Uchiha completely. Cut the problem off at the root."
Hiruzen shot him a sharp look.
"Are they enemies or villagers?"
"If we slaughter our own people, what will the other villages think?"
Danzō didn't hesitate.
"They already are enemies."
Then he turned and left.
Already planning to summon Itachi to Root.
Because when Danzō saw a problem—
His solution was always the same:
If it moves, eliminate it. If it doesn't move, eliminate it anyway just to be safe.
Classic Danzō logic.
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