"Why am I here…?"
Uchiha Shisui slowly opened his eyes, dazed and disoriented. For a moment, he thought he had crossed over to the afterlife. But as his vision cleared, he was startled to see the familiar Uchiha clan emblem hanging on the wall.
"Where is this place…?" he murmured, glancing around the unfamiliar room. As one of the most influential members of the Uchiha clan, Shisui knew nearly every corner of their territory—yet this place was entirely foreign to him.
The wooden door creaked open, and a man stepped inside.
"You're awake," the man said casually.
Shisui's eyes widened. The face looked familiar—no, more than familiar. He had seen it before, carved in stone and recorded in the Uchiha family records.
"Y-You… Senior Kagami? That's impossible! You died during the Third Great Ninja War!"
There was no mistaking it. The man standing before him was Uchiha Kagami—a legendary master who had once awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan and famously saved the life of the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama.
Kagami smiled calmly. "Seems my name still lingers in the clan even after all these years."
Shisui's eyes narrowed in confusion. Then, instinctively, he reached toward his face.
"My eyes…" he muttered. "Danzo stole my left eye, and I entrusted the right to Itachi before I… ended everything. So what about these now?"
"I transplanted them into you," Kagami replied bluntly. "But let me be clear—these eyes belong to the Uchiha clan. You don't get to give them away again."
He stared sharply at Shisui, as if reading the hesitation buried deep in his heart.
Shisui's expression darkened. "Why did Danzo take my eye? And why did I let him?" he muttered to himself. "I always knew he was a shady figure, but I didn't think he'd go that far… Wouldn't he fear retaliation from the Uchiha?"
Kagami scoffed. "So, things have gotten worse," he said. "But still… Danzo may be conniving, but he's no fool. He wouldn't provoke the Uchiha unless he believed he could get away with it."
"You really don't know about the current state of the village, do you?" Shisui asked, surprised.
Kagami frowned. "The village and the Uchiha have always had a tense relationship. That's nothing new."
He was right, in a way. Since the founding of the village, the Uchiha and Uzumaki clans had held a unique position—respected and feared in equal measure. Their strength had always made others uneasy.
Maybe the younger generation had forgotten, but the elders knew better. The names Madara, Hashirama, and Xiuyu still echoed across the ninja world like legends of wrath and power.
"But after the Third War," Shisui explained, "Konoha was left weakened, short on manpower. And at that critical time, the Uchiha refused to support the Hokage—"
"Stop right there," Kagami interrupted, eyes narrowing. "Why would the Uchiha support Hiruzen Sarutobi in the first place?"
Shisui blinked, taken aback. "Isn't it normal for all Konoha clans to support the Hokage? That's how the village survives."
Kagami let out a bitter laugh. "I'm honestly amazed you've lived this long with that mindset. No—actually, if I hadn't saved you, you would be dead."
He stepped forward, voice firm. "Tell me, Shisui: Why should the Uchiha support Hiruzen Sarutobi?"
"H-He's the Hokage. He's helped Konoha prosper—"
"Wrong," Kagami said flatly. "Completely wrong."
He paced slowly. "Konoha was co-founded by the Uchiha and the Senju. Naturally, both clans deserved their share of power and resources. That's how it works—you contribute, you gain. That's called dividing the pie."
"The village wasn't built on the backs of self-sacrificing clans. It was built by cooperation. If the Uchiha helped build the pie, why should we be the only ones forced to give up our slice?"
He stopped and looked directly into Shisui's eyes.
"A Hokage isn't a god. He's a representative—a servant—of the village's collective interests. If he can't bring benefit to all of Konoha, then he's unqualified. Anyone who thinks leadership is just about dividing power, rather than expanding it, is nothing more than a second-rate fool."
Kagami voice deepened, filled with scorn. "And now, you're telling me that the Uchiha must sacrifice for the 'greater good'? That's utter nonsense. We have strength, we have numbers—and you, with all that power, chose to throw it away for what? For loyalty to a system that doesn't respect you?"
Shisui stood frozen, as if struck. Kagami's words cut deeper than any blade.
Until now, he had devoted himself to the ideals of Sarutobi Hiruzen—the Will of Fire, unity, sacrifice. He believed peace could be preserved through compromise. He gave up everything to prevent civil war. And yet, Kagami's words had cracked the foundation of that belief.
Shisui fell silent, wrestling with his thoughts.
Kagami gave him a long, annoyed look. "If you weren't Uchiha, I'd have tossed your idiotic self back into the river and let you drown properly."
After a long pause, Shisui finally spoke.
"Senior… can I get my eyes back?"
Jing raised an eyebrow.
"Before, I entrusted them to Itachi… but now… I want to see this village with my own eyes."
Kagami gave a low chuckle. "Then go get them."
He turned away. "The one with Itachi is easy. But the one in Danzo's hand? Unless you're strong enough to seriously wound him and crush Root beneath your feet, you can forget about it."
He paused. "What's your Mangekyō ability, anyway?"
Shisui hesitated, then said, "Kotoamatsukami. It lets me subtly alter a person's will—completely undetectable."
Kagami whistled. "Now that's a dangerous technique. Let me guess—you told Hiruzen and Danzo about it?"
Shisui lowered his head in shame. "Yes…"
Kagami sighed in disbelief. "Of course you did. And you were surprised when they turned on you? That's the most terrifying genjutsu in the world, and you gave them the blueprint."
He shook his head. "Danzo wasn't always like this. He used to be a hot-blooded youth. But time turns fire into ash. What's left is a man consumed by paranoia and ambition."
Kagami looked down at Shisui with a cold stare.
"You're not just naive, Shisui. You're blind to human nature."
Outside, the Uchiha clan had erupted into chaos. Shisui's sudden disappearance had triggered a wave of unrest that was only growing louder.
---------------------
"Shisui is missing."
"What? That's impossible! This isn't wartime, and Shisui is one of the most skilled young shinobi in the clan. How could he just vanish inside the village?"
"It's clear someone orchestrated this. And honestly, the only person in Konoha powerful enough to do it is probably—"
"Watch your words. Let Fugaku handle this matter first."
The current head of the Uchiha clan, Uchiha Fugaku, remained in his position. There were no changes in leadership.
If Su Xiuyu were here, he would've noticed how the tension within the Uchiha clan had already started intertwining with the events leading up to the Nine-Tails' attack. Even Shisui's so-called "death" had been moved up by several years. Despite these changes, history continued down its inevitable path.
It had only been a few years since Fugaku became clan leader, and this was the first true crisis he had to face.
---
Inside the Hokage's office:
"Hokage-sama, I came to see you about a serious matter," Fugaku began. "Shisui has gone missing—he vanished inside the village. There's unrest in the clan, and I'm requesting your help to locate him."
Minato looked troubled. "As far as I know, Shisui is a standout talent in your clan. He's also an important Anbu member. With his strength, it doesn't make sense that he'd disappear without a trace."
Had Sarutobi Hiruzen been in Minato's place, he might've immediately suspected the root of the problem. He knew Danzo's character all too well—and had even indulged him to some extent. Without that silent approval, Danzo would never have dared to lay a hand on Shisui inside the village.
"I'm sorry, Fugaku," Minato said apologetically. "Things have been extremely hectic. I'll look into this as soon as possible."
Fugaku nodded in understanding. He knew Minato's situation.
"You see… Kushina is due to give birth tomorrow. As you know, she's the Jinchūriki of the Nine-Tails. The process will attract attention. I simply can't spare the time right now."
"I understand, Hokage-sama. Please take care of your own affairs first. I'll mobilize members of the clan to investigate Shisui's disappearance ourselves."
---
The Next Day
Konoha felt heavy with unease. Today was the day Kushina was giving birth.
The barrier had been set, and Minato stayed by her side throughout the delivery. Also present was Biwako, the wife of the Third Hokage. Outside the protective seal, Sarutobi Hiruzen was overseeing the perimeter's security.
Just as Minato anxiously waited, the cries of a newborn echoed through the air.
Suddenly, a shadow slipped into the barrier.
A masked man snatched the newborn and killed Biwako in the blink of an eye.
"Space-time ninjutsu?!" Minato immediately reacted, but both the masked intruder and the baby vanished in an instant.
---
In a remote forest clearing:
"I don't know who you are," Minato said, confronting the masked man. "But put the child down. You won't escape. You've heard my name, haven't you?"
The masked man gave a twisted smile beneath his mask.
"Of course. The name 'Yellow Flash' is known far and wide. But even legends arrive too late, don't they?"
Obito's heart was a storm of hatred and pain. His former master—praised as the fastest man alive—had failed to protect even Rin. If the world couldn't protect what he loved, then it didn't deserve to exist.
"The child is yours," Obito sneered. "Let's see if you can save him in time."
Without hesitation, he tossed the baby toward Minato—wrapped in swaddling clothes with a hidden explosive tag.
Minato caught the child and swiftly removed the tag. But by the time he returned to the barrier, it was too late.
The masked man had attacked Kushina.
"Golden Flash," Obito growled, "this time it's your wife… and your village. Who will you save?"
He formed a hand seal.
"Nine-Tails… Come forth!"
"No!"
"ROAR!!"
The massive roar of the Nine-Tailed Fox shook the entire village as the seal shattered.
Sarutobi Hiruzen's eyes widened in disbelief. "The Nine-Tails broke free? How could the seal fail? Even weakened during childbirth, the Uzumaki clan's seal shouldn't collapse this easily…"
But there was no time to ponder. He immediately rallied the Anbu and began evacuating civilians.
The Nine-Tails was rampaging through Konoha. Its enormous body towered over buildings, its tail swiping and crushing everything in sight.
Within the Uchiha compound:
"Clan Head! Bad news! The Nine-Tails has broken loose! What do we do?!"
"Evacuate the civilians immediately!" Fugaku ordered. "Send them to the Uchiha and Uzumaki districts—we both have protective barriers. All elite members, follow me! We're going to support the village!"
The Uchiha clan began to move out—but as soon as they reached the edge of their district, they were intercepted by none other than Danzo and the Root.
"By my order, all Uchiha are to remain in your territory. Do not take a single step beyond these walls," Danzo commanded coldly.
While ordinary villagers might not recognize Danzo, every Uchiha knew who he was.
"You have no authority to command the Uchiha," Fugaku said sharply. "You're not the Hokage, Danzo. Know your place."
Tension crackled in the air. The Uchiha had always followed the rules, but they held no love for Konoha's upper brass—especially not Danzo.
"Is that so?" Danzo narrowed his eyes. "Then let me ask—are you planning to rebel? I've warned Sarutobi Hiruzen before: the Uchiha clan can't be trusted. Maybe you're the ones controlling the Nine-Tails right now."
Danzo was known for his underhanded tactics. Twisting narratives, laying blame—this was his specialty. But Fugaku wasn't in the mood for political games.
"Danzo… are you seriously trying to pin this on us right now?" Fugaku growled. "Don't test us. We're not Ino-Shika-Chou. Try us—and we'll kill you first before going to protect the village. Don't think we won't."
Danzo's expression twisted with fury. He signaled his Root operatives to engage.
Fugaku didn't hesitate.
"Rice Fire! Iron Fire! Fire Core! Deploy the barrier!"
Three elite Uchiha jonin moved in sync with Fugaku's shadow clone. Together, they activated a four-sided barrier that trapped Danzo and his Root operatives inside.
"You'll stay right here," Fugaku declared. "We'll deal with you after we save our village."
Danzo was left shaking with rage inside the glowing walls of the barrier. He had never imagined that Fugaku—usually calm and diplomatic—would retaliate so decisively.
Because of Danzo's interference, the Nine-Tails managed to cause significant damage in the early stages. But the Uchiha elite, working alongside Sarutobi Hiruzen and the Anbu, soon arrived and began evacuating civilians swiftly.
Thanks to their efforts, many lives were saved that night.
But this incident would forever change the relationship between Konoha and the Uchiha clan.
And the seeds of rebellion… had already been sown.
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