The night deepened as a full moon rose high over the Uchiha district.
On a quiet street, two figures walked side by side—one taller, one smaller.
Suddenly, Itachi looked up and asked softly,
"Brother Shisui, is something troubling you?"
"Hm?"
Lost in thought, Shisui blinked in surprise at the question. "Is it that obvious?"
Itachi gave a slight nod. His black eyes were calm, like still water, yet they clearly reflected the worry on Shisui's face.
"It's nothing serious," Shisui replied, rubbing his temples with a sigh. "I've just been hearing some troubling things from the villagers… about Lord Orochimaru."
To his surprise, Itachi nodded again. "I heard too. About Orochimaru-sensei, Hinata, and the conflict with the Hidden Cloud. My classmates have been talking about it."
"It's already made its way to the academy?" Shisui muttered, his brow furrowing even deeper. "That's… unusual."
The speed and spread of the rumors were too deliberate. Shisui had lived through the fallout of Hatake Sakumo's death—he recognized the shape of manipulated public opinion when he saw it.
"This can't continue," he murmured, visibly disturbed.
Normally, he would have parted ways with Itachi by now, but this time he followed him all the way to the entrance of the Uchiha compound.
"If you're unsure," Itachi offered, "why not ask my father? I'm sure he knows more."
Shisui paused at the gate, then silently followed Itachi inside, where they found Fugaku.
After listening to Shisui's concerns, Fugaku was quiet for a moment before replying in a measured tone.
"This involves classified matters of the village. I can't tell you everything. But I can assure you—Lord Orochimaru is not in danger."
Shisui's frown deepened, but the phrase "village secrets" gave him pause. He understood the line he couldn't cross.
"How about staying for dinner?" Fugaku offered, glancing at Itachi with rare warmth. "He's improved a great deal lately. I'm grateful for your guidance."
While some in the clan dismissed the soft-spoken Shisui, Fugaku knew better. He was fully aware of the boy's strength—and the possibility that his Mangekyō Sharingan could recover one day.
"Itachi is talented on his own," Shisui replied, shaking his head. "I haven't done much."
Then, despite the faint disappointment in both father and son's eyes, he declined the invitation politely.
"Thank you, but I have some matters to attend to. I won't intrude tonight."
Fugaku gave a small nod, not pressing the matter. He understood Shisui's nature. The boy might appear distant, but if the Uchiha were ever truly in danger, Shisui would never turn his back.
Tonight's invitation had never been about politics. It was simply a gesture.
…
At the gate, Itachi's face was calm, but there was a faint sadness in his eyes. He could sense it—Shisui didn't seem comfortable staying too long at his home.
Shisui ruffled Itachi's hair and smiled.
"It's not that I dislike it here. It's just… there are things I need to be careful about."
These days, the Uchiha clan had begun to break free from the restraints of the past. Their influence in the village was growing stronger than ever.
But that very prominence made them a target. After all, there was only so much "prestige" to go around in a system like Konoha's. If too much of it was concentrated in the Uchiha, resentment was inevitable.
Shisui had seen this before—he had hoped the improved relations between the village and the Uchiha would hold, but that required caution. He didn't want the clan to clash with other ninja or spark unnecessary conflict.
That's why he chose to act as a bridge between the two sides. It meant taking the outsider's stance when needed, defending non-Uchiha, even suppressing his own clansmen when tempers flared.
Naturally, the clan criticized him for this. To be trusted by the rest of the village, he had to maintain distance from the Uchiha, even while fighting for their interests behind the scenes.
It wasn't easy. But for the sake of both the village and the family, Shisui bore that burden.
Even keeping his distance from the clan head, Fugaku, was part of the price. If he hadn't seen Itachi's nature so clearly, Shisui wouldn't have approached him either.
But now, he truly saw Itachi as a younger brother.
With a smile and a wave, Shisui turned and walked down the street, vanishing into the night.
…
On the way home, Shisui was deep in thought, going over the few hints Fugaku had given him.
As he turned a corner, he stopped abruptly.
"Tsk tsk tsk… sharp as ever."
A slender figure emerged from the shadows, smiling darkly.
Shisui's eyes narrowed. "Lord Orochimaru?"
He hadn't expected the one who troubled his thoughts to show up so easily.
Before he could speak further, Orochimaru raised a hand.
"Questions can wait. I'm here to fulfill our agreement."
From a scroll, he produced a small nutrient tank. Suspended in the greenish fluid was an eyeball, gently floating.
Shisui recognized it immediately. His Sharingan.
"You mean… its vision has recovered?" he asked, disbelief in his voice.
He had long given up hope—not just because of the limits of medical technology, but because of his doubts about Orochimaru's character.
And even from the village's perspective, it wasn't a good thing for another Uchiha to regain a Mangekyō Sharingan. The clan's power was already drawing too much attention.
"Only one eye, for now," Orochimaru said. "The other will take more time."
He noted Shisui's restrained reaction and added with a sly smile,
"Relax. Very few people know about this. Not even the old man. Whether to hide it or reveal it is up to you."
"…Thank you, Lord Orochimaru." Shisui exhaled slowly, then nodded. He agreed to the transplant calmly.
Afterward, Orochimaru carefully stored the removed Sharingan. Shisui glanced at him, but said nothing. Instead, he activated his restored eye and tested it briefly.
"…Strange," he murmured. "My pupil power feels stronger than before."
Orochimaru chuckled. "That's expected. Once both eyes are restored, your power will continue to grow—especially if you undergo further physical enhancement."
Yamato's chakra, infused with Yang Release, wasn't as inherently destructive as the Yin-based Mangekyō Sharingan. But combined, they created a subtle, balanced force—one that could naturally amplify Shisui's eye techniques.
Not to mention, Yamato's modified physique had been further stimulated during the procedure. That was also why Orochimaru had preserved the eye in the first place.
After finishing his tests, Shisui deactivated his Sharingan and looked at Orochimaru thoughtfully.
"I've heard a lot about you these past few days. In the village. Rumors…"
"I'm aware," Orochimaru interrupted smoothly. "I started them."
He gave a brief, blunt summary of the meeting that had taken place—unlike Fugaku, he had no hesitation about being direct.
"I see…" Shisui muttered, understanding dawning on him.
"Still," Orochimaru said, his tone shifting, "there's something more important I need your help with."
His eyes gleamed in the moonlight.
"In a few days… Kabuto will attack the Root."
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