Just as Itachi was carrying Furin on his back on the way home, someone blocked their path.
"Itachi, and little Furin."
Hearing the voice, Furin raised her head and looked curiously at the newcomer.
He had curly black hair, a gentle face, and a short blade strapped to his back. Furin recognized him instantly: Uchiha Shisui.
Shisui's arrival made Furin purse her lips, and she muttered inwardly, "Why is Shisui here? Nothing good ever comes of it."
She knew this guy inside out. Who was Shisui? He was a top-tier expert in the Uchiha Clan, widely known as "Shisui the Teleporter," with a fearsome reputation abroad.
He deeply loved the village and the clan and was Itachi's closest friend. Unfortunately, in Furin's eyes, this big brother had long since been thoroughly brainwashed by the Third Hokage's "Will of Fire."
At this thought, Furin awkwardly turned her head away, unwilling to look at him anymore.
"Shisui."
Itachi's voice was steady, but his gaze carried an extra hint of solemnity; he had probably already guessed that Shisui's visit was out of the ordinary.
"Itachi, let's talk at my place."
Shisui glanced at Furin, his tone carrying a touch of apology. "Little Furin, sorry, I need to borrow your brother for a moment."
Furin was clinging to Itachi's back, her little face scrunched up into a ball. Hearing this, she let out an even more dissatisfied hum in protest.
Itachi looked somewhat awkward. He turned his head and whispered to Furin, "Can you walk on your own, Furin?"
Furin pouted, clutching Itachi's clothes with her small hands, her voice full of grievance: "No."
She muttered inwardly to herself, "Trying to ditch me, are you? Not a chance.
Whenever the two of you get together, nothing good ever comes of it. You're probably plotting how to feed some more intelligence to that old dog, the Third Hokage. I'll get sold out without even knowing it!"
Thinking of this, Furin raised her small hand in frustration and lightly thumped Itachi's back.
Although her strength was small, this punch made Itachi pause in surprise, and Shisui looked even more awkward, the smile on his face freezing for a moment.
Watching this scene, Shisui didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He rubbed the back of his head and said helplessly, "Little Furin, did I do something wrong?"
Furin didn't turn around, only muttering softly, "Don't think I don't know what you're up to."
Shisui was taken aback, even more at a loss, and couldn't help casting a pleading look at Itachi for help.
Itachi could only let out a helpless sigh and said, "Furin, stop being willful. Big brother and Brother Shisui really have some very important matters to discuss."
"Then take me with you!" Furin hugged him tighter, wearing an expression that said wherever you go, I go.
Shisui spread his hands helplessly and said with a wry smile, "Fine, since Furin is so insistent, let's all go together."
Itachi didn't say anything more either. He simply carried Furin on his back, took a step forward, and followed Shisui toward his home.
Carrying Furin on his back, Itachi walked toward Shisui's house, the atmosphere turning somewhat subtle for a moment.
"Furin, do you have some kind of issue with me?" Shisui couldn't help breaking the silence, a helpless smile on the corner of his mouth.
He simply couldn't figure out what had gotten into the little sister who was usually fairly close to him, acting all prickly today like a startled, bristling kitten.
Furin clung to Itachi's back, pouting and saying muffledly, "Not at all."
She clearly did, but she didn't want to voice it. Although Shisui was a good person, good people were sometimes just too foolish, unable to tell who the real enemies were.
As a transmigrator, Furin knew the ending of this gentle big brother all too well. Just thinking about it left a bitter taste in her mouth.
Shisui sighed softly and looked at Itachi. "Is your sister in a bad mood today?"
Itachi didn't answer directly, merely giving a slight nod to signal Shisui not to ask any further.
He knew Furin's temper inside and out; this little sister was usually soft and obedient, but at times she was exceptionally stubborn. She clearly had something on her mind now and refused to speak.
The rest of the journey passed in silence, and the three of them quickly arrived at Shisui's home. Shisui's house was very simply furnished, with hardly any personal decorations in the room, making it look desolate and austere.
"Furin, sit down for a bit. Itachi, let's talk inside," Shisui said, his gaze carrying a trace of apology.
Furin's eyes rolled, and she wrapped her arms around Itachi's neck, acting coquettishly. "I don't want to stay out here. I want to go in too."
Shisui looked at Itachi helplessly. The latter gently patted Furin's hand. "Furin, big brother and Shisui have some important matters to discuss. Be a good girl and wait for a moment, alright?"
"No way!" Furin wriggled her body like a small snake draped over Itachi, refusing to get down no matter what. "It's about the clan anyway, I want to hear it too!"
Shisui really had no way to deal with her now, so he surrendered and said, "Furin, some of the things big brothers talk about aren't suitable for children to hear. You might not be happy if you listen."
"I'm not afraid of being unhappy! I'm not a child."
Furin straightened her back, trying to appear mature, but her tender voice and flushed little cheeks instantly shattered her "majesty."
Itachi sighed helplessly, placed Furin onto a chair, crouched down halfway, and spoke softly.
"Furin, big brother promises you that as soon as we finish talking, we will definitely tell you the parts you're allowed to know. For now, just wait here for a little while, okay?"
Furin blinked, looking at Itachi's gentle gaze, and finally softened a bit. Pouting, she nodded. "Then you have to come back quickly, or I'll be mad."
"Mn." Itachi smiled slightly, stood up, and walked into the inner room with Shisui.
As soon as the two of them left, Furin hopped down from the chair like a kitten, sneaked quietly over to the door, and pressed her ear against it.
"The clan's recent movements are becoming more and more dangerous, and the Third's side..." Shisui's voice was low and solemn.
Listening, Furin couldn't help rolling her eyes. As expected, it was about that dog of a Third again.
"Big brothers, just when on earth will you realize that the Third and Danzo are the ultimate trouble..."
The atmosphere inside the room was exceptionally heavy. Sunlight from outside streamed through the wooden window, stretching the two men's shadows out long.
Shisui raised his head, a hint of deep thought in his gaze, and spoke in a deep voice: "Itachi, what is the clan head's attitude?"
Itachi stood by the window, looking out into the night with a complex expression. After a moment of silence, his tone dropped low. "Father... probably doesn't want to rebel."
"But?" Shisui pressed on.
Itachi's gaze grew dark and murky. He took a deep breath. "The Uchiha right now is like a powder keg ready to explode at any moment. The radical and conservative factions argue endlessly, and all kinds of dissatisfaction toward the village is like tinder; sooner or later, it will ignite this barrel of explosives."
Shisui didn't speak, just listened quietly.
Itachi continued, "As the clan head, Father appears on the surface to be the highest decision-maker in the clan, but in reality... he is also caught between these internal and external troubles. There are many things he simply cannot control."
Shisui's brows furrowed slightly, a look of contemplation appearing on his face.
A moment later, he lowered his head to ponder for a bit, then raised it again, his gaze suddenly turning sharp.
He slowly stood up, looked straight at Itachi, and spoke slowly: "Itachi, look at me."
Itachi was startled by Shisui's tone and instinctively raised his head. At that very moment, Shisui's eyes suddenly changed, and the Mangekyo Sharingan with black designs on a red background abruptly appeared!
"This is..." Itachi's pupils constricted slightly, unmasked shock appearing in his eyes. "Shisui... since when?"
Shisui put away the Mangekyo Sharingan, his tone calm and composed. "That doesn't matter. What matters is the technique within these eyes."
"What technique?" Itachi quickly regained his composure, but deep down, a trace of uneasiness stirred.
Shisui closed his eyes slightly, as if gathering his emotions, and then slowly spoke: "Kotoamatsukami. A technique that can permanently alter a person's thoughts."
Itachi's pupils constricted once more. He immediately realized the terrifying nature of this technique. Being able to directly control a person's will—he knew all too well what that meant.
"And the cost?" Itachi's voice was low, carrying an unnoticeable tension.
Shisui was silent for a split second, a flash of exhaustion crossing his eyes. "A single activation of Kotoamatsukami requires ten years for pupil power to recover. In other words, I can only use it once."
Itachi's heart was a whirlpool of mixed emotions. Such formidable power might indeed be the key to resolving the internal strife for the current Uchiha Clan.
"So, you intend to..." Itachi probed tentatively, having vaguely guessed Shisui's intent yet unwilling to believe he had guessed correctly.
Shisui continued, "I have already explained the ability of 'Kotoamatsukami' to the higher-ups. They agreed to give us some time and will not take further action against the Uchiha for the time being."
He paused, his tone growing heavier. "I plan to use this technique on the clan head first, making him accept peaceful coexistence with the village from the bottom of his heart. If that succeeds, I will find a way to control several elders among the clan's radical faction, guiding their thoughts onto the correct path. As long as the core voices change, the turmoil within the clan might be pacified."
Shisui raised his head, his gaze as sharp as a hawk's, yet his tone carried a resolute calmness.
"The future of the Uchiha Clan cannot be built upon the ruins of rebellion and destruction. If someone must sacrifice, I am willing to pay that price."
Before the words finished fading, the room fell into a suffocating silence. Itachi stood on the spot, his fists clenched so tight his knuckles turned white.
Itachi stared at Shisui's back, his eyes filled with complex emotions, as if he wanted to say something, yet for a moment he didn't know how to begin.
"Shisui, doing this... have you ever thought about the consequences for yourself?"
Itachi finally broke the silence, his voice low and trembling. "Powerful though Kotoamatsukami may be, if it fails, you will face the scorn of the entire clan..."
Shisui turned around, looked quietly at Itachi, and cut him off. "Itachi, for the village and for the clan, I made the worst-case preparations long ago."
His words were calm, but every syllable felt carved into Itachi's heart like a knife. His gaze was firm and fervent, as if it had ignited an unshakeable conviction.
"Shisui... are you truly willing to lay down your life for this?" Itachi's voice was hoarse; he knew Shisui's determination, yet could not easily accept it.
Shisui sighed softly, walked over to Itachi, and patted his shoulder, his voice low yet full of strength.
"Itachi, this is our responsibility. Both you and I carry the future of the clan and the village on our shoulders. Everyone has a destiny they must bear, and this is mine."
With that, he cast his gaze out the window, his eyes seemingly piercing through the veil of night, looking toward the future of Uchiha and Konoha.
Itachi's eyes flushed slightly red. He was well aware of Shisui's loyalty and understood his readiness to make the ultimate sacrifice for it, but the inner struggle caused him incomparable agony.
"Shisui, if this really is your decision, then I can only support you," Itachi said softly, though a profound sense of powerlessness laced his tone.
Shisui smiled faintly and patted Itachi's shoulder once more. "Don't worry, Itachi. If one day you feel my decision was wrong, don't hesitate—make your own choice."
The sunlight outside the window spilled onto Shisui's face, his smile tinged with a trace of release, yet inspiring an even more indescribable sense of tragic heroism.