Behind the gate, Furin held her breath, desperately trying to digest what she had just heard. Her little face was pulled taut, her hands clutching nervously at the hem of her clothes.
"Shisui is actually going to make a move on Dad?"
Furin's head was buzzing. Shisui's boldness and naive plan left her utterly shocked, but what drove her truly crazy was that Shisui had actually leaked his ultimate trump card, Kotoamatsukami, so easily!
"An innocent man bears no crime, but carrying a jade ring makes him a thief! Shisui, where is your brain?"
Furin felt an urge to rush inside and shake some sense into him. She knew very well that the Third Lord and Danzo were no saints; once Shisui's Kotoamatsukami became a target, it would be no different than playing with fire.
Worse still, as a transmigrator familiar with the original plot, Furin knew that Shisui's plan was doomed to fail. His end... just thinking about it made her scalp tingle.
"Shisui, oh Shisui, do you really think that old dog Danzo cares about any code of honor? He is leagues ahead of you when it comes to playing with people's minds! You'd have to be a fool not to get plotted against!"
Just as Furin was thinking of slipping away quietly, she bumped head-on into Itachi and Shisui, who were just stepping out.
"Ehehe..." Furin blinked with a guilty conscience, forcing herself to look calm.
Shisui looked at her, a flash of doubt crossing his eyes. Given his level of skill, if Furin had been eavesdropping, he should have sensed it long ago. Could it be that he had slipped up?
He tested the waters by asking, "Furin, did you hear everything?"
"No! I didn't hear anything!" Furin shook her head repeatedly, wearing an innocent and guileless expression on her little face.
Yet, her continuously trembling little hands gave away her guilt. Shisui's mouth twitched, thinking that if his eyesight hadn't been so good, he almost would have fallen for this little girl's nonsense.
Shisui paused slightly, his gaze landing on Furin. With the sharp perceptive power of his Mangekyo Sharingan, it should have been impossible for anyone to eavesdrop without him noticing.
Shisui looked at Itachi, casting him a "Is this your sister?" look.
Itachi rubbed his brow helplessly. Usually well-behaved and sensible, today Furin was acting like a little fox, looking suspicious no matter how you sliced it.
He crouched down to look Furin in the eye, his tone as gentle as ever: "Furin, no matter what you heard, don't talk about it to anyone else, understand?"
Looking at Itachi, Furin couldn't help muttering inwardly: *You really have no intention of stopping Shisui, do you? If Father finds out the two of you discussed using Kotoamatsukami on him, his heart is going to break! What a truly filial son...*
Despite having a thousand complaints running through her head, on the surface Furin just nodded obediently. "I know. But Big Brother, you're so filial."
Itachi's expression stiffened, the corners of his mouth twitching, but he quickly returned to calm.
"For the future of the Uchiha Clan, Father will understand." A firm conviction colored Itachi's voice.
Furin rolled her eyes, thinking: *I've really had it with your filial logic—isn't this just acting first and reporting later?*
Seeing how things stood, Furin couldn't be bothered to deal with him anymore. She walked straight up to Shisui, raised her head, and said in a small yet firm voice, "Shisui, I have something to say to you, too."
Shisui paused, a flicker of curiosity in his eyes. He hadn't expected Furin to take the initiative to speak with him.
"What is it?" Shisui asked, his tone gentle.
Furin stared at him and said earnestly, "I heard about your plan, and I don't think it'll work."
Shisui froze, then gave a bitter laugh. "Didn't you just say you didn't hear anything?"
Furin's face flushed instantly. She gave two awkward coughs and darted her eyes everywhere. "Uh, that was just a moment ago. Now... I feel like some things just have to be told to you."
Shisui raised an eyebrow, asking gently, "Oh? What things?"
Even though Furin was just a child, Shisui didn't look down on her. He felt that perhaps this little one really did have some unique insights of her own.
Furin raised her head, looking straight into Shisui's eyes with a seriousness never seen before. "Have you ever thought about the consequences of blurting out the truth about Kotoamatsukami?"
Shisui was taken aback, then nodded. "Of course I have."
"You have?!" Furin's eyes widened instantly.
Shisui smiled. "Furin, you seem to be underestimating me a bit. Kotoamatsukami is an immensely powerful force; I'm well aware of that. Anyone would fear such power. However, the Third Lord is the Hokage, and I believe in his morality."
Hearing this, Furin almost failed to hold back an eye-roll.
She took a deep breath, a trace of urgency lacing her tone: "Morality? Do you have any idea that truth must be kept in one's own hands? Putting the Third aside, have you forgotten that there are others?"
Shisui's expression shifted slightly. "Others? You mean..."
Furin nodded. "Yes, Danzo!"
Standing nearby, Itachi had been observing Furin all along. Hearing her words now, a flash of astonishment crossed his face. Is this really that little sister of mine who usually only knows how to act spoiled?
Hearing this, Shisui fell silent for a fleeting second, then gave a soft chuckle. "Furin, don't worry, I'll be careful."
"It's not just a matter of being careful!" Furin couldn't help raising her volume. "You have to be extra careful of his eyes!"
Shisui started, his brow furrowing slightly. "His eyes?"
Furin pursed her lips and pressed on despite her misgivings. "His eye is a Sharingan!"
As soon as those words left her mouth, Shisui froze, a hint of suspicion immediately creeping into his gaze. "How could you possibly know about something like that?"
Furin's heart skipped a beat, and sweat was already beading on her forehead. *Oh no, I slipped up!*
*Am I supposed to tell them right now that I've read the plot and know what's going to happen next? Isn't that digging my own grave?*
Seeing the obvious suspicion in Shisui's eyes, Furin had no choice but to bite the bullet and say, "Anyway, this news is real, you just have to believe me!"
Shisui pondered for a moment, then shook his head with a smile. "Furin, did you pick this up randomly from some clan gossip?"
"I told you it's not gossip! You have to believe me!" Furin was so anxious she was practically jumping up and down, her little face flushed bright red.
Shisui's smile remained gentle. "Then tell me, how did you find out?"
"I..." Rendered completely speechless by the question, Furin gritted her teeth and decided to throw caution to the wind. "I can see the future, do you believe that?"
Shisui stared blankly for a few seconds before bursting into laughter. "Furin, I know you're worried about me, but Lord Danzo is the Third's comrade-in-arms; there's no way he would harm the village."
Hearing this, Furin was practically fuming. She clenched her small fists and stamped her foot in anger. "You are simply—you are simply going to get yourself killed!"
Yet, Shisui remained entirely unfazed, maintaining his casual demeanor.
Furin glared at him for a long time, finally realizing that this child's body possessed zero persuasiveness.
Gritting her teeth, she threw out a huffy parting shot: "Just you wait! I'll be back!"
With that, Furin turned and bolted, leaving Shisui and Itachi standing right where they were.
Watching his sister's retreating figure, Itachi fell silent for a moment before speaking. "Shisui, she really seems worried about you."
Shisui smiled, a complex mix of emotions in his gaze. "She's just a child. She probably caught wind of some rumors and wanted me to be more careful, that's all."
Even so, a faint trace of doubt lingered in Shisui's heart. Furin's tone just then had been far too certain.
Itachi patted Shisui's shoulder, a hint of helplessness and a wry smile coloring his tone. "Shisui, I have to head back first, or Furin will probably get mad again."
Shisui shook his head gently, his voice full of teasing. "I'm so envious of you, having such cute younger siblings buzzing around you."
Following Shisui's gaze, Itachi looked ahead and saw Furin a short distance away, turning back every few steps with a worried look in her eyes.
The corners of Itachi's mouth curved upward into a gentle smile. "Sometimes it's a real headache, though—they're just too clingy."
Shisui curled his lip, a sour note in his tone. "Tsk, give it a rest. Are you just showing off?"
Itachi chuckled, his voice pleasant. "Not at all. I'm off."
Seeing Itachi catch up, Furin trotted forward a few steps to meet him, her expression dead serious. "Big Brother, you really have to talk some sense into Shisui. He is far too unreliable!"
Hearing this, Itachi couldn't help laughing out loud. He crouched down, reached out to gently pinch Furin's little cheek, and teased, "To be this worried about Shisui, it looks like you care about him quite a bit. As an older brother, I'm almost jealous."
Furin's face instantly turned beet red. She huffily swatted Itachi's hand away and pouted, "That's not funny! I'm doing this for his own good, understand?"
With a soft chuckle, Itachi stood back up and stroked the top of Furin's head.
"Right, right, you're doing it for his good. But seriously, Furin, you need to trust Shisui, too. He's tougher than you think, and a lot smarter."
Keeping her head down while the blush on her face had yet to fade, Furin muttered, "I hope he's as smart as you say..."
Itachi glanced sideways at her expression, his heart filled with gentleness.
He knew that Furin was actually a sensitive and clever child; though she always put up a tough front, her affection for the clan and concern for her family were second to none.
"Don't worry, everything will be fine."
Itachi said silently to himself, while firmly resolving that no matter what the future held, he would protect his little sister's smile.
The two chatted as they walked. Furin kept a brisk pace, occasionally glancing back at Itachi as if plotting some mischief.
"Furin, what are we having for dinner?" Itachi asked softly, his tone gentle.
Furin tilted her head, feigning deep thought. A moment later, she pouted and said, "Sweet and sour pork ribs without the pork, pickled fish soup without the fish, and—"
She deliberately dragged out her syllables, a hint of petty, mischievous triumph on her face.
Itachi raised an eyebrow, his tone unhurried. "Oh, and what else?"
"Tomato scrambled eggs without the eggs!" Furin suddenly raised her voice, as if afraid Itachi wouldn't hear clearly. Then she blinked her large eyes, crossed her arms, and put on a look waiting to see Itachi's reaction.
"Oh..." Itachi seemed to be considering it seriously. "That sounds good."
Furin hadn't expected him to be so calm, and she deflated a bit, her little face puffing up like a bun. "Hey! Big Brother, are you serious? Sweet and sour pork ribs without the pork! That's just eating the sweet and sour flavor!"
The corners of Itachi's mouth lifted slightly, as if he had seen right through her little trick. He asked softly, "Are you mad?"
"Hmph, absolutely not!" Furin turned her head away, muttering softly with a red face. Suddenly finding the topic pointless, she immediately turned it back on him with a challenge: "Are you going to eat it or not?"
Itachi let out a low chuckle, a trace of doting warmth in his voice. "I am."
"That's more like it." Furin nodded with satisfaction, though she quickly added another deadpan, overly serious remark, "There really is no meat this time, though. Let's see if you can still smile then."
Maintaining his gentle smile, Itachi watched the triumphant look on Furin's face and shook his head lightly. "It doesn't matter. As long as it's something Furin made, I'll eat it."
Furin froze, a slight flush creeping onto her cheeks. Feigning anger, she turned around and quickened her pace. "You really know how to talk, hmph!"
Itachi chuckled as he matched her pace. The two of them proceeded along the winding path against the warm setting sun.
Golden light washed over them, casting Furin's tiny figure in a long shadow on the ground, while Itachi's footsteps consistently maintained just the right distance behind her.
Along the way, Furin turned back from time to time, catching Itachi's steady, gentle smile, which involuntarily coaxed a matching grin onto her own lips.
At that moment, Furin's feigned anger and Itachi's soft chuckles wove together into a lovely tableau, engraved forever within the tranquil twilight.