Shisui's sudden invitation caught Itachi off guard. He did not take Shisui's hand, but instead asked calmly,
"Why… me?"
"Because you're different from the other members of the Uchiha clan, Itachi," Shisui replied. "You aren't bound by the line between the clan and the village. You think independently. I don't know what you're thinking right now, but didn't you once tell me that you wanted to change the Uchiha clan?"
"That was in the past," Itachi said quietly. "And now I want to ask you the same question, Shisui. Are you a shinobi of the Uchiha… or a shinobi of Konoha?"
Without hesitation, Shisui answered firmly,
"I am a shinobi of Konoha!"
"Then if the Uchiha clan were to go to war with the village," Itachi continued, "would you raise your hand against your own people?"
Faced with this question, Shisui hesitated. But soon after, his expression hardened with resolve.
"I won't let that happen! I will stop it—no matter what!"
Itachi shook his head slowly.
"One person's strength is limited. Even if you add me, that's only two people. Trying to stop a war on the brink of eruption between the Uchiha and Konoha with just the two of us… is far too idealistic."
"No," Shisui said. "I'm confident."
As he spoke, Shisui revealed what he had long kept hidden—his Mangekyō Sharingan.
Itachi stared at Shisui in shock. He had never imagined that his old friend had already awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan.
"My Mangekyō Sharingan possesses a unique genjutsu called Kotoamatsukami," Shisui explained.
"It allows me to directly invade the target's mind without them realizing it, permanently and completely rewriting their will."
"The eye that controls one's will…" Itachi murmured. "Such a powerful ability must come with an equally severe drawback."
Shisui nodded, not attempting to hide it.
"That's right. It can only be used on one person, and after using it, I won't be able to use it again for more than ten years."
"Then who do you plan to use it on?" Itachi asked. "The Uchiha clan… or the higher-ups of Konoha?"
Without reservation, Shisui laid out his plan.
"Tomorrow, at the Uchiha clan gathering, I'll observe Fugaku's stance. If the coup cannot be stopped, I'll use Kotoamatsukami on him—alter his thinking and put an end to the rebellion."
"That's naïve, Shisui," Itachi replied bluntly.
"Even if you rewrite my father's will, what about the other members of the clan? You should know—my father was originally against launching a coup. It was the constant oppression from Konoha's leadership, the suffering of the clan, that forced him into considering rebellion.
"And even if the Uchiha don't initiate a coup, what about Konoha's side? Danzo? The Third Hokage? A coup isn't a one-sided matter. Even if you change the will of one leader, another can always be chosen. Sooner or later, the conflict between the Uchiha and Konoha will ignite again."
Shisui's face darkened.
"Then… is there truly no way to resolve this?"
Itachi's voice grew subdued.
"No. The conflict has already reached a point beyond reconciliation. Konoha—its leadership, its shinobi, even its civilians—can no longer tolerate the Uchiha clan. And if the Uchiha wish to continue existing, they must regain control of the narrative. The structure of Konoha would need to be reshaped. Conflict… is unavoidable."
Shisui tried once more to persuade him.
"Itachi, if you see all of this so clearly, are you really going to do nothing and let it happen? As long as we try, there might still be a chance."
"I am trying," Itachi said quietly.
"The shinobi world isn't limited to Konoha alone. Somewhere out there, there must be a place that can accept the Uchiha."
Shisui immediately understood what Itachi was implying, and his expression turned pale with shock.
"Itachi! Don't tell me you're planning to defect from the village?!"
"No," Itachi answered.
"I'm only trying to find a place where those innocent clan members—those who don't want war—can survive."
He looked directly at Shisui.
"If you truly want to stop the coup, you would need to use Kotoamatsukami on my father, Danzo, and the Third Hokage. With the side effects of your Mangekyō, that would take at least twenty years. But we don't have that kind of time—do we?"
Shisui calmed himself and asked,
"But if we leave Konoha, will the clan really be willing to go? The Uchiha's roots are here."
"I won't take the hawkish members with me," Itachi said.
"After escaping Konoha, all they would think about is revenge. The ones I want to save are those who genuinely long for peaceful lives. They are the true seeds of the Uchiha clan. Sadly… there aren't many of them."
"Do you already have a list?" Shisui asked.
Itachi nodded.
"So far, only a few dozen people. Mostly the elderly, women, and children."
Shisui fell silent. After a long moment of contemplation, he seemed to reach an important decision.
"Itachi… I support your choice. The Uchiha clan must not vanish from history because of this foolish coup. If that day truly comes, take those people and leave Konoha."
Hearing Shisui's support, a faint smile appeared on Itachi's face.
"I thought you'd try to stop me, at least."
"I am a shinobi of Konoha," Shisui said softly, "but I'm also an Uchiha. I want the Uchiha to have a future."
Once again, Shisui extended his right hand toward Itachi.
This time, Itachi did not hesitate. He firmly grasped Shisui's hand.
Shisui warned him gravely,
"Some members of the Police Force have already begun to suspect you. They've ordered me to keep watch on you. Be careful."
Itachi was already aware of this. After joining the ANBU, he had provided no useful intelligence back to the clan, so suspicion was inevitable.
It wasn't that Itachi deliberately withheld information—there simply was none to share. Though the Third Hokage appeared to value him, in truth, Itachi had been guarded against from the very beginning. Classified intelligence was never something he was allowed access to.
"I understand," Itachi said. "I'll be careful."
Shisui spoke solemnly,
"I will still try to stop this in my own way. And I'll cover for you. But if battle truly becomes unavoidable… you must preserve the Uchiha's flame. The future of the Uchiha clan rests with you."
From the moment Itachi chose this path, he had already prepared himself to bear this crushing responsibility.
"I understand."
Shisui smiled wistfully, lost in memory.
"I really miss the time we spent together… When did we start drifting so far apart?"
Itachi recalled their days together, and a faint smile appeared on his face as well.
"It doesn't matter anymore…"
Shisui gave a bitter smile.
"Yeah… it doesn't matter. There's no going back now."
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