Before he could finish, Itachi Uchiha interrupted him and shook his head without hesitation. "As long as the coup can be stopped, any price is worth paying. You don't need to worry about me."
He looked at Shisui with burning resolve. "If these eyes truly reflect the heart, then when you awakened them, what you wanted most must have been for the world to stop producing conflict."
"That is my wish as well."
No bloodshed. No sacrifice.
As long as the clan's coup could be stopped and meaningless conflict avoided, he was willing to pay any price, even controlling his father's mind.
"I knew you would agree," Shisui Uchiha said with a quiet breath of relief. "But before that, we still need to report Yunchuan Hyuga's Genjutsu to the Third Hokage."
As he spoke, he looked toward the distant direction of the Hokage Building.
At the same time, within the shadow of a tree canopy several hundred meters away, the leaves and branches shifted slightly.
A Root Ninja agent, ordered to monitor Itachi Uchiha and Shisui, lay hidden there. His specially trained Sensory Ninjutsu was focused to its limit as it tried to capture the faint whispers from afar.
Even so, Shisui Uchiha's eye techniques made his heart race with fear.
They spoke of using this technique on Fugaku Uchiha, but who could say they would not suddenly change their minds and turn it toward the Konoha Leadership?
"This terrifying ability must be reported to Danzo Shimura immediately."
With alarm bells ringing in his mind, the Root Ninja agent prepared to withdraw quietly.
At that moment, a pure white figure emerged without warning from the tree trunk behind him.
Puchi.
A sharp arm pierced straight through the agent's heart. He lost his life before he could even let out a muffled sound.
The form of White Zetsu twisted and shifted, and moments later, a figure identical in appearance and aura to the dead agent stood in place.
It seamlessly replaced him and continued to "monitor" the distance in silence.
The entire process was soundless and unbelievably fast.
Space warped, and the figure of Obito Uchiha appeared, accompanied by Black Zetsu emerging halfway beside him.
"Kotoamatsukami…" Obito Uchiha murmured with a heavy expression. "To think there is such a terrifying eye technique."
As if recalling something, he turned to look at Zetsu beside him.
"Why help Shisui Uchiha hide this eye technique?"
Obito Uchiha frowned. "With Danzo Shimura's paranoia and greed, once he learns of Kotoamatsukami, he would choose to kill Shisui Uchiha without hesitation."
"If we want Itachi Uchiha to awaken Mangekyo Sharingan, wouldn't it be enough to let him witness Shisui's death with his own eyes?"
"No," Black Zetsu's hoarse voice replied. "Shisui Uchiha has high value. We currently lack tools we can use, and his eye technique may produce unexpected effects."
"And who said that awakening Mangekyo Sharingan can only come from witnessing a friend's death?"
He paused, and his tone grew dark, carrying a cruel amusement that made the skin crawl. "Itachi still has a father and a mother, doesn't he?"
"What could be stronger, more thorough, and more reliable than the mental impact of personally ending the lives of one's closest family for the so-called greater good?"
Moonlight entered through the window of the Hokage Office in the Hokage Building, taking on shape within the haze of smoke. The air was heavy with the sharp, bitter smell of tobacco, as if dense thoughts had settled there, and the ashtray was already piled high with gray remains.
"Huff…"
Hiruzen Sarutobi leaned back in his chair, the ember in his pipe flickering as it lit the deep lines on his face. News from the battlefield in the Land of Rain weighed on him like a stone, making the wrinkles on his face seem deeper than they had been the day before.
Although Sunagakure had suffered heavier casualties than Konoha in the Land of Rain, and even Chiyo had died, Amegakure and Hanzo declaring war was still a serious problem. The only option was to continue sending troops to the border to resist attacks from Amegakure.
"Ah." Hiruzen Sarutobi let out a sigh. "That old man Hanzo, how does he keep getting stronger and younger? Did he master some kind of Ninjutsu similar to the Yin Seal?"
Despite his worries, when he thought of the person who had just left and recalled their relaxed conversation, the tight feeling in his chest eased a little. Hanzo, known as the "Deadly Poison Weapon", had the power to change the course of a war, but his side also had young talents who could do the same.
Knock. Knock knock.
The sound at the door broke the stifling silence and interrupted Hiruzen Sarutobi's thoughts.
"Come in." His voice carried a faint, rough edge.
The door opened, and the person who entered was Shisui Uchiha.
Shisui's gaze quickly swept across the smoke-filled room, pausing when he noticed the two teacups still on the desk. His steps remained steady as he moved forward, stopped in front of the desk, and dropped to one knee.
"Third Hokage." Shisui Uchiha lowered his head, his voice clear and firm. "I am here to report on the mission to deal with Wujie Kohinata."
"Oh, it's Shisui."
Only then did Hiruzen Sarutobi lift his eyes from the documents, a smile appearing on his face. "No need to be so formal. Sit down first. Yunchuan just left."
"…Yes, Third Hokage."
Hearing the closeness in Hiruzen Sarutobi's tone toward Yunchuan Hyuga, Shisui Uchiha felt his heart sink slightly, even though he had already formed a guess when he saw the teacups. He answered, stood up, and sat in the chair across the desk, his posture straight and proper.
"Go on."
Hiruzen Sarutobi picked up the teacup in front of Shisui and walked to the cabinet behind him. As he opened it and chose tea leaves, he asked without turning around, "Did the mission today go smoothly?"
"The target, Wujie Kohinata, has been confirmed killed."
Shisui Uchiha looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi's back, took a deep breath, and delivered the prepared explanation. "However, the body was destroyed in an explosion. I apologize."
As he spoke, he took out a Scroll containing the remains and placed it on the desk.
"Don't worry about it. Wujie Kohinata was very experienced. It is already fortunate that no one was injured."
Hiruzen Sarutobi spoke while returning with a fresh teacup and a metal can. He measured out two spoonfuls into a porcelain cup and poured in boiling water, the scent of tea spreading across the desk.
He pushed the cup toward Shisui, and after receiving a restrained "Thank you," he asked with a smile, "Did anything special happen along the way?"
"…"
Shisui Uchiha paused slightly as he lifted the teacup. After a moment of silence, he met those cloudy eyes that seemed to see through everything and nodded. "Yes."
He then organized his words and described, as objectively as possible, how he broke through the Genjutsu, overheard the conversation between Yunchuan Hyuga and Wujie Kohinata, and saw Yunchuan remove the Byakugan. He did not stress how frightening Yunchuan Hyuga's Genjutsu was, nor did he say that he suspected Yunchuan Hyuga of hiding his strength with ill intent.
Saying such things outright would only weaken his position. It was enough to report everything as it was and let Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, decide how to judge and handle it.