The shadow clone guarding Shisui froze for a moment, then called Naruto, who was training outside.
Naruto gave Shisui a suspicious look, then said, "What difference does it make if you know the current state of the Uchiha clan? Do you think you can escape from here? You've already broken free from Kotoamatsukami's control—it's time to start thinking for yourself."
"Like me, for example—just sit back and enjoy the show."
Shisui was well aware of his status as a prisoner, and he admitted Naruto's words made sense.
Over the past few months, despite losing his freedom, life had actually been quite comfortable. He didn't have to worry about the village or the clan. He could live in peace as a blind shut-in, only needing to think about what meals to expect the next day.
But in the stillness of night, he couldn't help but think of his clan… and his closest friend, who had been caught between the village and the Uchiha.
Letting out a quiet sigh, Shisui said, "Running away won't solve anything. I still want to know how the clan is doing. Besides, wouldn't telling me this stuff be entertaining for you too?"
Naruto was slightly surprised by Shisui's shift in attitude, and he smiled. "I don't mind telling you. Ever since your disappearance, tensions between the Konoha higher-ups and the Uchiha police force haven't eased—in fact, the situation has only gotten worse. It's become public knowledge."
"New genin in the village are already speculating that a major conflict between the Uchiha and the village leadership is inevitable."
"In other words, your 'death' only bought a little more time for the coup. It didn't change anything. So you might as well sit back and wait with me for the Uchiha's inevitable destruction."
Shisui frowned and looked at Naruto. "You're that sure the Uchiha are doomed? Captain Fugaku's coup still has a chance of success. If it works, he could seize the Hokage building and become the Fifth Hokage."
Naruto didn't respond—he simply gave Shisui a meaningful smile that made the latter uneasy.
"If you really believed that, would you have chosen 'suicide'? Maybe you should be thinking about how to stay alive instead. As long as you live, the Uchiha bloodline won't be extinguished."
Shisui fell silent. He didn't believe the coup could succeed.
Even if it did, it would only result in massive losses for both the village and the clan. A lose-lose scenario. Since he couldn't find a way to break that deadlock, he had opted to use Kotoamatsukami to delay the clan head—but was ambushed by Danzo and forced to "kill himself."
Staring at the composed Naruto in front of him, Shisui couldn't help but ask with a glimmer of hope, "Do you have a way to prevent the conflict between the police force and the village? A way for them to coexist peacefully?"
Faced with Shisui's desperation, Naruto chuckled. "You're asking me? I'm the one who ambushed you and stole your eye. Are you sure you're asking the right person? Maybe you should be asking the Hokage instead."
Shisui found that amusing too. A prisoner asking his captor for a way to save the Uchiha? Absurd.
But like a drowning man grasping at straws, he had no other options.
Just then, Naruto's tone changed: "It's not like there's no way. The higher-ups have always treated the Uchiha differently, and the Uchiha have always resented their position in the village. So why not just… leave?"
"Start over in another Hidden Village. Out of sight, out of mind."
Shisui frowned. "That's desertion—mass desertion, even. Isn't that just as bad as a coup?"
"There's a big difference," Naruto replied. "The chances of successfully leaving are way higher than staging a coup. And the Uchiha are one of the founding clans of Konoha. If the village can't even accommodate them anymore, isn't leaving the most rational choice?"
"Why stay in a place where the only outcome is annihilation?"
Naruto's words echoed in Shisui's mind, tempting him to seriously consider the possibility of the Uchiha defecting en masse.
In the end, he realized the odds weren't so bad after all. He looked at Naruto with increasingly complex emotions.
Before, he had always believed the Uchiha and the village were one and the same—so the idea of the Uchiha defecting had never crossed his mind. Such a move would severely weaken Konoha and invite aggression from other villages.
But after being betrayed by Danzo and freed from the influence of Kotoamatsukami, he began to question that belief.
The village wasn't a monolith. It was a web of individuals and factions. Danzo had never seen the Uchiha as part of Konoha, nor had he ever trusted them. That's why he attacked Shisui.
If even the village leadership wasn't acting in the village's best interests, why should Shisui?
With those thoughts swirling in his head, Shisui grew more curious about Naruto's identity. He wasn't working for the Hokage or Danzo, nor was he one of Fugaku's close allies. Could he really be just some obscure, fringe shinobi?
He stopped overthinking it and began mulling over escape plans aloud.
"How can I convince the clan's jonin to leave the village?"
"ANBU and Root will definitely try to stop us, and the other clans might not stay neutral… After we escape, where would we even resettle? Somewhere in the Land of Fire? Or maybe a smaller Hidden Village?"
"And how would we secure a new source of income for the clan? Should we bring some assets when we leave?"
Shisui muttered to himself like no one else was present, prompting Naruto to roll his eyes and interrupt: "Maybe start by figuring out how to escape my surveillance. That's a bit more urgent, don't you think?"
"…Yeah. How do I escape from here?"
Shisui paused, suddenly remembering that he was still a prisoner. The person he'd been discussing how to save the clan with wasn't Itachi—his trusted friend—but the mysterious ninja who had ambushed him.
Naruto, sitting casually on a bench and sipping a cup of milk, sighed. "Honestly, I thought you'd be a lot different without Kotoamatsukami influencing you. But now it seems… even before using that jutsu, you weren't exactly a genius."
At that moment, something clicked in Shisui's mind. He turned sharply to Naruto and said with conviction:
"I don't actually need to escape. From the moment you stopped me from seeing Itachi and took Kotoamatsukami, you've been waiting for change, haven't you?"
Naruto smiled, leaned back in his seat, and replied, "You're not wrong. But unfortunately, I can't let you go yet. Without your Mangekyō, if you reappear now, you'll just become Konoha's prey. That wouldn't be nearly as interesting."
After thinking it over, Shisui said, "Even if you let me go, I wouldn't reveal myself. Without the Sharingan, I can't convince the clan's jonin of anything. I'd only attract the higher-ups' suspicion. I need to regain my strength—and get my Sharingan back."
Naruto chuckled. "Don't think about getting Kotoamatsukami back. I'm not giving it to you. You could try taking an eye from Danzo—if you can beat him and Root. Or maybe… look within the Uchiha clan itself."
Shisui's expression darkened, but it was clear he had made up his mind about where to get his next eye.
(End of Chapter)
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