On the quiet riverbank within Konoha, a young man with short black hair and the iconic crimson glow of the Sharingan eyes smiled warmly.
"Hello. I'm the newly assigned member to this squad. My name is Uchiha Shisui. I look forward to working with you."
Hidezawa wasn't the least bit surprised.
After his private meeting with the Third Hokage, he had already anticipated this. His superior—Shimura Danzo—must have come to some agreement with his old friend Hiruzen.
It only made sense. Hidezawa had already been deployed to Anbu. If Danzo couldn't capitalize on that, what would be the point of placing him there to begin with?
And knowing Danzo—a man who'd rather wrestle a rabid dog than back down—he would never allow such an opportunity to go to waste.
"Shisui-senpai. I wasn't expecting you." Yugao said, clearly taken aback.
Though only slightly older than her, Shisui had already made a name for himself as a prodigy. He was well-known within Anbu for being a genius—not just in talent, but also in humility.
Unlike many of his clan, Shisui wasn't arrogant. He didn't look down on others, which earned him a rare level of respect across the Anbu ranks.
So why would someone like him be assigned to their squad?
Yugao had assumed their new teammate would be someone like Gekko Hayate or another standard Anbu operative.
(T.L Note: I feel that Hayate has become a unit of compariosn)
"It's just an issue of assignment priorities." Shisui said with a casual smile. "Hokage-sama told me this squad's performance had been exceptional, but you've suffered losses recently. He thought I'd be a good fit, so here I am."
He was humble, his tone completely genuine—even Hidezawa, who could smell political spin a mile away, found himself raising an eyebrow.
If memory served, this future Uchiha martyr wasn't exactly known for his intelligence. He had a frustrating knack for being strong when he should've held back, and weak when he should've stood his ground.
Like how he had chosen to die instead of fight back—even ghosts couldn't drag him back from that decision.
But for now, Hidezawa had to admit—he seemed perfectly decent.
"Shisui-senpai, I'm Shigen Hidezawa. Please guide me from now on." he said with a friendly smile, his tone light but respectful.
His personal opinion didn't matter. The mission Danzo had given him was progressing smoothly. Even if he took a hands-off approach from this point on, he could still chalk up the results as a "victory under Danzo-sama's wise leadership".
Besides… Shisui had the Mangekyō Sharingan.
If things ever went sideways, it would be useful to have someone like him to draw fire or cover a retreat.
…
A few minutes of casual conversation passed, and the trio began to grow more comfortable with each other.
Yugao, though normally cold and withdrawn, had a surprisingly warm core.
And Shisui… well, he was the type of Uchiha the Second Hokage would've reluctantly approved of—humble, soft-spoken, and easy to work with.
But then Shisui hesitated, his expression briefly turning serious.
"Earlier…" he said, "I saw you both talking to that kid."
"You mean Uzumaki Naruto?" Hidezawa asked, blinking.
Yugao looked a bit awkward at the mention of the name.
They had only spoken to the boy briefly, yet something about him had lingered in her mind. Maybe… he wasn't what the rumors made him out to be.
"Yes." Shisui confirmed, nodding. "You've probably heard the talk… That child is considered a bad omen in the village."
'Here we go again…'
Hidezawa and Yugao exchanged a glance—his eyes amused, hers tinged with shame.
Shisui immediately noticed their expressions and paused, confused. Had he said something wrong?
"Shisui-senpai, can I ask you something?" Hidezawa said, his tone suddenly serious.
"Of course."
Hidezawa's gaze sharpened.
"Are you… questioning Hokage-sama's judgment?"
Shisui's face stiffened instantly.
…
Konoha – Root Underground Base.
Deep beneath the earth, where sunlight dared not tread, the oppressive atmosphere of Root's headquarters mirrored its master's nature.
Though the facility was built with sprawling halls, stone-paved corridors, and expansive training grounds, its every corner exuded a chilling silence. A place where whispers and shadows moved more freely than breath.
Shimura Danzo loved it here.
Root was meant to exist in the darkness—Konoha's unseen hand. A hidden blade forged to cut down threats before they ever reached the surface.
That was the ideal.
Whether that ideal aligned with reality didn't matter to him.
As long as he believed it, that was enough.
"That brat should've already handed the intel to Orochimaru." he muttered in his office, flipping through a scroll. "And he should've met up with Uchiha Shisui by now."
He narrowed his remaining eye.
"Hmph. You better not disappoint me, Shigen Hidezawa. I paid a high price for this."
To Danzo, the idea of trusting an Uchiha was absurd.
Even though he had once fought beside Uchiha Kagami, he still believed the entire clan carried the seeds of rebellion.
And Shisui, Kagami's descendant? No exception.
"A will be making his move soon… That eye of Kakashi's…"
His fingers brushed the bandages over his own ruined socket.
Technically, he had the option of implanting Kagami's preserved Sharingan.
He had saved it precisely for this kind of situation.
But Kakashi—despite not being an Uchiha—was able to use Obito's Sharingan to an astonishing degree. That raised a critical question: was the eye special, or was Kakashi?
Either way… he wanted it.
And more importantly, he wanted to test Kinoe's ability in the field again.
The last time Kinoe had attempted to assassinate the Third Hokage, he had been defeated with a single move by Kakashi.
That humiliation still festered.
Was Wood-style truly inferior to the Sharingan?
Danzo refused to believe it.
"This time… Kinoe must produce results."
His gaze returned to the reports on his desk—an endless stream of intelligence flowing through Root's hidden veins.
Being one of the Hokage's advisors meant unrestricted access to sensitive intel.
And Danzo used every scrap of it—not for Konoha's peace, but to plan his own rise.
…
Danzo's Intelligence Reports.
Land of Rain:
"Still in chaos. Hanzo, that coward… He cost me more than anyone knows. I had to rebuild Root from the ground up because of that snake. And now he hides like a turtle in his shell?"
Land of Earth:
"Onoki's still pushing south, stirring up tension with Sunagakure. Good. I'll add fuel to that fire—let them bleed each other dry."
Kabuto's Reports on the Land of Wind:
"So, Kirigakure is harassing Sunagakure from the east. And Rasa's mental state is crumbling under pressure. How will he survive being attacked from both directions?"
"I should look into eliminating that woman. She holds the Scorch-style… a rare Kekkei Genkai. Dangerous."
Land of Lightning:
"The Kumogakure dogs are at it again. Eyes on Sazanami's Secret Arts now, are they? Disgusting."
...
Danzo didn't discriminate—he saw every village as a potential threat to be neutralized.
Even Hiruzen, his oldest comrade, was too soft to do what needed to be done.
That meant—for now—Danzo had to continue playing the role of the "stirring stick", stirring up trouble everywhere.
Forging silent alliances.
Planting rumors.
Assassinating where diplomacy failed.
Everything was for the good of Konoha.
…And for his own rise to power.
"One day… I'll reign over the ninja world."
"Hiruzen… you're far too soft."
But just as the words escaped his lips, a voice echoed through the chamber like an icy wind.
"Is that so? Maybe you're right…"
A figure stepped forward, cloaked in shadows.
"…But Danzo… even you must realize—you're going too far."
*****
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