"Damn it! All units, fall back!"
From the shadows, Danzō Shimura ground his teeth. The Root operatives scattered like ghosts into the trees, abandoning their ambush.
He hadn't expected this. Not Shisui's Susanoo, even half-formed, radiating power like a skeletal god of war.
Not Hidan either, silver hair whipping in the wind as he forced open the Fourth Gate: Gate of Pain and still standing as if it were nothing. The boy could probably push into the Fifth if he wanted.
Danzō's lips tightened. If he reaches that level, even I won't be able to control this.
The balance was slipping out of his hands, and for once, the schemer felt unease gnawing at him.
Still, he retreated, waiting for another chance, leaving behind the two figures by the lake: Shisui Uchiha and the masked boy called Hidan.
"It's time to stop," Hidan said suddenly.
The unnatural chakra storm around his body receded as he released the Eight Gates, his breathing heavy but steady. He even tilted his head back, meeting Shisui's crimson Mangekyō directly.
It was a gamble, but Hidan felt confident. He knew Shisui's reputation: a hero willing to shoulder anything for Konoha. That kind of person could be reasoned with.
Shisui slowed, eyes still sharp, suspicion weighing on him. "…Then talk."
"You don't have to look so grim," Hidan smirked.
"Tell you what, call your buddy Itachi over. I'll explain everything in front of him too, so you don't have to think I'm trying to trick you."
"Already done."
From the treeline, a calm voice drifted out. A lone figure emerged, a crow perched on his shoulder, black eyes glinting like polished obsidian.
Uchiha Itachi.
Hidan blinked once, then chuckled. "Tch. Smart move. Used your crow to signal him, huh? Guess you're not as easy to fool as I thought."
Itachi's Sharingan spun faintly, his expression unreadable. "He was with me in Anbu. His chakra and stance don't lie. He is who he says he is."
Shisui kept his eyes on Hidan. "Then explain."
"Explain?" Hidan tilted his head, grin curling beneath the tengu mask.
"Fine. Let me start with you, Shisui. That Mangekyō of yours… I'd bet my scythe the ability inside is Kotoamatsukami, isn't it?"
The name fell like a stone into the lake.
Shisui's body stiffened. Itachi's eyes widened.
Murderous intent crackled in the air.
Hidan raised both hands. "Whoa, relax! Don't get all stabby just because I said the name. Look... your secret isn't as secret as you thought."
"Danzō already knows. Why do you think he tried to have you eliminated today? Not because of treason, but because he wants that eye."
Shisui's throat tightened. The Mangekyō ability he bore was the strongest genjutsu of all, able to rewrite a person's will without them ever realizing it.
It was the ultimate tool for peace or for manipulation. And for that very reason, it was a threat to everyone who didn't trust him.
"I'll use Kotoamatsukami on the Uchiha clan head," Shisui said firmly, almost desperately.
"If I can change his mind, the clan won't move against the village. There won't be war."
Even to his own ears, it sounded like self-hypnosis.
Itachi lowered his gaze. He wanted to believe, but…
"Too naïve!" Hidan snapped, voice sharp enough to cut. "Think, damn it! How many Uchiha want rebellion burned into their bones?"
"How many can you rewrite before the whole clan realizes something's wrong? One? Two? You're just buying time, Shisui. Time until the clash explodes even worse."
Shisui's chest tightened. Each word stabbed deeper, stripping away the fragile hope he had been clinging to.
"So what is it?" Hidan's voice turned low, almost solemn. "Your clan… or your village? Uchiha or Konoha? Pick one, because carrying both will only tear you apart."
The silence was heavy.
Itachi clenched his fists, his face unreadable, but his heart was burning. Shisui stared into the rippling lake water, his own reflection warped by the sharingan's red glow.
The choice was inevitable. And tragic.
Finally, Shisui whispered, "…Konoha."
The word fell like a blade.
Hidan exhaled, almost sadly. "Heh. Always the martyr, huh? You two really are pieces cut from the same tragic cloth."
"Then listen carefully," Hidan continued, voice chilling. "If the Uchiha are doomed to clash with the village, the only way forward is for two sparks of hope to survive."
"Two flames strong enough to outlast the massacre."
Shisui's eyes snapped up. "Two? Who?"
Hidan's gaze slid toward Itachi. "You, Itachi. And your younger brother. Those two alone must survive."
The silence that followed was suffocating. Itachi's lips pressed into a thin line, the weight of a future only he could carry sinking down on his shoulders.
Shisui's chest ached, his vision blurring. He had always known his clan's ambition pressed too heavily against Konoha's patience.
But to hear it laid out so bluntly, the death sentence written so clearly… it felt like betrayal by fate itself.
Of course, Hidan wasn't finished.
Behind the mask, his grin stretched wider, his thoughts veering off the script entirely.
Two flames? Pfft, as if. Like hell I'm only saving two.
How could I possibly ignore Itachi's mom? She's definitely going to need someone to… ahem… take care of her after all this.
And Izumi? Oh, she's going to be "my" daughter-in-law whether she knows it yet or not.
Gotta keep her in the pocket too, so Itachi gets a nice little surprise down the line. Heh. Kukuku.
If only Shisui and Itachi knew what kind of lunatic they were listening to.
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