Morning dew clung to his clothes as he traversed the Valley of the End.
Fortunately, this was just a Shadow Clone.
Disguised in heavy robes, the clone approached the massive stone statues from a different angle, locating the exact spot where the crow had been stationed earlier. He scanned his surroundings.
A moment later…
"Caw!"
The cry of a crow echoed from nearby.
The black-robed figure followed the sound, watching as two crows took flight from a distant tree and glided toward him. A few seconds later, they alighted on a branch just three paces away.
Then—
"Caw!"
With a sharp cry, one of the crows opened its beak and regurgitated a scroll.
The black-robed figure caught it.
It was a sealing scroll, the very vessel used to preserve the Sharingan earlier. Although he hadn't mastered the intricate art of creating seals, releasing a scroll was well within his capabilities.
He formed the necessary hand signs and released the seal.
In the next second, a Shadow Clone emerged from the smoke.
Shisui raised his head and exhaled slowly. "It seems it worked. I didn't expect you to actually find this place. Your intelligence network is truly terrifying… I even began to suspect you were in league with him."
"Merely some insignificant information."
The black-robed figure chuckled, offering no explanation for his sources. "You aren't surprised by my decision?"
"Given the situation between you and him, I would have been surprised if you chose otherwise once you knew the inside story," Shisui replied.
Hearing this, a flash of astonishment crossed Shisui's eyes. "You even know about what happened at the Naka River?"
"I know more than you do," the black-robed figure said, his voice as calm as still water. "Knowing the specifics won't benefit you right now. However, I can tell you this: the man posing as Madara told you only a partial truth."
"A partial truth…" Shisui savored the words, his brow furrowing slightly. "Do you know his true identity?"
"I have my conjectures, but I cannot share them." A light laugh escaped from beneath the mask. "As I said before, knowing too much does you no good in your current state."
Shisui remained silent. He understood that carrying too much sensitive intelligence could lead to slips in behavior that might expose him. He didn't press further.
Just as he was considering what to say next, the black-robed figure spoke again.
"I have some news for you," the figure said, his voice dropping to a low timbre. "Itachi has gone to see the Hokage. According to my sources, the Hokage's attitude toward the Uchiha has shifted. He may attempt an approach similar to the one used during the era of Setsuna Uchiha."
Shisui's face lit up with a flicker of hope, only for it to dim just as quickly.
"It's useless. The survival of the Uchiha has never been decided by the Hokage alone, but by Danzō, the Village, and the attitude of the Uchiha clan itself."
He looked toward the direction of Konoha.
"I have awakened now, and I will not look back."
"So, you intend to choose his path?"
"No." Shisui shook his head. He gazed down into the river valley below and replied, "I do not trust him. That is why I wish to hear your thoughts, Sir."
"There are no fixed rules in this world. Once you have made your choice, everything else must adapt to the times," the black-robed figure answered indifferently. "Since he has such a plan, why not go with the flow and utilize him for the time being? His space-time Dōjutsu is perfectly suited for transferring your clansmen amidst the coming chaos."
"Utilize him…" Shisui mulled over the concept, then nodded gently.
Indeed. Under the current circumstances, using "Madara" to achieve his own goals was the most pragmatic option. He looked at the black-robed figure, hesitating as if wanting to say more.
The black-robed figure interjected, "Aside from his efforts, I will also assist you in transferring a small portion of your people. However, once they leave, there is a high probability they can no longer be ninja."
"Cannot be ninja…" Shisui looked out at the distant mountains and rivers, and a smile touched his lips. "That is actually quite good. Life might be harder, perhaps a bit more chaotic, but it is better than this."
He turned his gaze back to the black-robed figure. "Is this your plan?"
"You cannot save everyone in the chaos. However, during a fire, the disappearance of a few infants too young to form memories is unlikely to be noticed," the black-robed figure explained. "Of course, this is assuming they do not awaken a Kekkei Genkai. Once awakened, they will be far removed from the life of a commoner."
Shisui pondered this for a moment, then bowed deeply. "I must trouble you to help take some of them away, then."
"Cooperation is mutual," the black-robed figure chuckled darkly.
He didn't finish the sentence, but Shisui understood the implication perfectly—having accepted this help, he now owed a debt to this relationship.
"I understand," Shisui said. After a brief hesitation, he asked, "How should I contact you?"
"Do not contact me unless absolutely necessary," the black-robed figure warned. "He commands a group of subordinates who are exceptional at concealment, reconnaissance, and disguise. You must be extremely cautious over there."
Shisui was slightly stunned, then nodded solemnly. "I understand."
"Success."
Masahiko exhaled a long breath.
He had prepared numerous contingency plans, but the situation had unfolded far more smoothly than anticipated. Shisui trusted him implicitly. This eliminated the need for many explanations; he could simply leave things unsaid, avoiding the trap of saying too much and making mistakes.
Everything was going according to plan.
He continued his morning jog, turning over the scheme in his mind until a solid strategy began to form. After running for a while longer, an insect landed in front of him.
Masahiko was currently heading toward Danzō's base. Halfway there, he encountered the Root ninja codenamed "Toge."
"Senpai."
"Lord Danzō has issued new instructions. Your previous mission to investigate Shisui has changed. You are to find a way to make contact with Orochimaru. The mission is now to investigate the relationship between Orochimaru and Shisui," Toge said coldly. "This is a long-term assignment. Do not disappoint Lord Danzō."
"Yes!" Masahiko nodded in acknowledgement.
Toge stared at him deeply. "How is your relationship with Itachi Uchiha currently?"
"We haven't spoken much. He is difficult to approach. I can only say it's slightly better than before," Masahiko replied. "However, he gave me one of Shisui's notebooks and asked me to pass it on to Sasuke in the future. I intended to report this within the next two days."
Toge nodded, asking no further questions. "Remember to report in a timely manner next time."
"Yes."
Toge dissolved into a swarm of insects and vanished.
Watching the Root agent disappear, Masahiko returned to his original route.
Going to Orochimaru's side…
That actually worked out perfectly.
As he ran another half-lap, the pieces started to click together in his mind. Danzō contacting Orochimaru… is this about the arm modification? Is he securing the manufacturer before collecting the raw materials?
That's a bit hellish.
Masahiko stifled a laugh and continued running. When he reached the gate of Kurenai Yūhi's house, he glanced over from a distance. Seeing Kurenai watering her flowers, he stopped and waved.
Kurenai smiled and waved back.
This was no chance encounter. Every morning, Masahiko monitored whether Kurenai was awake as he passed by. He only approached the gate once he saw she was up and dressed.
Kurenai welcomed him into the yard. He didn't go inside the house but stayed in the garden to ask a few questions regarding the direction of his Genjutsu training.
He had three theoretical paths: Tobirama Senju, Shisui Uchiha, and Kosuke Maruboshi.
Last night, he had skimmed through Shisui's notebook. The content was vast and disorganized, requiring significant time to compile and analyze. Moreover, much of it required the Sharingan, making it useless in the short term.
As for Tobirama Senju… that was likely purely theoretical. Tobirama might have conceived the ideas, but he didn't necessarily have a practical implementation plan.
Masahiko intended to choose Kosuke Maruboshi's path. His abilities were the most relevant to the "symptoms," making them ready to use immediately.
However, to solidify his theoretical foundation, he wanted to do a "dry run" with Kurenai first.
an hour later, he naturally invited Kurenai out for a meal, continuing their exchange on the fusion of Taijutsu and Genjutsu while they ate.
Why spend a Teaching Consultant Salary Card when he could discuss it in reality?