"What!? You used my appearance to save Itachi Uchiha from the people of the 'Root' organization!? And you even talked to him about a few things!?"
When Shisui Uchiha woke leisurely in the morning light, yawning as he carried out his routine intelligence summary for Rei Kaguya, the matter Rei mentioned in an extremely casual tone made Shisui jolt violently.
Almost instantly, he woke up from his Monday morning drowsiness.
"There was no helping it. In that situation, if my clone had taken anyone else's appearance, it would only have looked even more suspicious, wouldn't it?"
Rei's voice carried a lazy indifference.
"And I also wanted to see what kind of child the other Uchiha who might awaken the Mangekyo Sharingan, the one Fugaku Uchiha placed such high hopes on, actually was…"
"And your conclusion after seeing him?" Shisui Uchiha's face was as black as the bottom of a pot.
"If he does not go astray, then he is a gentle child who is good at caring for others. His love for his family is also very pure. On top of that, he possesses a broad mind and far-reaching perspective that are rather rare within the Uchiha clan. The only real problem is probably that his personality is slightly aloof. When he encounters trouble, he prefers solving it alone instead of asking for help from forces he could have relied on."
Listening to Rei's evaluation, Shisui Uchiha relaxed slightly, but at the same time, his brows furrowed.
"He likes solving problems with his own strength? How obvious is that?"
"I had my clone create a bit of movement to test his ability to observe his surroundings. In the end, after confirming the traces my clone left behind, he chased after my clone alone."
Rei paused briefly, then continued in a rather regretful tone.
"In terms of talent, he is indeed a genius capable of taking your place as the Uchiha clan's future rising star. But that personality of wanting to solve everything by himself… it is honestly hard to say whether it is good or bad. If you were still in the Uchiha clan, perhaps the two of you could have become friends who pushed each other forward. But now that you are gone, that part of his personality may very well be magnified and distorted by the Uchiha clan's praise."
"…There is nothing I can do about that. I have already chosen to stand on your side, Fourth-sama. Even if Itachi's personality is led astray, I no longer have the standing to help correct it."
Shisui Uchiha sighed.
He recalled how, when he revealed his talent in the clan, those elders and jonin had showered him with passionate praise and expectations. While feeling faintly pessimistic about Itachi Uchiha's future, he asked in passing, "Then, you also mentioned earlier that after saving Itachi Uchiha, you talked to him about a few things… May I know the specific contents?"
"Do you remember what you said to Kisame when you first went to the Land of Demons on a mission as a Kirigakure shinobi?"
There was a trace of teasing in Rei's voice.
"I slightly modified the wording of that confession you made before accepting the forehead protector and used it to answer Itachi Uchiha's question about why you abandoned everything in Konoha… That should not be too far from your true intentions, right?"
Shisui Uchiha spent a little time recalling exactly what he had said back then.
After remembering, he instinctively covered his forehead and smiled bitterly.
"You… You actually still remember such childish words?"
"My memory has not deteriorated to the point where I would forget the oath of loyalty made by a trusted subordinate."
Rei rolled his eyes.
"Besides, Itachi Uchiha may not necessarily have no chance to meet you again in the future. When that time comes, are you going to improvise a lie that does not come from your heart to deceive him?"
"You really are wicked, Fourth-sama."
Shisui Uchiha shook his head self-mockingly and sighed.
"If Itachi truly has the kind of personality you described, then after hearing those words, there is a considerable chance that he will continue paying attention to and learning about you and the reforms Kirigakure is carrying out…
"And according to your theory, attention is the prerequisite for interest, while developing interest in something new is often the first sign of a clever person's fall… Are you trying to turn him into someone whose heart leans toward Kirigakure too?"
"Even if I had said nothing, because you betrayed Konoha and chose Kirigakure, Itachi Uchiha, as your 'successor,' would still find a way to understand all kinds of information about Kirigakure."
Rei calmly organized the intelligence he had received from Shisui Uchiha and Nagato, speaking unhurriedly.
"Since the only difference is sooner or later, letting him become curious earlier is not a bad thing… After all, the earlier someone comes into contact with it, the weaker their unnecessary resistance will be. I do not want to see, when I take Konoha in the future, some awkward brat standing between the backward village that raised him and advanced ideals, torn between both sides until he can only open his Mangekyo Sharingan and gamble his life in battle, just so he does not betray anyone."
"Even you are unwilling to face a Mangekyo Sharingan holder going all out?" Shisui Uchiha asked curiously.
"That is not it."
Rei gave a negative answer.
"If a village's true elites all die on the battlefield, then the land we take over will be left with nothing but a group of worms afraid of death. How can a country be governed well if one has to work with nothing but worms?"
"…Have you not always been working hard to improve Kirigakure's Ninja Academy education level and promote more specialized divisions among different types of shinobi? Is relying on their strength still not enough?"
"How much population does Kirigakure have? And how vast is the entire shinobi world? Even if we spend more than ten years fully promoting the development of education, the talents we train will at most be enough to build a middle and upper-level framework for newly occupied regions. If we truly want those regions to operate successfully, we must absorb local talents as flesh, blood, and grassroots structure… If the grassroots flesh and blood refuse to cooperate, or even simply rot and stink, how long can a framework alone survive?"
Shisui Uchiha nodded thoughtfully.
"All right. Continue keeping watch near Kakashi Hatake… Remember, when you contact Nagato next, use the Magic Lantern Body Technique. Do not meet his main body again. In the eyes of the 'Root' organization, you have already been exposed, but he has not. If they really dare to launch a direct assault next, Nagato, this hidden weapon, will still be able to give them quite a surprise."
Rei's Magic Lantern Body dispersed before Shisui Uchiha's eyes.
The boy who had only just stepped onto the threshold of adolescence turned and pushed open the window. Looking at the bright sunlight outside, and at Konoha, which was quickly becoming lively and waking back to life, he took a deep breath of the fresh, warm morning air.
He still found it difficult to forget this homeland that had raised him.
He still loved the peaceful and harmonious scene before his eyes.
If possible, he was willing to contribute his own strength to protect such scenery.
But compared to Konoha, which symbolized his stable childhood, the current Shisui Uchiha liked that Kirigakure village, which was rapidly transforming into a brand-new form at a speed outsiders could scarcely imagine, even more.
That place symbolized his sharp, forward-striding adolescence.
"I hope that after this disaster, everyone in Konoha can wake from comfort and return to the road of development, reform, and progress… You were once the first shinobi village established in the shinobi world. Kumogakure, Kirigakure, Sunagakure, and Iwagakure all once looked up at every move you made, hoping to learn methods that could make themselves stronger from the systems Konoha established.
"Although Konoha has not made any new institutional breakthrough in a very long time… surely everyone has not yet lost the spirit to learn and catch up, right?"
The black-haired boy changed into light clothing convenient for movement.
Like a drop of clear water, he silently merged into the bustling crowd on the street.
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