Fugaku swallowed hard before forcing out two words.
“…I agree.”
Those words seemed to drain every ounce of strength from his body.
His shoulders slumped as though years had suddenly been added to his age.
Yu remained expressionless, as if this outcome had been expected all along.
“You’ll be glad you made this decision, Clan Head Fugaku.”
He rose to his feet without another courtesy.
“We’ll discuss the details later.
As for those two…”
Fugaku immediately understood who he meant.
“I’ll make the arrangements.”
His voice was hoarse, but now carried unmistakable resolve.
The following morning.
Behind Naka Shrine lay a secluded training ground rarely visited by anyone.
Morning mist still lingered over the clearing, and the air retained the coolness of dawn.
Uchiha Itachi and Uchiha Shisui stood side by side, each wearing a different expression.
Itachi, though younger, carried himself with remarkable composure.
His dark eyes were unfathomable as he quietly observed the surroundings.
Shisui appeared much brighter by comparison, his youthful confidence and sincerity showing clearly on his face, though even he couldn’t hide the seriousness in his expression today.
Both had heard stories from Fugaku about Konoha’s suddenly risen Chief Honorary Advisor.
A mysterious shinobi with immeasurable strength.
Someone impossible to read.
“Brother Shisui…”
Itachi finally broke the silence.
“Why do you think Advisor Shinzuki wanted to meet us?”
Shisui rubbed his chin.
“I’m not sure.”
“Father only said it concerns the future of the Uchiha.”
“He told us to take this meeting very seriously.”
He was just as puzzled.
The future of the Uchiha?
Had the clan’s situation really deteriorated to the point where they needed guidance from an outsider?
Footsteps approached through the morning dew.
Without anyone noticing when he had arrived…
Shinzuki Yu was suddenly standing before them.
As always, he wore plain, simple clothing.
His temperament was gentle.
Like an older brother from the neighborhood.
Nothing about him suggested the overwhelming powerhouse described in every rumor.
Had they not already known who he was…
No one would have connected this man with the legendary hero of the Nine-Tails Incident.
“Uchiha Itachi.”
“Uchiha Shisui.”
Yu’s gaze swept across them.
His greeting was little more than stating their names.
Itachi bowed slightly.
Shisui was more straightforward.
“Advisor Shinzuki, we—”
“No need.”
Yu raised a hand, cutting him off.
“Time is valuable.”
“So let’s skip the formalities.”
He walked a few steps forward, standing with the rising sun behind him.
“The Uchiha clan…”
“…is facing annihilation.”
His tone remained calm.
The words themselves, however, struck like thunder.
Itachi’s pupils contracted ever so slightly.
Yet his expression remained composed.
Shisui’s face changed immediately.
“That’s impossible!”
“Advisor…
surely you’re exaggerating—”
He wanted to say you’re being alarmist.
But when he met Yu’s eyes—
Eyes that seemed capable of seeing through every lie—
The rest of his sentence died in his throat.
“Impossible?”
Yu chuckled softly.
“Because of the reputation of the Uchiha Police Force?”
“Or because you believe your clan’s contributions guarantee your safety?”
Itachi remained silent.
Already, he was analyzing the meaning behind every word.
Shisui frowned.
“The Uchiha have always served Konoha loyally.”
“So where would this supposed disaster come from?”
“Loyalty?”
Yu’s smile carried a trace of irony.
“Is every Uchiha loyal?”
“Or only some of them?”
“And more importantly…”
“Does Konoha’s leadership actually believe in that loyalty?”
He paused before dropping another bombshell.
“A masked man.”
“A man wielding the Sharingan.”
“He manipulates events from the shadows.”
“His very existence is enough to drag the entire Uchiha clan into ruin.”
“The village leadership only needs one excuse.”
“One excuse…”
“To erase the Uchiha completely.”
“…A masked man…”
“…with the Sharingan…”
Something flickered across Itachi’s mind.
A thought…
Almost grasped…
Yet still beyond reach.
Meanwhile, Shisui’s expression darkened.
Yu glanced at him.
“Shisui of the Body Flicker.”
“You know better than Itachi how the higher-ups operate.”
“Their ‘friendly’ approaches toward you…”
“Haven’t exactly been rare.”
Shisui’s heart shook violently.
It was true.
Ever since his reputation had spread throughout the shinobi world—
Especially after certain people within the village discovered he possessed the Mangekyō Sharingan—
Even if they knew nothing about Kotoamatsukami…
Secret approaches…
Careful probing…
Thinly veiled suspicion…
Had never stopped.
Danzō.
The leader of Root.
He had repeatedly tested him, unable to hide his greed for the Sharingan’s power.
Shisui had never spoken of these encounters.
Not even to Fugaku.
He didn’t want to deepen the divide between the clan and the village.
Yet today…
Yu exposed everything with only a few words.
A chill ran down his spine.
The danger had been there all along.
“…Danzō…”
“He has always regarded the Uchiha as a threat.”
His voice turned dry.
“Not just him.”
Yu replied coldly.
“There are plenty among Konoha’s leadership who fear the Uchiha.”
“Clan Head Fugaku tried to defend your family’s interests through stubborn resistance.”
“In the end…”
“He only widened the rift.”
He looked toward Itachi.
“You’re intelligent.”
“You’ve already noticed how foolish the extremists within your clan are.”
“Their so-called resistance…”
“Only accelerates the Uchiha’s destruction.”
Itachi pressed his lips together.
He had noticed.
Those clan members shouting about seizing power…
Teaching Konoha a lesson…
To him…
They were walking straight toward death.
His father…
Seemed trapped among them.
Or perhaps…
Unable to make up his mind.
“So…”
Itachi finally spoke.
His voice remained calm.
“Why tell us all of this?”
“To offer you a choice.”
Yu raised a finger.
“Or rather…”
“To offer the Uchiha a choice.”
“A choice?”
Shisui asked.
“You can continue down the path of suspicion and confrontation.”
“And perish.”
“Or…”
“You can cut away the rot.”
“And be reborn.”
Suddenly—
Yu’s entire aura changed.
The gentle atmosphere around him vanished.
In its place…
An overwhelming pressure descended like a tidal wave.
Itachi and Shisui both found it difficult to breathe.
It felt as though an invisible hand had seized their throats.
His eyes transformed.
The intricate pattern of an Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan slowly rotated.
Its overwhelming ocular power dwarfed anything either of them had ever experienced.
“This…”
Shisui struggled to speak.
His own Mangekyō suddenly felt like a firefly before the full moon.
Even Itachi—
Who prided himself on remaining calm—
Couldn’t stop his muscles from tensing.
This level of dōjutsu…
Completely suppressed him.
Yu smiled faintly.
Not proudly.
Simply matter-of-factly.
“This…”
“is the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan.”
Then—
He placed a hand on the ground.
“Wood Release: Deep Forest Binding.”
Boom!
Massive trees erupted from the earth.
Towering trunks intertwined like colossal serpents, creating an entire miniature forest within moments.
The life force overflowing from the Wood Release was unmistakable.
It carried the same overwhelming vitality spoken of only in legends.
The power of Hashirama Senju.
Both Itachi and Shisui were left speechless.
Sharingan…
And Wood Release…
The legendary powers of the Uchiha and Senju…
Existing together within one man.
A man still so young.
Moments later…
The forest dissolved.
Yu’s eyes returned to normal.
Silence reclaimed the training ground.
But neither Itachi nor Shisui could calm the storm raging within their hearts.
“So.”
Yu smiled lightly.
“Do you still think I was exaggerating?”
Internally, however, he thought:
As expected…
When dealing with future legends, you’ve got to show your cards first.
Otherwise they’ll think you’re running some kind of cult recruitment.
Shisui swallowed.
The shock remained in his eyes.
Yet another emotion had appeared alongside it.
Hope.
For the first time…
He saw another possibility.
Itachi’s breathing became uneven for only a moment before settling again.
He looked directly at Yu.
This man possessed overwhelming power.
Yet instead of forcing the issue…
He had chosen dialogue.
“…Advisor.”
“What do you want us to do?”
There was newfound gravity in Itachi’s voice.
Yu nodded with satisfaction.
As expected of Itachi.
His composure really is something else.
“I won’t ask you to do anything beyond your capabilities.”
He folded his arms.
“First…”
“The Uchiha must purge their own extremists.”
“Get rid of the fools who only know how to shout slogans.”
“And those blinded by ambition.”
“After that…”
“The clan must sincerely demonstrate its loyalty to Konoha.”
“To the Fourth Hokage.”
“Not endless resentment.”
“Not endless confrontation.”
“I’ll personally guarantee the Uchiha as Chief Honorary Advisor.”
“But I need your cooperation.”
He turned toward Shisui.
“Your Mangekyō…”
“Will become one of the keys.”
“But not to control the village.”
“To protect what truly matters to you.”
Then he looked at Itachi.
“And you.”
“Your talent.”
“Your wisdom.”
“They’ll become the bridge between your clan and Konoha.”
“The future of the Uchiha…”
“Will largely rest in the hands of young people like you.”
His vision painted an entirely different future.
A future where the Uchiha were no longer feared.
Where they stood beside the other clans…
As true protectors of Konoha.
Especially for Shisui…
It was the future he had always dreamed of.
“…Can you really accomplish that?”
His voice trembled.
With excitement.
With hope.
Yu answered calmly.
“I never attempt something I’m not confident I can achieve.”
“But first…”
“The Uchiha must prove they’re worth saving.”
“Your clan head has already made his choice.”
“Now…”
“It’s your turn.”
Thoughts flashed rapidly through Itachi’s mind.
The suffering of the clan.
The innocent people caught in the conflict.
His own dream of peace.
If there truly existed a path capable of breaking the Uchiha’s curse…
Shisui stepped forward first.
His expression was utterly serious.
“If everything you’ve said is true…”
“Then I, Uchiha Shisui…”
“…am willing to help.”
“For both the clan…”
“And Konoha.”
His eyes shone with complete sincerity.
Itachi remained silent for a long moment before speaking quietly.
“If this truly is the only opportunity to change our clan’s fate…”
“…then I’ll do everything within my power.”
His promise was quieter than Shisui’s.
But no less resolute.
Yu nodded.
Good.
The two most important pieces had begun moving.
“Remember.”
“You are the Uchiha’s hope.”
“And the cornerstone of Konoha’s future.”
“Don’t disappoint me.”
He said nothing more.
Some seeds…
Needed time to grow.
The morning sun rose completely.
The final traces of mist disappeared.
Golden light fell upon the three young men.
As though marking the beginning of an entirely new future.
Itachi and Shisui watched Yu’s departing figure in silence.
The conversation had shaken everything they believed.
Yet…
For the first time…
The fog clouding their path had begun to clear.
“Itachi…”
Shisui finally spoke.
“We should…”
Itachi nodded.
“…Let’s return.”
“And speak with Father.”