After finishing his explanation, Shisui quietly watched Uchiha Itachi.
Itachi had closed his eyes. He sat in silence, struggling to accept what he had just heard. He simply couldn't believe those words had come from Shisui.
The Second Hokage didn't trust the Uchiha?
Then why had he taken Uchiha Kagami as a personal disciple and taught him so earnestly?
The Third Hokage inherited that same will and also distrusted the Uchiha?
Then why had he allowed the clan to lead the Konoha Police Force? Why had he allowed both Itachi and Shisui into the Anbu?
As for the claim that the police force was a trap to isolate the Uchiha and cause division—how could that be true?
Itachi believed the Uchiha had been granted significant authority, and it was their own attitude that had caused the rift between the clan and the village.
He couldn't—no, he refused to believe that Shisui could accept such a view.
Why couldn't Shisui see everything the Hokage had done for their clan?
If the Third Hokage truly harbored such resentment, their clan reports from the council could have been used long ago as justification to act against them.
Itachi's heart churned with anger, sorrow, and bitter disappointment.
But he suppressed those emotions—because he was a trained shinobi, an elite Anbu operative. He couldn't allow himself to lose composure.
There were still too many things he needed to clarify—too much he had to confirm.
"So then, what exactly are you all planning to do?" Itachi asked, keeping his voice calm. "What's this new direction you're taking?"
"Are you sure you're okay, Itachi?" Shisui frowned. He could tell something was off, even if Itachi seemed composed on the surface.
After a moment's pause, he nodded. "Alright. I'll explain."
Shisui began to describe, slowly and carefully, the current direction of the clan—while deliberately omitting Yuhara's name, as promised.
He explained how both of the clan's major factions had finally come to realize that their internal conflict was tearing the Uchiha apart.
They had reached a conclusion: continuing to submit to Konoha's suppression would only lead to their slow destruction.
But taking a hardline approach—declaring outright rebellion—would doom them just as quickly.
So, they had begun to unify their ideals. No more infighting. No more division.
Instead of endless concessions or blind aggression, they would take a stand with clear goals, challenge Konoha through measured opposition, and make their voices heard.
Shisui left it there. He believed he had conveyed the essence: they weren't seeking war—they were seeking a different path to peace.
But Itachi's expression had only grown darker.
The moment he heard words like "no more concessions" and "resistance is necessary", his heart sank.
No matter how much Shisui emphasized that the clan did not intend to rebel, Itachi saw through the phrasing.
How could they achieve those goals without clashing with the Hokage?
And if they clashed with the Hokage, were they not in direct opposition to Konoha?
This wasn't reform. This was rebellion with a prettier name.
He couldn't believe what he was hearing.
The man he admired like an older brother—who had guided him, cared for him, and shared his dreams of peace—was gone.
That Shisui had vanished, replaced by a stranger speaking of resistance and defiance.
Itachi slowly turned his gaze away, staring down at the cliff's edge as the waves crashed far below.
In his heart, he felt the Shisui he knew fall with them—into the abyss.
When he looked back, his eyes were filled with sorrow.
"Shisui... are you really choosing to abandon the dreams we once shared? Is this the path you've chosen now?"
"What?"
Shisui was stunned. Did he explain something wrong? Had he misphrased it?
Before he could respond, Itachi's eyes burned red. His Sharingan had activated, spinning silently in the moonlight.
He stared down Shisui with fierce resolve.
"So you're really going to oppose the village?" he asked coldly. "You're going to disrupt its peace? Drag the clan and Konoha into darkness together?"
Shisui's face darkened.
He could see it now—Itachi completely rejected their position. He didn't even try to understand.
In Itachi's eyes, any form of resistance was a threat to the village. No matter how rational or measured, it was treason.
Shisui remembered Elder Sō saying Itachi was firm in his convictions. That firmness could make him great—but if he ever chose the wrong path, he'd follow it to the bitter end.
"Listen to me, Itachi—" Shisui began, trying one last time.
"No need," Itachi cut him off.
"You want to fight the village. You want to combine the clan's power and will to stand against it."
"You want to disrupt peace, and drag even the innocent into conflict."
"Well then—"
His Sharingan spun violently now.
"I won't allow it. I won't let any of you hurt my family. I won't let you endanger the village. If you want to go through with this, you'll have to go through me first."
He looked at Shisui one last time.
Itachi had always trusted him more than anyone—even more than the Hokage.
But that trust shattered tonight.
He had his own convictions.
He wanted peace. He wanted Sasuke to grow up safely. He wanted to protect both the clan and the village.
And now he believed that meant standing against Shisui.
Turning away without another word, Itachi disappeared into the night.
His eyes ached strangely, but the pain in his heart overshadowed it.
Shisui, left alone on the cliff, sighed.
He didn't know if he'd said too much or not enough. His words were no different from Yuhara's.
Don't compromise endlessly. But don't be reckless either.
They weren't trying to rebel. They just wanted Konoha to finally listen.
But clearly, Itachi couldn't accept that.
Shisui closed his eyes.
After a long silence, he smiled bitterly.
"Maybe Yuhara was right… about not telling him everything after all."
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