Chapter 192: Pain of Truth (part 1)

Shisui was moving from one base to another with ANBU ninjas. With a team of many Jonin and some elite Jonin, it was almost impossible for Root ninjas to put up any resistance. Since they didn't know about Danzo's arrest, they didn't try to fight back either, thinking it was some kind of misunderstanding and Danzo would save them in due time.

When they were heading towards the 7th base, an ANBU ninja appeared near them and said, "Shisui Uchiha, here's a message for you." The Anbu ninja gave a scroll to Shisui and then turned to the rest of the group. "I am the replacement for Shisui. Let's go."

Leaving Shisui behind, the rest of the ANBU ninjas went on their way to subdue the remaining Root bases. Shisui read the scroll, which simply stated "Come to my office" and had Fugaku's seal at the end.

'Did something else happen?' Shisui had a very bad premonition. 'Was Danzo able to turn the tables even from this situation? How is that even possible?' Just thinking about the consequences, Shisui returned to the clan compound in record time.

"What happened, Fugaku-sama? Was Danzo able to come up with something to save himself?" Shisui asked as soon as he entered Fugaku's office.

"No, but I have something to tell you. Before that, take a seat," Fugaku said, his voice containing a tinge of sorrow.

"What happened, Fugaku-sama?" Shisui asked, finally sitting down and calming a little.

"We went through Danzo's memories to find out about all the crimes he had committed. Among many of them, there was one where he crossed all boundaries," Fugaku said.

"What did he do?" For some reason, Shisui knew he wasn't going to like the answer.

"He backstabbed his friend during a mission, just because he was jealous of his talent," Fugaku said and went silent.

Hearing this, Shisui also went silent. He wasn't an Elite Jonin at the age of 12 for no reason; he already deduced that Fugaku was talking about his father, Kagami Uchiha. Danzo's friend, talented enough to get into Tobirama's squad even though he was an Uchiha.

When the truth hit him, Shisui's chakra went haywire. Fugaku's guards, worried about what was happening inside the office, entered to check. Fugaku gestured that everything was fine and they should wait outside, but the amount of chakra Shisui was releasing was not only simple chakra—it was a dense chakra stream with even denser killing intent.

The killing intent was powerful enough to rival what Hiruzen released. To Shisui, his father was everything—the hero he always looked up to. He was the person who taught Shisui to always love the village and be nice, the nicest person in the Uchiha compound. And he died not due to an enemy, but because of a friend who was jealous of his talent.

"Sit down, Shisui," Fugaku said, releasing his own pressure.

Shisui then came to his senses. He was already standing, facing towards the Hokage building, and was pretty sure he was going to raid that building and pummel Danzo into a paste.

"Is he alive?" Shisui asked.

"Yes, I asked Lord Third to hand him over to us alive and stable, after we clear up the mess he has created."

Shisui's fury had morphed into a suffocating silence. The news of his father's betrayal by Danzo created a gaping hole in his world. His hero, his inspiration, reduced to a victim of petty jealousy. Rage flickered in his eyes, a dangerous ember threatening to erupt.

But knowing that he would get his chance to get answers to thousands of questions in his mind, Shisui forcefully calmed himself down to think reasonably.

"I want to know the whole truth," Shisui said.

Fugaku, understanding the turmoil of emotions in Shisui's heart, just nodded his head and started telling about the memories he had seen. When he told Kagami's last words to Shisui—"Tell my son his father loved him, and make sure he grows up well"—the dam Shisui had built to keep his tears from flowing broke, and a stream of tears started flowing down his face. Fugaku waited silently, giving Shisui some time to handle his emotions.

"Danzo actually buried Kagami's body as a sign of their last friendship. We now know the location of that place," Fugaku said after Shisui calmed down a little.

"Where?"

"It's near Kumogakure. There's a mountain 100 km southwest of Kumogakure; at the top of that mountain, he buried his body," Fugaku said.

"I'll come back in some time," Shisui said, standing up.

"You can't go there, at least not alone. The location is very near to one of Kumogakure's bases—the same base your father destroyed during his last mission. The security is very high in that area. I'll arrange a team to accompany you," Fugaku said.

"No need. If it's just a simple base, I can easily take care of that," Shisui said.

"I know what you're feeling, but you're not some child, Shisui. You're an elite Jonin, the son of Kagami Uchiha. How could you let your emotions cloud your judgment? Sit down and think calmly. Going against a major village base near their hidden village is almost the same as suicide," Fugaku said.

"With due respect, Fugaku-sama, if I had let my emotions cloud my judgment, I would have already been fighting ANBU ninjas to kill Danzo in the most gruesome way possible. I'm already using all my willpower not to do that. Also, I don't think a base will be a problem for me. By the time they know I'm there, I'll already be on my way back," Shisui said.

"Okay, let me complete what happened after reading those memories, then you can go," Fugaku said.

Shisui nodded his head.

"After that..." Fugaku told him everything, including how he was ordered to go to the Land of Iron to take care of the Root base present there.

"So I have to go there first," Shisui said with a sigh. He knew it was the most practical decision; that base was basically a time bomb—a time bomb that could destroy the peace of Konoha.

"Don't worry, you'll be the leader of a team consisting of 7 Jonin and 1 Elite Jonin, plus yourself. After you take care of that base, you can take that team to Kumogakure. I don't think that base will have any power to handle that team, considering there's nothing very important for them there," Fugaku said.

Shisui nodded and said, "I'll be with my family. Call me when the team arrives." He walked to the door, only to find Hae and Kaida standing there. Shisui turned to Fugaku for an explanation.

"I didn't think you'd be this calm after hearing that. I thought you'd surely go for Danzo right now, which is why I called them to calm you down in that case," Fugaku said.

Shisui sighed and then once again turned to Hae and Kaida.

As soon as he turned, Hae hugged him tightly. She was also crying; the truth was too heavy for her to bear, and she knew if Shisui had done something in anger after hearing that, he would have had no other option than going rogue.