CHAPTER 43

---

At the time, many eyewitnesses claimed they had seen the mysterious masked man who controlled the Nine-Tails. Through the eye hole in his mask, they saw a Sharingan — leading to widespread suspicion that the Uchiha clan was responsible for the Nine-Tails' attack on Konoha.

The Uchiha, however, felt wronged. The order to remain in the village during the crisis wasn't their choice — it was issued by Konoha's higher-ups. They weren't shirking their duty out of cowardice; they were being isolated on purpose.

Over time, the mistrust between the Uchiha clan and the Konoha leadership deepened. Resentment grew on both sides, and an invisible wall formed between them. Each side saw the other with suspicion, and reconciliation became harder.

Uchiha Shisui believed that if even one side could take the initiative to change and extend trust, it could break the cycle of hostility and bring peace.

His ideals were noble — but ultimately, too naïve.

What Shisui underestimated was that Shimura Danzo had never trusted the Uchiha.

Danzo firmly believed in the ideology of his mentor, the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama, who viewed the Uchiha as a threat to the village's stability. Danzo held that belief as absolute truth — and saw the Uchiha not as comrades, but as a liability.

Even if the current crisis was resolved through Shisui's plan, Danzo believed another would inevitably follow. Therefore, for the sake of what he saw as the village's stability, Danzo concluded that the Uchiha clan had to be eliminated.

"What if you use Kotoamatsukami on Fugaku and persuade him — but the relationship between the Uchiha and Konoha doesn't change? What will you do then?" Danzo asked coldly.

Danzo closed his eyes, hiding his intent behind a facade of calm, as though he had genuinely come to discuss a strategy with Shisui.

"Lord Third promised he would work to sway public opinion," Shisui said, his voice filled with hope. "If we all work together, I believe we can change things."

He had volunteered for this mission — not to betray his clan, but to become a bridge between them and the village. He truly believed that a peaceful resolution was possible.

With the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, willing to give the Uchiha another chance, Shisui thought all that remained was to ease the tension within his own clan.

But Danzo wasn't convinced.

"You place too much faith in Sarutobi," Danzo said. "The villagers' suspicion of the Uchiha won't vanish because of a few kind words."

"I know... but if we just had more time—"

"Naive!" Danzo snapped. "People like me — people who distrust easily — don't change so simply. What will you do when your plan fails, Shisui?"

"Lord Danzo…"

"Stop wasting time on a tree that will never bloom. Give me Kotoamatsukami. I will take your Mangekyō Sharingan."

Clack!

Danzo's cane struck the ground sharply. In the next moment, his eyes snapped open, and with a grim expression, he lunged forward — his left hand shooting toward Shisui's eye.

Danzo tore the right eye from Shisui's socket, aiming to claim the power of his Mangekyō Sharingan for himself.

But Shisui wasn't an easy target.

The moment Danzo moved, Shisui's Sharingan flared to life. His eyes turned a vivid scarlet, spinning with three tomoe.

With a single glance, he cast a powerful genjutsu. Danzo, his hand still lodged in Shisui's face, froze like a puppet with its strings cut, lifeless and unseeing.

"This is just a standard genjutsu," Shisui said, breathing hard. "You'll snap out of it soon."

Believing he had bought enough time, Shisui lowered his guard and turned to escape.

But before he could take more than a few steps—

Danzo reappeared in front of him.

"What—?"

Thud!

Before Shisui could react, Danzo struck a precise blow to his gut. The force shattered several ribs, dislodged his organs, and sent blood rushing into his throat.

Danzo didn't relent. He followed up with a brutal double strike, aiming directly for Shisui's vital points.

Shisui staggered, struggling to remain conscious. He wasn't afraid to die — but his mission wasn't done. He still had to bring peace between Uchiha and Konoha. He had to escape.

"I can't die yet… not before preventing the tragedy that's coming…"

"You will die here," Danzo growled, his eyes cold and merciless. "And the Uchiha will vanish from the pages of history."

At that moment, Root operatives revealed themselves from the shadows. Dozens surrounded Shisui, weapons drawn.

"Don't meet his eyes — aim for his legs!"

Well-trained and fully briefed on the threat posed by the Sharingan, they launched a coordinated assault.

Shurikens sliced through the air, fast and precise — but to Shisui, time slowed. With his Sharingan, he could track every movement, every trajectory.

He drew a kunai and deflected each projectile with surgical precision.

But Danzo moved again, his left hand darting toward Shisui's remaining eye.

"Give it to me!"

"…It's over."

To Shisui, Danzo's movements looked slow, like a frame-by-frame playback of a movie. And yet, he couldn't dodge.

Danzo's hand felt like the scythe of death, inevitable and cold, poised to take everything from him.

"Danzo!" Shisui screamed, eyes wide with desperation.

But just as Danzo's hand reached forward—

Whoosh!

A flash of ink-black light shot through the air like a bullet, so fast it seemed to split space itself.

It wasn't aimed at anyone — it pierced a stone nearby with the ease of a knife through tofu.

But it stopped Danzo.

"Who's there?!"

"Izanagi… Danzo," came a calm voice from the shadows. "How many more times can you cast such a technique?"

A mysterious figure emerged from the darkness, his gaze locked on Danzo's right eye — the one that had just used Izanagi and was now slowly closing.

---