Chapter 16

"That was surprising,"

Shisui said, panting and still somewhat bewildered that I, a genin, had managed to escape his genjutsu — even though I wasn't sure how I had done it.

That voice — one I couldn't identify — had healed the wound inside the genjutsu, but the loss of HP was still very real.

[HP: 130/230]

"A genjutsu? I thought you were going to test me some other way. What were you trying to find out with that?" I asked, trying to accept that the sword blow had been nothing more than an illusion.

"You've been walking a dangerous path, Riku. I needed to show you the difference between our abilities, but..."

Shisui paused, searching for the right words, then went on,

"Perhaps I shouldn't have underestimated your willpower."

I stared at him. His eyes flickered, and when he opened them again, the Sharingan was gone.

"You're Itachi's friend, right?" Shisui asked.

Renji looked at me, surprised.

'I am?'

"Well, you could say that. Why do you ask?" I said, eager for his answer.

"I've seen you two talking a few times. Just... be careful. That's all I can say for now."

Shisui turned and began to walk away — just like that, leaving me with more questions than answers. But I couldn't let things end like that. I had to act. I took a deep breath and spoke, without fear or hesitation — only determination.

"The Uchiha clan... is it really planning to go to war with Konoha?"

Shisui froze, his previously relaxed posture now visibly tense. At that moment, I knew I had crossed into forbidden territory.

Silence stretched between us.

When he turned around, the faint smile he'd worn until now was gone. His sharp, experienced eyes analyzed me, as if judging whether I was worthy of an answer.

The wind rustled the leaves around the clearing. Suddenly, the forest felt too small for the conversation that was about to unfold.

Renji tensed beside me.

"Riku..." he murmured, then stopped, unsure how to continue.

Shisui didn't take his eyes off me.

"So, you've heard the rumors," he said, his voice calmer than I expected.

I crossed my arms. I couldn't back down now.

"I've heard some things. But I don't know how much of it is true."

Shisui sighed, looking up at the sky for a brief moment, as if searching for answers among the stars.

"The Uchiha Clan is at a breaking point," he said, looking back at me, his gaze burning with a mix of resolve and sorrow.

"There's growing tension between the village and our clan. And I don't mean simple disagreements."

I kept my expression neutral, though my thoughts were racing.

Shisui continued.

"The Konoha Council and the Hokage know that some within our clan are planning to seize control of the village. On the other side, the Uchiha elders believe we're being surveilled — treated like criminals in our own home."

With every word, the tension thickened.

"And you?" I asked. "What do you think about all of this?"

Shisui was quiet for a moment. Then he took a deep breath and answered.

"I think... a civil war would destroy Konoha."

Renji lowered his head, clenching his fists tightly.

I looked at him — if he already knew all this, then the weight he carried was far too heavy.

"The Third Hokage wants peace," Shisui continued. "But there are others in the village who think differently..."

I knew exactly who he meant — Danzo. The man who saw the Uchiha as a threat to be erased.

"So, it's just a matter of time, isn't it? The clan won't back down. The village won't trust them. And when the tension reaches its limit, someone will make the first move."

Shisui didn't answer right away, but his gaze said everything.

'Shit... this is really going to happen. Unless...' I clenched my jaw.

"You have a plan."

It wasn't a question — it was a statement. I stared at Shisui, looking for confirmation.

Shisui looked at me for a long moment, then smiled—but it wasn't like before.

"I have something in mind, yes." His eyes flashed. "Next time we meet, I'll have made my decision. Then you'll know the answer to all of this."

Shisui turned to Renji and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Have you been training?"

Renji hesitated, but nodded.

"I'm trying."

Shisui gave a faint smile. "Don't stop. You'll need your strength."

"Well, I've taken up enough of your time." He turned to me. "Riku, if you want some advice..."

I straightened up.

"Don't get too attached to the Senju name. What matters isn't the clan you're from..."

His gaze locked with mine, burning with intensity.

"It's what you do with the power you have."

I started to reply, but before I could speak, he vanished like a ghost in the night.

Renji stood frozen, still processing it all.

The forest was silent again — but it wasn't comforting.

It was the kind of silence that follows something important, as if the world itself was waiting for what comes next.

Renji kept staring at the spot where Shisui had vanished. His body was tense, fists clenched at his sides. For a moment, he looked like a statue.

I didn't know what to say.

A breeze rustled through the leaves, and then Renji finally spoke.

"He shouldn't have told you anything."

I frowned immediately. "What?"

Renji closed his eyes and took a deep breath to steady himself. When he spoke again, his voice was tight with anger.

"You don't understand, Riku. This... this isn't your fight."

He turned to face me, his eyes heavier than I'd ever seen them.

"You have no idea what's happening. You've got your family. Your team. Your whole future. So why get involved?"

I met his gaze.

"Renji... this isn't just about the Uchiha. If war breaks out, you won't be the only one who suffers."

His eyes flickered, but he only sighed and looked away.

"You think you can actually do something?"

"I don't know. But that doesn't mean I'll just sit back and do nothing."

Renji laughed — dry and bitter.

"Ignore it?" He shook his head. "That's exactly what I should be doing. Pretending nothing's wrong. Acting like it'll all be fine."

He knows... he knows things have already gone too far.

I stepped closer.

"Renji... what do you really know?"

His fists clenched tighter.

"Enough."

Renji hesitated, unsure whether to speak. Then, finally, he did.

"The clan has already decided, Riku. They won't back down."

My throat went dry.

"So… they're really going to try to take Konoha?"

Renji didn't answer right away. But when he looked at me again, his eyes were filled with sorrow.

"Do you think I want this?" His voice was lower now, almost a whisper. "Do you think I want to watch my clan march toward its own destruction?"

'He already knows how this will end…'

"Then why don't you try to stop it?" I asked, trying to help somehow.

He laughed again, a dry, humorless laugh.

"What can I do, Riku? Go against my own clan? Do you really think they'd listen to someone like me?"

I remained silent, because I knew he was right.

The Uchiha clan was heading for disaster, and Renji was just a 13-year-old genin. If history followed its normal course, he would soon be dead too.

But I refused to let history unfold like that.

"Maybe you can't change anything now," I said, my voice firm. "But I'm not going to stand by and watch it happen either."

Renji looked at me for a moment, trying to absorb my words, and then he let out a long, tired sigh.

"You really are an idiot, you know that?"

I smiled slightly.

Renji ran his hand over his face, looking more exhausted than ever.

"Let's go before I regret bringing you here."

I nodded, but as we walked back to Konoha, a new determination began to grow within me.

The war was drawing closer and closer. And I needed to be ready.