After hearing Shisui's words, Itachi fell into a long silence. He wanted to tell Shisui that everything he had done was for the sake of the village since it was the right choice.
Back then, a war between the Uchiha clan and the village was inevitable. No matter the outcome, Konoha would have been left severely weakened, if not on the brink of collapse.
Indeed, if Itachi hadn't stopped the Uchiha coup in time, Konoha, already drained of its strength, wouldn't have been able to withstand the invasion from Iwagakure. The outcome of that war wouldn't have been a stalemate, it would have been the loss of vast territories for the Land of Fire and Konoha's descent into a second-rate village. However, on that fateful night of the Uchiha massacre, both of them had made their choices.
Itachi chose the village, while Shisui chose the clan. Although the Uchiha clan had since become intertwined with Konoha's Root organization, the rift between them was irreparable.
After a brief pause, Itachi asked Shisui, "Was Sasuke's mission this time arranged by you? Did you want to see me, or were you planning to kill me, a rogue ninja?"
Shisui looked at Itachi and said slowly, "Killing rogue ninjas is the duty of the Root organization. Your pursuit of the Nine-Tails jinchūriki directly threatens the village's safety. If given the chance, I would certainly try to kill you. But right now, I'm more interested in information about the masked man, Madara Uchiha."
Itachi smiled, spinning a kunai on his finger.
"Do you think I would betray my superior and leak information about him? But if you're willing to join us, I might be able to share some details."
"That's out of the question… I have no intention of leaving Konoha anytime soon."
Shisui shook his head, rejecting Itachi's proposal. He then activated his Sharingan and locked eyes with Itachi, casting a genjutsu.
Under the influence of the genjutsu, Itachi felt his senses being manipulated.
The scene before him shifted from the wilderness to the Uchiha clan compound.
However, Itachi remained calm. He activated his Mangekyō Sharingan to counter Shisui's genjutsu, and the two engaged in a battle of illusions.
Both were masters of genjutsu, capable of silently killing their opponents. But when the gap in their genjutsu prowess was negligible, the fight became awkward.
In the genjutsu space, Shisui and Itachi clashed fiercely. Yet, to an outside observer, the two were simply standing still, staring at each other, creating a rather comical scene.
The genjutsu battle lasted several minutes. Realizing that their strength was evenly matched, Itachi took one last deep look at Sasuke, who was still unconscious beside Shisui, and then left the area.
He didn't want to escalate the conflict with Shisui, nor did he want to linger too long and risk arousing the masked man's suspicions.
After Itachi left, Shisui fell into deep thought, his expression complex.
During their time in the genjutsu space, Itachi had provided him with a lot of information about the masked man. While the information wasn't particularly groundbreaking, it was enough to prove Itachi's sincerity.
Unfortunately, Shisui had little interest in thwarting the masked man's schemes.
He wasn't particularly invested in protecting Konoha either. The reason he had chosen to play the role of Danzō, aside from Byakuya's orders, was to witness Hiruzen Sarutobi's downfall and to make Danzō regret and despair.
Pulling his thoughts back, Shisui turned his attention to Sasuke, who was still unconscious.
Judging by the furrow in Sasuke's brow and the traces of chakra left on him, Sasuke had likely fallen victim to Itachi's genjutsu, reliving the horrors of the Uchiha massacre.
Itachi was truly going all out to force Sasuke to awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan. But didn't he worry that once Sasuke awakened it, his first target would be his cold and ruthless older brother?
With a soft sigh, Shisui dispelled the genjutsu on Sasuke and patiently waited for him to wake up. He planned to talk to Sasuke about Itachi.
Four years ago, due to his still-shaky position, Shisui had no choice but to agree to Itachi's conditions.
But now, the situation was completely different. With the losses suffered by the Third Hokage's direct ANBU forces, the Third Hokage had reactivated the ANBU and was becoming increasingly dependent on the Root organization.
As a result, Root had established a deeply entrenched system within Konoha.
Even if Itachi leaked information about Root to the Third Hokage, it would be too late for the Third Hokage to do anything. Moreover, the Third Hokage and Itachi were merely using each other.
The Third Hokage likely never truly trusted Itachi, and Itachi never intended to genuinely share information.
A few minutes later, Sasuke struggled to open his eyes. Soon, he noticed a tall, lean figure standing before him. This person had activated his Sharingan and was scrutinizing Sasuke closely.
Just as Sasuke was about to speak, the other person spoke first.
"Sasuke, you were attacked by Itachi earlier. Your body hasn't fully recovered yet, so you should stay lying down for now. Don't worry, I mean you no harm. I am Shisui, the current head of the Uchiha clan."
"Shisui?" Sasuke frowned, his eyes filled with suspicion.
The name Shisui was etched in his memory. When he was younger, there were two people he disliked the most: Shisui and Izumi. Both of them had competed for his brother's attention, leaving little time for Itachi to spend with him.
However, if he remembered correctly, Shisui died long ago. Even before the Uchiha massacre, Shisui had been declared missing, presumed dead by the clan.
How could someone who had been dead for so long suddenly appear before him?
Shisui didn't waste time with small talk. He spoke mysteriously, "Sasuke, you seem confused about why I'm still in the ninja world. Didn't I die? It's simple. I never died. That night wasn't what you thought it was."
Hearing this, Sasuke's expression changed. He asked urgently, "What really happened that night? Why are you the Uchiha clan leader now? Where did the rest of the clan go?"
Sasuke had many questions that needed answers.
Shisui spoke slowly, "That night, Itachi did intend to attack the clan. But he didn't expect that I was still alive. In the end, Itachi chose to retreat and became a rogue ninja of Konoha."
Hearing this, Sasuke grew even more confused.
"If Itachi failed to massacre the clan, why did the Uchiha disappear overnight? We were the victims. Why did you all go into hiding?!"
Shisui looked at Sasuke and suddenly smiled.
"It's simple. Why do you think Itachi suddenly turned on the Uchiha? With his strength alone, why would I lead the clan into hiding?"
As he spoke, Shisui's expression turned serious. "The truth is, it wasn't Itachi who wanted to destroy the Uchiha clan, it was the higher-ups of Konoha."
"Konoha's higher-ups?!"
Sasuke was stunned, unable to process this information for a long time.
He had always believed that Itachi had suddenly gone mad and slaughtered the entire clan, sparing only him. But now, Shisui, who had been dead for years, appeared before him and told him that the clan wasn't dead and that the mastermind behind it all was the Third Hokage.
This clashed with everything Sasuke had believed for years, making it hard for him to accept.
Shisui took a sip of water and sat down on a nearby rock. He continued,
"Of course, the Third Hokage had his reasons for ordering the Uchiha's destruction. Back then, due to the oppression from Konoha's higher-ups, your father and other Uchiha elites planned a coup to take over as the Fifth Hokage. But they weren't careful enough, and the Third Hokage discovered their plans in advance.
However, what even the Third Hokage didn't expect was that I didn't die when Danzō attacked me. Instead, I took over Danzō's identity and laid the groundwork for our plan to deceive the world. Sasuke, have you ever felt like someone was watching you in the shadows all these years?"
Those watching you weren't just ANBU, they were also Uchiha from Root. You've actually been under the protection of the Uchiha all along."
"Wait… I've been under the Uchiha's protection all this time?"
The flood of information overwhelmed Sasuke's mind, leaving him in a state of shock. However, as he slowly processed the information, Sasuke began to piece things together. He finally understood who had sent the ninjutsu scroll a year ago. He had always thought it was Kakashi, but it turned out to be his own clansmen. However, if the entire clan had survived due to the "Heaven-Stealing Plan," then his relentless training seemed meaningless.
After all, the driving force behind his efforts had always been his hatred. Now, with no reason for revenge, he no longer needed to train so hard.
But there was still one thing he couldn't understand, and he needed an answer from Shisui.
"Shisui, if you've already taken control of Root and the clan has been successfully relocated, why did Itachi leave the village and become a rogue ninja?"
Mentioning Itachi, Shisui's expression changed. He sighed and said, "Because Itachi and I disagreed. Itachi sided with the village, while I stood with the clan. Moreover, I couldn't allow a Uchiha who had turned against his own clan to remain in Konoha. Well, no matter the reason, I can't forgive Itachi for attacking our clansmen."
After hearing Shisui's explanation, Sasuke somewhat understood Shisui's perspective. He, too, couldn't forgive someone who had turned against their own clan, especially since Itachi had also targeted their parents.
Pulling his thoughts back, Shisui turned to Sasuke and said, "Haven't you always been frustrated about not having anyone to teach you Uchiha ninjutsu and genjutsu? After this mission, I'll have you join Root for special training."
"Join Root?"
Sasuke shook his head. "I don't plan to leave Team 7 anytime soon. Besides, I've always been under the Third Hokage's watch. Joining Root recklessly would expose you."
"You're right. I didn't think that through."
Shisui smiled and said, "But even if that old man, the Third Hokage, finds out the truth, what can he do? He can't do without Root now, unless he's willing to give up his power as Hokage."
At that moment, Sasuke suddenly remembered something and asked anxiously, "By the way, did you see Naruto and the others on your way here? They're still being pursued."
Shisui patted Sasuke's shoulder. "Don't worry about the Nine-Tails jinchūriki. He has specialized ninja protecting him. Instead of worrying about that, you should focus on how to get through the special training."
"The Nine-Tails jinchūriki?" This was the first time Sasuke had heard this term.
Shisui noticed Sasuke's confusion and explained, "That's Naruto from Team 7. His identity is special, he's the Fourth Hokage's son and the Nine-Tails jinchūriki of the village."
"The Fourth Hokage's son?" Sasuke was hit with another shocking revelation.
"Yes, the Fourth Hokage's son. Otherwise, he wouldn't have the qualifications to become the Nine-Tails jinchūriki. As long as nothing happens to him, a jinchūriki will always possess Kage-level strength. I know he's your rival. If you don't work hard, you'll fall far behind."
Sasuke was already numb. The day had been filled with too many shocking revelations, making him feel like he could accept even the most outrageous news.
So what if Naruto was the Fourth Hokage's son? It didn't matter. He was still his friend.
After getting the information about Naruto, Sasuke asked Shisui, "If Naruto is safe, what about Kakashi-sensei? How is he? Has the village arranged protection for him?"
Shisui fell into thought for a few seconds before saying, "Kakashi is a seasoned jonin. He can protect himself. If things get too dangerous, he can always retreat. He's not a fool."
"..." Hearing this, Sasuke silently mourned for Kakashi for a few seconds.
Both he and Naruto had powerful backgrounds, while Kakashi's only background was himself. He truly had to rely on his own efforts.
---
After several hours of battling Kisame, Kakashi had long lost his initial composure.
In the beginning, with his Sharingan and Lightning Release, he had managed to suppress Kisame, preventing him from going to support Itachi.
But as time passed, Kakashi's weaknesses became apparent.
Kakashi's weakness was his chakra reserves. Although his chakra wasn't low compared to other jonin in the ninja world, it was actually above average, it paled in comparison to Kisame's massive chakra reserves and seemingly endless stamina.
After a prolonged battle, Kakashi could no longer maintain his suppression and was even at risk of being overpowered. His body was on the verge of collapse.
Seeing Kakashi's exhaustion, Kisame didn't press the attack.
His mission was only to stop Kakashi from leaving. There was no need to fight to the death. With the strength of those kids, they stood no chance against Itachi.
All he had to do was wait patiently, and Itachi would return soon.
Seeing that Kisame wasn't taking the bait, Kakashi grew increasingly anxious. He knew that Naruto and the others were protected by Leaf ANBU, but they were up against Itachi Uchiha, whose strength was unfathomable.
Just as Kakashi was growing desperate, Yamato and his ANBU squad appeared on the coastline.
The moment Yamato saw Kisame, he activated Wood Release: Advent of a World of Trees, creating a forest along the coastline in an attempt to capture Kisame alive.