Mastermind of the Akatsuki

"If you've chosen to stand on the village's side, then act like a man—resolve things cleanly and quickly. Ending our lives will only cause us a moment of pain, but the pain in your heart will last for a very long time." 

As he stepped into the house, Shisui quickly overheard the conversation between Fugaku and Itachi. 

Contrary to what Shisui imagined, upon learning that Itachi had betrayed the Uchiha and chosen the village, Fugaku did not react in his usual explosive anger. Instead, he quietly accepted everything and began to console Itachi Uchiha. 

Seeing this, Shisui couldn't help but frown. 

If Itachi committed the atrocity of wiping out the clan yet still received comfort, what did the clan members who fell in pools of blood outside amount to? What about those who followed Fugaku Uchiha in preparing for the coup? 

Must the entire Uchiha clan pay the price for the conflicts between father and son? 

In an instant, Shisui felt a deep sense of injustice for the radical clan members lying outside. Any remaining shred of affection he held for Itachi was now entirely gone. 

Itachi was far too selfish. Although his life had always been meticulously orchestrated, he had, in turn, arranged the fates of others in silence. That included the clan members sacrificed tonight and Sasuke, who was deliberately spared. 

At that moment, Itachi noticed footsteps behind him. Turning around, he frowned and asked, "Danzo, didn't I agree to your terms? Why are you here? Are you worried that I won't fulfill our deal?" 

Shisui shook his head and replied, "Our deal ends here. The next matters will be handled by the Root. The Root will take care of everything for you, and you can leave now." 

Itachi narrowed his eyes. "The Sharingan of the Uchiha cannot fall into your hands. This was never part of our agreement. If you insist on getting in my way, I won't hesitate to act against you. I'm already a rogue ninja now; I have nothing to lose." 

Shisui sneered coldly and retorted, "I am deeply disappointed in you. You've forgotten our promise, forgotten your vow to protect the Uchiha. You don't even have the courage of Fugaku, who dared to challenge the village's higher-ups." 

"Promise? Courage?" 

Itachi's expression flickered uncertainly. He couldn't understand why Danzo would say such things to him. 

Nearby, Fugaku and Mikoto, awaiting death, were also stunned. They couldn't figure out why someone as cunning as Danzo would say such strange words to Itachi. 

But one thing was certain: there was now a crisis in Itachi's deal with the village. 

After a moment of contemplation, Itachi activated his Sharingan. The three black tomoe in his eyes rapidly spun and transformed into the shape of a shuriken. 

However, unlike Shisui's four-pointed Mangekyō Sharingan, Itachi's Mangekyō had a three-bladed design. 

Upon activating the Mangekyō, Itachi quickly noticed something off about Danzo—there were faint traces of a hidden jutsu on him. This person likely wasn't Danzo but someone else entirely. 

But why would this person disguise himself as Danzo? Where was Danzo now? 

Just then, Shisui removed the mask concealing his identity, revealing his familiar face. He too activated his Mangekyō Sharingan, staring intently at Itachi. 

Upon seeing this familiar face, Itachi could no longer remain calm. Shocked and uncertain, he asked, "Shisui? Why is it you?" 

Of all the possibilities, Itachi had never considered that the person disguised as Danzo could be Shisui. Thinking back to the meetings and deals he'd had with "Danzo" over the past month, Itachi felt as if everything had been a surreal illusion, as if he had fallen under a powerful genjutsu. 

Fugaku and Mikoto, who were waiting for their deaths, were equally stunned. They couldn't comprehend how Shisui, who had been missing for months, would appear in the clan grounds disguised as Danzo and even strike a deal with Itachi to annihilate the Uchiha. 

Calming his emotions with difficulty, Itachi questioned, "Shisui, why are you impersonating Danzo? Why did you issue the order to destroy the clan?"

Shisui sneered and explained, "That afternoon when Fugaku decided to stage the coup, I received a summons from Danzo. He tried to ambush me to steal my Mangekyō Sharingan. But, oh well, I killed him. From that day on, I abandoned the name Shisui and began living as Danzo. As for why I issued the order to destroy the Uchiha? Of course, it was to save the Uchiha. If you had dared to strike against me back then, I would've revealed my identity and cooperated with you to save the clan together." 

Pausing for a moment, Shisui continued, "But Itachi, your actions have greatly disappointed me… I can no longer trust you. When facing the stronger Danzo and the Senju faction, you chose to compromise. But when it came to your clan members, you showed no hesitation in attacking them. You traded their lives for the survival of a few and even struck down innocent clansmen after our agreement. Did you ever think, Itachi, that if I had compromised with Danzo back then, the Uchiha would not only lose their name tonight but all their lives as well?" 

Hearing Shisui's words, Itachi, Fugaku, and Mikoto were all stunned into silence, unable to comprehend it fully. 

They now understood Shisui's plan: he had intended to use the opportunity of the Uchiha clan's downfall to erase its name entirely, just as the Senju clan had been dissolved in the past. 

However, if the Uchiha lost their pride and their chance to become Hokage, how was that any different from being dead? The Uchiha valued honor above all else. 

Fugaku couldn't help but interject, "Shisui, since you've already taken control of the Root in secret, why didn't you coordinate with us? If the Root and the Police Force had joined forces, the success rate of the coup would've been greatly increased. We could've had a real chance at producing the Fifth Hokage!" 

Fugaku added, "I don't need to be Hokage. You can take the position as Danzo. As long as the Uchiha clan produces a Hokage, that's enough." 

Shisui glanced at Fugaku and sneered, "Fugaku, why is your vision so narrow? Even if we became Hokage, we wouldn't be able to deal with the Senju faction. Isn't it better to remain hidden in the Root, holding the power of the Hokage without actually becoming one? Besides, the ninja world doesn't consist of only Konoha or the Land of Fire. If you always limit your perspective to the village and spend your days scheming against the Senju faction, it's no wonder you ended up being killed by your own son." 

After berating Fugaku, Shisui turned to Itachi and declared, "Itachi Uchiha, traitor of Konoha—before you leave the village after slaughtering your clan, I must punish you for your betrayal."