Naruto, are you all so good at self-seduction

Shisui furrowed his brows as he gazed at Oboro.

"You want to invite the wolf into the house?"

"You can think of it that way," Oboro replied calmly.

"No!" Shisui immediately shot down the idea.

"How can you risk the village like this? If something goes wrong, we'll become the enemies of the village!"

Oboro appeared unfazed, remaining calm in the face of Shisui's objections.

"Are you afraid of being seen as a villain?"

Shisui froze, caught off guard.

"Are you afraid you won't be able to bear that guilt?" Oboro pressed on.

"So the future of the village and the Uchiha isn't your primary concern?"

Regaining his composure, Shisui replied, "I'm afraid of the immense blow the village would suffer. Moreover, we aren't in a position to take such risks. The safety of the villagers shouldn't be disregarded for the sake of our whims. That would be unfair to them."

"Fairness? What kind of fairness?" Oboro countered.

"Shisui, what kind of fairness can resolve all of this?"

"You're too cold-hearted," Shisui said solemnly. "Allowing the Mist ninjas to invade—do you realize what that means?"

"Bloodshed and death."

"Every ninja in Konoha, every villager, is not an inconsequential pawn. They are living beings, each with families and treasured memories. It's not fair to put them at risk because of our decisions."

What a futile sense of compassion.

Oboro lowered his gaze in thought.

"You are thinking only of the worst-case scenario," he stated calmly. "If it turns out that I can't control the situation, I wouldn't have brought this idea to you."

"Is there even a sure way to navigate this?" Shisui rebutted.

"I won't agree to it."

Shisui's determination made it clear to Oboro that convincing him would be challenging.

Shisui wanted to resolve everything ideally, but how could reality ever be so kind?

If the coup was ultimately unavoidable, the consequences would be worse than an invasion by the Mist.

Shisui continued to cling to his naïve hope for the village and the Uchiha.

"Have you seen Itachi?" Oboro shifted the topic.

"I said I came to see you right after returning," Shisui replied helplessly.

"Itachi is currently caught in a dilemma between the village and the clan."

"I should have… sigh, forget it," Shisui started but trailed off, feeling that anymore words would be pointless.

"Shisui." Oboro's eyes met his, steady and resolute.

"Few will understand your sacrifices," he warned.

Shisui paused, then let out a self-deprecating laugh.

"I haven't ever sought such understanding."

"Is that so…" Oboro replied flatly.

"You're such a saint."

"Enough with the mockery." Shisui shrugged, sitting up from the chair.

He looked at Oboro, falling silent as their eyes locked, as if something was unspoken between them.

Then he turned to look out the window.

"I'll devise a better plan in these next few days, Oboro. Until then, don't make any moves regarding the Mist; focus instead on your own agenda," Shisui casually mentioned.

He opened the window and smoothly leapt out.

"Can't you just use the front door?"

There was no reply; Shisui's silhouette vanished into the night.

Oboro watched him disappear into the dense encroaching darkness, his expression growing increasingly cold.

What hope is there for a better plan, Shisui? These people aren't worth exhausting yourself over for...

Naka River.

Itachi made his way through the forest to meet none other than Shisui.

"Do you remember how we used to come here as kids?" Shisui spoke with his back turned to Itachi.

"You're back, Shisui," Itachi said as he approached Shisui's side.

"Did you finish your task successfully? How were the Mist ninjas?"

Shisui merely smiled. "Well, let's say it was tolerable."

"I didn't expect the mission to take so long," Itachi remarked.

"I've heard some things about what's been going on in the village," Shisui stated directly. "About the Uchiha."

"So what do you think we should do?" Shisui turned to Itachi for input.

Itachi pondered for a moment, then replied, "We need to change the village's attitude toward the Uchiha."

Shisui asked, "If the village changes, will the Uchiha change as well?"

"If the Uchiha refuse to change, the village won't either," Itachi noted. "As long as there is distrust on both sides, the situation will only continue to worsen."

Trust...

Shisui chuckled bitterly at Itachi's words, raising his gaze to the distant waterfall.

What trust is left...

Oboro sees everything so clearly but chooses to remain an outsider trying to manipulate the situation.

This coldness and ruthlessness are beyond Shisui; he is an Uchiha, cherished by his village, unable to sever the connections he holds dear. Yet Oboro wishes to pull him out of this dilemma.

If he truly distanced himself, he would surely turn a blind eye to it all.

It's all a vicious cycle.

Oboro presented him with a merciless path, yet Shisui struggled to conceive a better way.

Should he choose not to walk this route, the ultimate result might lessen his burdens, yet it wouldn't be what he wanted.

"Itachi."

"Hmm?"

"If your father were to intervene, could he stop all of this?"

Itachi looked puzzled. "My father has always supported the coup. His resolve has been evident to me, and the clan members trust him and follow him because of that."

"What if suddenly his mindset changed?" Shisui probed.

If Itachi's father found a better path for the clan, leveraging his reputation for understanding wouldn't be impossible.

"...If Father found a better way for the clan, with his stature, he could earn their trust," Itachi considered.

"A better path..." Shisui murmured.

"But for Father and the clan, they believe the best path lies in seizing control of Konoha," Itachi added.

Silence saturated the air, cold and tense.

Shisui covered his face with his hand.

"What does it matter if the coup succeeds? The village can't simply belong to one clan; the other clans of Konoha won't just sit idly by.

If the Uchiha take power, it will only lead to greater divisions, and a civil war could emerge, damaging the village gravely. Other nations would undoubtedly seize this opportunity."

"A coup would only destroy the village."

"Anyone could think of such outcomes; it's just the upper echelon and the Uchiha who seem oblivious to them."

"They care more about their own survival, fearing being supplanted or purged, and compared to that, the village's future seems far-off."

"I too want to protect it all; I don't want to give up on any side, but I find all my efforts feel futile."

"Itachi... I'm so full of hatred."

"But I don't know who to hate; I can only blame my own weakness."

These thoughts were ones he could never reveal to Oboro; he felt that by voicing his pain, he might inadvertently push Oboro to take rash actions.

Suddenly, Itachi extended his hand and placed it on Shisui's shoulder.

"Shisui, I believe in you."

Shisui's tumultuous emotions momentarily froze; he turned to look at Itachi, momentarily lost in thought.

"Go on and do what you wish," Itachi encouraged gently, a soft smile gracing his lips.

"I've known your true intentions from the very beginning."

"No matter what you do, I will support you."

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