Shisui had only just regained consciousness, only to be utterly crushed by Kei's brutal truths.
For the next few days, he simply lay in bed like a shell of a man, doing nothing but eating and staring blankly into space.
Kei wasn't surprised by his behavior. In fact, he'd seen this countless times before.
Some people emerge from despair like phoenixes from ash. Others never come back at all.
He had already done all he could. As he'd told Shisui before, no one could save him but himself.
That afternoon, Kei left some food on the side table and was just about to leave when Shisui, who had been silent for days, suddenly called out to him.
Kei turned back, expression unreadable. "Honestly, I thought you'd continue sitting there in a daze. You've got all the time in the world now, after all."
Shisui pushed himself upright with some effort. After several days of rest, he could now manage basic movements. With a bit more time, he might even be able to walk.
"I've thought it all through," Shisui said at last. "The truth is, I was foolish. That's how everything came to this. Kei… I want to ask a favor."
But he faltered, words catching in his throat.
Kei could feel the hesitation. "Let me guess," he said. "You want me to talk to Uchiha Itachi, to stop the coming destruction."
Shisui nodded and gave a rare look of pleading. "Danzo won't give up on taking my left eye. He'll be watching the clan closely. I can't show my face."
"And Itachi… he's too much like me. His faith in the Will of Fire is even stronger than mine. Even if I could speak to him, I don't think he'd listen."
Kei's tone was flat. "So what makes you think he'll listen to me? I've tried so many times to talk sense into you, and you only just woke up."
"You said Itachi's even more stubborn than you are. Are we supposed to let him walk straight into death, just so he can open his eyes too?"
Shisui lowered his head, face twisting in frustration. "But if even you can't persuade him… does that mean I really have to watch the destruction happen with my own eyes?"
"Shisui," Kei said firmly, "you need to face reality. You've lost both eyes. Your body's shattered. The fact that you're still alive is already a miracle. Until you recover, there's nothing you can do."
"Then there's really no way to stop it?" he asked weakly.
"Unless someone with overwhelming power can suppress everything," Kei replied. "Only then could the destruction be prevented, by force."
In Kei's eyes, there was only one way to truly resolve the conflict between the Uchiha and the village:
Purge the radicals in the clan, and remove the village leaders who held deep-seated hatred for the Uchiha, replacing them with new blood.
Only if both conditions were met could the cycle of hatred be broken.
Even then, it would only be a possibility. The long-standing rift, especially the villagers' ingrained prejudice, couldn't be erased in a short time.
It might take an entire generation… or two.
Shisui bit his lip. "Kei… aren't you a genius? Maybe you'll become strong enough to stop everything before it happens."
Kei scoffed. "Now that's just a gamble, and a foolish one."
"I'm still just a chunin. Even with the progress I've made lately, I might only be on par with a jonin."
"Can you say with certainty when I'll reach Kage-level? Or beyond? You can't. And neither can I."
"So instead of placing your hopes on me reaching some imagined peak, why not shift your thinking entirely?"
Shisui blinked. "Shift my thinking?"
Kei nodded. "I'd estimate you've bought about two years, max. No one knows what'll happen in that time."
"So instead of trying to prevent destruction outright, focus on limiting its impact."
There was something Kei hadn't yet told Shisui, something critical.
The Uchiha Massacre wasn't just Itachi's doing.
The Third Hokage had tacitly allowed it. Danzo had pushed it forward.
But behind all of them… was a far more dangerous manipulator: Uchiha Obito.
Obito's reasons were simple: he possessed the Mangekyō himself. He understood just how terrifying it could be.
As long as the Uchiha clan existed, there was always the risk that someone might awaken a Mangekyō even stronger than his, one that could threaten the Moon's Eye Plan.
So to ensure nothing could interfere, Obito helped orchestrate the clan's destruction, and later recruited Itachi into the Akatsuki.
Kei knew this. That's why he viewed "preventing the massacre" as near impossible.
Which meant… they needed a Plan B.
They needed a contingency.
"Lessen the impact of the destruction?" Shisui murmured, as though catching the tail of an idea. But it wasn't quite clear yet.
Kei nodded. "That's right. You might not be able to save everyone… but you can save a portion of your clan."
"Preserve the spark. The next generation."
"You already know this, your clan is divided into two camps, right?"
Shisui nodded slowly.
"One group is radical, pushing for revolution. The other is moderate, trying to resolve things through diplomacy."
"Then that's your goal," Kei said. "Recover your strength, and when the time comes… save the ones who still want peace."
"This," he concluded, "is the best option we have right now."
"If even a few Uchiha survive, the clan can be rebuilt in the future."
Shisui fell silent.
Of course he wanted a better outcome. Of course he wanted to stop the destruction completely.
But now he understood, that was a fantasy.
Kei's plan, as painful as it was, at least preserved something.
A faint, grim smile tugged at his lips.
"…Thank you, Kei," Shisui said. "I understand now."
Kei shook his head. "Don't thank me."
"Your life belongs to me now. I'm doing this for myself."
"You see, it's only when you have hope to live, not a death wish, that you can repay your debt."
Shisui's smile turned even more bitter. "Could you be a little less blunt? I am still recovering…"
Kei spread his hands. "If the truth makes you uncomfortable… then I apologize."
Shisui sighed.
He regretted thanking the devil in front of him.
But it was too late now, he'd already glimpsed hope again.
And then a terrifying thought dawned on him:
Kei had already seen straight through him.
If that was the case…
Would he ever be able to pay this debt?
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200 P.S = 1 Extra Chapters