The shadow clone guarding Shisui froze for a moment, then quickly called Naruto, who was training outside.
Naruto walked in, glanced at Shisui suspiciously, and said flatly,
"So what if you know the current situation of the Uchiha clan? Don't tell me you're planning to escape. You already escaped Kotoamatsukami's control. It's time you start thinking for yourself."
"Try being a spectator for once. Like me."
Shisui didn't argue.
He knew very well what he was now.
A prisoner.
Honestly… these past few months hadn't even been that bad.
Sure, he'd lost his freedom.
But he also didn't have to worry about the village, the clan, politics, or assassination attempts.
No missions. No pressure. No Danzo lurking around the corner.
Just eating, resting, and occasionally teaching Naruto chakra control.
Basically retirement life.
If you ignored the whole captivity part.
Some days, all he had to think about was what tomorrow's lunchbox would taste like.
But at night…
When things were quiet…
He still couldn't stop thinking about his clan.
His friends.
Itachi.
With a soft sigh, Shisui said,
"Running away won't solve anything. I still want to know how the clan is doing. Besides… telling me won't it be interesting for you too?"
Naruto raised an eyebrow.
Interesting?
…Yeah, actually.
"Fine," Naruto said casually. "Since you 'died,' the relationship between the Police Force and Konoha hasn't improved at all. It's worse."
"Everyone knows a conflict is coming. New ninjas are already gossiping about when the guards and the higher-ups will start killing each other."
"In short, your heroic 'death' only delayed the countdown. Nothing changed."
He shrugged.
"So just stay here with me and wait for the day the Uchiha clan blows itself up."
Shisui frowned.
"You're that certain the Uchiha will perish? Captain Fugaku's coup still has a chance. He might even become the Fifth Hokage."
Naruto didn't answer.
He just smiled.
A very meaningful smile.
The kind that said: You already know the answer, don't kid yourself.
Shisui's heart sank.
Naruto spoke lightly,
"If you really believed that, would you have chosen suicide back then?"
"Instead of worrying about the coup, you should worry about staying alive. As long as you live, the Uchiha bloodline won't disappear."
Shisui fell silent.
He knew Naruto was right.
Even if the coup succeeded, it would still be a disaster.
The clan and the village would both bleed.
A classic lose-lose.
Back then, he'd tried using Kotoamatsukami to control Fugaku and buy time…
Then Danzo jumped him like a damn bandit and stole everything.
Thinking about it still pissed him off.
After a long pause, Shisui asked quietly,
"Is there… any way to stop the conflict? To let the clan and the village coexist peacefully?"
Naruto blinked.
Then laughed.
"You're asking me?"
"I'm the guy who jumped you and stole your eyes, remember? You sure you didn't ask the wrong person? Go ask the Hokage."
Shisui couldn't help but smile bitterly.
Right.
Asking the jailer how to save your clan…
Ridiculous.
But drowning people grab whatever they can.
Even a suspicious blond kid.
Naruto suddenly changed the topic.
"It's not like there's no solution."
Shisui looked up.
"The higher-ups don't trust the Uchiha. The Uchiha don't trust the village. So why stay together?"
"…Leave."
"Switch villages. Start over somewhere else. Out of sight, out of mind."
Shisui's eyes widened.
"That's defection. Collective defection. That's almost the same as a coup!"
"The difference is huge," Naruto said lazily. "Leaving has a way higher survival rate."
"The village can't tolerate you. You're not welcome. Isn't it normal to walk away?"
"Do you really have to stay and fight to the death like idiots? What is this, some tragic samurai movie?"
His words echoed in Shisui's mind.
Leave…
Not fight.
Not die.
Just… leave.
Before, he'd always believed the Uchiha and the village were one body.
Separation never even crossed his mind.
But now?
After Danzo's betrayal?
After losing Kotoamatsukami?
Maybe that "one body" thing was just a lie.
The village wasn't a family.
It was a bunch of factions pretending to cooperate.
Danzo never saw the Uchiha as comrades.
So why should the Uchiha sacrifice themselves for people like him?
The more he thought about it, the more complicated his feelings became.
He stared at Naruto.
Just who exactly was this kid?
Not Hokage.
Not Danzo.
Not Fugaku's man.
Yet he talked about the future like he'd already seen it.
Weird. Suspicious. Way too calm.
Shisui started muttering unconsciously.
"How would I convince the clan's jonin…"
"Anbu and Root would definitely stop us…"
"Where would we settle… another country? A small village?"
"What about money… supplies… assets…"
He kept rambling like a middle-aged man planning to move house.
Naruto listened for a while, then cut him off.
"Hey. Slow down."
"You can't even escape my basement and you're already planning immigration?"
"Maybe start with step one: don't get caught by me."
"…Right."
Shisui froze.
Oh.
Yeah.
Still a prisoner.
The guy he was discussing clan salvation with…
…was literally the one who knocked him out and stole his eyes.
Awkward.
Naruto sighed.
He'd thought losing Kotoamatsukami would make Shisui smarter.
Turns out…
Still kind of naïve.
At that moment, Shisui suddenly looked up.
"I don't actually need to run."
Naruto raised an eyebrow.
"Since you stopped me from meeting Itachi and took my eye… haven't you been waiting for change?"
Naruto sat down, grabbed a glass of milk, and took a sip.
"Nice guess."
"But I still can't let you go."
"You, reappearing without Mangekyō? You'd become Konoha's favorite prey. Danzo would hunt you like a dog."
"That'd ruin the fun."
Shisui thought for a moment, then said seriously,
"Even if I leave, I won't expose myself. Without the Sharingan, the clan won't listen to me anyway. I need to regain my strength first… and get new eyes."
Naruto grinned.
"Don't look at me. I'm not giving you Kotoamatsukami back."
"Want Sharingan? Go rob Danzo. If you can beat him and Root, feel free."
"Or… you know… borrow some from your own clan."
Shisui's face twitched.
That suggestion sounded extremely illegal.
…but also painfully realistic.
After a long silence, he seemed to have figured out exactly where those Sharingan might come from.
The room suddenly felt a little colder.
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