Chapter Fifty-Seven: Shisui's Trust

The confrontation in front of the Hokage Building drew to a close, and the sun rose several hours later. Yet by that time, those awakening found that a familiar sight in the village—the Hokage Rock—now bore a massive gap.

The statues of the other Hokage had suffered some damage, but with repairs, they would likely be as good as new. The Third Hokage's statue, however, which had been at the epicenter of the explosion, was not so fortunate; it had been completely obliterated, nothing left but empty space where it once stood. It would have to be rebuilt from scratch.

Because the explosion's range the previous night had been limited, only those in the immediate vicinity had been awakened and alarmed; for the most part, the villagers remained unaware of what had transpired. But as those who witnessed the event began to spread word, the truth of what had happened quickly became known.

There was outrage at the actions of the Hidden Cloud, and anxiety that war might once again be on the horizon. But above all, one name lingered in the minds of most: Uchiha Li.

Uchiha Li's confrontation with the two advisors, and even his rebuttal and questioning of the Third Hokage himself, became the subject of heated discussion throughout the village. In particular, the matter of the Fourth Hokage's succession quietly echoed beneath the surface. Though no one spoke of it openly, the first stone had been cast.

As for Uchiha Li himself, the very heart of the storm, he slept deeply and did not wake until afternoon. When he finally rose, he busied himself in his room with a box.

Inside the box were dozens of vials, each containing a pair of eyes preserved in nutrient solution to keep them viable. These were, of course, the Sharingan eyes purportedly stolen by Kamui—last night, before returning home, Fugaku had entrusted them to him.

“Li, Shisui is here—he wants to speak with you.” Uchiha Yao's voice came from outside the room.

Li's eyes flashed at the words. He quickly put the box away, then stepped out into the courtyard.

Shisui was standing just outside, dark circles under his eyes, his whole demeanor weary and lackluster. Li walked over, gave him a brief once-over, and asked, “You haven't slept at all?”

Shisui nodded, his voice hoarse. “After I went home, I kept thinking about what happened last night, and everything you said to me.”

“Have you made sense of it all?” Li asked.

Shisui nodded again, this time with resolve. “I have. I hope you'll guide me—help the clan and the village live in harmony.”

A faint smile touched Li's lips at this. All his careful maneuvering had finally borne fruit. He had expected Shisui, after all that had happened, would need much longer to come around.

But Shisui's change of heart had been swift and decisive, and Li was well satisfied.

He patted Shisui on the shoulder and said, “Come on, let's talk somewhere private.”

“Alright,” Shisui agreed without hesitation.

The two of them left the clan grounds and made their way to a remote grove in the mountains outside the village. Once Li was certain they were unobserved, he stopped and gestured for Shisui to do the same.

Locking eyes with him, Li's entire demeanor shifted—now grave and imposing. “Before we begin, I have some questions. I hope you'll answer truthfully.”

Seeing Li so serious, Shisui drew a deep breath and nodded his understanding.

Li stepped closer, his gaze unwavering. “You've awakened the Mangekyō, haven't you?”

Shisui instinctively took a step back, surprise flickering in his eyes. “How did you know?”

Li pressed his lips together. He hadn't expected Shisui to reveal his Mangekyō so easily to a simple feint. But when he recalled how, in the original story, Shisui had confided in the Third and Danzo without a hint of caution—even explaining his Mangekyō's abilities in full detail—Li was not so surprised after all. At the time, Shisui had been thoroughly indoctrinated by the Will of Fire; such naivety was only to be expected.

Shisui truly didn't understand the hearts of men, especially since his Kotoamatsukami was so unique—capable of altering another's will without them ever realizing it. Such a power, one that could reshape minds, would inspire fear and mistrust no matter how upright its wielder.

Still, Shisui's lack of caution now meant he had truly aligned himself with Li.

“Does anyone else know about this, aside from me?” Li asked.

Shisui shook his head. “No. I was planning to find an opportunity to tell someone, but…”

He trailed off, lowering his head, a trace of desolation passing through his expression.

He had originally intended to reveal the awakening of his Mangekyō to the Third, believing that the Hokage could bridge the rift between clan and village. But what happened last night had shattered that hope. The Will of Fire he once revered now seemed almost laughable.

On the other hand, Uchiha Li—whom he had long considered too radical—had resolved every crisis between clan and village, one after another. From the Nine-Tails' rampage, to the battlefield corpse thefts, to the last clan council, and last night's incident with the Hidden Cloud—all of these disasters, which could have trapped the clan and village in endless strife, had been averted by Li's hand.

Rather than deteriorating, relations between clan and village had lately improved in inexplicable ways.

When Shisui finished his account, Li said, with weighty emphasis, “In the future, don’t speak of the Mangekyō to anyone. That which is not understood is most susceptible to suspicion and envy.”

“Not being understood leads to suspicion and envy…” Shisui murmured, stunned, then nodded.

Li continued, “What I’m about to show you must remain secret. I’ll take you somewhere where you can gain the power to truly change the fate of clan and village.”

“Power?”

“Yes, power.” Li’s tone was earnest. “Instead of pinning your hopes on others, why not try to change things yourself?”

He paused, then said, “Only with power can you protect the clan and the village. If some calamity should befall, at least you’ll be able to step forward and prevent tragedy.”

“Shisui, you wouldn’t want to let your own helplessness drive things to ruin, would you?”

Taking all this in, Shisui drew a deep breath. “Li, I understand.”

“Good.” Li’s lips curved in satisfaction. “Whatever happens next, don’t resist.”

As he spoke, Li activated his own Sharingan, the three tomoe spinning and linking together. A flicker of realization passed through Shisui’s eyes. “No wonder you killed so many Hidden Cloud shinobi on the battlefield—you’ve awakened the Mangekyō too.”

Li smiled slightly, choosing not to answer, and instead focused his ocular power.

A wave of invisible force swept through the air, enveloping them both, accompanied by a powerful sensation of being pulled. Instinctively, Shisui wanted to activate his Mangekyō to resist, but Li’s voice came: “Don’t move. There’s no danger.”

Trusting him, Shisui lowered his guard and let the force take him.

Moments later, the two of them twisted into a vortex and vanished without a trace…