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Mastermind of the Akatsuki 270
🕑 Added 2024-12-21 05:00:01 +0000 UTCChapter 270: A New Choice for the Uchiha
The Uchiha clan meeting had lasted less than an hour, but to Itachi, it felt as though he had endured a full year. Surrounded by clansmen who only knew how to demand but not contribute, a feeling of disgust quietly stirred in his heart.
He couldn’t understand why his clan could be so foolish, so short-sighted, and incapable of considering the greater good.
Even setting aside the slim odds of success for a coup, even if they did manage to seize power from the Hokage’s office, the Uchiha and the village would both be gravely weakened. In such a state, how could they defend against the inevitable attacks from external enemies?
The shinobi of his clan—Itachi thought bitterly—were just a group of fools who lacked the Will of Fire.
He hadn’t joined Root under Danzo to spy on the Hokage faction. His true goal was to maintain peace between the Uchiha and the village.
---
Izumi Uchiha noticed the shift in Itachi’s expression. Izumi, who had only just earned the right to attend clan meetings as a newly recognized ninja, was an old acquaintance of Itachi’s. In truth, she had always held feelings for him, though for various reasons, she had never expressed them.
Seeing Itachi’s demeanor change during the meeting, Izumi’s eyes filled with concern and confusion.
The words spoken during the meeting were undoubtedly intense and a little radical, but nothing had truly crossed a line. After all, every shinobi aspired to be Hokage—why shouldn’t the Uchiha be allowed to dream the same?
If clan members needed a place to vent their frustrations, wasn’t it better for them to do so here, in a clan meeting, rather than out in the open where it might stir trouble?
---
When the meeting ended, Itachi and Izumi walked out of the Naka Shrine together. Just as Izumi opened her mouth to say something, Itachi activated the Body Flicker Technique and disappeared.
Izumi stood frozen in place, her expression falling into sadness.
She had thought that becoming a ninja would allow her to better understand Itachi, but now it seemed it had all been wishful thinking. She had never really understood him at all.
Even when she wanted to comfort him, she didn’t know how.
As Izumi stood there helplessly, Shisui appeared behind her and spoke gently. “Izumi, go home. Leave Itachi to me.”
At the sight of Shisui, Izumi nodded quickly.
If anyone in the clan understood Itachi best, it was undoubtedly Shisui. Not even Fugaku and Mikoto, Itachi’s own parents, could compare to Shisui’s insight into his mind.
After offering Izumi a few words of comfort, Shisui vanished using the Body Flicker Technique, heading toward the forest.
---
It didn’t take long for Shisui to find Itachi standing on a cliff near the Naka River. Guided by the moonlight, Shisui quietly approached and stood beside him.
“It looks like something’s bothering you,” Shisui said calmly. “Is it because Fugaku-sama asked you to spy on Root, or because of your meeting with Danzo earlier today?”
“…Both, I suppose.”
Itachi sighed softly, his eyes reflecting a complex mix of emotions.
Shisui listened silently as Itachi recounted his conversation with Danzo earlier in the day, holding nothing back.
When Itachi finished, Shisui furrowed his brows and said,
“Itachi, you’re not starting to fall for Danzo’s ideals, are you? His belief in protecting the light from the shadows may sound noble, but didn’t you catch the deeper meaning behind his words?”
Shisui’s tone grew serious. “Danzo was asking you this: If the day comes when the clan and the village come into conflict, which will you choose—your family or the village?”
“I know.”
Itachi nodded slightly before countering with his own question. “But what if that day does come? I don’t know if I would choose the village or the clan. If it were you, Shisui, I’m sure you would make the right choice.”
Shisui fell silent for a moment.
If the only options were between the village and the clan, he realized he couldn’t make a choice either.
He didn’t want to see the two sides fall into conflict. But whether choosing the village or the clan was the right decision, Shisui couldn’t say.
Still, all of that was in the past now.
After being questioned by Byakuya and witnessing Byakuya’s strength—comparable to that of the Five Kage—Shisui knew there was a third option, one that didn’t require choosing between the village and the clan.
However, this option required far more resolve and courage than simply siding with one faction.
After a long pause, Shisui turned to Itachi and asked slowly, “Itachi, let me ask you something: Must the Uchiha stay in Konoha?”
Itachi froze, his eyes widening in shock as he looked at Shisui.
Shisui cleared his throat and continued, “If the clan is so dissatisfied with Konoha’s leadership, and the leadership continues to treat the Uchiha as a threat, why must we stay here? If both sides refuse to coexist peacefully, why not leave?”
Itachi thought for a moment before responding cautiously, “Shisui, are you suggesting that the clan leave Konoha and look for a new place to live?”
“Exactly.” Shisui nodded. “The clan doesn’t have to stay in a village that rejects us. If Konoha refuses to accept us, we can simply leave.”
Itachi was visibly stunned by Shisui’s proposal.
After considering it carefully, he shook his head. “Shisui, it’s good that you’re thinking of alternatives, but your idea is impossible to execute. Leaving the village as a group would be no different, in the eyes of the leadership, from staging a coup. Whether it’s defection or rebellion, the outcome would be the same—Konoha would send its forces to hunt us down.
And do you think the clan would agree to such a plan? They’re obsessed with overthrowing the current regime and installing a Uchiha as Hokage. They wouldn’t accept fleeing the village as an option. If you actually tried to carry out this plan, you’d face opposition from both the village and the clan.”
Itachi paused, then continued in a somber tone,
“Even if we did manage to leave, where would we go? There’s nowhere for the Uchiha to settle. Other villages would never accept us, and we’d just be trading one danger for another.”
Shisui fell silent, unable to deny that Itachi’s reasoning was sound.
This was precisely why no one in the Uchiha clan had ever suggested leaving Konoha.
The Uchiha were one of the founding clans of the Konohagakure. How could they abandon the very village they helped create, only to become second-rate refugees in another land? For the Uchiha, who held honor above all else, such a fate was worse than death.
But the clan’s shinobi were only one part of the equation.
What about those in the clan who had yet to become ninjas? Shisui wondered. Would they value their honor, or would they value their lives? Could he make that choice on their behalf?
A heavy sigh escaped Shisui’s lips.
Byakuya had been right. He was still far too indecisive, unable to act decisively when faced with matters of such magnitude.
Perhaps his destiny was to meet a tragic end after all.
Pushing those thoughts aside, Shisui forced a faint smile and turned to Itachi.
“You’re right. I haven’t thought it through. But offering the clan another choice—even if it seems impossible—can’t be a bad thing. At the very least, it gives us one more chance to avoid conflict. This was the best solution I could think of to keep the clan and the village from destroying each other.”
