Naruto: Mastered Your Strategy?

Shisui furrowed his brow as he looked at Ren.

"You… You want to invite wolves into our home?"

"You could see it that way," Ren replied calmly.

"No!" Shisui immediately rejected the idea. "We can't risk the village like that! If anything goes wrong, we'll become the village's greatest enemies!"

Ren remained composed, showing no reaction to Shisui's outburst.

"Are you afraid of becoming a villain in the eyes of the village?" Ren asked.

Shisui stood frozen.

"Is that it? Are you just afraid you won't be able to bear the blame? Is that all?" Ren pressed further. "Is the village's future, the Uchiha's future, truly secondary to you?"

Shisui steadied himself. "I'm afraid the village will suffer too much damage. Besides, we don't have the right to make that call. It's not fair to put the lives of the villagers at risk with one reckless decision. It wouldn't be right."

"Fairness? What kind of fairness?" Ren countered. "Tell me, Shisui, what kind of fairness will solve all of this?"

"You're too cold," Shisui said, his voice growing more serious. "Letting the Mist ninjas invade… do you even understand what that would mean?"

"Bloodshed. Death."

"Every ninja in Konoha, every villager, they are not just pawns on a chessboard. They are living beings, with families, friends, and cherished memories. We can't gamble their lives on a single decision."

Ren lowered his gaze slightly, thinking to himself. Such useless compassion.

"You're only considering the worst-case scenario," Ren said evenly. "If things truly spiral out of control, I wouldn't be suggesting this plan."

"There's no such thing as a foolproof plan," Shisui responded firmly. "I cannot agree to this."

Shisui's unwavering stance made it clear to Ren that convincing him any further would be futile. Shisui wanted to resolve everything ideally, but reality wasn't as kind. If the coup became inevitable, the consequences would be far worse than a Mist ninja invasion.

Shisui still held onto misplaced hope for both the village and the Uchiha.

"Have you seen Itachi?" Ren asked, shifting the topic.

"I told you, I came straight to see you after returning," Shisui replied with a hint of exasperation.

"He's struggling right now, caught between the village and the clan," Ren said.

"I should've… well, never mind," Shisui trailed off, realizing that dwelling on past regrets wouldn't change anything now.

"Shisui," Ren said quietly, looking into his eyes. "All the sacrifices you're making… very few will ever understand."

Shisui paused, then gave a small, self-deprecating smile.

"I've never sought anyone's understanding," he said.

"Is that so…" Ren muttered softly. "You really are a saint."

"Don't mock me," Shisui sighed, shaking his head with a weak smile. He stood up from his chair.

He looked at Ren for a moment, then gazed out the window. A quiet tension hung in the air between them.

"In the next few days, I'll try to come up with a better plan. Ren, until then, don't make any sudden moves. And forget about the Mist ninja idea," Shisui said as he climbed up onto the windowsill.

"You can't use the front door?" Ren asked dryly.

There was no response. Shisui's figure vanished into the night.

Ren's gaze followed Shisui into the dark, his expression growing colder. There's no better plan, Shisui. These people aren't worth the sacrifices you're making for them.

...

At Naka River.

Itachi made his way through the forest until he reached the familiar spot where Shisui awaited him.

"Remember when we used to come here and play as kids?" Shisui said, his back turned to Itachi.

"You're back, Shisui," Itachi said as he joined him by the river. "Was the mission with the Mist ninja successful?"

Shisui smiled faintly. "More or less."

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

"I've heard about some of the things going on in the village," Shisui said, getting straight to the point. "Regarding the Uchiha."

"The clan's dissatisfaction with the village is growing by the day. If things continue as they are, it's only a matter of time before the Uchiha erupt," Itachi replied.

"What do you think should be done about it?" Shisui asked, glancing sideways at Itachi.

Itachi lowered his head in thought. "The village's attitude toward the Uchiha has to change."

Shisui countered, "If the village changes, will the Uchiha change too?"

"The Uchiha won't change if the village doesn't," Itachi answered. "As long as there's mutual distrust, the situation will only keep getting worse."

Trust… Shisui thought bitterly, casting his eyes toward the distant waterfall.

Trust no longer exists…

Ren saw everything clearly but distanced himself as if he were merely a spectator, manipulating the situation from afar. That kind of cold detachment was something Shisui could never achieve. He was an Uchiha, deeply connected to both his clan and his village. His bonds wouldn't allow him to become like Ren, but Ren still tried to pull him out of the fray.

If he truly stood apart from it all, then why would Ren bother with any of this?

It was only because of their friendship that Ren was even involved.

It was an endless cycle.

The path Ren laid before Shisui was ruthless, but Shisui couldn't think of a better solution. Not walking this path would ease his conscience, but it was far from the outcome he wanted.

"Itachi."

"Hmm?"

"If it were your father… could he stop all of this?" Shisui asked.

Itachi looked puzzled. "Father has always advocated for the coup. I've felt his resolve firsthand, and the clan trusts him deeply because of it—they follow his lead."

Shisui pressed further. "But what if his beliefs suddenly changed?"

"If Father could find a better way for the clan and use his influence to gain their understanding, it wouldn't be impossible," Itachi mused after a thoughtful pause.

"A better path, huh…" Shisui muttered softly to himself.

"But to my father and the clan, the best path seems to be seizing power in Konoha," Itachi added.

A heavy silence hung in the cold night air.

Shisui covered his face with his hand.

"What happens if the coup succeeds? The village can never belong to just one clan. The other clans—Hyuga, Nara, Yamanaka, Akimichi—none of them would ever stand by and allow it."

"If the Uchiha take control, it will only fracture Konoha further, and civil war will tear the village apart. The other nations would likely take advantage of our weakened state."

"The coup will destroy the village."

"Anyone with a shred of common sense can see that, but neither the Uchiha nor the higher-ups seem willing to acknowledge it."

"They care more about their own survival, about their fear of being overthrown or purged. Compared to that, the village's future seems distant and irrelevant."

"I want to protect it all… I don't want to give up on anyone. But everything I've done feels futile."

"Itachi… I'm filled with such anger."

"But I don't know who to direct it at. All I can do is blame myself for being too weak."

Shisui could never say these things to Ren. It would be like validating everything Ren had been suggesting, and Shisui feared it would spur Ren into action.

Suddenly, Itachi placed a hand on Shisui's shoulder.

"Shisui, I believe in you."

Shisui's chaotic thoughts came to a halt. He turned to look at Itachi, taken aback.

"Go ahead and do what you feel is right," Itachi said softly, a faint smile on his lips.

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

"No matter what you decide to do, I'll support you."

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