As Kakashi hurried toward the Hokage building, the village's combat tournament had already reached its climax.
The rioters who had gathered outside the Konoha Military Police Force earlier had mostly been captured, with only a few remaining ninjas disguised as rioters, secretly raised by two clans.
Their resistance had resulted in injuries among some civilian ninjas, but with the full force of the Konoha Military Police Force hunting them down, their capture was only a matter of time.
Those living near the Konoha Military Police Force could see, through their windows, officers dragging the battered rioters, beaten to the point of being barely conscious, back toward the station.
Terrified, they shut their doors and windows tightly, not daring to make a sound.
Meanwhile, Kuragami Uchiha was calmly drinking tea in Fugaku's office with Fugaku Uchiha and Aburame Shihei. Even when Anbu came to summon him to the Hokage building, he detained the other party at the Konoha Military Police Force instead.
Everything that had happened today was unfolding just as he had anticipated. By the end of the night, he and Kakashi would be able to lay all their bargaining chips on the table, and he would truly become the one controlling the game.
The third Hokage's invitation to meet was clearly an attempt to negotiate, but before that, Kuragami had something more important to take care of.
Just then, a powerful Chakra fluctuation suddenly erupted, shaking the entire Konoha Military Police Force building.
"The direction of that Chakra... Your office?"
Fugaku's expression changed drastically as he turned to look at Kuragami.
"Don't worry, I'll go check."
Kuragami said calmly. But as he turned his back to them, a faint smile appeared on his lips.
Finally, it had happened; his plan had not been in vain.
Kuragami stood up, and Fugaku and Shihei quickly followed.
Meanwhile, officers from downstairs rushed up after hearing the commotion.
Seeing this, Kuragami raised a hand to stop his anxious subordinates. "Go back to work. It's nothing serious."
"Are you sure?"
Inoka Uchiha still looked worried. The disturbance just now had been quite severe.
"If there was a real problem, don't you think I could handle it myself?"
Kuragami shot him an annoyed look before adding: "Take everyone back. I've got this."
When Kuragami reached his office door, he turned to Fugaku and Shihei. "You two should stay outside. Leave this to me."
… … …
Two hours earlier
Shisui Uchiha, feeling emotionally exhausted from dealing with the unreasonable villagers, had not participated in the Konoha Military Police Force's operation.
However, watching the officers violently subdue the rioters, dragging their battered bodies back to the station, awakened a sense of justice in Shisui, compelling him to step in and stop them.
Yet, the memory of these same people mocking him and disregarding the Will of Fire held him back. Instead, confusion took root in his heart, driving him toward Kuragami's office in search of answers.
Upon reaching Kuragami's office, he found it empty; Kuragami was having tea with Fugaku elsewhere.
Shisui intended to wait and reflect, but his eyes were soon drawn to the scattered documents on Kuragami's desk.
… … …
When Kuragami pushed open the office door, the scene before him was striking.
Papers were strewn across the room. At the desk, Shisui sat in shock, his once-bright Sharingan spinning wildly, blood tears streaming down his face. A violent surge of Chakra pulsed around him. If these eyes had been his originals, a Mangekyo Sharingan would likely have awakened at this very moment.
Kuragami observed silently, and then he calmly shut the door behind him.
Without a word, he began picking up the scattered documents, copies of the intel he had retrieved from Orochimaru's base. He had deliberately left them here, and their effect was proving to be exactly as he had intended.
"Kuragami... This isn't real, is it?" Shisui asked, his vacant gaze regaining a hint of light upon seeing Kuragami.
"Shisui, with your clearance level, you shouldn't even be looking at this."
Kuragami replied softly.
"Kuragami!"
Shisui growled with desperation in his eyes. He desperately wanted to believe that what he had just read was fake because if it were true, it would shatter everything he had ever stood for.
"I retrieved these from Orochimaru's base. Do you think they could be fake?"
Kuragami said as he sat back down in his chair.
"Ahhh!!!"
Shisui screamed in agony while clutching his head. His Chakra flared violently, and his Sharingan spun uncontrollably. However, he still couldn't take that final step; his eyes wouldn't evolve further.
Through his Summoning Jutsu with his ninja hawk, Kuragami could feel the residual connection to Shisui's original Mangekyo Sharingan.
So, without his original eyes, he truly can't reach the final evolution, Kuragami mused.
Then he stepped forward and quickly suppressed Shisui's Chakra. Shisui had already started burning his life force. If he wasn't stopped, he might actually die here tonight.
Even after having his Chakra forcibly sealed, Shisui remained distraught.
Kuragami, unfazed, pulled over a tea set and slowly brewed tea, waiting for Shisui to vent his emotions.
After some time, Shisui finally calmed down. Blood tears still stained his face as he looked up at Kuragami.
"Have you calmed down?"
Kuragami asked while sliding a cup of tea toward him.
"Thank you."
Shisui muttered weakly. "Kuragami... Why? Why is it like this?"
"You think I don't want to know?"
Kuragami suddenly snapped, an uncharacteristic burst of anger breaking through his usual composure.
"Dammit! How did the village end up like this?!"
"They drilled the Will of Fire into us at the academy every day. And yet, look at them, Danzo, Homura, Koharu... Every single one of them is corrupt!"
Kuragami ranted. "These people should all be executed! But for the sake of the village's stability, I have to lock away this evidence that could bring them down!"