"Come on, we're already back in the village. Why the long face?"
At the gates of Konoha, Yuhara turned and gave a helpless look to Shisui, who trailed behind him, still wrapped in thought. For the past few days, Shisui had worn that same expression—lost in his own mind, constantly brooding. Sometimes, he'd even show flashes of fear.
Yuhara had a pretty good idea what was going on.
Shisui had definitely been rattled by what Yuhara told him that night. And he wasn't wrong. The truth had shaken him hard.
He'd spent days running scenarios through his mind. He even applied all the critical thinking Yuhara had taught him—and the conclusion was terrifyingly clear: Yuhara hadn't exaggerated a thing.
Shisui knew what kind of man Danzo was. He'd interacted with him before, heard the clan elders speak of him. A deeply paranoid man. Ruthless. He trusted no one. And when it came to the Uchiha, he wasn't just cold—he was openly hostile.
What was worse, no matter how many shady things Danzo did, he never seemed to suffer consequences. Clearly, the Third Hokage trusted him more than anyone should.
Now imagine someone like that discovering Shisui's Mangekyō Sharingan.
The outcome was painfully obvious.
Danzo wouldn't hesitate. He'd take Shisui's eye without a second thought. Maybe he'd let Shisui live—maybe. But even that would trigger a crisis: the Uchiha would see it as an attack from the village. And if he died? The consequences would be the same—civil war.
Just thinking about it made Shisui feel cold all over. Even now, as they approached the village, he was still caught in that spiral—until Yuhara's voice snapped him out of it.
"Sorry, that's on me. I just—"
"I get it." Yuhara waved it off. "Let's just check in and head home. We're all tired."
"Right… yeah."
Shisui looked up at the massive wooden gates of Konoha. They were just as tall and imposing as ever—but this time, something felt different.
For some reason, he didn't want to walk through them.
Because walking through that gate meant stepping right back into the chaos: the clan's internal strife… and now, a whole new layer of anxiety about the village itself.
He sighed.
It was a foolish thought. He was still a Konoha shinobi, after all.
They completed their entry check quickly—the gate guards weren't Izumo and Kotetsu yet, just two ordinary ninja—and before long, they were walking the familiar streets of Konoha.
Kids were laughing and running around, playing in the streets. Families strolled by, chatting and smiling.
To Shisui, it all felt… distant. Disconnected.
Yuhara noticed.
He hadn't expected his little "future spoilers" to hit Shisui this hard, but honestly, he didn't regret it. Better to know the cruel truth now than get blindsided later.
Still, this gloomy vibe was getting old.
Yuhara stopped next to a bookstore, walked in without thinking, and bought two random books. The shopkeeper gave him a weird look, but he ignored it.
"Here." Without waiting for a reply, Yuhara shoved one of the books into Shisui's arms. "You've been overthinking everything lately. That's not helping."
"Huh?" Shisui blinked in confusion, instinctively taking the book. He didn't even have time to look at the cover before Yuhara continued.
"I didn't tell you all this to freak you out. I told you because you matter. You trusted me enough to share your ability—so I trust you back. I need to think about how to protect you."
He paused, then placed a hand on Shisui's shoulder.
"We've known each other since we were kids. We grew up together, trained together, pushed each other. We've always been rivals and friends.
And now, we're the only two in the clan with Mangekyō.
Maybe it's fate. Maybe we're meant to fight for something bigger together. But if you stay in this state of mind, we won't get anything done."
Shisui was moved. Deep down, he knew everything Yuhara said was true. Their bond was unique, and now their paths were more aligned than ever.
Especially now that they both bore the same eyes.
Maybe this was destiny.
Maybe the two of them really were meant to save the Uchiha clan.
He felt a wave of guilt. Yuhara had been trying to help, and he'd just been moping. That wasn't fair.
"You're right. I'm sorry. I won't let myself fall into that again." He took a deep breath, standing tall. "From now on, I'll face everything with the best version of myself."
"That's the Shisui I know—and the Shisui I need."
Yuhara grinned. And since he was in a generous mood, he decided to give Shisui something else:
A dream.
"What we're doing is dangerous. And even if we succeed, we'll still need to hold each other accountable. You've heard the stories—how dragon slayers become dragons themselves."
Shisui nodded silently.
"So no matter which of us becomes clan leader, the other will be the vice-leader. The one who keeps him in check, supports him, and makes sure we never lose our way.
We'll always stay sharp. We'll never become what we fight against."
"Yes! I won't let you down!"
Just as Yuhara hoped, Shisui was fired up again.
He'd seen this before: when someone's beliefs crumble, giving them a new path—something to believe in—can reignite them completely.
It wasn't manipulation. It was leadership.
"Whenever you're feeling down, just read," Yuhara added with a smile. "Books can ease your heart, teach you new things, and sometimes just make you laugh."
He patted Shisui's shoulder once more—then realized it was getting awkward and quickly pulled his hand back.
Shisui nodded earnestly and finally looked down at the book he'd been holding.
His face changed immediately.
"Yuhara... are you sure this is what I should be reading?"
"Yeah. Why? Something wrong?"
"It's... Make-Out Paradise."
"...Huh?"
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