After Seiryu left, Shisui didn't bother to change his eyes but rushed to the Hokage building as fast as he could.
Even though Seiryu said he would not use the eye to control the Hokage, Shisui dared not take the risk.
'At the very least, I need to warn the Hokage.'
With this conviction, Shisui, enduring the pain in his eye sockets, stumbled to the Hokage building.
"Uchiha Shisui?" The two Chūnin guarding the entrance were shocked to see his condition. This was the famous Shisui of the Body Flicker—how had he ended up like this?
"I need to see the Hokage! Now!" Shisui urged.
"What happened?" At that moment, Sarutobi Hiruzen emerged from his office, alarmed by Shisui's empty eye sockets. He had sent Shisui to investigate the Uchiha clan meeting, but now Shisui was badly injured—did it mean the Uchiha were rebelling?
"Quickly! Get the medical ninja!" Hiruzen ordered.
"Hokage-sama, I have an urgent report. The medical ninja can wait," Shisui said as soon as he heard Hiruzen's voice.
"Very well." Seeing Shisui so agitated, Hiruzen led him into the office and dismissed the others.
"Speak, Shisui—what happened?" Hiruzen asked grimly, preparing for the worst.
Shisui took a deep breath and told everything that had happened, including the abilities of the eyes Seiryu had taken from him, without the slightest omission.
The more Hiruzen heard, the more grave his expression became. In truth, he had already prepared for the Uchiha clan's open rebellion, but Shisui's news was even more serious.
"Seiryu…" Hiruzen lit his pipe and recalled Uchiha Seiryu's figure.
In his impression, Seiryu, who had achieved great merit in the Third Ninja War, was nothing like the typical arrogant Uchiha. Though more withdrawn than Shisui, he was well-liked for his gentle law enforcement in the police force and had greatly improved Uchiha-villager relations. Hiruzen had thought he was another Uchiha who shared the Will of Fire, like his old comrade Uchiha Kagami, but now it turned out Seiryu had such a secret. And now, he had two pairs of Mangekyō Sharingan.
"Hokage-sama, you must be careful! Don't give Seiryu any chance!" Shisui urged.
"I understand, Shisui. Don't worry, things haven't reached the worst point yet." Hiruzen puffed his pipe and comforted Shisui. "Go get your eyes replaced."
"Hokage-sama!" Shisui pleaded.
"Even if he uses your eye to control me, his plot will not succeed. Shisui, you must understand: the Hokage is Hokage because everyone in the village accepts the Will of Fire. If he thinks controlling me means controlling the village, he's gravely mistaken!" Hiruzen patted Shisui's shoulder. "So go, and recover. We still need your strength to stop his plan."
"Hokage-sama…" Shisui was choked with emotion. "I understand! I will stop him!"
…
After Shisui was taken for eye surgery, from the shadows of the Hokage office, a cane-tapping figure slowly emerged.
"Hiruzen, what are you hesitating for?" The newcomer, seeing Hiruzen silent at his desk, urged anxiously. "Do you want to become the puppet of that inherently evil Uchiha brat?"
"Danzo, calm down." Hiruzen looked up at his old partner. "Things haven't reached that point."
"Uchiha Seiryu intends to rebel. If we keep waiting, it'll be too late!" Danzo snapped. "Once the Uchiha learn he's awakened the Mangekyō, they'll likely rise today! We must strike first and capture him!"
"Enough, Danzo! I am the Hokage!" Hiruzen roared.
"Hiruzen! You'll regret this!"
Bang!
After Danzo stormed out, Hiruzen took a long drag on his pipe and gazed out into the night.
Knowing Danzo, Hiruzen guessed he'd secretly send men to assassinate Seiryu. Hiruzen didn't mind: if Danzo succeeded, all would be well. If he failed, it would just be Danzo's responsibility, not the Hokage's—such was the tacit understanding between them all these years.
"It truly is a season of troubles," Hiruzen sighed in his smoky office.
…
The next morning, the sun rose as usual.
After waking up, Seiryu washed up and headed to work at the police force.
He'd barely sat down in his office when the team captain, and clan head, Uchiha Fugaku, walked in.
"Seiryu, get ready. There's an urgent mission from the village. You'll lead the team—Inaho and Zaito will go with you," Fugaku said grimly.
"Understood," Seiryu nodded, not surprised. He felt the mission had come a bit too soon.
"So, the Hokage's side couldn't resist?" After Fugaku left, Seiryu lightly drew his sword, its cold blade reflecting his face.
Sheathing his sword and packing up, Seiryu picked up the mission scroll and waited at the police department's entrance for his teammates.
Uchiha Inaho and Uchiha Zaito—both outstanding young Uchiha, though far less powerful than Shisui or Seiryu, had both become Chūnin before age 20 and awakened two-tomoe Sharingan.
But, like most Uchiha, their brains were filled with clan pride. They looked down on Seiryu's gentle law enforcement, but with the mission at hand, they greeted Seiryu with a standard bow.
Seiryu nodded. "Let's go."