Itachi, the young prodigy of the Uchiha Cn, was known for his immense strength and exceptional talent. Unlike many in his cn, he was not bound by narrow-minded cn-centric ideologies.

  At just seven years old, he had earned praise from Hiruzen for his ability to think like a Hokage.

  Having been a child soldier on the battlefield since the age of four, Itachi's understanding of the Will of Fire ran deeper than most. Now, with his three-tomoe Sharingan awakened, he had joined the ranks of Konoha's Anbu.

  By the banks of the Naka River, Itachi and Shisui sat on stone stools, facing the rising sun.

  This was a pce where they often trained, gathered, and rexed together. However, the atmosphere today was heavy with tension.

  Itachi was holding a scroll, his expression grave.

  The scroll depicted the transformed appearance of Naruto when he fought Shisui: a figure in a hooded cloak, wearing a white robe and leather armor, an outfit completely unlike anything seen in the Ninja World.

  The unusually tall and muscur build, however, bore some resembnce to figures from the Land of Lightning.

  "To be honest, even with this portrait, it's not much help."

  Shisui couldn't help but sigh lightly, his expression was very bitter, "The other party used a highly advanced Transformation Technique to conceal their appearance. Even I couldn't see through it… I could only tell that they were using a Transformation Technique."

  It was only ter that Shisui realized why his opponent had seemed so full of openings during their fight. The opponent's natural physique wasn't what had been dispyed during the battle, leading to a sense of awkwardness and vulnerability in their movements.

  "Even you couldn't see through it, Shisui?"

  Itachi's face showed shock. Shisui had never hidden anything from Itachi, so he knew that Shisui's eyes were no ordinary three-tomoe Sharingan, and they are the Mangekyo Sharingan.

  ‘A Transformation Technique even the Mangekyo couldn't see through?’

  Shisui nodded, "That's why this situation is so troublesome. If the opponent remains hidden and waits for an opportunity to steal other Kekkei Genkai, the consequences for the vilge could be catastrophic."

  Itachi's expression darkened, and he lowered his head, gripping the scroll tightly. He couldn't allow anyone to harm the vilge he loved so dearly.

  Then, as if struck by a sudden thought, he looked up at Shisui, his voice trembling as he asked: "Shisui, even your eyes... can't do anything about this?"

  Shisui understood what Itachi was implying. He had long ago told Itachi about the abilities of his Mangekyo Sharingan. The power of his left eye, Kotoamatsukami, was considered the strongest Genjutsu. However, he wasn't sure if it would work on another Mangekyo user. Even if it did, he couldn't risk using it.

  Because doing so would mean he couldn't resolve the conflict between the vilge and the Uchiha Cn.

  "Itachi... I've already confessed the abilities of my eyes to Sandaime-sama. And I intend to use these eyes to solve the Uchiha Cn's problems." Shisui said, his expression complex and filled with pain, yet unable to find a way out.

  Sometimes, pain isn't solely caused by a ck of ability, and it can also stem from one's own foolishness.

  Shisui's vision had been clouded by the Will of Fire. His blind trust had prevented him from seeing the true nature of Hiruzen, who hid behind the Will of Fire.

  At the same time, he couldn't abandon the cn that had raised him, leaving him trapped in the middle, bearing the pain alone.

  It could be said that his understanding of the Will of Fire wasn't as pure as Itachi's. Itachi never hesitated between the vilge and the Uchiha Cn. In his eyes, aside from Shisui and Sasuke, the Uchiha were nothing but arrogant, foolish, and inherently evil. That was why he could, without hesitation, sughter every man, woman, and child in the Uchiha Cn in the name of protecting the vilge.

  "Shisui, what do you mean?" Itachi asked, his face showing surprise.

  Shisui clenched his teeth. He knew his actions might hurt Itachi, but there was no other way to stop the Uchiha coup.

  He looked at Uchiha Itachi with an apologetic look on his face, and said with some self-bme: "I'm sorry, Itachi. Yesterday, I proposed to Sandaime-sama that I would use Kotoamatsukami to control Fugaku-sama and prevent the Uchiha coup."

  After saying this, Shisui couldn't help but lower his head in shame. The idea of turning Itachi's father into a puppet in front of him made him despise himself.

  Moreover, he still hadn't revealed the whole truth. The fact that the mysterious figure was an Uchiha was something he alone needed to know. After all, the retionship between the vilge and the Uchiha couldn't afford to worsen further.

  ...

  After a long silence, Itachi finally spoke. To Shisui's surprise, Itachi didn't bme him. Instead, he seemed somewhat relieved.

  "Shisui, it's alright. If this can resolve the Uchiha coup and maintain peace in the vilge, it's a good thing. I think even Father would be happy about it."

  Shisui stared at his friend in shock, feeling as though he was seeing him for the first time. His expression was one of disbelief.

  ‘Compared to the Uchiha Cn, Itachi seemed to care more about the vilge.’

  ‘Itachi...’

  ---

  By midday, the sun was high in the sky.

  Naruto finally woke up from his sleep, staring at the familiar yet unfamiliar ceiling, his vision blurry and his head heavy.

  It can’t be helped, as staying up te and getting up te will do that to everyone.

  He had been too excited st night, staying up te and experimenting with his Susanoo, which had caused him to oversleep.

  Gurgle…

  Just as the world in Naruto’s vision shifted from 360p to 1080p, his stomach let out a loud growl, like a trumpet bring.

  ‘So hungry.’

  "Ah- yawn-"

  Naruto let out a long yawn and pulled a few expired cups of instant noodles from the fridge. Although they were past their expiration date, they were still edible. Of course, expired milk was definitely off the table.

  "Kurama, do you think I could take on that Uchiha in a straight fight?" Naruto asked while brushing his teeth, directing his question to Kurama in the seal space.

  "Ah- yawn-" Kurama also yawned and replied without hesitation: "I don't know. Both of you were holding back yesterday. It was boring."

  Naruto chuckled, not surprised by the answer. Although he had briefly summoned his Susanoo yesterday, the fight hadn't been satisfying. Shisui had wanted to deal with him without alerting the vilge, and Naruto had only wanted to test his own strength. With both sides holding back, it was hard to gauge the true gap in their abilities.

  "Still, that guy's Mangekyo Sharingan has far more Ocur Power than yours. I feel like his Susanoo is probably two levels higher than yours."

  "Really?"

  Naruto wasn't surprised by this. He remembered from the original story that Shisui could summon a Susanoo with just one eye, so his Ocur Power must be considerable.

  "The most miserable people are those who are naive, stupid, and indecisive."

  "What do you mean?" Kurama asked in doubts.

  "That Uchiha," Naruto said with a smile, wiping his face and leaving the bathroom. The hot water was ready, so he poured it into the cups of instant noodles and sat down to wait.

  "He firmly believes in the Will of Fire, yet he can't let go of his cn. He wants to protect his cn, but he still trusts that old bastard Hiruzen."

  "Don't you see? Everyone is hostile toward the Uchiha. If Hiruzen had any intention of being lenient with them, how could he have remained Hokage for decades?"

  Kurama thought about what Naruto meant and said, "So, you want him to help you deal with Konoha?"

  "Heh."

  Naruto couldn't help but sneer, and said with some disdain: "Kurama, don't you get it? People brainwashed by the Will of Fire are the most troublesome."

  "I just want his Sharingan, that's all."

  ‘Uchiha Shisui, I've already warned you.’

  ‘I hope you can keep your right eye safe.’