"Shisui, you'll need to go into hiding for a while," Minato said, his expression shifting to something more serious. "You can't appear under your real identity anymore. Not yet."
Shisui blinked, confusion crossing his face. "Why? Is this because of Danzō?"
"Not entirely," Kenji said, stepping in to explain. He crossed his arms and leaned against the desk. "Your Sharingan was taken by Danzō, yes. And I got it back from him. But when I did that, I was disguised as the masked man, the one who attacked during the Nine-Tails incident. Based on his reactions during the fight, it's clear that same masked man was the one who originally fed him intelligence about your Mangekyō Sharingan in the first place."
"The masked man?" Shisui's confusion deepened. "I don't understand. What masked man?"
"The one from a few years ago," Minato clarified. "He was the cause of the Nine-Tails incident."
"The Nine-Tails incident..."
Shisui's mind went back to that chaotic night. He'd been at the Academy then, just a student hiding in a shelter with other villagers while the world outside went to hell. Alarm sirens had blared endlessly. Explosions had shaken the ground.
"That's the one," Kenji confirmed. "And he's more dangerous than you might think. He possesses a space-time ninjutsu that makes him immune to most attacks. Anything physical just passes right through him. On top of that, he can control tailed beasts. If you ever encounter him, you need to be extremely careful."
Kenji went on to explain what he knew of Obito's abilities in more detail. The intangibility technique that let him phase through attacks, the way he could transport himself and others through dimensional rifts...
Shisui listened intently, his expression growing grimmer with each new piece of information. When Kenji finished, the young Uchiha was silent for a moment, processing everything.
"Space-time ninjutsu that negates attacks, and the ability to control tailed beasts..." he said slowly. His frown deepened. "I hate to admit it, but those abilities almost certainly come from a Mangekyō Sharingan. The space-time technique especially, that's probably his unique Mangekyō ability, like my Kotoamatsukami."
Kenji nodded approvingly. Of course Shisui had figured it out. An Uchiha understood the possibilities of their own bloodline better than anyone else could.
"Mangekyō ability," Minato repeated. "Now that you mention it, that makes sense. The village suspected he might be an Uchiha because of the tailed beast control, but no one ever considered that his intangibility might be a unique ocular ability. Different from your Kotoamatsukami, but just as specialized and powerful."
"So that's why..." Shisui's voice trailed off. His gaze dropped to the floor. "That's why the village has always been wary of the Uchiha. I thought it was just fear of our clan's strength, or resentment over our pride. I never imagined there might be an Uchiha traitor working against Konoha."
"Don't spiral on this," Minato said firmly. He walked over and put a hand on Shisui's shoulder. "Being suspicious of the Uchiha clan as a whole is the mentality of men like Hiruzen and Danzō. I've never agreed with treating loyal ninjas as potential enemies just because of their bloodline. In my eyes, you and most of your clansmen are valued members of this village."
Shisui looked up at him. His eyes glistened slightly. "Thank you, Hokage-sama."
"No need to thank me," Minato said. He released Shisui's shoulder and moved to the window, looking out over Konoha's nighttime skyline. The lights from thousands of homes and street lamps spread across the village. "Failing to capture that masked man and allowing him to continue threatening the village is my failure as Hokage. And make no mistake, he has no good intentions toward the Uchiha clan either."
He turned back to face Shisui.
"The sudden surge in activity from the Uchiha hardliners, their push toward attempting a coup, all of that is being guided. According to our intelligence, the masked man has been stroking their anger and pushing them toward violence. Root has also been fanning those flames, making the situation worse."
Shisui's eyes widened. "You mean..."
"That's likely one of the reasons Danzō targeted you. He wanted your Sharingan for his collection. But he also didn't want you interfering with the coup. If you'd used Kotoamatsukami to pacify the hardliners and prevent the violence, it would've disrupted whatever plans both he and the masked man have for the Uchiha. When you initially approached me about mediating the relationship between the Uchiha and the rest of the village, I already suspected it wouldn't be resolved easily. But I never expected Danzō would be brazen enough to directly attack you despite the prohibition against harming fellow Konoha ninjas. That was my oversight. I should have anticipated he might go that far."
"You have nothing to apologize for," Shisui said quickly. "This isn't your fault."
"Nevertheless, once the Uchiha situation is resolved, I will deal with Danzō and Root."
Shisui felt a chill run down his spine. The Fourth Hokage was usually so calm and approachable that it was easy to forget he was one of the most dangerous ninjas alive. But right now, there was no mistaking the threat in his voice.
Minato let the moment hang for a beat, then moved on.
"But that brings us back to the immediate problem. The masked man has almost certainly marked you as a target. He tried to use Danzō to eliminate you, probably because he fears your Kotoamatsukami could disrupt his plans for the Uchiha. If you continue operating under your real identity, he may attack you directly."
"And with your current strength," Kenji added bluntly, "you're not his match. That space-time technique makes him extremely difficult to counter unless you know exactly how it works and have the tools to exploit its weaknesses."
Minato nodded. "That's why I'm asking you to fake your death and go into hiding. Join ANBU under a false identity. Build your strength, gather intelligence, and wait for the right moment. When the time comes, you'll step forward and help resolve this situation properly."
Shisui hesitated. His first instinct was to insist he could still help his clan even if it meant putting himself at risk. But he forced himself to think it through logically instead of emotionally.
The situation was far more complicated than he'd initially realized. There were multiple layers of manipulation at play, enemies working in the shadows with goals he didn't fully understand yet. Charging in blindly would accomplish nothing except getting himself killed.
"I understand," he said finally. "I'll follow your plan, Hokage-sama"
"Don't worry too much about the timing," Kenji said, seeing Shisui's concern. "Since I impersonated the masked man when I took back your Sharingan, Danzō will be extremely wary of him now. He might even turn against his supposed ally once he realizes he was used as a pawn. That paranoia will buy us time."
"That's right," Minato agreed. "Your job is simple. Grow stronger, master your abilities, and learn everything you can about the masked man and his techniques. When we need you to act, you'll be ready."
"Yes, Hokage-sama."
---
Several days later, news spread through the Uchiha compound that Shisui had disappeared. He'd left behind a vague suicide note before vanishing without a trace. Shortly after, the Hokage issued an official announcement declaring Uchiha Shisui dead by his own hand.
The clan erupted into chaos.
No body had been found. The suicide note's contents were ambiguous at best. The circumstances didn't add up. Suspicion ran rampant, especially among the hardliners who'd already been primed to distrust the village leadership.
Many of them convinced themselves that the Hokage had ordered Shisui's assassination. And the most likely candidate for carrying out such a mission? Itachi. He'd joined ANBU recently, worked closely with the Hokage, and had been known to be close with Shisui. To the conspiracy-minded, it all fit together too perfectly.
The accusations flew despite having no evidence. The atmosphere in the compound grew darker and more volatile with each passing day.
---
Inside the Hokage's office, Shisui stood behind Minato's desk wearing full ANBU gear. His mask rested on the desk beside him, revealing a face marked with concern.
"Are you sure about this, Hokage-sama?" he asked quietly. "The Uchiha's hostility toward you is intensifying. If this actually triggers the coup instead of preventing it..."
"That's exactly what I want," Minato said calmly. He stood at the window, hands clasped behind his back as he looked out over the village. "I intend to bring all these tensions to a head. The masked man and Danzō have already planted the seeds of rebellion. Instead of trying to suppress them and let the resentment fester, we're going to force the issue now, on our terms."
He turned to face Shisui directly.
"This plan will require sacrificing some of your clansmen. I hope you won't hold that against me."
Shisui's expression hardened. "You mean the radicals, right? The ones planning to betray the village and attack their fellow ninjas?"
"Yes."
"Then there's no issue." His voice was firm. "The moment they decided to raise weapons against Konoha, they became enemies. If eliminating them brings peace, then that's what needs to happen. I won't mourn traitors."
Minato studied him for a moment, then nodded with what looked like approval. "To be honest, that was my initial thought as well. But Kenji made an interesting argument."
"Oh?"
"He suggested that keeping them alive might be more valuable than executing them. The people involved in this coup aren't weak. Most of them are competent ninjas with years of experience. Instead of wasting that potential through execution, we imprison them and attempt rehabilitation. If they can be reformed, they become assets to the village again. If they can't... Then we still have skilled ninjas whose genes could produce talented children in the next generation. Either way, the village benefits more than it would from simply killing them all."
Shisui blinked, processing that unexpectedly pragmatic approach. "That's... actually reasonable."
"Kenji has a talent for finding the most efficient solution to problems," Minato said with a slight smile. "Even if those solutions are sometimes uncomfortable to think about."