Uchiha Territory.
"Caw... caw... caw..."
The cry of a crow echoed.
"Reverse Summoning Jutsu!" Iori slammed her palm against the barrier.
Poof!
Shisui's figure materialized on the summoning platform. He used the Body Flicker Technique to appear below, where Kawasaki was waiting for him.
"Senior, I've returned."
The situation at the Four Great Roads was now just for show; leaving Yotsuki there was sufficient.
Kawasaki crooked a finger, signaling for Shisui to follow him. "What's the situation at the border?"
They spoke as they walked. Shisui informed Kawasaki, "At the border, Iwagakure retreated and hasn't made any moves to cross it since. However, scouts from the various factions of the Four Great Roads are active, especially those from the Land of Grass and the Land of Waterfalls."
Kawasaki nodded, indicating he understood.
"Itachi's eyes were severely strained in the last battle. I've announced publicly that he has lost his sight..."
Kawasaki then explained the difference between a normal Mangekyo Sharingan and the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan to Shisui. Shisui had only known that using the Mangekyo Sharingan led to blindness and that it must be used sparingly. To this day, he had used his Mangekyo only a handful of times, and his vision remained unaffected.
However, after using Susanoo in the last battle, he noticed upon closer inspection that his vision had slightly deteriorated. He had been wondering how many more battles his Mangekyo could endure when Kawasaki told him about the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan, a version that did not lead to blindness.
Unfortunately, with no living relatives, this path was closed to Shisui.
Kawasaki also revealed another way to restore his sight: transplanting Hashirama's cells. Orochimaru's experiments had made progress in recent years, but it would still take time.
"Senior, my eyes are still in good condition. There's no rush," Shisui said. He didn't rely on Susanoo for standard combat. Besides, his Kotoamatsukami was still on cooldown and unusable, so his vision wasn't currently being strained.
"Senior, this is the Hidan you asked me to bring back. Things were too urgent last time, so I didn't get a chance to give him to you." As he spoke, Shisui took out two storage scrolls.
Kawasaki's interest was immediately piqued. He also wanted to understand the principle behind Hidan's immortality. Perhaps he could gain some benefit from Jashin. Or, he could use an Edo Tensei zombie as a sacrifice. He was about to meet Orochimaru anyway; he might as well hand Hidan over for research.
...
Uchiha Territory.
Shisui guessed that Kawasaki was taking him to see Itachi Uchiha, but he hadn't expected to find so many people gathered there.
In the living room, both Fugaku and Mikoto were present. Fugaku's expression was calm, while Mikoto had a smile on her face, speaking to Itachi with clear delight. Itachi's own expression was a little unnatural.
Shisui was confused, not understanding why Fugaku and Mikoto were there as well.
Kawasaki waved a hand and said decisively, "Everyone's here. Let's go."
And so, under Kawasaki's lead, the group headed towards the clan's residential area. Shisui sidled up to Itachi and started asking questions, finally learning the reason for the gathering.
It turned out today was the day of Itachi's engagement.
Shisui froze. His senior had called him back for this. He had, of course, long heard about Itachi and Izumi's feelings for each other over the years. Still, suddenly hearing the news of his best friend's engagement was a small shock, which was quickly followed by genuine happiness for him.
"Something this big, and you didn't tell me beforehand," Shisui said to Itachi in a hushed voice after greeting everyone.
Itachi's expression remained a bit complicated. He replied softly, "I was planning to tell you after it was all settled."
"You'd better be careful."
Shisui was completely lost. "Careful of what?"
Fugaku, unable to see, walked at the back of the group with Mikoto.
"Shisui..."
Hearing Mikoto's call, Itachi gave Shisui a look that said, "You're on your own."
Though unsure of what to expect, Shisui walked over. The moment Mikoto spoke, he was already on the back foot. "Shisui, you're not a kid anymore..."
Kawasaki planned to take Itachi to Izumi's home first so the parents could finalize the engagement. Afterwards, he would lead everyone to Konoha. Fugaku and Itachi were going to find Orochimaru to upgrade to the Eternal Mangekyo.
Although the eye transplant procedure was simple enough to be done within the clan, this was the only opportunity in recent years for relatives to merge their eyes into an Eternal Mangekyo. Such a chance was extremely rare and would be highly beneficial, both for Orochimaru's research and for enhancing Shisui's Sharingan abilities. Therefore, Shisui had to go as well.
Of course, the official story was that Fugaku and Itachi were going for a cloning procedure, with Shisui as their bodyguard. Kawasaki had another reason for seeing Orochimaru: to check on those children and the Fourth Hokage's situation, and also to test if that Hidan 'thing' was useful.
Izumi had already been notified, so when Kawasaki's group arrived, she and her mother, Uchiha Hazuki, were already waiting at the door. Hazuki was in her early thirties, with a gentle face and a kind demeanor.
"Greetings, Clan Head, Elder."
"Izumi calls me Senior. You're her mother, so there's no need to be so formal. Just call me Kawasaki," Kawasaki said with a cheerful smile.
Though his eyes were closed, Fugaku's expression was quite friendly. "I am Fugaku. I hold no position here today, only that of a father. As Itachi's father, I should have paid you a visit long ago."
Hazuki seemed a little flustered. "You are all too kind. Please, come in."
Seeing this, Mikoto entrusted Fugaku to Shisui's care and went forward to chat with Hazuki. They were not strangers, and after a few words, Hazuki quickly relaxed.
Izumi was much quieter than usual today. Her cheeks were flushed, and she seemed a bit shy.
After they went inside, Fugaku and Mikoto went into an inner room with Hazuki to talk. Izumi brought in tea and came back out, her face red. Fortunately, besides Itachi, Shisui was a familiar face, and Kawasaki was approachable, which allowed Izumi to converse normally.
"Senior, Shisui, why did you two come along as well?"
Kawasaki explained, "After your matters are settled, we're going to Orochimaru's place for eye treatment. Shisui is coming along as a guard. For this treatment, Itachi will be recovering for two months, so you won't see each other for a while. If you have anything to say, now is the time."
Izumi tilted her head and looked at Itachi. "There's nothing to say. The time will be both short and long."
Itachi's expression was gentle. After today, their engagement would be official. Izumi would be his fiancée.
"I'll come for you when my eyes are healed."
...
Fugaku and Mikoto didn't stay in the inner room for long. More accurately, Fugaku didn't stay long. Once things were settled, Mikoto "invited" him out. After all, Izumi's father had passed away early, so it was more appropriate for Mikoto and Hazuki to talk alone.
Once Fugaku came out, he joined Kawasaki's group on their way to Konoha.
These days, patrol duties in Konoha were entirely handled by the Hyuga Clan. The group's movements were conspicuous; members of the Hyuga Clan knew of their arrival before they even reached the gates.
Hyuga Yuto came over specifically to inquire, "Lord Kawasaki, what are your orders?"
Seeing Yuto, Kawasaki's thoughts turned to the Hyuga Clan. "I'm here to see Orochimaru about a few things. Go back and tell Hizashi I'll see him afterwards."
"Yes, Lord Kawasaki. Understood." Hyuga Yuto then withdrew.
The group entered Konoha smoothly. Kawasaki noticed they were being watched by Anbu the entire way. He paid it no mind, and the group soon arrived at Orochimaru's territory. The last time Kawasaki and Orochimaru fought, they had demolished many of the nearby buildings.