Аннотация: Uchiha Shisui is not a classic "hitman", he is trying to change the canon in order to stay alive. He and Itachi, taking a "kindergarten" of young brothers, sisters and their friends, leave Konoha after the liquidation of the Uchiha clan.
A life that I will change. Book 1: Saving the Uchiha Clan
Автор: Кицунэ Миято
Uchiha Shisui is not a classic "hitman", he is trying to change the canon in order to stay alive. He and Itachi, taking a "kindergarten" of young brothers, sisters and their friends, leave Konoha after the liquidation of the Uchiha clan.
Обложка 1 книги https://vk.com/photo-119634594_427080280 there is also an album with the author's illustrations for this work.
**Иллюстрации и картинки:**
ч.1 гл.10 спасённые дети http://s01.geekpic.net/di-NF1GC4.jpg
ч.1 гл.11 Замок Нэкомата http://s01.geekpic.net/dm-VIIOGT.jpeg
ч.2 гл.9 Мастер Ракурэй http://s01.geekpic.net/di-3YEMXJ.jpg
ч.2 гл.12 Коллаж ко второй части http://s01.geekpic.net/di-NHBSB8.jpg
ч.3 гл.27 Девочки в красивом http://s01.geekpic.net/di-56Q95D.jpg
Part 1. "Non-classical popadanets". The Prologue
Psychology professor Kanagawa Toru looked closely at his new patient. A very young guy, who, judging by the questionnaire, would have to turn sixteen in a couple of weeks, sat with his hands clasped on his knees, staring thoughtfully at one point. Nakomori Hiroshi addressed a problem that was unusual even for Professor Kanagawa's extensive medical practice.
"Let's summarize all of the above, Hiroshi-kun. Are you saying that you live two lives and don't know which one is real? When you sleep there, you see this life as a strange dream, and vice versa. Is everything right?"
"Yes, Professor," the guy nodded. His black, lively eyes were attentive and wary, and there was also something in them that Kanagawa couldn't dismiss. Nakomori Hiroshi said what he believed in. And that look was the look of an adult with a lot of experience. As they say, "a child with old eyes."
"Did it start two years ago, when your parents died after an accident, and you yourself also suffered greatly, having experienced several clinical deaths? Do you remember how your father and mother died?"
"Yes, Professor," the patient focused on his hands and the wide bracelets hiding his wrists. "I saw it happen."
"Have you tried to commit suicide?" Kanagawa asked after making a handwriting in front of "suicidal tendencies" on the form.
"Yes. But..."
"But?.." The hitch was more than telling.
"At first, I wanted to commit suicide so that I could... live that life alone. She's quite interesting. When I woke up here, after fourteen years there... It was very... painful. Because of this, I even got..." The guy stopped, looking at him suspiciously. Kanagawa pretended not to notice the slip. "In general, it was very stressful. But then I got used to it somehow. You could say he got involved. In general, everything began to suit me. But I've learned something recently. Actually, that's why I decided to contact you.
"That's how," Kanagawa mentally gave himself a thrashing due to the fact that, having been carried away by such an interesting case, he had not yet clarified what was happening in the guy's second life. "And what did you learn, Hiroshi-kun?"
"I think I'm going to die there soon. Something turned out... very important," he thoughtfully twirled a black lock of hair around his finger.
"But how can you be so sure? Did you get sick there?"
"No. I just found out that... My second life, it turns out, is public domain," the patient exhaled, as if deciding on such a strange statement.
"Public domain?!" Kanagawa asked, barely able to control himself. He was embarrassed by the fact that, having lost his composure, he stared at the guy completely unscientifically, with his mouth open. "How's that?"
"Everyone in Japan knows about it," Hiroshi continued thoughtfully. "I was the only one who thought for a long time and did not compare the facts and some of the same names. Besides, there's a big difference in the faces... And just a couple of weeks ago, I saw the scene of my death. And I must say, this is probably how it would have happened if I hadn't watched everything that led to it and been amazed at my own naivety and stupidity.
"That is," Kanagawa analyzed the announced data. "Does your "other self" live in the past of the information that exists in our world?"
"I'm far from the main character, and I just didn't realize at first that it was about my life there...." Hiroshi nodded. "I wasn't really there." By the beginning of the story, I was already dead." Tell me, Hiroshi-kun," Kanagawa even leaned forward, expecting something completely surprising, "and what is your name in that second life?"
The viscous silence that followed his words was broken only by the ticking of the clock on the wall, sounding unnaturally loud in the instantly electrified atmosphere of the office. The patient was silent for a long time, staring at him with a piercing gaze, from which Kanagawa inwardly cringed, making all sorts of fantastic assumptions.
My name is Uchiha Shisui.
Part 1. Chapter 1. The Unacceptable "future"
"What a jerk!" the first thing Uchiha Shisui said when he woke up.
However, over the past two weeks, that "other me" had been annoying him more and more. Well, what kind of Shinobi goes to lay out everything to some incomprehensible uncle and will continue over and over again?!
He was becoming more and more confident that this dream, which had been going on for the second year, was real. And somewhere, it is not clear where, there is a man-made world where people are weak as snails. No chakra, no jutsu, no need to sleep even in the clan area with half an eye with a kunai under the pillow. And the probability of dying from being run over by a giant metal unit called a "car" is greater than dying in a minor skirmish between neighboring countries or on a mission.
At first glance, that world seemed like a pacifist utopia, akin to the plan of the First Hokage, but there were wars there too. And the conflicts between the countries, and even more so, the world war, were too terrible. For example, in the "homeland" of his "other self", a weapon stronger than biju was dropped, which destroyed everything and poisoned the dumping site for decades.
I was constantly dreaming about a world that simply could not exist. And those creepy pictures of the "future"! Shisui could not understand how some kind of mangaka from another layer of reality could see everything that would happen to the Uchiha clan and the future of his home world! But, looking closely and listening to the conversations that were going on in the clan and in the village in general, he already understood and accepted somewhere deep in his soul that all this was true and that guy, Hiroshi, was right. They might take his eyes off, and then...
"Shit..." Shisui covered his face with his hands.
When it happened the first time, he thought that someone from the clan was making fun of him. It was the order of the day: to trap, to send into an illusion. This forced the young Shinobi to be vigilant at all times, even when they were among their relatives. He was born, lived, grew up, studied, showed promise, loved his parents, played, and then trained with Fugaku's eldest son and the heir to the main branch of the clan, Itachi. He fought and won. And one day, falling asleep in his bed, he woke up in an unknown place.
More precisely, the place was very understandable, a hospital, but it definitely wasn't Konoha Hospital. Something was squeaking, and then the Irenines ran into the room in some strange clothes.
"How are you feeling, Nakomori-san?"
It was as if the name was a code word for particularly strong illusions, and a flood of information flooded into Shisui:
Nakomori Hiroshi. It's him. He's fourteen years old. He's in high school. He likes the girl next door to Misaki. Mom - Nakomori Kaide is a housewife. His father, Nakomori Mamoru- is an officer of the National Police of Japan. It turns out that he is also a policeman, just like Uchiha Kagami. Accident. Shock. They're definitely dead. His parents are definitely dead. He saw everything!
"Yamamoto-san, the patient has a new attack!"
And the darkness. Shisui woke up at home in Konoha with these terrible memories of someone else's life. His eyes hurt. Activating the sharingan, he stared in surprise at the mirror. The legendary Mangekyo. In the form of a four-rayed shuriken.
And then this dream began to repeat itself every night. That "other one" was taken from the hospital by his grandparents after he recovered. Hiroshi settled in a small village, went to school, and lived a normal civilian life, which Shisui even liked - he dreamed of something similar for his village and country. A great world in which children should not be taught from an early age the art of covert penetration, various ways of killing and extracting information....
But one day, just two weeks ago, in the store where Hiroshi was buying something, the anime "Naruto" was shown. "The other one" hadn't watched it before. But he stopped in front of the screen because he heard a familiar name. His name and that of his best friend and cousin is Itachi. And that's when it all started. The guy bought the entire manga and read it for more than a week, looking for everything about the Uchiha clan and the fate of Shisui himself. But the painted story, one might say, began with his death. Itachi became an apostate, hiding the "village assignment" he received "as an ANBU" until his death. Sasuke's hatred. The undercover games of Uchiha Obito, who was considered dead in the clan. The resurrection of the "Main renegade of the clan" - Uchiha Madara. It was all beyond comprehension. Shisui did not believe and could not accept these fantasies for something real.
But every day this "future" became more and more feasible. Itachi has already become the captain of the ANBU. The "second one" was looking for some more clues that would shed light on the approximate time of his death and the beginning of this tragic story for the "cursed clan", but he didn't really find anything. All that was known was that Shisui's suicide occurred on the day of the clan meeting, and two days after that, Itachi would kill everyone. And judging by various references and calculations by Hiroshi, Itachi will be thirteen years old, just like he is now.
Shisui estimated that his friend had become captain almost immediately after his birthday, in early June, and it had already been three months. It's even funny that their birthdays coincided with Hiroshi's and they were about to turn sixteen. Clan meetings are held at the end of each month. If all this is related to the Fox, then it is quite possible that the Uchiha will decide to "change power" on the anniversary or a little earlier, in early October. That is, in the most unfortunate scenario for him, there are a little less than four weeks left before the "X-hour". The clan's grievances were expressed at the last meeting a week ago. So it's very likely.
"Shit..." repeated Shisui longingly. The pictures of the future didn't bode well at all. Especially the Uchiha clan.
"Nii-san," there was a rustle under the door. Have you woken up? Mom wants you to have breakfast.
//nii-san - "big brother" (there is a variant onii-san - "dear big brother", if there is a big difference in age /position, an appeal to a cousin).
Shisui got out of bed, dressed, and opened the door. His younger six-year-old sister Yumiko was waiting outside the door with clear intentions to get something from him. Shisui even felt ashamed for a moment, because because of the missions and these dreams, with the information that appeared in them, he didn't have time for his sister at all.
"What do you want, imoto?"
// Imoto is the "little sister".
"Will you train me? I went to the Shinobi Academy, remember? We were told to practice throwing shurikens with the elders in the family. Shisui remembered that since the beginning of the week, his sister had actually started attending classes at the Academy. Itachi's younger brother goes there too, but he's a grade older. Looking into those big black eyes made my heart skip a beat. I thought that maybe he was going to die, but it turns out that Yumiko was going to die too?! If Sasuke is the only one of the Uchiha clan to survive, is Yumiko doomed?
"Okay..." sighed Shisui. "I have some time after breakfast."
"Can I call Sasuke-kun? And Kazuki?" Yumiko asked.
"Doesn't Kazuki have one?.." Shisui broke off. The older sister of their second cousin, who lived in the house next to them, was indeed killed on a mission a few days ago. "Yes, let Kazuki-kun come with us too, it's more fun together."
Mom has already prepared food for us! The little one turned around happily and covered her mouth with her palm.
- Oh...
"Yes, you're a real Shinobi." Shisui remarked sarcastically. His lips involuntarily stretched into a smile. "So you were sure that I would not refuse you? Together with your friends?"
"Well-uh-uh... I'm getting ready!" His sister literally flew out of the hallway, as if using some kind of movement jutsu. And he went into the kitchen.
***
Itachi came along with Sasuke. Strange feelings struggled in Shisui. He remembered that he and Itachi had always been rivals, at least Itachi had reached out to him and tried to surpass him in everything. Even this captaincy in the ANBU. Partly, of course, it was Fugaku-san's insistence, but there was also the desire of the "little brother" to prove something to him.
Perhaps if Shisui hadn't found out what kind of burden Itachi would take on to "purify the honor of the clan" and what it would all lead to in the end, he would really have named his friend as his successor, handed over his dreams of a "better world" that he saw in his dreams. I would even gladly die with a smile on my face. But...
But now that he knew, and even worse, he understood that what Itachi would do would be the only way out for the Uchiha clan and for Konoha not to start a civil war. It just felt bad. Dreams of a "better world" were swept away by the brutal "reality" of the damn mangaka. And the worst part was, Shisui knew that he was right, and that was probably how it would happen. It was disheartening.
Shisui couldn't see a way out of the circumstances, but he didn't want to die either. How to share your Mangekyo or sharingan Uchiha clan with the leader of the Danzo Root. Let the ANBU Hokage kill his clansmen? That would be an even bigger shame.
"What are you thinking, aniki?" Itachi chuckled and smiled, poking his in the shoulder and shaking me out of my dark thoughts.
// aniki is an "older brother", but unlike "nii-san", it can be used as an address and not to a relative, it can be loosely translated as "bro".
"What would we show the little ones so that they would remember us for a long time and try to surpass us?" Shisui smiled back and said thoughtfully.
Sasuke, Kazuki, and Yumiko heard his words and started talking with anticipation.
Part 1. Chapter 2. Two Brothers
"Hello, are you Uzumaki Naruto? You're in the same class as my brother, aren't you, Sasuke?" Itachi looked at the "object" of his new assignment with interest.
The blond-haired boy was thin, small and did not look like his almost eight years. And you can't say that such a little thing can contain the main weapon of the village - the nine-tailed fox demon Kyubi no Yoko.
"Y-yes..." The boy took a step back, eyeing him suspiciously.
"Are you skipping The Academy?" Itachi asked.
Naruto blushed and looked away with his bright blue eyes.
"It's just... it's... me... Iruka-sensei... They all..."
"I see" Itachi nodded.
He didn't understand why many Shinobi hated this boy. Biju the fox, who destroyed part of the village about eight years ago, managed to imprison this child. In fact, Naruto was Konoha's savior, his parents sacrificed their lives to seal the Kyubi.
Itachi was five and a half years old, but he remembered the red-haired, smiling woman his mother was friends with. And how the three of them, together with little Sasuke, came to the hospital after the attack of the nine-tails. Mikoto-kaa-san was looking at a sleeping baby with a yellow chicken crest. Itachi was sitting in the hallway with Sasuke at the time and hardly heard anything, but his mother came out of the office of the head of the hospital very upset. It seemed to him that Mikoto-kaa-san wanted to take Naruto to them, but she wasn't allowed to.
Naruto was despised, shunned, or, at best, ignored. The first Hokage created Konoha so that the children in it would be happy. But this boy is clearly unhappy. Itachi thought that, probably, everything would have been different for Naruto if at one time his mother had still been able to take this chicken into their family.
"I saw you near the Academy. Are you an Uchiha?" The man asked him not very politely.
"Yes, my name is Uchiha Itachi," he introduced himself.
You should go to the Academy after all. To grow strong, you need to study and train a lot.
"They... don't want to teach me anything," Naruto muttered. "They just laugh and mock. Also, I don't have... a good weapon. Only the broken shurikens with the center of gravity knocked down, which I found at the training ground," The boy whispered very softly, lowering his head and hiding his eyes behind his long, unevenly cropped bangs.
Itachi took out four shurikens from his bag and strung them on a child's finger. Practice," with these words, he jumped up and disappeared into the dense foliage of a nearby tree, putting on his mask and easily discovering the one he had come to replace.
"Dog-san," Sparrow greeted softly. Itachi nodded and indicated that he was taking over the shift.
Watching Naruto wander through the village, kicking pebbles, Itachi thought again about yesterday's conversation with Shisui, who, after sending their younger ones home, detained him at the training ground, offering training. A few punches, and Itachi was trapped in the illusion again.
"You know that I was ordered to keep an eye on you a year ago, right? The clan suspects you of playing a double game.... And lately, you've been acting especially strange," Shisui, who was frozen in front of him, sighed. "Despite the fact that I also work for the ANBU, they don't trust me as much as they trust you. But our beliefs are very similar. I guess I'm not playing my role well, so Danzo-sama suspects me."
"There's a lot of suspicion all around. Instead of paying attention to external enemies, we dig into our own dirty laundry." Itachi tried to say it evenly, but he didn't know that Shisui was suspected.
It was as if they were always on opposite sides of the barricades that the clan and the village had built between them. And sometimes Itachi didn't understand if it was possible to trust his brother at all, recognizing his right not to trust him. Just because both of them- Uchiha - are part of the cursed clan. Spying on each other, trying to outdo each other. Friendship and rivalry. Where was the real thing and where was the pretense? Or maybe, having plunged into the filth of the ANBU work since the age of eleven, it all seems to him? It's not for nothing that the Shinobi of their clan are called masters of illusions.
"I have a feeling there's not much left. It's like a taut string that's about to snap. And I still don't know what to do. There are innocent people in our clan. Do you agree?"
Itachi squeezed his eyes shut and clenched his teeth. The older brother was right. He was thinking the same thing himself. If this abscess opens, no one will be spared. The old cripple hated their clan with all his vile black soul and sincerely believed that Konoha would be better off without Uchiha. No matter how attached Itachi was to the village, no matter how much he wanted to stop the massive bloodshed, he loved his younger brother even more. He was willing to do a lot for Sasuke, and Danzo deftly manipulated this weakness of his. But he's no match for the elders and the head of the Root. Not now. Except with his brother...
"Checks and rechecks," Itachi chuckled, deciding to be frank. "The clan... the clan is rotten... All these political games and monthly meetings... They just want to start a war to be in charge of the village.... Konoha was created so that clan and ordinary Shinobi could live peacefully and coexist together. And the war... When a brother goes after a brother..."
Shisui just nodded. He smiled as if he saw something important for himself. However, maybe he did, it's his genjutsu, and it's impossible to dodge or tell a lie in it. Itachi smiled to himself. After all, he could always count on his older brother, who had been an example to him all his life and shared his views. He stopped his chakra flow and broke out of the technique. The whole conversation took a split second. They fought hand-to-hand in silence for another ten minutes, and then went home.
At parting, Shisui said that he had been assigned a two-week mission to guard the border of the Land of Fire in the east. The Land of Water and the village of Hidden Mist stirred.
After that, Itachi analyzed this conversation for a long time, his brother's inhales and exhales, hidden and explicit meanings, threats, hints and semitones.
Can his trust Shisui?
And then there was the simple answer -yes. Otherwise, they're all doomed.
Despite everything, the brother is considered one of the strongest Shinobi of their clan. Many opponents, upon hearing that Shunshin Shisui was opposing them, fled in fear, trying to save their lives.
Itachi always followed Shisui.
Should I trust you now? Yes. They'll have a chance to save someone.
His aniki hinted at Sasuke and his younger sister, possibly Kazuki. This boy is quite talented, even if he hasn't awakened his sharingan yet. However, Sasuke also couldn't boast of a clan dojutsu.
Today, Itachi was assigned covert surveillance of the Jinchuuriki, but was removed from surveillance of the Uchiha clan, which he did periodically between serious liquidation missions during the last two years of service at the ANBU.
Some kind of sign? Is this a "promotion" or a "downgrade"? Itachi didn't believe it was an accident. There are no accidents in this job.
Naruto reached a small clearing almost on the edge of Konoha, not far from their clan's quarter. Apparently, jinchuuriki had equipped her for training. For several more hours, the boy stubbornly threw the four shurikens he got at the crookedly chalked target on the tree.
Itachi thought again.
Shisui said he didn't know what to do yet, but there was less time. The unrest in the clan at the last meeting seems to have reached its peak. Probably, everything should definitely be resolved in the coming weeks. The cousin was sent on a mission, as if he was also suspended from the clan. Don't they trust him? Maybe that's the whole point. Something is clearly being prepared. From both the clan and the village leadership. Words about a taut string... Is your brother worried about his life? Can he be eliminated? The strongest Uchiha who is considered loyal to the clan... It's quite realistic.
In addition, the peculiarity of the Shisui sharingan is unusual for their clan....
Itachi raised his head up. Heavy clouds gathered over the village. It got dark abruptly, despite the fact that there was still one and a half standard hours before sunset. The air smelled of a thunderstorm. A bright branching lightning streaked across the sky above Mount Hokage.
His ward sat down under a tree, clutching blunted shurikens in his blood-soaked hands. Naruto's stomach rumbled loudly, but the boy, clenching his teeth, took a stained bandage from the pocket of his shorts and began to rewind his palms.
After bandaging, Naruto practiced for about forty more minutes under the downpour. Itachi admired such stubbornness and determination. The chalk circle was washed away, and in the dark, in the rain, without using a sharingan, almost nothing became visible. One by one, the shurikens were lost. Naruto still rummaged in the bushes, but did not find the weapon given to him, after which he trudged towards his house above the boiler station.
Looking through the window, Itachi was amazed at how dirty and untidy the young jinchuuriki's home was. There are practically "trodden paths" between empty bags and cans of custard noodles and milk cartons. A real dumpster. Naruto took off his wet clothes and, putting on a stained T-shirt and breeches that felt like they were fished out of a basket of dirty laundry, brewed himself a portion of noodles.
"Dog-san," a new kid from his unit interrupted Itachi's observation. I've come to relieve you.
"Yes," Itachi nodded, hardly taking his eyes off Naruto's joyful face, who was devouring a tiny portion of noodles from a cup with obvious pleasure and enjoyment.
***
"Itachi, you're not eating anything at all," His mother smiled shyly at him at the family breakfast.
For some reason, he thought about what Naruto Uzumaki was having for breakfast, and he couldn't get a bite down his throat. Yes, and this conversation with his brother and the analysis of the whole situation. Itachi looked into the eyes of the woman who gave him life, and clearly realized that he would have to take her life. Either he or the ANBU will do it. Moreover, the ANBU is not the worst of the scenarios. There is also a department of torture and interrogation. And then... a public execution, like traitors to the village with indelible shame.
"I don't feel like it," Itachi forced a smile.
"Nii-san," Sasuke said. "Will you practice with me today? Yesterday was so great. I practiced the throw you showed me all night yesterday!
"Sorry, Ototo, another time...."
There was a prearranged knock on the door, and when Itachi opened it, he saw his cousin on the threshold, who came in and bowed to his father.
"I'm being sent on a mission, Fugaku-dono...."
"Of course, Shisui-kun," my father, as the head of the clan, coordinated all the missions issued by the village, so there was nothing surprising in my brother's appearance.
But he had known about the mission yesterday, which meant that Shisui had come so that Itachi would understand that they should see each other alone as soon as possible. Perhaps he thought of something during the evening and night.
"I'm going to the eastern border with my team. For about two weeks. The Hokage's order."
"I hope you'll be back for the clan meeting." Fugaku asked.
Yes, I think it will be inevitable..." his brother smiled thoughtfully and sadly and, after a brief glance at Itachi, took his leave.
"I have to go to headquarters," after waiting ten minutes, Itachi put on his ANBU gear and slipped out of the house.
Shisui should be waiting for him at their agreed place, near Nakanogawa Bend.
Part 1. Chapter 3. Countdown
Looking into the raging river stream from the cliff from where he would fall, judging by the version of his future world that his "other self" had found in his own, Shisui calculated the current situation.
The future became more certain because the "second him" that night found a plot where he came from a mission, and most likely it was the same mission that he received before training with the kids.
A clash with the Hidden Fog Shinobi while guarding the border is quite possible, according to intelligence reports, they are planning some kind of sortie and a check of forces by combat. He'll be back in time for the clan meeting. And he could have asked the Hokage to try to avert trouble from the clan. Now that not only his future and the future of the clan have been revealed, but also the many conversations of the elders, there is no point in believing the Hokage.
As the pictures showed, Sarutobi likes to rake in the heat with someone else's hands. He has a Danzo, with whom the Third plays almost a feud in public, and when left alone, he whispers about "the good of Konoha." Of course, Shisui wasn't going to trust any hand-drawn stories one hundred percent, but based on this knowledge, he began to look in the right direction and began to notice things that he hadn't noticed before or didn't want to see. Despite the "all-seeing" sharingan, unfortunately, sometimes he was just hideously blind.
Shisui had always considered himself an honest man, and having been assigned to keep an eye on his brother, he did everything to show and encourage him to think about surveillance. Shinobi's job is generally dirty, but... Maybe he was too attracted to that dream world... Too perfect to be true... At least so that the same thing can be achieved in their reality.
According to his latest data, two hundred and five people lived in the clan's quarter. Sixty-eight of them are elite Shinobi serving in the Konoha police. One hundred and twenty-six people are genin-level Shinobi and civilians over the age of twelve. The remaining eleven are him, Itachi, Yumiko, Sasuke, Kazuki, and six other children between the ages of one and ten.
"Shii-kun," Itachi called out with a childish nickname as he approached their meeting place.
"Ichi-kun," Shisui teased his brother, smiling.
(*"Shii" can be translated as "chestnut", a childhood nickname because of the unruly "spiky" hair and its color. (While Shisui can be interpreted as a combination of the words "shi" - death and "sui" - water).
*"Ichi" can be translated as "the first", "striving for primacy".)
Itachi always wanted to be the first in everything, so the abbreviation of his name suited him very well.
"So... when are you coming back from the mission?" Itachi asked. "Or will I only see you at the clan meeting?"
"I think we'll see each other a little earlier," and after making sure that no one was following their conversation, Shisui activated the sharingan anyway.
He really didn't like the fact that in those "pictures of the future" there was an omnipresent "walking aloe" undetectable by most sensors.
And if we take into account the fact that, apparently, a masked comrade, Obito Uchiha, took part in the liquidation of the Uchiha clan, then Shisui did not intend to tell him about his plans.
***
"Shisui-san, there's some movement in the hidden mist camp," the command sensor reported.
They arrived at the border four days ago, and so far everything has been calm.
"Let's go," Shisui commanded, activating his sharingan.
If the opponents had forced a fight, he would have thought that this was either not the situation that was shown in the "pictures of the future", or that the time of his supposed death had been postponed, or that the "pictures" from dreams were also wrong. But he recognized the "one-eyed" man who was hiding the byakugan behind a blindfold, despite the fact that he had seen it for the first time in his life.
The Shinobi of the Mist also recognized their opponent and hastily retreated, taking their "distraught" comrades with them.
"This will keep them away from our borders for a while," Shisui muttered in response to his team's congratulations and joy.
The accuracy of the "predictions" was confirmed, causing the heart to contract for a moment and skip a beat. Still, there was hope that everything would work out and the terrible future predicted by that mangaka would not happen.
"Will you go alone, Shisui-san?" the sensor was surprised. "Take at least a Kano with you for strength support."
"No, it's okay. I just want to visit Ryu. My mother's relatives live there, and when she found out that my mission was in the east, she asked me to find out about their affairs if I had the opportunity. Intelligence reported that the Foggies had curtailed all operations and sorties on the territory of the Country of Fire and in the border waters. They've also moved out of the Hot Spring Country, so I think I can afford to satisfy my mother's request. I'll leave you a crow in case the situation changes and our opponents make a move. She'll be able to find me, and I'll be back.
It's been thirty hours since one-eye's party attacked with the byakugan.
"Our shift will come in three and a half days, I'll be back in three. Saiko, take command!" Shisui commanded.
"Yes, Captain!" Saiko straightened up.
"We won't let you down, Shisui-san!" The others whispered in unison.
He nodded and headed southwest to Ryu City, one hundred and sixty kilometers away from their mission site, planning to get there in three to four hours.
Upon arriving in the city, the first thing Shisui did was go to the bank, withdraw all his accumulated mission money from the clan accounts. He did the same with Itachi's savings account.
Cashing out something in Konoha would be too risky. And in the old Ryu, besides the fact that it was located near the hideout of the Uchiha clan, which was run by a neko led by an Old Cat, there was an excellent banking system where you could receive or transfer money from the Big Five countries from anywhere. Among other things, Konoha Bank is unlikely to find out about this operation without an appropriate investigation. And there will be no one to inherit him after his "death", if everything goes as planned.
The money was sealed in scrolls and placed at the bottom of his bag. Part of the plan was successfully completed. It was lucky that he was sent on a mission so timely and close to Ryu. Shisui went to the market, bought fresh fish, several bottles of valerian tincture, a bag of catnip and went to the shelter.
In general, it belonged to the main branch, Itachi and Sasuke visited Ryu more than once, several relatives of their clan actually lived there, and once, before moving to Konoha, the Uchiha clan lived.
Sasuke then, to the admiration and envy of his younger sister, enthusiastically talked about his "cat hunt", which he was going to continue later, describing his album with cat paw prints in colors, not knowing that he and Itachi had once started this competition. Therefore, Shisui was also a member of this shelter and was well acquainted with the Old Cat and her preferences, besides, he was directly related to the main branch of the clan.
"Shii-kun! Long time no see!" He was met by two ninja cats at the entrance. "Did you bring us some goodies?"
"Is Grandma the Cat at home?" showing a rolled-up ball of mint, he asked. The Ninneko cheered, sniffing hungrily.:
"Yes! We'll escor-r-rt you if you've forgotten where her chambers are."
"No, I remember. Is she there, then?" Shisui smiled. He always liked cats-beautiful, flexible, cute and dangerous.
"Yes!" The guards of the shelter received their offering and, clutching it in their teeth, rushed off, purring the corridor.
The Old Cat's chambers smelled of tobacco, and, as always, she was smoking thoughtfully, holding a long mouthpiece with a smoking pipe.
Shii-kun," Grandma Cat greeted in a cracked voice, slightly bowing her gray head with a rim in the form of cat ears.
"What need brought you to the Shelter?"
"Grandma is a Cat," Shisui bowed respectfully and sat on his knees. "I've come to ask for your help..."
***
Shisui-san, you came back quickly! - Saiko greeted, remaining in charge.
"There were no incidents during your absence," the sensor reported. "You managed just in time, the pigeon of the relief team recently arrived, they will arrive in twelve hours. How are your relatives?"
"It's all right," Shisui nodded. "General collection. I want to hear a report from everyone."
"There is!" Saiko gave the pre-arranged signal, and six Shinobi were already standing around him a couple of minutes later. Shisui activated his Mangekyo sharingan and erased the team's memory of being away. Twelve hours until the end of the mission. In another twenty hours, they will return to Konoha. After that, the countdown will start in minutes...
Shisui squeezed his eyes shut and adjusted his breathing, calming down.
"Kano, you're on duty, the rest of you are resting. Our shift will arrive soon."
Part 1. Chapter 4. Epiphany
Sasuke sighed and looked at the basket of food once more. He knew that his mother had wrapped onigiri, sweet rice dumplings, his favorite tomatoes, and some other foods in it.
It all started with the fact that a couple of days ago, when the three of them were having lunch without their father, Itachi suddenly asked his mother about her It all started with the fact that a couple of days ago, when the three of them were having lunch without their father, Itachi suddenly asked his mother about her Girlfriend Kushina-san.
Mom was upset and said that this Kushina died immediately after the birth of the child and that mom wanted to take this child into their family because the boy's father died too, but some circumstances did not allow Mikoto-kaa-san to even look after her friend's son.
My brother almost never talked about his missions, referring to the secrecy of his work at the ANBU. But that day, Itachi looked thoughtfully at Sasuke and said that this child, the son of his mother's But that day, Itachi looked thoughtfully at Sasuke and said that this child, the son of his mother's Girlfriend, was in the same class with him, and Itachi's current assignment at the ANBU was to look after this orphan from lunch until late at night.
Sasuke was sorting through his classmates in his mind at that time, and only a few people fit the definition of "orphan". And, of course, according to the law of meanness, this idiot Uzumaki Naruto turned out to be the "one".
A truant who constantly talked about rivalry and bullied Sasuke, however, unsuccessfully, only making himself look even more of a fool. He never responded, reminding himself of the dignity of the clan and ignoring it, but it wasn't easy.
Uzumaki was wildly annoying, it's not clear why. Perhaps because he was very different from all his classmates, who, for the most part, treated Sasuke with great respect and admiration bordering on adoration. Especially the girls. Because he was the best student in the class and because he is an Uchiha. Uzumaki completely omitted this fact and said that he was better than him, but it was not clear - why. But, despite the beatings from the girls and the laughter of the others, he did not back down from his "rivalry" with him.
Itachi casually mentioned that Uzumaki was practically starving, his mother had packed some food, and Sasuke had to hand it over so as not to arouse suspicion. He couldn't figure out why ANBU and his brother were so attracted to this jerk.
Today was a day off, my brother said that his classmate could be found in a small clearing near the clan quarter where he was training. Itachi advised him to wait for his shift before approaching Uzumaki with a basket.
Sasuke sighed again. His mission was just to pass on the food. And for some reason it was difficult for him.
Suddenly, someone from the Hug jumped out of the bushes onto the path, according to all the signs: transparent eyes and long hair. A guy about Shisui-nii-san's age was dragging a girl with him.
Sasuke saw that it was his classmate Hyuga Hinata, who was squeaking something protesting that Naruto had saved her from bullies, and they had left him beaten up in the woods, to which her guard snorted contemptuously and said:
"To get dirty because of any brat. You shouldn't think about him, Hinata-sama, he's not worthy of your attention."
They passed by, and for some reason Sasuke didn't like what the elder Hyuga said at all. It was as if he had voiced his own thoughts, and he was a little ashamed to hear them from the outside. Turning down the path into the forest, from where the representatives of the second Konoha clan of dojutsu came out, Sasuke walked two hundred meters through the bushes and found Uzumaki on the ground. He lay with his eyes closed, breathing heavily. His lip was split, and there was a healthy black eye.
Sasuke looked around for his brother, but couldn't find him. Most likely, the "surveillance" forbade interference. He examined the tracks and realized that there were three people who had beaten Uzumaki.
Actually, this jerk often came to the Academy in bruises and abrasions, but Sasuke never thought that the blonde could be beaten up by a crowd, he believed that Uzumaki himself was fighting with someone or finding adventures in a soft spot. Suddenly, I remembered the strange whispers of my classmates and their estrangement. It was in the air of the Academy that one should not communicate with Uzumaki. And the glances that adults cast... Sasuke didn't think much of it either, but his inquisitive mind began to put together the "secret of Uzumaki Naruto." Who for some reason was not allowed to join his family and who was hated by adults and shunned by his peers. Not to mention the ANBU surveillance.
It suddenly occurred to him that if his mom had been allowed, Uzumaki would have become his sworn brother. Sasuke looked at the blond man's face: quivering eyelashes, blood on his lip had already dried and stopped flowing, thin stripes on his cheeks like cat whiskers, and suddenly he thought about the nature of these stripes.
Their classmate Kiba from the Inuzuka clan, who walked around with red triangles-fangs on his cheeks - drew them, but somehow boasted that when he became a genin, he would get the same generic tattoos. It's the same with the "spirals" on Akimichi Cheji's cheeks.
But Uzumaki was an orphan, and he probably didn't get clan tattoos. Moreover, there is no such clan in Konoha, if there was, it would definitely have been taken away.
Sasuke put the basket on the ground, sat down and ran his finger along someone else's cheek, trying to erase the stripes, they did not look like tattoos, but rather symmetrical birthmarks of a very unusual shape.
"Hey, wake up," Sasuke lightly patted his classmate's face. Her long, fluffy eyelashes fluttered, and her bright blue eyes opened in surprise.
"S-Sasuke?" There was a strangled murmur. Then Uzumaki, trying to get up, winced and hissed like a snake, apparently in pain.
Sasuke helped him sit up.
"They've got you all right. The whole lip is split..." Not knowing what to say, he muttered. Uzumaki looked at him strangely, as if he had met him for the first time.
"Did you see?" The voice was hoarse and croaking.
"No, I just heard Hyuga talking and found you here. Those who did this have already run away," Sasuke almost lied. "Hinata seemed to want to help you, but that guy Hyuga refused..."
Uzumaki looked away.
"They were bullying her...." he mumbled and frowned, glaring from under his brows, as if it was Sasuke mocking their classmate, and for some reason it became very uncomfortable to look into those piercing blue eyes.
"Well done for intervening. Let's eat, hunt down these bullies and teach them a lesson?" He suggested it. "There were three of them, weren't there?"
"Yeah," Uzumaki cocked his head to the side. "How did you find out?" Following the footsteps. Nii-san taught me how to untangle footprints," boasted Sasuke.
Uzumaki smiled broadly at the mention of Itachi.
"You have a very good brother, Sasuke. He's kind."
"Y-Yes...", Sasuke wondered why his older brother was familiar to a classmate.
"Did you say "let's eat"?" Uzumaki suddenly caught himself and looked expressively at the standing basket. "Do you have food in there?"
"Yes... help yourself," Sasuke took out the handkerchief covering the basket and put the food prepared by his mother on it.
"Can I eat this?!" Uzumaki whispered in disbelief, swallowing noisily and staring incredulously.
"Of course," Sasuke nodded, and was the first to take onigiri from the makeshift table, taking a bite. "Eat it."
I accept with gratitude! Uzumaki exclaimed joyfully, instantly changing from suspicion to boundless happiness, and attacked the food.
(* "I accept with gratitude" is the literal translation of the well-known "Itadakimas".)
Sasuke also had an appetite when he saw how quickly the food was disappearing. There were enough supplies in the basket for four people, he thought, before he became more familiar with other people's gluttony.
"Sorry... It's over," Fifteen minutes later, he looked at Uzumaki's empty handkerchief with some surprise. You probably carried it to someone? Oh, remorse came too late.
"Nothing," Sasuke waved his hand, intuitively deciding not to tell who this basket was intended for. "So, are we going to chase those three?"
His classmate jumped up abruptly, burning with some kind of frenzied enthusiasm. Sasuke was surprised to notice that he looked better after eating: his eye wasn't swollen shut, there was just an abrasion, and there was a scab on his lip.
"Yes! We'll definitely teach them a lesson with you!" Uzumaki smiled broadly and somehow bloodthirsily, slyly narrowing his eyes. "I have a plan!"
Sasuke wondered what kind of plan it was. Judging by his behavior at the Academy, it should have been just "he came out of the bushes into a clear field, challenged and attacked," but when Uzumaki voiced his idea, his eyes almost popped out.
And he thought this guy was stupid?!
***
In the evening, Itachi praised Sasuke for the fact that, being able to make only illusory clones, he worked well with Naruto in the team, catching up with three hooligans of mystical horror, from which they almost shit their pants and vowed never to offend the little ones or attack three on one again.
Sasuke remembered with a smile how they found those guys in the forest. Naruto came out to them with a pathetic speech that he was the evil spirit of this forest, who possessed the boy they had beaten to punish them. Perfectly depicting howls and slightly rolling his eyes, besides showing a slight disorientation of the body.
At first, the boys didn't believe him and decided to beat him up again. But at a certain point, when Naruto touched each of them, Sasuke, sitting in ambush in a tree, made illusory clones of these bullies. And semi-transparent ones.
It looked like Naruto had pulled the souls out of the bodies. And he threatened to take them away if the boys didn't come to their senses and obey everyone they offended. And then three almost grown-up guys on their knees begged for forgiveness from the "spirit of the forest" and asked for their souls back. Sasuke, at Naruto's sign, "placed" the illusory clones on objects and dispelled them. And Naruto made an illusory clone of his grandfather Sawada, a formidable old man with scars and a full beard, who seemed to "come out" of Uzumaki and, wagging a finger at the bullies, also disappeared into one of the trees.
The show was a success. Naruto played that he "woke up after moving in," those guys almost kissed his hands, and then ran away to "apologize to the others." Naruto Uzumaki amazed him, and thinking about him, Sasuke smiled.
Part 1. Chapter 5. Premonitions
"Mom, do you know what my father thinks of me?" Sasuke asked at breakfast. They ate together this morning. His father went to work, and Itachi slept off the night mission.
"I think he's proud of you." Mom smiled, turning around.
"And if I ask him, will he let Naruto come to us?" It's been a week and a half since they "accidentally met" in the woods, and since then their friendship has been gaining momentum. But Sasuke was no fool, and almost immediately noticed that if Naruto was mentioned, it was not in the presence of the head of the family.
He really wanted to introduce his friend to his father and get his approval. What would happen if Fugaku-too-san didn't accept Naruto, Sasuke tried not to think. Of course, he had friends in the clan-Yumiko's cousin and Kazuki's second cousin. He enjoyed playing and training with them, but Naruto, unlike Rodney, was completely different. Sasuke had fun with him. They came up with all sorts of pranks and managed to practically avoid getting caught. At the same time, Naruto demonstrated excellent skills in disguise and covert penetration, so Sasuke initially puzzled over why his friend was lagging behind at the Academy. I haven't looked closely at the differences in teaching methods yet.
The teachers, and especially Iruka-sensei, constantly ridiculed Naruto, ironically commenting on every wrong thing he said or did, called him a fool, made it difficult to concentrate, and tugged. He puffed and blushed and couldn't do anything, and usually there was a "puff" and a friendly laugh from the class.
If the same exercise was performed by someone else from the future Shinobi, the teachers were calm, gave time to think, patiently corrected, praised or told what was being done wrong, and helped to fix it.
There were separate classes in the clan where Sasuke and other Uchiha were taught the basics of clan genjutsu techniques. And he came to the conclusion that what the teachers at the Academy were doing to Naruto was something like mass hypnosis: the formation of a common idea that Uzumaki was a loser and an idiot capable of nothing. And the most amazing thing is that he is an Uchiha himself, but he also succumbed to a low-level technique that used not chakra, but just words.
And in ordinary life, when Naruto didn't seem to be doing anything special, he was constantly getting hurt. Even at the market, where he himself wanted to buy something with the weekly allowance given to him by the Third Hokage, the Uzumaki were bullied, scolded and could beat up. And if they sold something, it was at exorbitant prices. It is not surprising that he was starving, despite the fact that the amount given out made it possible to buy enough food. That's what Sasuke did the last time. Naruto almost danced with joy when Sasuke came out of the market with a huge bag of food without spending even half the money. There was enough for apples, and for several fried squid, and for a piece of baked pork, and not just for the cheapest custard noodles.
A few days ago, terribly embarrassed and shy, Naruto asked to show a few "tricks", and Sasuke was surprised at his friend once again. Despite the fact that he was covered in dust, Naruto repeatedly stood up and asked to see more. Sasuke realized that he had found the perfect sparring partner. His brother almost always had no time, he had missions. Of course, Itachi showed him some techniques and taught him how to throw weapons, but he was still an adult and always stronger. Yumiko and Kazuki got tired quickly and were a year younger than him, studying with each other more often. And Naruto was hardy, very hardy, and learned fast enough. After an hour, the "bruiser" was able to put a block and, somehow cunningly twisted, nevertheless got Sasuke once.
During the week, he took some of his belongings to his new friend. Naruto was skinny, less than half a head, and his trousers and T-shirts, which Sasuke himself had grown out of last year, suited him. Mom supported this initiative, but she first stripped off all the clan patches, if any, from her clothes. Naruto was very happy with the "new clothes" and finally got rid of his two stretched, faded, darned-darned T-shirts and shorts, which Sasuke could not look at without shuddering.
"Tomorrow is the day off and there is no need to go to the Academy. Today we could come to dinner and then spend the night in the garden in a tent...."
He continued his thought, but stopped when he saw his mother's expression darken.
"Clan meeting the day after tomorrow evening..." Mikoto-kaa-san muttered. "Let's not rush it yet. Fugaku is very busy right now. Maybe a little later?"
"Okay," Sasuke muttered. No one was going to tell him about Naruto's secret, but he decided to solve it on his own. Sasuke finished his breakfast and heard the door to Itachi's room slam softly. It was almost impossible to hear the footsteps of a real Shinobi.
Sasuke went out into the hallway and saw that his brother was going somewhere, putting on his shoes.