Back above the Hokage statues, Shisui was still stunned by Kakashi's plan,
'Is this the only way to save the Uchiha and the village? And Arashi…'
He looks at Kakashi and asks,
"Kakashi," Shisui's voice was hushed, "do you know what you're asking me to do?"
"I do," Kakashi replied, his tone somber. "How much do you love your brother? Will you sacrifice Itachi's well-being for him and the clan? Think about it, Shisui. Using Kotoamatsukami on Fugaku will do no good. We both know your clan is beyond reason, so there's no point in that either."
Shisui's gaze fell to the ground, his fists clenching and unclenching. "I... I can't make this decision," he admitted, his voice thick with conflict.
Kakashi's sharp senses detected a subtle shift in the air. "Before I continue, let's go somewhere else. People have been listening in on us. Don't look, but they're hiding behind us. I can smell them." His nose twitched, picking up a faint scent.
"How long has he been there?" Shisui whispered, keeping his gaze steady.
"I don't know, but let's go somewhere else."
"Sure."
With a synchronized movement, Shisui and Kakashi leapt from the Hokage Monument, disappearing into the shadows of the forest.
Later that day, as the sun began to set, Arashi left the academy, his heart filled with anticipation for the surprise Shisui had promised.
"Hey, Arashi! Let's go train together!" Naruto called out, his usual exuberance undimmed.
Arashi smiled. "I can't, I'm supposed to meet Shisui-Nii-san right now. How about we train tomorrow?"
"You're meeting Shisui?" Naruto asked, a hint of disappointment in his voice.
Arashi nodded. "Uh-huh, he says he has a surprise for me."
"Oh, I see..." Naruto's smile faltered for a moment, but he quickly recovered. "Well then, see ya later!" he chirped, waving goodbye.
"Bye, Naruto!" Arashi waved back, then flickered away, heading towards the Naka River.
Meanwhile, Shisui and Kakashi were navigating the forest at a rapid pace.
"So that's the plan?" Shisui asked, his voice barely audible over the rush of wind.
"Yeah."
"It's messed up..." Shisui's tone was grim.
"I know," Kakashi admitted. "But I'm only thinking of Arashi and the well-being of the village here. The Uchiha clan is part of the village, too. That's why I avoided too much conflict, even though it'll be a lot to sacrifice."
Shisui's eyes clouded with sorrow. "It's too much to sacrifice. Itachi will hate me if I do this. It goes against everything I've told him and–"
"Hold on." Kakashi abruptly stopped, his senses tingling with danger.
They stood perched on a tree branch, overlooking a grassy clearing.
"What is it?" Shisui asked, his hand instinctively reaching for his tanto.
"Look out!"
Whoosh! A projectile whizzed through the air, aimed directly at them.
With lightning reflexes, Kakashi and Shisui leapt from the tree, landing on the grass just as the projectile embedded itself in the trunk behind them.
Boom!
The explosion ripped through the forest, leaving the once-serene clearing ablaze. The tree they had stood on was splintered, its trunk blackened and smoldering. The blast wave ignited several surrounding trees, casting an eerie orange glow over the scene. It was a clever ambush, designed to disorient and delay.
"It's an ambush! More are on their way!" Kakashi unsheathed his Anbu katana, his senses heightened. A figure emerged from the smoke, taking advantage of the chaos. Kakashi clashed blades with the masked assailant, their movements a blur as they engaged in a fierce duel.
Shisui activated his Sharingan, his tanto flashing in the dim light. Another attacker lunged, but Shisui deftly parried the blow. Suddenly, a smoke bomb exploded, releasing a thick, purple haze. 'That scent...' Kakashi recognized the signature aroma of a potent poison.
"Careful with that purple smoke!" he warned, his voice strained. "It's poison."
Whoosh! Kakashi flickered behind his opponent, delivering a swift blow that incapacitated the ninja. But before he could turn his attention to Shisui, multiple figures materialized from the shadows, their masks and hooded cloaks bearing the insignia of Root, Danzo's personal force.
At their center, an old man with dark, shaggy hair and a bandage covering his right eye emerged, his cane tapping rhythmically against the forest floor.
"Danzo-sama!" Kakashi exclaimed, his voice laced with disbelief. "What is this?! Are you going against the village?"
Danzo let out a chilling laugh. "On the contrary, I am doing this for my village. The Uchiha clan is planning to stage a coup d'état, and I am willing to sacrifice them for the sake of Konoha! Kakashi Hatake, you are the one standing against the village here."
Kakashi glanced at Shisui, who stood frozen, his face contorted in a mixture of rage and despair. 'That whole meeting was a scam. He was planning to do this either way.'
Kakashi's voice was firm, unwavering. "We'll go through with the plan, just as I said. I won't let my friends die."
Shisui nodded, a steely resolve replacing the turmoil in his eyes.
Kakashi and Shisui prepared for battle, their backs pressed against each other, surrounded by Danzo's forces.
"I'm warning you," Kakashi said, uncovering his Sharingan, its crimson glow piercing the gloom. "I train far more than I used to, so this won't be a fair fight for you."
Shisui unleashed a barrage of kunai, sending the Foundation shinobi scrambling for cover. With a swift Body Flicker, he vanished, reappearing amidst the chaos.
Cling! The clash of kunai signaled the start of a fierce melee. Shisui engaged two masked shinobi, his movements a whirlwind of precision and power. He parried their attacks with his tanto, but maintaining balance against two skilled opponents proved challenging.
Crack... Boom! Kakashi, meanwhile, exploited an opening. With a lightning-fast Body Flicker, he slipped beneath one attacker, delivering a rising uppercut that sent the ninja crashing to the ground, unconscious.
As the remaining masked assailant turned to face Kakashi, Shisui caught a glimpse of his eyes and unleashed a subtle genjutsu. The ninja's movements faltered, his focus shattered.
Whoosh! A sudden change in air pressure alerted them to new threats. Five more Foundation shinobi emerged from the shadows, their presence chilling the air.
Kakashi reacted instantly, his hands flying through a series of seals. He inhaled deeply, then exhaled a torrent of flames.
Boom!! "Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"
Shisui, spotting more enemies encircling them, channeled fire chakra into his tanto. With a graceful flourish, he unleashed a swirling vortex of flames.
"Uchiha Style: Halo Dance!"
Multiple shinobi moved to protect Danzo, countering with a barrage of water techniques.
"Water Style: Water Bullet Jutsu!"
The clash of fire and water created a thick curtain of steam, providing Shisui with the perfect opportunity to strike. He lunged towards the enemy ninja, his tanto a blur amidst the swirling mist.
'Now!' Kakashi seized the distraction, biting his thumb and forming a series of hand seals.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
Poof! A pack of loyal ninja hounds materialized, snarling and barking as they surrounded the Foundation shinobi.
"Shisui, get out of here!" Kakashi shouted above the din. "I have a plan to escape."
Shisui's eyes widened in alarm. "You can't, you'll get killed!"
Kakashi's expression hardened. "Just do it, or else this won't work. We'll meet later. Don't do anything without me, just let me distract them."
Shisui hesitated, torn between loyalty and self-preservation. He clenched his fist, his inner turmoil reflected in his furrowed brow.
"Think about Arashi," Kakashi urged, his voice low and insistent. "If you die here, he'll be alone, and he won't forgive me for it."
Shisui's eyes widened, the image of his young brother flashing before him. With a heavy heart, he nodded. "Alright. Make sure you survive. He won't forgive me either if I left you to die."
Kakashi's lips curled into a reassuring smile. "Of course. I'll create a diversion so you can get away."
Shisui nodded again, then vanished into the trees, leaving Kakashi alone to face Danzo and his Root operatives.
Kakashi's hands moved in a blur, forming a series of lightning-fast seals. He inhaled sharply, channeling his chakra into his palm.
"Lightning Blade!"
A blinding flash of light erupted, accompanied by a deafening screech. Steam billowed from Kakashi's hand as it became enveloped in a pale blue flame, then exploded, creating a thick smokescreen. Through the haze, the Foundation ninja could only make out the faint outline of a lightning-charged blade and the low hum of its deadly energy.
A series of chilling chirps echoed through the smoky forest, followed by the muffled cries of dying men.
"Aaah!"
Danzo's voice boomed, his fury palpable. "Stay close!"
"Only fourteen of you left," Kakashi's voice taunted from within the smoke, his location impossible to pinpoint.
Danzo responded with a swift hand seal, inhaling deeply. "Wind Style: Vacuum Bullet!" he roared, unleashing a series of compressed air blasts that tore through the smoke, dissipating it instantly.
His eyes widened as he saw Kakashi suspended in mid-air, Lightning Blade poised to strike. Danzo reacted with lightning speed, redirecting his wind bullets towards the airborne ninja.
Kakashi's eyes widened in alarm. 'No good, I'm wide open here!'
The wind bullets slammed into Kakashi, sending him hurtling towards the ground.
"Ugh..." He crumpled onto the forest floor, his body dissolving into a wooden log a moment later.
Danzo gritted his teeth, his fury mounting. "Copy Ninja Kakashi Hatake," he spat, "your name doesn't deceive you at all. You're very skillful with something that's not yours."
Kakashi, panting heavily, struggled to regain his composure. 'Now!'
Boom!
Multiple dogs burst from the ground, their jaws clamped around a large net. They leapt from different directions, ensnaring Danzo and his remaining men.
Whoosh!
But Danzo and his elite operatives were too quick. With a series of Body Flickers, they vanished into the dense foliage, leaving the net empty.
"Is that it?" Danzo's voice echoed from the shadows. "You wanted to capture us with dogs?"
"No, that wasn't it," Kakashi replied, his voice cold and steady. "This was."
Danzo turned just in time to see Kakashi standing behind him, Lightning Blade crackling in his hand.
"Lightning Blade!"
Boom!
Kakashi's attack pierced the tree trunk, impaling Danzo through the chest. The old man's eyes widened in shock, then glazed over as the life drained from his body.
Kakashi slumped to one knee, panting heavily. 'I hope Hokage-sama can forgive us for this. We'll need some sort of explanation.'
"Maybe I'll just–" Kakashi's words were cut short as a sharp pain pierced his chest. His eyes widened in disbelief.
Splash...
Blood splattered onto the forest floor. "Leave him alive," Danzo's voice rasped, chillingly close. "I want to take his eye while it's still warm."
Kakashi's vision blurred, but he managed to turn his head, his one visible eye widening in horror. "I-I thought I killed you already..."
Danzo, propped against a nearby tree, let out a raspy chuckle. "Hmph. Don't let your guard down around me."
He stretched out a trembling hand towards Kakashi's Sharingan...
Buzz!!!
A blinding flash of lightning erupted, electrifying the entire clearing. Kakashi's body dissolved into a surge of electricity, shocking everyone in its path.
"That's what happens when you let your guard down around me, too," Kakashi's voice echoed through the forest. "I have something to live for now. I won't just throw my life away."
The real Kakashi stood some distance away, his knees buckling as the strain of maintaining multiple shadow clones took its toll.
"Get them now!" Danzo's voice rasped, his fury barely contained. "We can't let anyone hear a word of this!"
"Yes, sir!" His subordinates obeyed, disappearing into the trees in pursuit of Shisui and Kakashi.