Meanwhile, Arashi arrived at the Naka River, the setting sun painting the sky with vibrant hues. He spotted Itachi perched on the edge of the cliff, his silhouette a stark contrast against the fiery backdrop.
'Shisui-Nii-san... You're late.' Arashi thought, a flicker of worry crossing his features.
Itachi, lost in his own thoughts, gazed out at the distant clouds, his expression pensive.
"When's Shisui-Nii-san coming?" Arashi asked, his voice laced with anticipation. "He told me I'd find you here. Where's my gift?"
Itachi turned to Arashi, a gentle smile gracing his lips. "You have to be patient with him, Arashi." He stood up, his demeanor shifting. "In the meantime, would you like me to teach you something?"
Arashi's eyes lit up. "Yes!"
Rustle...
The sudden sound of rustling leaves broke the tranquil atmosphere. Both Arashi and Itachi turned towards the source, their guards instantly raised.
"Itachi." Shisui emerged from the bushes, his shoulder slumped and his tanto clutched tightly in his hand. He limped towards them, his Sharingan deactivated, his breaths ragged.
"Shisui-Nii-san!" Arashi rushed to his brother's side, concern etched on his face.
"Huh? You seem tired, Shisui," Itachi observed, his voice laced with worry.
Shisui leaned heavily against Arashi for support. "They attacked us," he managed to say between gasps. "I'm not sure what happened to Kakashi, but... he said he'll be fine, and he told me to get out of there and wait here."
Shisui straightened, his resolve returning despite his exhaustion. "Itachi, our plans have to be put on hold."
Arashi looked at them, his brow furrowed in confusion. "Plans? What plans are you two talking about?"
Shisui and Itachi exchanged a meaningful glance. Unfortunately, they couldn't reveal their intentions to Arashi, not yet.
'Are they hiding something from me?' Arashi's brow furrowed, a sense of unease settling in his chest.
Shisui forced a smile, ruffling Arashi's hair affectionately. "Sorry, Arashi. I can't tell you about this. You just have to trust us to handle it."
Whoosh!
Suddenly, both Shisui and Itachi tensed, their bodies pivoting to face the rustling bushes.
"Relax, it's just me," Kakashi's voice emerged from the shadows, his hands raised in a gesture of peace as he stepped into the clearing.
"What's going on?" Arashi asked, his voice tight with worry.
Shisui glanced at Arashi, noting the intensity in his eyes. "Nothing," he said, his tone firm. "Itachi, send a clone to take Arashi home." He turned back to Arashi, his gaze softening. "I promise I'll explain it to you, but for now, you should listen to me without question."
Itachi nodded and formed a hand seal. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Poof!
A perfect replica of Itachi materialized from a cloud of smoke. "Let's go, Arashi," the clone said gently.
Arashi hesitated, his eyes lingering on Shisui's pained expression and the hand protectively clutching his injured shoulder. He knew something was amiss, but he trusted his brother's judgment. With a final, worried glance, he followed Itachi's clone away from the riverbank.
Once Arashi was out of sight, Itachi turned to Shisui, his concern evident. "Shisui, what's going on?"
"It's Danzo Shimura," Shisui revealed, his voice grim. "Kakashi and I have been making a plan to stop the coup d'état. But there's a problem now. If Danzo-sama doesn't even trust us, then what's to say the Hokage won't as well?"
Kakashi shook his head. "No, the Third Hokage still wants peace with everyone. It's just that his colleagues don't share the same vision, specifically Danzo. Let's set a meeting with him today. We'll tell him what happened and negotiate for a compromise."
Shisui and Itachi exchanged a worried glance.
Seeing their apprehension, Kakashi offered reassurance. "I want this just as much as you do. I won't let my comrades die."
----------------------------------------
Meanwhile, back at Shisui's house, Arashi and Itachi's clone settled in for the unexpected wait. Arashi retreated to his room, while the clone remained in the living room, keeping watch.
Knock! Knock!
Arashi started towards the door, but Itachi's clone was already there, opening it a crack.
"Who is it?" he inquired.
"Huh? Itachi-Nii-san? What are you doing here?" Naruto's surprised voice filtered through the opening. "When I talked to Sasuke, he said nearly everyone in the clan wasn't home. Where's Arashi?"
"Come in, he's right over there," Itachi's clone invited with a welcoming smile.
'This isn't good at all,' Itachi thought. 'The timing for your arrival is terrible, Naruto.'
Naruto stepped into the house and spotted Arashi peeking from his room. "Arashi! What's up?" he greeted with a wide grin.
"Hey, Naruto. I thought you and Shisui-Nii-san were at the cliff or something."
"Nothing much," Arashi replied, a hint of disappointment in his voice. "I didn't get to train at all because of some emergency or something... Shisui-Nii-san told Itachi-Nii-san to take me home."
"Woah! Is he okay?" Naruto's concern was immediate.
Arashi nodded, forcing a smile. "Shisui-Nii-san will be just fine. He's the best shinobi ever, you know?"
Meanwhile, Itachi's clone peered through the curtains, his Sharingan scanning the street. Everything appeared normal. The Uchiha houses were indeed empty, but children played outside, enjoying the warm afternoon sunlight.
"Naruto, Arashi," Itachi's voice was urgent, snapping them out of their conversation. They both turned towards him, their expressions mirroring his seriousness.
"Don't come outside until I say so, and don't make any noise. They're here."
Arashi's eyes widened in alarm. "What? Who's here?!"
"Yeah, what's going on?" Naruto echoed, his carefree demeanor replaced by concern.
Itachi's Sharingan activated, his gaze sweeping the surroundings. "Do you have any way to communicate with Shisui or the others?"
Arashi shook his head, his heart pounding in his chest.
Itachi nodded, his mind racing, desperately searching for a plan. 'If we leave now, I won't be able to beat them all and protect Arashi and Naruto. Even if I make more clones and use a transformation, I can't risk getting hit. I'd leave Arashi defenseless, and even if he can take care of himself, Naruto can't do it at the same level. It's suicide to try it. We're trapped.'
He calmly assessed the situation, his Sharingan analyzing every detail. 'They want us to be the ones who make the first move. The entire clan isn't here right now; they're all at the Naka Shrine attending that meeting.'
"What's going on? Come on, tell me! I can help!" Naruto's voice was insistent, his frustration evident.
Even Itachi couldn't hide his own frustration. 'We must be under attack or something.'
"Arashi, can you use the Rinnegan's abilities right now?"
"No," Arashi admitted, his voice heavy. "I feel woozy when I do. Shisui-Nii-san says I shouldn't use it because it takes too much chakra, and I'll get sick again. Especially that lightning move, it'll ruin all the effort I put in after training all this time."
"I see..." Itachi's mind raced, searching for a solution. 'But what if...' He glanced at Naruto.
'No, too risky.'
Itachi formed a series of hand seals. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Poof! Another clone appeared beside him.
Itachi then did the unthinkable - he stabbed the clone, causing it to dissipate in a cloud of smoke. Naruto's eyes widened in shock.
"Wait, why'd you do that?"
"You're a genius, Itachi!" Arashi exclaimed, a look of understanding dawning on his face.
Naruto looked at Arashi, utterly bewildered. "Why's he a genius? He just stabbed his clone."
Arashi nodded. "If he does that, the real Itachi gets all the memories from the clone. That's why."
Naruto's jaw dropped as he processed the information. 'I have no idea what's going on, but I'll go along.' He folded his arms and nodded, trying to appear composed.
The real Itachi, now armed with the clone's memories, skidded to a halt, his expression grim.
"We have to go back!" he declared, his voice urgent.
"What? Why?" Shisui asked, startled by the sudden change in direction.
"They're at your house, and so is Naruto," Itachi explained, his Sharingan blazing with intensity.
Shisui's eyes widened in disbelief, then narrowed in fury. "Damn it! That coward Danzo! He knows we're onto him, so now he goes after the kids." His mind raced, strategizing a counterattack.
"Itachi, you go back and protect them. I'll go on ahead with Kakashi," Shisui ordered, his voice firm. "This is our only opportunity to get rid of Danzo and defuse the clan at once."
He paused, his gaze meeting Itachi's. "Remember, don't cause too much of a scene. If Fugaku hears of this, all our attempts afterward will be near futile."
Itachi nodded, his resolve mirroring Shisui's. "Don't worry, I'll get them back."
Shisui offered a curt nod, then turned and vanished into the forest, Kakashi following closely behind.
Itachi wasted no time, activating his Body Flicker Technique and racing back towards the village, his heart pounding with a mixture of fear and determination.