Arashi and Shisui were pleasantly stuffed, their bellies full of delicious ramen. They leaned back in their chairs, a contented silence settling over them.
"Hey, Shisui-Nii-san, how about I show you my new jutsu at the training grounds tomorrow?" Arashi suggested, his eyes sparkling with anticipation.
Shisui hesitated, his gaze drifting towards the window. "Sorry, Arashi, I've got some pressing commitments tomorrow."
Arashi's face fell. "Aw, come on! That's just not fair," he grumbled, his lower lip jutting out in a pout.
Shisui's heart ached at his brother's disappointment. 'I might not have much time left if everything goes as planned,' he thought, a wave of sadness washing over him. 'I want to prepare Arashi for a life without me, but I also want to spend more moments with him before things change forever.'
With a sigh, he looked at Arashi, a tender smile gracing his lips. "You know what? Let's do it. We'll go to the training grounds tomorrow."
Arashi's face lit up, his smile returning in full force. "Shisui-Nii-san? You mean it?"
"Yeah," Shisui confirmed, his voice warm. "My other plans can wait. I'm looking forward to seeing this jutsu you've created."
Arashi beamed, throwing his arms around Shisui in a grateful hug. "You're the best, Nii-san!"
Shisui hugged him back, his thoughts momentarily drifting to a future where such moments might be impossible. 'I'll miss times like these. Maybe, with time...' He shook his head, pushing the melancholic thoughts aside. 'No, I have to prepare myself to let go. My emotions could become a liability if I don't distance myself from him. I must be strong enough to do what needs to be done.'
"Let's call it an early night," Shisui suggested, rising from his chair. "We have to be up early tomorrow for training."
Arashi yawned, stretching his arms above his head. "I'm already beat. Goodnight, Shisui-Nii-san."
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Under the cloak of night, Shisui slipped out of the house, his footsteps silent as he navigated the moonlit streets of Konohagakure. He arrived at the main hospital, its imposing entrance bathed in a soft, ethereal glow. The door was locked, a testament to the late hour.
He pressed the night bell, a soft chime echoing through the stillness. Moments later, a security guard appeared, his brow furrowed in inquiry.
"Evening," the guard greeted him. "What brings you here at this hour?"
"I'm Shisui Uchiha," Shisui replied, his voice steady. "I'm here to see my father, Yagami Uchiha. I'm aware it's late, but it's urgent."
The guard nodded, checking his visitor log. "Alright, please sign in. You'll need to wear this visitor's badge."
Once inside, Shisui approached the reception area. A lone nurse sat behind the desk, her attention focused on her computer screen.
"I'm Shisui Uchiha," he said, his voice low. "I'm here to see my father, Yagami Uchiha."
The nurse looked up, a hint of surprise in her eyes. "Quite unusual for a visitor to come this late. Especially you; you haven't seen your father in two days."
"I've been busy," Shisui explained, offering a sheepish smile. "I hope it's not bothersome."
"Not to me, but visiting hours are over. Are you sure it's alright to disturb your father?"
"I'll be brief, and I'm sure he won't mind."
The nurse sighed, but relented. "Alright then, you know the room. Just make sure to be quiet and respectful to other patients."
"Thank you. Have a good night."
As Shisui turned to leave, the nurse called out, "So, um, Shisui, do you have plans tomorrow night?"
But when she looked up, he was already gone.
"Sigh... Happens all the time," she muttered, returning her attention to her computer.
Shisui paused outside his father's room, taking a deep breath to steady his nerves. He knocked softly on the door.
"Father, may I come in? It's Shisui."
Yagami, his face partially obscured by an oxygen mask, stirred in his sleep.
"Father?" Shisui gently touched his arm, careful not to startle him.
Yagami's eyes fluttered open, his gaze unfocused as he met Shisui's.
"I'm Shisui, your son. Do you remember?"
A moment of silence stretched between them as Yagami struggled to process the information. Then, a faint smile graced his lips.
"My son... you've come."
His eyes scanned past Shisui, as though searching for someone else. "Where is Arashi? That boy has his mother's eyes, doesn't he? And the same–"
A fit of coughing interrupted him, his frail body shaking with the effort.
"Easy, Father," Shisui urged, his voice laced with concern. "Try not to speak too much; you must conserve your strength."
Yagami waved his hand dismissively, though his eyes were clouded with fatigue. "Don't worry yourself over me."
Shisui sat on the edge of his father's bed, his heart heavy. "You look like something's bothering you. What is it?" Yagami inquired, his voice raspy.
"Troubled?" Shisui exhaled deeply, his eyes searching his father's. "I have a feeling that we won't see each other for some time, so I came to say my farewells."
"Goodbye?" Yagami's voice trembled slightly as he tried to comprehend his son's words. "Where are you going? Is Arashi coming with you?"
"No. The path I'm taking is one I must walk alone. Arashi can't come. No one can."
Yagami's eyes dimmed slightly, his gaze drifting toward the sterile hospital wall. "I see…"
"Father, there's something important you should know," Shisui interjected, breaking the pensive silence.
"What is it?" Yagami turned back to face his son, his eyes brimming with curiosity and apprehension.
In response, Shisui activated his Mangekyou Sharingan. His irises transformed, the intricate patterns swirling into focus.
The sight of those eyes caused Yagami to flinch involuntarily, a shiver running down his spine. His eyes widened in recognition and dread, understanding that the Mangekyou Sharingan wasn't something to be taken lightly.
"Those eyes... when did you acquire them?" Yagami finally asked, his gaze locked onto Shisui's.
"I obtained them when I was seven, during a mission," Shisui answered.
"All this time? I noticed changes in you before you met Itachi, but I never grasped the full scope of what you were going through, did I?"
"I hid them from you on purpose. I didn't want to add to your worries."
Yagami lowered his eyes. "If you're here to discuss an eye transplant, then I'm afraid—"
"No, that's not it at all!" Shisui interjected, his eyes widening in shock. He sighed and stood up, pacing the small room.
Seeing Shisui's reaction, Yagami broke into a warm smile. "Relax, I'm not accusing you of anything."
Shisui glanced out the window, a pang of regret tugging at his heart. 'I shouldn't have brought it up; now the atmosphere is uncomfortable.'
"Shisui, come closer," Yagami beckoned, his voice weak but filled with warmth. Shisui obeyed, taking his place at his father's bedside once more.
"I apologize for putting you on the spot like that," Yagami said sincerely. "It was inappropriate."
"You don't need to apologize," Shisui reassured him. "I'm the one who woke you at this hour and began probing you with awkward questions. I should let you get some rest."
"No," Yagami insisted. "You were curious about whether I possess the Mangekyou Sharingan?"
Shisui averted his eyes, a moment of hesitation hanging in the air.
"Dad," he finally spoke, his voice barely above a whisper, "I need the Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan. I need the power to end all this."
Yagami remained silent, allowing Shisui the space to continue.
"It's the only way I can ensure Arashi's safety," Shisui explained, his voice thick with emotion. "People are already targeting him for his eyes. I don't have the strength to protect him as I am."
An image of himself walking alongside Arashi, their hands clasped, flashed through his mind. "Right now, it's just temporary, but I have every faith that Arashi will surpass me. And until that day, I have to shield him," Shisui declared, the imagined vision fading as quickly as it had appeared.
"Shisui, I understand your feelings," Yagami began, his voice heavy with understanding. "When your mother died, and when I believed Arashi died alongside her, it was the most powerless I'd ever felt. I despised myself for it."
Yagami paused, his gaze falling on his hand, now entangled in a web of medical tubes. "I couldn't help but think that if I had been faster, more skilled as a shinobi, maybe things would have turned out differently. Maybe I could've gotten us all to safety, and if I had..."
His voice trailed off, the unspoken words hanging heavy in the air. "Then maybe I could have saved her," he finally continued, his voice thick with emotion, "and we could have remained a family."
"Dad..." Shisui whispered, his own voice trembling as he absorbed his father's words.
"But that night," Yagami's tone shifted, a newfound strength resonating within him, "something extraordinary happened. I'd always been too weak to unlock it again, but it happened as I lay there, consumed by regret, berating myself for my uselessness; it happened."
He paused, allowing the weight of his words to settle.
"Hours passed, and the weight of my failure finally hit me—my son and wife were gone because I wasn't strong enough or fast enough. It was then that I felt it—a surge of power awakening within me. My Sharingan activated, and I felt the sensation of warm blood trickling down from my eyes as my vision gradually dimmed."
Yagami closed his eyes briefly, reliving the sensation.
"But it wasn't just darkness," he revealed, opening his eyes to unveil the intricate, claw-like pattern of the Mangekyou Sharingan. "My vision was more powerful, more potent."
Shisui's eyes widened in shock and realization.
'He has it... My suspicions were right. Father possesses the Mangekyou Sharingan as well.'