After Uzumaki Raiden left, Kisame Hoshigaki sent Killer Bee and the others away, then immediately went to the Hokage Building to report to Minato. Minato, who was summoned by Kisame, didn't suspect him and immediately ordered someone to summon Fugaku.
When the messenger sent by Minato arrived at the Uchiha compound, Uchiha Fugaku was having breakfast with Mikoto and Itachi in the living room. Upon hearing someone knock on the door, Mikoto put down her bowl and chopsticks, got up, and went to answer it.
When Mikoto returned, she held a scroll in her hand. After sitting down again, she handed the scroll to Uchiha Fugaku.
"Fugaku, this is a letter from the Hokage."
Uchiha Fugaku took the scroll and asked, "Which Hokage sent it, the Fifth Hokage or Raiden?"
"It's from the Fifth, but the messenger said the content reflects Raiden's intentions."
"What's in it?" Mikoto asked curiously, watching as Fugaku unrolled the scroll and read it carefully. Uchiha Itachi, who was eating breakfast beside them, was also drawn in by Fugaku's reaction and stopped eating.
"It's nothing serious. Raiden left Konoha and issued an order that all Uchiha clan members are to remain in the village and are forbidden from leaving."
"All clan activity must wait until Raiden returns."
"This order had been issued verbally before, but now it's been formalized."
"It seems something serious has happened, and it involves the Uchiha clan."
Fugaku passed the scroll to Uchiha Itachi and then picked up his bowl to resume drinking his porridge. Over the years, Itachi had made a name for himself in the ninja world, and Fugaku had long been grooming him as his successor. He didn't keep many village matters or orders from Itachi.
Moreover, Itachi had a sharp mind, and Fugaku actually needed someone to offer insight.
"Itachi, what do you think?"
"Could it be because of Shisui? Raiden issued a similar order back when Shisui's team was lost and went missing."
"Last night, the Kumo mission arrived. Before reaching Konoha, they encountered Uchiha Shisui."
"Minato and I met with them yesterday, but they refused to share what they saw or heard, saying the information regarding Shisui was to be reported only to Raiden."
"Now Raiden has issued this order—could it be connected to the information he received?"
Fugaku took another sip of porridge as he voiced his theory. Sometimes, interpreting orders correctly is crucial. Misunderstanding the higher-ups' intentions could easily lead to disaster.
Take this current order, for example—if things aren't as Fugaku suspects, then the "Uchiha confinement" could signal something more ominous: a renewed suppression of the Uchiha clan. As clan head, Fugaku had to consider all possibilities.
"You can't draw any firm conclusions just from the order, but the timing suggests it's related to Shisui."
"Sensei Raiden leaving Konoha so suddenly is probably to search for Shisui."
"Otherwise, he would never leave the village so easily."
Itachi offered a straightforward deduction and handed the scroll back to Fugaku. Hearing this, Fugaku nodded silently. Itachi's conclusion aligned with his own, which brought him some reassurance.
"Itachi, after breakfast, inform the clan."
"Let them know it's Raiden's order—they need to stay alert during this period."
"We've been grounded, likely because Raiden is trying to protect us."
"Also, Itachi, don't remain in the compound for now. Stay with the Fifth Hokage so you can receive any updates from Raiden as soon as possible. Just speak to Minato about it—he won't refuse."
Fugaku finished his porridge, but an uneasy feeling lingered. He gave these instructions to Itachi, who nodded without hesitation. Believing his father simply wanted stronger communication with the Hokage, Itachi drank a few more spoonfuls of porridge and left.
After Itachi departed, Mikoto stared absently in the direction he'd gone, then gently grasped Fugaku's hand.
"Fugaku, do you know something? Why did you send Itachi away?"
Itachi hadn't noticed his father's deeper motives, but the perceptive Mikoto had.
"No, just a guess."
"Shisui's team was ambushed, and he's gone missing."
"That implies the enemy is very powerful—stronger than Shisui's entire team."
"But what's strange is that a few days after Shisui's team went silent, a messenger from the Cloud arrived in Konoha bringing news of him. That's highly unusual."
Fugaku frowned, sharing his concerns with Mikoto, who simply listened quietly.
"Konoha is currently united. Two of the legendary Sannin reside in the village, and we have an unprecedented three Hokage. Every clan is thriving. Our overall strength has never been greater."
"Yet the enemy is still able to defeat Shisui, who wields both the Flying Thunder God and the Mangekyō Sharingan. That speaks to terrifying power."
"Konoha's strongest by far is Raiden—but he left the village because of Shisui."
"I suspect this may be the enemy's scheme."
Fugaku's brows furrowed deeply. The more he thought about it, the more convinced he became.
"Then why not share this theory with Minato?" Mikoto asked gently. If Fugaku had a theory, why not warn Minato? Even if it turned out to be wrong, it would still warrant a heightened state of alert while Raiden was gone.
"I already told him."
"Sending Itachi was my way of letting him know."
"Don't worry. No matter what happens, I'll protect you."
Fugaku gripped Mikoto's hand tightly and smiled.
In the Hokage's office, Minato Namikaze saw Uchiha Itachi return. When Itachi explained he wanted to stay nearby to receive updates about Raiden, Minato's expression turned serious.
Uchiha Itachi was the Uchiha clan's pride—not only the son of Fugaku, but also the disciple of Uzumaki Raiden. That Fugaku had sent his son to him conveyed a clear message.
"Could Raiden be in danger outside the village? Fugaku must believe he is."
"Did he send his son to me as a signal?"
Minato and Nara Shikaku exchanged a glance. Both understood the deeper implications.
"Itachi, I understand Fugaku's intent. You'll serve as my personal guard for now."
"There's no need to return home at night. Naruto's away, so you can sleep in his room. You'll be the first to receive news of Raiden."
Minato didn't say more. He simply made the arrangements, and Shikaku quietly left the office afterward.
Soon, Konoha's shinobi were mobilized. Although the civilians remained unaware, a heavy tension settled over the village.
That night, under the faint moonlight, a small boat drifted across the sea. The sail trembled in the wind, and moonlight shimmered on the waves, revealing two figures aboard.
"Master Madara, do you think there are still sealing scrolls left in the Land of Whirlpools?"
"When Uzushio was destroyed, the clan head reportedly burned all the sealing techniques."
"If we're trying to uncover clues to break the seal on the Rinnegan, there may be nothing left."
The masked man controlled the sail as he spoke to the long-haired man seated at the center of the boat.
"Hmph, what do you know?"
"The Uzumaki clan's sealing arts weren't kept in the library."
"The true collection was hidden. Hearing your assumption only convinces me more that no one's found the real treasure trove."
"If I can find it, I can regain my power!"
Uchiha Madara's voice was cold and resolute.
"If not, we'll have to head to Konoha."
"White Zetsu reported that Uzumaki Raiden was seen at the border of Konoha. He's likely searching for Uchiha Shisui."
"We need to move faster."
The masked man's tone turned serious.
"Hmph! Uchiha Shisui!"
"That kid's eyes are truly remarkable. If he opposes me, he's a threat."
"But luckily, he's no longer a problem!"
As Madara spoke, the wind shifted, and the masked man adjusted the sail. The moonlight fell on Madara's face, revealing that only his left eye was bandaged—his right eye was exposed, glowing red with a slowly spinning Sharingan.
"Such a young boy, and he developed his Mangekyō Sharingan to that extent."
"And still managed to escape."
The masked man sounded impressed. Madara, however, showed regret.
Their ambush of Shisui hadn't fully succeeded. Though they anticipated Raiden would pursue Shisui upon receiving his message, they hadn't secured both of Shisui's eyes.
Madara had taken one eye, but the other was destroyed when Shisui used Izanagi, rendering himself blind. He escaped using both the forbidden technique and Flying Thunder God.
"I underestimated him. But even with one eye, I can face Raiden!"
"Hahaha!"
Madara laughed wildly, his voice swallowed by the waves.
Their sailboat moved swiftly and soon reached the shore at the edge of the Land of Whirlpools. The two figures vanished into the darkness, heading for the ruins of Uzushio.
Under the same night sky, far from the Land of Fire's border, Uzumaki Raiden sat beside a campfire, lost in thought.
Two days had passed since he began searching for Uchiha Shisui. Though he found the site where Shisui encountered the Cloud ninja, there were no clues about where Shisui had gone next.
Raiden had also discovered several battle sites nearby—scorched vegetation and shattered trees marked intense conflict. The traces were fresh.
It was clear Shisui had fought here, but no trace of him remained.
"Did Madara get him?"
"That kid has Flying Thunder God—he should've been able to retreat if things went south."
"So why can't I find him?!"
Raiden stared into the flames, worried. At first, he hadn't feared for Shisui's safety—someone with both Flying Thunder God and Mangekyō Sharingan should've survived even an encounter with Uchiha Madara.
But as time passed and no sign of Shisui emerged, unease grew in his heart.
"Where am I?"
That was the first question that crossed Uchiha Shisui's mind as he regained consciousness.
The next moment, sharp pain pierced his right eye socket, causing him to groan.
"Ugh!"
Shisui's vision was pitch black. He had opened his left eye, but it would never see again.
"You're awake?"
"Don't move—the wound could reopen."
As he tried to sit up, a pair of slender hands pressed against his chest, stopping him. A bright, melodious voice filled his ears, freezing him in place.
He was in a simple wooden hut. A girl—about twenty-nine—stood before him, with a face like first love, brows like distant hills, eyes like autumn waters, a straight nose, and soft pink lips. Her skin glowed with youthful clarity under the candlelight, as if carrying the scent of flowers.
But Shisui couldn't see any of this.
"Who are you? Where am I?!"
(End of chapter)