Chapter Thirty-Three: A Mind in Turmoil

“Well, if it isn’t the rising star of the Anbu, the genius of the clan—a rare guest indeed.” Uchiha Rei looked at the young man following him; though his words sounded like praise, there wasn’t the slightest hint of it in his tone.

Uchiha Shisui regarded Rei’s attitude, pressed his lips together, and finally spoke. “Rei, I’m here partly on a mission, but also because I’d like to speak with you again.”

Uchiha Rei thought for a moment, his voice indifferent. “Frankly, there’s nothing much for us to talk about—but if you’re set on it, let’s talk.”

With that, Rei stepped into his room at the outpost. Shisui hurried after him, his eyes fixed silently on Rei’s back.

Soon, the two entered the room. Rei found a chair and sat down casually before asking, “So, what is it you want to discuss this time?”

Shisui sat opposite him, drew a quiet breath, and began, “It’s about what you said the last time—I don’t quite understand it, and I can’t agree with it.”

Last time, at the barbecue restaurant, he’d intended to persuade his cousin not to harbor prejudice against the village or the Third Hokage. But not only had he failed, he’d been left unsettled by Rei’s strange words—so much so that he still couldn’t make sense of them.

This time, the Third had sent him over, ostensibly to mediate the conflict between the clan and the village, but also to keep watch...

Rei’s fingers tapped lightly on the armrest. “If you don’t understand, then why do you disagree?”

Shisui blinked, surprised by the question, but quickly responded, “You misunderstand the Third too deeply. He’s always wanted to ease the tensions between our clan and the village, but—”

As Shisui poured out his views on the Third Hokage and his understanding of the Will of Fire, Rei did not interrupt. He’d realized that if he didn’t let Shisui speak, the boy would only come back to repeat himself.

At last, Shisui fell silent, watching Rei, who seemed distracted. Frustrated, he asked, “Rei, were you even listening to me?”

Rei came back to himself, yawned, and said, “Ah, yes, yes, you’re absolutely right.”

Shisui looked at him, disappointed; he knew his words had had no effect.

Seeing Shisui’s silence, Rei spoke first. “You must be feeling pretty disheartened—not just because I don’t understand you, but because none of the clan does, either.”

Shisui’s head jerked up, disbelief in his voice. “How did you know?”

How did I know? Because I’m a transmigrant, I’ve seen the ending! he scoffed inwardly. Of course, he would never say that out loud. Instead, he replied calmly,

“Because your thoughts are easy to guess. You’re just a kid—did you really think you could hide them so well?”

“Huh?” Shisui was left speechless.

“Alright, just teasing.” Rei broke into laughter. “I’m no mind reader—how could I know what’s in your head? But—”

His smile faded, returning to a calm expression. “But since I do know what you’re thinking and still refuse to heed you, can you guess why?”

“Why?” Shisui asked eagerly. He sensed that the answer was crucial. He’d tried to persuade many in the clan, but almost none listened. Most simply ignored his views; the few who didn’t oppose them still didn’t truly agree. As for the radicals—trying to reason with them was pointless.

Rei didn’t answer immediately, but after a pause, he spoke. “Because your ideas are completely unrealistic. The so-called Will of Fire is nothing more than a slogan; it can never bridge the rift between the clan and the village.”

Shisui frowned, stubbornly staring at Rei, his face showing clear disagreement, though he said nothing.

Rei gave a cold smile and tilted his head. “Why do you think things are the way they are between the village and the clan?”

“Because... our clansmen are too radical?” Shisui ventured after some thought, though he wasn’t certain—he’d never thought about it so deeply before. All he’d seen was the growing distance, the mounting conflicts, and his wish to dispel them. Both the village and the clan mattered; the clansmen shouldn’t only think of themselves but should consider the greater good.

Rei shook his head, disappointed. “You don’t understand anything. You only see the surface, yet you try to persuade me?”

He stood. “Why are the clansmen so agitated? Why does their attitude toward the village worsen? Do you think they’re just making trouble for the sake of it? Are the village’s orders always beyond reproach?”

“You say the gap between the clan and the village grows ever deeper—then tell me, when has the clan ever disobeyed an order?”

“Not long ago, when the Nine-Tails attacked, our district was barely damaged, yet the village forced us to relocate, and we did.”

“This time, with the corpse thefts—was that our clan’s fault as well? Were our people’s bodies meant to be stolen, their eyes meant to be gouged out?”

“That’s not—the village—” Shisui tried to object, but his words died in his throat.

“Heh.” Rei let out a mocking laugh. “So you’re well aware that none of this was the work of some traitor.”

Shisui bowed his head, pained. “Yes, it was all done by Danzo’s Foundation.”

For other matters, he might still find some reason to convince Rei, or even himself—but this theft, he could not defend.

“If you already know, then why bother asking me?” Rei stepped closer, feigning confusion.

Under his gaze, Shisui felt an inexplicable pressure. After a struggle, he tried to defend his beliefs. “But it was only one man’s doing—it wasn’t the will of the village or the Third—”

Rei inhaled, his eyes cold. “Is that how you see it—just one man’s actions?”

“Let me ask you: does the Foundation consist of only Danzo? Isn’t Danzo the Third’s subordinate?”

“Danzo is the Third’s man. The Third is now acting Hokage. So the Foundation’s actions don’t represent the village’s will?”

“Don’t tell me Danzo operates independently—if he didn’t act in the name of the Third and the village, could he have done all this?”

Shisui swallowed hard, rushing to explain, “It’s not like that, the Third would never—”

“Whether the Third intended it or not, from the clan’s viewpoint, isn’t this just another case of the village targeting us?”

Rei pressed him no further and concluded, “You can go. Suddenly, I find you rather pathetic.”

Shisui’s mind was in a daze; he wasn’t sure how he managed to stand. When he came to his senses, he was already outside Rei’s door.

Just as Rei was about to shut the door, Shisui blurted, almost involuntarily, “Rei, I can’t answer your questions now, but I will find the answer. Until then, I’ll be watching you!”

“If that makes you happy.” Rei replied indifferently, closing the door.

The door shut completely. Shisui stood outside, motionless, unable to gather his thoughts for a long time…