"Shisui." Knowing full well that he was following me, I did not bother to stop walking as I purposefully led him towards a high rising cliff which was situated above a ravine. "You are following me again."
"Sorry Miyuki-chan, but as you probably already know, it is my duty." Hm, I guess so. Shisui had been privately assigned as my person guardian by both Fugaka and my father as he was one of our best Uchiha ninja other than Itachi himself, but he had also been assigned to watch me under the orders of the Elder Council. They had grown restless of late, as had my clan. The two seemed simply incapable of communicating with one another, even when I had repeatedly requested Fugaka to cease this nonsense idea of a coup. Even with my ocular powers, and knowing my special abilities, Fugaka refused to listen.
His excuse was that no matter the outcome, even when I had warned it would end in our destruction, it would mean that our statement would make an impact upon Konoha and we Uchiha would have to be listened to after. I did not bother further after that, even with my father and several of the other high ranked Uchiha members on my side. There was even talk of removing Fugaka from the position of chief and placing me there instead, but I quickly quelled such a notion. An uprising from within the clan itself would prove more devastating than were we to rise against the Leaf Village. Either way, we could not win.
"So, where have you brought me today?" Shisui questioned me as I came to stop at the edge of the cliff, looking out over the horizon. Winter was now passed and warmer weather was now beginning to settle upon us, meaning that the trees were gaining back their leaves and the evenings were not as cold as before. Fireflies were beginning to swarm once more, twinkling prettily around me as my thoughts troubled over events soon to become set in an unstoppable motion. "Miyuki?" Now worried, Shisui touched my shoulder, rousing me from my reverie.
"Shisui, I want you to look at this place and remember it." I said to him quietly, not turning around to face him.
"What for?"
"Do you trust me, Shisui?"
"Of course I do. You and I hold the same beliefs, there is no one other than Itachi I trust more than you, Miyuki-chan. Come on, tell me what this is all about." Gradually I turned, and when Shisui saw the pain and exhaustion which wrought my features, he quickly became alarmed. "Miyuki!"
"I am going to tell you everything, Shisui, because you need to know what you are going to do, what is going to happen, and what I am going to do. I cannot lose a friend, I am too selfish. Were I stronger, I would not interfere at all…but I am not…therefore I must…Shisui…everything hurts…" It had been some time since I had cracked under the weight of knowledge, however even as I did so Shisui was there for me. Without a word he had pulled me into his arms and allowed me to sob and weep into him. For once, I was glad that I was now smaller than other men, because it felt so gratifying to be nestled within the fortress of their arms, guarded and protected like treasure.
Shisui never spoke a single word as I wept, merely continued to hold me until I was calmer and even dried away my tears for me, encouraging a small smile. "I'm sorry, but I've been holding it all in for so long…"
"I understand. Please, tell me everything that I need to know. You have my word, I shall speak of this to no one under any circumstances." Knowing that I could trust Shisui implicitly, I began to tell him of what was going to happen to the clan, how everyone was destined to be killed in order to prevent the insurgency, and that Itachi was going to bear the blame for it. I told him of Danzo and his plotting, how Shisui will lose one eye to that infernal monster and then sacrifice himself in order to prompt Itachi to awaken his Mangekyo Sharingan. I told him everything.
It felt almost euphoric to share everything that I had ever seen with Shisui, even going so far as to tell him that I had lived through this life once before within my own Tsykuyomi, which was why I knew what to expect as not only had I asked Itachi exactly what had happened, but I had seen it within my own visions also. I had become so adept at manipulating what I wanted to see and view it as it will happen, that I could look so far into the future that I could envision the thousands of different paths in which this lifetime may lead.
"You…you have known all this time…and carried this burden alone?" Suddenly Shisui was embracing me again, this time curling a hand over my hair. "Well you do not have to shoulder this burden alone anymore, Miyuki. I'm here, and I will do all in my power to help you guide the future down its rightful path, saving as many people as we can along the way."
"I am glad. You do not know just how exhausting it all is. I feel as if I can sleep a thousand years and never wake." Taking a deep breath to calm myself, I gestured to our surroundings once Shisui had let go. "This is where your final moments will be given with Itachi, however I have already formulated a plan to prevent your fatality, merely trick Itachi into believing that you are dead. For everything to work flawlessly, you must follow my instructions without deviation." Agreeing immediately, I explained in full detail what Danzo intended to do and how Shisui must react.
I then gave him chance rates and possibilities, such as the fact that there was a seventy six percent chance that he would be injured before he could summon his Susano'o unless he responded within the zero point zero three second time frame I had given him. His eyes were of high value to Danzo due to the Kotoamastukami, but I was determined to keep him from ever taking hold of one. Instead, I was going to place a partial genjutsu secretly over Danzo and the ANBU he would bring with him, where reality would be mixed with illusion. The fight would be real, but parts of it would be an illusion cast by myself. We would need to find a means to provide Danzo with a false eye, and there was still the issue with giving Itachi one of Shisui's eyes. Ordinarily, Itachi would use it on himself after the Reincarnation Jutsu cast by Kabuto, but since I had no intention of allowing Itachi to die this time, the use of Shisui's eye was not necessary.
"Are…are you willing to do this? You will lose everything if we fail, and more so, we could jeopardise the future. Much will be left solely to chance, and many things could yet go wrong…"
"Miyuki." Taking hold of my face, Shisui forced me to look up into his confident gaze as I almost lost myself to despair and hopelessness, keeping me grounded firmly in reality with him. "We will succeed. Of that I have no doubt. Trust in yourself, and trust in me. Together we shall save our clan, as well as Konoha."
"I…I…" Stumbling over my own words, I had to force myself to think coherently before I could give any sensible answer. "Yes. Our success is inevitable." Making a vow to one another that we would continue the other's work should one of us perish, I felt almost weightless as we returned home together, lighter than air and even a little hopeful for the future. As I had said, Shisui was a friend I could truly depend on.
