Power can corrupt
Yuma or rather Shisui stared at the grave in front of him. In the stone were there several names imprinted. His name, his Otosan's name Ren, his Okasan's name Natsuki and his Ojiisan's name Kagami. If only Fugaku knew that both he and Kagami were alive after all… Maybe his Ojiisan might have changed the outcome of this clan. Maybe he would have told the clan that a coup was the worst possible idea for the clan and the village. His Ojiisan had been respected in the clan as one of the strongest Uchiha without ever achieving the Mangekyou Sharingan. His genjutsu, Konoha no Kaze, had been famous even outside of the border of the Land of Fire.
Shisui shook his head. He shouldn't linger here any longer. Someone might find him and question him what he was doing in the destroyed Uchiha compound. Besides, he was getting hungry and the sun was going to rise soon enough. So-
He stopped right before he wanted to turn. A familiar headache started… This could only mean one thing… Shisui smiled slightly. It meant that he was about to remember something from his past, he had forgotten. He grabbed his head with a hand and leaned against a destroyed pillar for support. He had learned the hard way that some memories were painful.
He threw several kunais at targets. While they flew he performed several hand seals activating a simple genjutsu. The kunais doubled and pierced the center of every visible target including those which had his father created. His father wanted to test him if he could tell real targets from illusionary targets apart. This was the first lesson… Shisui was only four years old. Still, he enjoyed the time he spent with his father. He was often gone because of the ongoing Third Shinobi World War.
His father petted his head and ruffled his hair laughing at the success. Shisui grinned from ear to ear. He had managed to decipher real targets with only reading chakra. Something a four-year-old couldn't accomplish. He took pride in it. He felt so powerful. Soon he could also go on missions and help the clan.
"Shisui." Otosan said seriously and knelt in front of him.
The young boy tilted his head in confusion. Why wasn't his father impressed with him? He sounded more like he was angry at him. Something Shisui didn't like. He always tried to not cause any problems. So why now was his father so serious then he had accomplished something.
"What I'm going to tell you now… Keep it in your mind until your last breath." he began putting a hand on his shoulder. "Power can corrupt."
"Power… can corrupt?" Shisui repeated.
"Yes… The stronger someone is, the more arrogant the one usually becomes. It happens constantly within our clan. Our clan seeks out power with a price. We kill the ones we love just to gain more power. We start to hate others just to become stronger… and this is reflected in our Kekkei Genkai… the Sharingan. No matter how good you are, don't be jealous about someone who is more powerful. It's only natural."
"But… Everyone in the clan said-"
"Shisui!" Otosan interrupted him. "Don't believe everything the clan tells you. Some of them are foolish. Even the current clan head is foolish. The elders are foolish."
"But… they are family."
"It's hard… But just remember this one thing… Power can corrupt, Shisui. Repeat it." Otosan insisted.
"Power can corrupt, Shisui. Repeat it." he joked grinning.
His father laughed and again ruffled his hair. Shisui's grin widened until it practically reached from one ear to another. But he understood the words of his father.
Shisui took a deep breath. He repeated the most important words he had learned from his father.
"Power can corrupt." he murmured to himself.
Not only within the clan… But also, outside the clan, power could corrupt others. It happened with Shimura Danzo. It happened with Pain. It happened with the guy from Kirigakure and the Byakugan. He could count several more shinobi who were corrupted by power. And each one of them died at their peak of power. He should be more careful in the future.
His stomach growled in protest. Shisui looked down at it and smiled slightly. Well, he should finally eat something. This trip to his memories caused him some time as he could see and feel the sun rising. Taking another deep breath, Shisui headed off to a local bar.
He wanted to eat some miso soup. It was the perfect dish to eat in the morning… Besides, miso soup was his Otosan's favorite meal. Tofu with wakame alga in hot water enriched with miso… It sounded always so tasty and was the perfect meal to start a day!
Shisui grinned at intervened his hands behind his head walking to his favorite bar. He was practically a regular customer as he ate there every time he returned from a mission. The women were nice there as well as they greeted him always with smiles on their faces. Not only that but some of the women even flirted with him often wanting to know about his adventures as a shinobi.
He eventually entered the shop grinning as one of the women spotted him. It was his favorite one actually. He waved at her causing her to blush a crimson color. But she returned his smile and walked towards him.
"Hello, Kaori-chan." he greeted her friendly. "The usual, please."
"Okay, Yuma-kun." the girl who was around 22 years old acknowledged the order and hurried to the kitchen.
Meanwhile Shisui sat down on his favorite spot and gazed out of the window while he began thinking. Kaori-chan was always a little slower but he didn't care. She was a nice woman whom he had a crush on. Back then he was younger, he had met her before. He was about to confess his feelings to her then… Whatever happened it prevented him from doing it. He guessed it was the planned coup of his clan. He assumed that he was busy trying to prevent it. And then… well… He was declared dead.
Shisui was ripped from his thoughts then Kaori-chan returned with a miso soup and a cup of green tea. He smiled gazing at his meal. He took the spoon and dug it into his meal. The spoon filled with the soup, a piece of tofu and alga. He brought the first "bite" to his mouth and inserted it. The familiar taste of miso soup filled onto his tongue causing him to smile and close his eyes. While chewing, he complemented his words of his Otosan again.
Power can corrupt.
How true those words were. These words also showed that his Otosan had also the same mindset as he and his Ojiisan. Well, before he lost one of his legs and had gone crazy. His Otosan had loved to visit restaurants. Being forced to stay in bed due to an infection… For his Otosan it meant practically the end of the world. In the end, he didn't even recognize his own son anymore and started yelling and attacking him confusing him with an enemy shinobi. He succumbed to the infection eventually.
Shisui hadn't noticed that he stopped eating then Kaori-chan walked towards him having tilted her head in confusion. The Konoha shinobi looked down at his soup which had cooled down significantly. Cold miso soup didn't taste to well… But he didn't want to waste food… So he dug his spoon into it again and continued eating.
"You're oddly quiet today, Yuma-kun." Kaori-chan said.
"Just a lot on my mind lately." he replied.
"How about you tell me?" she offered sitting across from him.
A small and rather cute smile plastered her face causing Shisui to return the facial expression. Well, he could tell her about his father… Besides, Kaori-chan was going to inherit this bar eventually (unless she decided to do something else). So, giving her an advice might also help.
"I was just thinking of my late Otosan." Shisui said.
"Oh. I remember that your father had passed away then you were 14." she remembered sounding sad.
"I was 12. But yeah… Shortly before he passed away, he didn't even recognize me anymore. But… I will always remember his words of wisdom."
"And those were?" she asked.
"Power can corrupt."
"Huh… What weird words…"
"These words weren't weird. People in high position or with great power tend to get arrogant and forget what truly is important… In other words their friendship with others or their loved ones. I've seen many shinobi getting arrogant and thus they lost their lives."
"That's horrible." Kaori-chan exclaimed shocked.
Shisui only nodded his head in agreement. He put the spoon down next to the bowl. The occurring silence was crushing. From the corner of his right eye he saw Kaori-chan fidgeting with her sleeve. This situation was also for her really uncomfortable. He couldn't blame her though.
"Hey, Kaori-chan. You won't fall into the same traps of power like… some shinobis. You're way too kind." he tried calming her down.
"R-really?" she squeaked.
"Yes. If you weren't then I wouldn't ask you now to have dinner with me and Ojiisan." he replied closing one eye and giving her the best smile, he could muster.
"That's nice of you. But, I have to decline. My fiancée doesn't take it to lightly then I go out with other men." she declined.
He stopped listening then she said fiancée. Of course… A woman like her was already taken. He couldn't blame her… She was kind and beautiful… No wonder someone other had fallen in love with her. For Shisui it was a sad thing but he was also somewhat happy. It meant that he wasn't forced to indulge her into some of the secrets. More specifically, that they were friends then they were younger. But he should congratulate her.
"Congratulation on your engagement, Kaori-chan." Shisui said, although he couldn't hide his disappointment.
He put some ryo onto the table and stood up. He forced a smile on his face before he left the bar. Of course… Since then did he have luck in his life. He felt like he had expired all of his luck with just being alive. Why should he be happy?
Shisui decided that he was happy enough. Why should he have a girlfriend anyway? He had his Ojiisan and Kai… And probably tons of other surviving Uchihas who survived the massacre. He would find someone else. If not, he didn't need a girlfriend to be happy. Not at all…
Power can corrupt.
"But love can also corrupt…" he muttered under his breath deciding to head home.
Tears bricked at the corner of his eyes. He rubbed over them with the back of his hand. There was no point of crying over spilled tea.