The note in his hand crinkles as Shisui's eyes stare at the damning words before him.
He blinks. It's still there.
I know about the coup d'état.
Over and over, Shisui reads it. His brain feels fuzzy, like it's protecting him from really taking in the word's meaning. Logically, Shisui knows what each word describes and what it is meant to convey. Contextually? It could mean a lot of things. Maybe she's talking about a plot twist in a book she's reading, maybe she doesn't literally know what a coup is, maybe she's talking about some other clan in Konoha that's—
Fuck.
Who the fuck is he trying to convince? Himself? Because he's not buying it.
Saki, the civilian baker, knows about the Uchiha's mutterings about overthrowing the Hokage. In turn, she could murder them. Not just murder, however, but disgrace the clan and kill trust in the very structure of Konoha itself. The Hokage might as well commit suicide for all the influence he would have left to wield when the other clans turn their backs to him out of fear. With the collapse of the Uchiha comes the collapse of the Hokage, which comes with the smell of blood in the international waters.
War.
Shisui shivers as his blood runs cold.
Tearing his eyes away from the paper, he carefully lights it on fire with his chakra, destroying the evidence. It would just be his luck if someone else stumbled upon it, and he will take no chances.
Without anything else to do, Shisui methodically walks back to the Uchiha compound, his mind reeling as he steps on the grassy earth. The rolling hills, the shifting trees — what once looked so beautiful to him now mocks his naivete. Going back to confront Saki wouldn't be wise, no, he needs to just calm down and think through things first before he does something impulsive.
His hand twitches towards his kunai holster. Shisui scowls to himself, suddenly retching his hand away from the fabric. All that violence taught him was how much more complicated the world could be, he sternly reminds himself. He will deal with it later when he's more composed.
Shisui's shoulders don't relax as he spots the strong walls surrounding the Uchiha compound. Even here, a complex mix of emotions threatens to rise up from him at the sight of his clansmen's homes, but he forces those thoughts aside, methodically unclenching his shoulders and relaxing his face into a serene expression. Despite Shisui's outwardly brash personality, he was still a shinobi; a shinobi with expectations and worries far superseding any sort of carefree attitude he put forth into the world. Any sign of weakness he didn't want people to see was a sign of failure, and failure meant exploitation, and exploitation meant death.
Bile rises in his mouth as he meanders through the road, giving small waves to Uchihas parading through the street and nodding at apprentices walking back to their homes, noting with frustration the shrinking number of outsiders.
Shisui shakes his head as he firmly reminds himself he can't fix everything. One giant step at a time.
"Hello, Shisui-kun!" Says a familiar voice. Shisui turns his head, spotting his neighbor with a small wave and smile.
"Hello, Isamu-san. Any news?"
"Ah, everything is great, Shisui-kun. It looks like your father even went out into the garden today!"
Shisui's smile becomes more genuine at the news and the small, ever-existent anxiety in his stomach slightly unties. "That's good, thank you for telling me," Even if you are too nosy, Shisui privately thinks.
Isamu places an absent-minded hand to his face, pushing back against the simple glasses framing his brown eyes. "Your mother is home too, Shisui-kun. I just saw her a minute ago come in." He conspiratorially winks at Shisui. "Homare-san was in a bit of a firecracker mood."
Shisui hms in acknowledgment, already preparing himself for whatever may be facing him as he heads up the porch. "Okay, have a nice day, Isamu-san. Say hi to your kid for me."
"Will do! You know, you and Akihito should hang out more sometime—" He answers, but Shisui is already up the steps, taking off his shoes and slowly sliding the shoji open with a cautious hand.
"I'm home," Shisui half-mumbles out, unexpectantly hoping that no one answers.
"I'm in the living room!" Yells back a deep, feminine voice. Shisui, sighing to himself, makes his dutiful way towards the noise, unclasping his grandfather's tanto from his back.
His mother is doing laundry on the couch, methodically placing and organizing each set of clothes on the wooden table next to her. She doesn't look up at him, but he's instinctively aware that she is categorizing every move he makes. Even without the headband, there was no doubt that anyone who saw her knew that she was a kunoichi.
"So, what were you up to today?" His mom innocently asks. Shisui pauses his walk down the hall at her unusual tone of voice.
"Out training," Shisui slowly says, dreading something he cannot name.
Homare continues her chore as she refuses to look at him, and his worst fears are confirmed as she gives him the side-eye from her place in the living room.
"So," She begins. "You were out training with Itachi-kun?"
Shisui feels sweat start to form on the back of his neck. "Yes, Kaa-san."
"So you were only out training with Itachi-kun? You didn't get hungry?" She continues to needle.
Shisui suddenly remembers the donut he had dropped in shock, as well as the white particles of sugar most likely stuck to his black shorts. "Nope. Definitely not."
Homare hums, and Shisui knows he is fucked. "I don't know who taught you how to lie like that, but they should be fired as a ninja."
Shisui sighs, relaxing his shoulders. "I don't want to talk about it, Kaa-san," He says, weary beyond words. Most of it must have leaked out, because his mom finally looks at him, her brows furrowed in concern.
"Fine, you don't have to tell me anything. However, there are some things you must know as you get older that I'm sure your senseis have glossed over—"
Shisui can feel his eyes widen as he realizes what is actually happening.
"And I don't want you to end up like Izumi-chan's mother. So, while you are free to canoodle bakery girls—"
Shisui places his face in his hands. Oh gods. Oh fuck. How is this his life?
"I don't want to deal with any non-Uchiha marriages or preg—"
"I'm not interested in her!" Shisui blurts out, desperate to stop anything else that may come out of his mother's mouth.
Homare pauses before crossing her hands along her chest. "Really?" She asks, a hint of sarcasm and genuine curiosity in her voice.
"Really," Shisui tiredly agrees, "I just had— have a crush. I won't act on it. I promise."
There is a pause in the room as his mother stares him down, the atmosphere laced with tension as she grapples on whether to believe him.
"Oh, thank fuck," His mother suddenly sighs out, throwing something at him as she dashes out of the room, grabbing the laundry with her. Shisui, bewildered, reflexively catches it.
It's a condom.
Shisui stares at it for a moment, eyes unseeing.
He chuckles once, twice, and then he laughs, and he doesn't stop laughing even as tears fall off his face and his laughter turns into sobs, the hand not clutching the foil gripping the couch tight enough to leave his fingers a stark red and white.
It's not funny.
Shisui holds his breath as he opens the door slowly, careful not to make too much noise. His chakra flickers around, checking the darkened corners for any unwanted visitors, but he senses nothing except for one small flame of chakra. Cautiously, he relaxes, letting his presence be known.
"I'm sorry, we're still setting—"
Saki turns towards him. She says nothing as she pauses, only looking at him with surprised and wary eyes as the blue light of pre-dawn filters through the main window.
For a moment, Shisui feels a deep sense of regret for ever walking in this place.
"I'm here to talk," He determinedly states. Her shoulders relax as she processes the words, but her gaze does not falter at the sight of his sharingan. Shisui decides to deactivate it after doing another sweep of the room, not willing to escalate the situation with his eyes' intimidation.
As if unwilling to frighten a spooked animal, Saki unhurriedly places the broom she was holding on the counter, turning her back to him.
"Let's talk," She agrees, leading the way into the backdoor of the bakery. Shisui follows her, but keeps his guard up even as she walks up a narrow flight of wooden stairs to what, presumably, is her apartment.
It smells like bread, is the first thing Shisui thinks as he enters. The second was how incredibly small it was; the only place for guests to sit were pillows thrown around a circular, varnished table characteristic of every new apartment in Konoha.
Saki walks over to her open kitchen and pulls out an undecorated teapot. "Sit, Shisui-kun. I'll have the tea ready in a moment. Would you like matcha or sencha?" She serenely asks.
"Matcha," Shisui uncomfortably answers. She nods, pulling out a drawer near her and taking out the herbs.
Shisui keeps a watchful eye on her as he sits down in a seiza, hand near his holster. Three excruciating minutes are spent apart as Saki calmly waits for the water to boil, her back facing him. Eventually, the pot rings, shrill and loud, and Saki immediately pulls out two traditional cups from a cupboard and pours the tea inside. Slowly, careful not to lose her balance, she walks towards him with the cups in her hands and sets them down on the table. Saki mirrors him as she sits down in a seiza, not touching her tea. Shisui does the same.
He looks at her, saying nothing as his mind filters through all of his sparse information on Saki. In truth, the second he received the note his first instinct was to physically remove her as a threat. However, as she calmly sits in front of him, her eyes peering into his own, he knows that would have been the wrong choice. A woman like her would have had countermeasures put in place far before she decided to contact him.
Saki slowly tucks a spare hair back over her ear — the only tell of whatever nervousness she has. Even then, it could have been calculated. Shisui doesn't know anything substantial about this civilian, and that scares him most of all. He has no known motives, no cover, no backup, and he's in an enclosed space with only one exit.
All in all, just another joyful day as Shisui Uchiha in Konoha.
Shisui says nothing as they sit in silence, each waiting for the other to break.
"Were you seen?" She suddenly asks.
Shisui resists the urge to snort. "No. But we are in an unsecured room with an easily accessible door, and there are neighbors above us, one of which is a registered genin," He sarcastically answers. Tucking her hair may be her tell, but verbal bites were his.
Saki politely sips from the tea she had laid out. "Do you have another place for us to speak?" She matter-of-factly asks.
Shisui thinks for a second, not daring to pick up the cup in front of him. Even though she wouldn't go to this length just to poison him, it was the shinobi principal of the matter. "Based on past behavior, most people would assume that we are involved in a relationship. There wouldn't be any raised eyebrows at our meeting here, and we both have a good reputation within Konoha. Anything more secure would cause suspicion," He tries to convince himself.
"So it's an adequate arrangement," She states.
"I wouldn't take it that far," Shisui tries to joke, noting the flat, minimalist arraignment of the room. There were no pictures, no art, nothing to suggest a person with hobbies lived in this room. Behind him was a plain bed, and towards him was the kitchen with a wooden table dividing them.
It was, and Shisui thinks this with no small amount of disquieted awe, more depressing than Kakashi Hatake's room. At least Shisui knows the Hatake has a wilting plant and books piled on his nightstand.
She gently smiles at his comment, as if in on the joke. Involuntarily, Shisui's heart begins to beat a touch louder.
Shisui immediately clears his throat. "Your note," He sternly reminds her. The smile on her face falls, exaggerating the bags of blue and purple under her eyes as she carefully places her mug down.
"I have dreams," She says. There's a small pause as mentally corrects herself. "Visions, I mean. Scenes of things that are more likely to happen than not, or have already happened. It's why I gave you the note."
Shisui doesn't like the vagueness of those words, and he leans forward, psychologically pressing her in. "Please elaborate, Saki."
The lip of her mouth twitches, and he curses at himself. Looks like his interrogation skills were rusty. And non-existent, a voice suspiciously like Genma's whispers in his mind.
"Looks like Saki-chan is gone, huh?" She bitterly answers. "I don't expect you to believe me so quickly. I'm not stupid," She affirms; more to herself than to Shisui. "I saw what would happen to the Uchiha because of the coup. It doesn't succeed, of course, but you probably already knew that," Saki blithely comments.
"Why tell me all this? What do you gain from it?" He carefully asks.
Her brows furrow even more, her lips turning downwards in something resembling frustration. "Because you're the catalyst. When you fall, everything falls. I need your help to stop it."
"Stop what?" He demands, his blood boiling by the second. He doesn't consider himself a temperamental man, but then again, no one has seriously threatened his clan's existence.
Saki takes in a deep breath, her bloodshot eyes looking haunted.
"Your death."
Shisui blinks. "My death?"
She sharply nods. "Your death starts everything. The killings, ROOT, Orochimaru, the end of the war— it's everything."
Shisui is so stunned he doesn't even know how to react. One reason was that she knew about ROOT, which a total of two people outside of it knew, and the other reason was how insane those statements were. Shisui Uchiha, a catalyst for wars and sannin? A nobody kid from a clan of ill repute with a sick father and no wealthy connections? He clawed his way to where he was, and that's where he's been stuck and will stay stuck for the rest of his life — as a tool that follows orders.
"You're right, I don't believe you," Shisui coolly answers. "Your reasons are vague and your story is poorly written," He stands up. "Goodbye, Saki-san—"
She practically vaults over the low table, clenching her hands around the fabric of his pants. "No, please stay until I finish! You— I—" Saki pauses as Shisui watches her eyes shift around, mentally digging for something to convince him. "The mangekyou!"
Shisui stops. For a moment, the only sound in the room is Saki's heavy breathing.
"I know you have to see the person you care about most in the world die to get it," She says, continuing on with the damning phrase. "The tablet under the seventh tatami on the right side of the Nakano shrine specifies that you need to kill them for it, but you only need to watch them die. It was modified," She hesitantly turns her face up to him, staring him right in the eyes. "That's what happened to you, didn't it? You saw someone die."
Shisui is still silent.
"It's what my visions told me!" She blurts out. Saki's composed façade is now shattered, leaving her as the figure Shisui has experienced more often on his sparse trips to the bakery. "I can't prove them to you, but I can prove what they showed me! I'm right, aren't I? Only a person with a natural sharingan can read the tablet, and only Uchiha know where it is located. Do you trust me enough to listen, now?" She loudly asks, her breath heavy against his leg.
He slowly sits back down. Saki detangles her hands from his pants, but her eyes are still wild and filled with desperation, her every move betraying hesitation. It seems even she was disconcerted at her outburst.
"Do you have anything to give me, or are you just in the habit of spouting clan secrets?" He carefully asks, his eyes tracking her movements. Shisui dearly wants to activate his sharingan, but it wouldn't be wise to escalate the situation more than he needs to.
She ignores his comment, continuing on as usual. "Next year, Danzo Shimura will ambush you and take your eye after you reveal the kotoamatsukami to the Konoha council—" Shisui can't help it at this point, he jerks in place at his jutsu's name, warring within himself about whether to kill her on the spot. He's certain he's killed for less.
She reflexively pulls back too, and for the first time since he's seen this audacious woman, there is fear in her eyes.
"If you hurt me, I'll just tell you false information," She says to him, the words seemingly blurted out without much thought. Still, she stands by it, sitting up straight and upright.
Shisui softly snorts. "Was that your version of a threat?" He needles.
"When your future is worse than anything I could lie about, then yes, it is," She coolly answers. Shisui narrows his eyes.
"I don't think I like you very much at all, Saki," Shisui comments for no reason other than to state something to himself.
"I don't need you to like me," Saki determinedly says, "I just need you to stay alive. That's all I want from you."
Shisui runs his hand through his unruly hair, suddenly feeling very, very tired.
"Looks like we got our work cut out for us, then."
She gives him a baleful glance, not amused with his gallows humour. "If you'd let me finish; Danzo will ambush and poison you after stealing your left eye. He can break your genjutsu's grip because of an implanted one hidden behind his bandages." She takes a moment to let him sort through what she's saying, but Shisui is very much past the point of allowing himself to be shocked. He nods at her, and Saki continues. "Itachi will find you as the poison takes hold. You will stand above the Naka cliffs, give him your other eye to use on the Uchiha, and drown yourself in the river, activating Itachi's mangekyou." She takes another pause then, but Shisui doesn't feel like it's only for his own sake. The air is thick with tension, each breath that they take filled with self-control and the potential for outbursts.
Saki's eyebrows furrow as Shisui notices the calculations processing within her brain. Through all of this, Shisui has not noticed one clue about a potential shinobi heritage, and that almost frustrates him most of all. That a civilian, a civilian with no tangential chakra in fact, could cause so much chaos in his life and have privy to all of these unwanted secrets. It felt… undeserving.
"After your suicide," She carefully starts, "Itachi will be visited by Danzo, who will give him an offer. That offer will be to save Konoha at the price of the Uchiha—"
"No," Shisui immediately snaps out as he realizes what she's about to say. "Itachi wouldn't do that. He would never do that. Sasuke—"
"That's the reason why he does it," Saki says, staring at him with eyes that strip the very bones off of Shisui. "Itachi is thirteen years old, he's just lost his best friend, his family is going to be murdered by Konoha, he's been told only his brother can be spared, and he believes he's alone in his mission to preserve both groups. What do you think you would do?"
Shisui is angry at her words, more angry than maybe he's been in his entire life. Not angry at her, per se, but angry at the world. Because that could happen. Because everything she's saying makes sense in the worst possible way, and Shisui has nowhere to direct that injustice but inward.
The table in his hand creaks as he presses against it with too much force. Saki looks at the direction of the noise, but says nothing as the wood warps.
"The Hokage would never have allowed that," Shisui desperately whispers.
Saki grimaces, pulling her face into an unattractive frown. "There are more players at work than the Hokage. The village, for example, resents the Uchiha for their lawful power as police workers which is tied into rumors surrounding their involvement with the Kyuubi. The Uchiha resent their falling social status as their numbers dwindle on the shinobi field. They feel as if they can only restore power through force. Other clans won't touch them to secure their own reputation, and reaching out to clans outside of the Uchiha would show weakness. Resentment over their weakness leads to them taking it out on civilians. It's a vicious cycle, and Danzo is smart enough to take advantage of it," She sighs, raking a hand through her hair. "The Uchiha may not have started this, but they're not blameless. The best move would be to take clan membership out of policement, but that would just—"
"Force them to act because of their one source of political power being taken away," Shisui tiredly finishes. "That's why the kotoamatsukami—"
"Would not work," Saki forcefully interrupts, "You can only place it on one person, and Fugaku-sama is not the person who started talks of a coup."
Shisui leans forward. "He's the leader of the clan! Even if he wasn't the first one, it would significantly cut down the time frame for when the coup would start. That would give us more time to plan and cut out a deal with the Hokage."
Saki gives him a look of pity, and Shisui hates her for it. "What plan, Shisui-kun?"
Shisui struggles for a moment, warring within himself about how suddenly childish the answer 'The Hokage would make a better plan!' would be.
"What do you suggest I do? Kill everyone?" He angrily whispers instead, darting his eyes to the window placed above her bed.
Saki leans in. "I have a one-way entry to a basement under the bakery. It's soundproof and off the blueprints."
Shisui grimaces. "I don't like where this is going."
Saki gives him a sympathetic look. "You won't, but it's the best bet we have. Listen to me," She commands. Shisui instinctively shifts closer. "You have to stop him."
Shisui opens his mouth to correct her, but she holds up a hand. "I asked you to listen, so please listen."
Shisui shuts his mouth, eyes wary.
Saki takes in a deep inhale. "You have to kill Danzo, or you have to stop Itachi. Everything that occurs follows them and their decisions."
Saki looks out the window, but the expression of pity does not fall from her face, merely overlayed by tiredness. She hasn't touched her tea since that first sip. Shisui contemplatively peers down into his own cup of liquid below, as if trying to figure out his future in its gaze.
"Shisui."
He looks up.
"Are you willing to save your clan by letting some die?"
"Speak plainly, Saki-san," Shisui tiredly asks.
She subtly swallows, refusing to look at him. "You may need to let Danzo think you're dead," She looks at him, something unknown floating within her gaze. "If it's not too late, if he hasn't made up his mind already, you and Itachi can collaborate together on assassinating the councilmember. Maybe even the others, if necessary," She shakes her head to herself. "Itachi would trust you more than he trusts me about all of this."
Shisui and Saki are both silent, letting the warmth of summer rays become swallowed up in the stifling room.
"Are you done speaking?" Shisui quietly asks. Saki slowly nods.
Shisui suddenly pushes himself off of the table, looming above her. "Fuck you," He hisses out. "Fuck you and your insane, contrived plan. You're only repeating the exact things the most power-hungry of my clan says. You don't know anything about family, or clans, or shinobi! You've never lost anything, you've never loved anything, and you certainly don't understand the full weight of what you're saying! This is treason! You're just a stupid civilian with nobody in your life that you care for—"
"I had a wife!" Saki yells out, standing up to his height.
Shisui pauses his tirade, staring at her in shock. Saki is breathing heavily, vengeful anger and hurt splayed clear across her face.
"I had a wife and children and a good job and a good life and now I'm here —" She points to him. "With your ungrateful fucking ass in a shitty apartment as a twenty-year-old woman in a fucked up world where fucked up teenagers get to boss me around! Maybe I don't have every fucking detail down for this, but don't tell me I never had to sacrifice anything, don't you even fucking dare!" She says, bearing out her soul and voice to him. "I didn't want to be here! I didn't want to die! But tough fucking luck!" She's digging her finger into his sternum now, but he simply looks at her, unmoving. "You just want to run away from your problems and you think this fixes everything because you're just a messed up teenager in this messed up world!" She's breathing more deeply now, but it's deeper; quieter, almost. "For some reason, I can help you right now, even if it's only in a small way. Please," Saki gently grabs Shisui's shoulder. "Let me help you. Let me help your family."
"They could be killed," Shisui restates, the words like ash in his mouth.
Saki's face falls, and for the first time, Shisui notices tears springing up in the corner of her eyes. "We can only do what we can with the tools we are given. I don't know how to do more. I'm sorry."
Shisui gently takes the hand pressed to his chest and holds it, feeling the warmth and sweat seep onto his skin.
"Okay," He breathes out. Fear pushes into his body, overtaking his body and soul, but he pushes out the words. "Okay, Saki-san. Tell me the rest of your plan."
Saki takes in a deep breath. "Call me Saki-chan. Here's what we can do…"