7
After that, Akari continued coming in second in the academy. She effectively pushed herself further away from Sasuke so she could more easily slip off to train and talk with Shisui and Itachi. She learned that not only has Itachi been listening to his superior but Shisui has turned to Danzo as well. Akari broke her norm and lectured both boys about trusting him and reminding them to never get within arm's reach of him. She had explained her reasoning being Danzo is military based so all of his decisions will revolve around that, no matter who is harmed in the process. Both boys tried to appeal to her reasoning saying that Danzo will only do what he feels is right for the village and the ninja world. She countered, while that may be true, he could do unthinkable tasks by basing his reasoning that way to reach that very end. Akari had even implored them that they should trust the third if they still wish to save the clan without bloodshed. By the end of the argument, neither boy could argue with her from knowing firsthand the kind of things Danzo is capable of.
The hottest part of the summer hit the village like a smoldering heavy heat. Pushing Akari to switch jumpers so she was wearing the one that was more of a tank top instead of a short-sleeved shirt. None of the three were making any headway with the clan and it was beginning to look as if their contingency plan would be the only option left. Finally, after having had a hot and unbearable day in the academy, Akari was released for the day. Dashing quickly out of the room to avoid Sasuke she made her usual way through the village as if she was going to the library ever before moving to the rooftops towards their training grounds. However, as she landed, Shisui wasn't there like he should have been. This leads her to search for him, knowing he didn't have a mission and they were supposed to meet.
"Akari, what are you doing here?" Shisui asks as she lands next to him on the branch. "You weren't at the river." She stated simply as he looks down at her. "I see, I'm sorry." He utters quietly drawing her eyes up to him. From the sight of him, Akari sighs and hangs her head a bit. "What are you doing?" Her tone lowers so she is speaking more quietly. "I have to. If I do this, it will save the clan and protect Itachi and his family." He speaks just as quietly and his voice is filled with conviction. Akari nods as she raises her gaze to see the entryway of the compound. "If you are certain. This may be the only option we have left." She then glances to him from the corner of her eyes. "But Itachi will be really upset." She points out causing him to sigh as he looks back towards the compound. "I know, I know." He frowns watching the figures of his clansmen.
"Shi." Akari utters just before she and Shisui leap away from the branch as a kunai sticks where they had been standing. Akari's gaze flits over those attacking them as she turns in mid-leap. "Anbu." She calls up to Shisui who had taken a higher branch than she had. "Got it!" He hollers back as he turns pulling a kunai, successfully blocking the attack of a white-masked ninja wearing a pale cream cloak. The attacker leaps back away from Shisui as Akari throws a chakra-laced kunai at him. Nearly automatically she ignites her Sharingan and turns for the others after seeing that she had given Shisui enough time to gather himself.
"Akari! Shadow formation!" Shisui guides her pushing Akari to leap off of the branch just as Shisui steps off his. Running chakra through her eyes the moment they cross each other she catches the anbu who had taken that moment to leap for the jonin. His movements freeze moments before Shi comes up and kicks him away from Akari, preventing him from smacking against her with his initial trajectory.
The moment her feet hit a tree she pushes off from it. Shoving herself through the air toward one of the anbu who were now trying to surround Shisui. "Hiccup!" She calls an off-the-wall word drawing their eyes to her as she smirks. Shisui nearly chuckles as he drops down below their assailants by flipping under the branch he had been on. When he lets go of the branch he is shot toward one of the anbu who had raised a kunai meaning to intercept Akari. The second Shisui kicks both anbu away, Akari and him burst through the trees in the direction of their meeting grounds. Attempting to put distance between them and the anbu so they can regroup.
"Shi. Listen to me. They are herding us to the clearing. Danzo will be waiting for us there." She informs him over the wind drawing his red and black hues to her. "But, Akari. I don't think..." He begins only causing her to shake her head. "He'll be there. Let's break apart, being smaller I can go more unnoticed, and if I am seen they won't perceive me as a threat so long as we act before the ones behind us get there. When he moves to step forward I want you to step back only steady yourself because I will shoot in, bounce off of you, and up to Danzo. If we do it right, he won't have a chance to react." She directs him causing him to frown. "But Akari, he's on par with the Hokage. There's no way you could."
"Just do it, alright?" She snips at him as she glances in his direction. "If I miss at least then you will have had a moment to enact your jutsu. Make him forget what he was doing and we will make our escape. If anything just make him think one of his anbu is you so we are given a few moments." Shisui sighs and looks ahead of him again. "Well, I see the logic in that. Just be careful."
"You too shi." She utters before suddenly dropping to the ground and running toward her left. Knowing she will have to come at them from behind if this stands a chance of working. Pushing her chakra down deep within herself she attempts to steady her breathing. In moments Shisui couldn't help but smirk when he could no longer feel her presence, though his Sharingan could still see a faint glimmer of her proving she had masked her chakra to a point no one but a Sharingan wielder would be able to find her. He couldn't lie to himself any longer. A part of him every time she ran through her plans for their contingency strategy, he had always thought her age would hold her back.
She was more than just a match for him when they are sparring but having never seen actual combat he figured she would more than hesitate. However, she kept her mind focused and met each formation perfectly, even calling one of her own. They may have used his strength for the most part but her speed was more than enough to catch the anbu off guard. Now she had just laid out a battle strategy on the fly. "Akari, when you graduate. You truly will be one of the elite yourself." He chuckles lightly to himself remembering how she had admitted that Itachi and himself are considered the elite so she was striving to be as good as they are in order to better protect them. Leaving it in the air basically unspoken that she sees her skills as nothing more than beginner-level.
Glancing behind him he grunts as he leaps out of the trees. Landing on the ground and sliding backward on the grass he positions himself so he is facing the five anbu as they too leap from the trees. After they land on the ground each one stands before pulling their hoods down to reveal their masks. She was right, they are from the foundation. Shisui thinks as he grips the kunai in his right hand more tightly. That means she is also right about who is behind this. He continues his thought as his eyes narrow on the anbu before him. "Very fast... Well reasoned. Shisui the teleporter." A male's voice comes up from the trees behind the ones who had attacked him. "Danzo." He hisses as a frown pulls at his features. Danzo walks forward officially parting the anbu so he didn't have to walk around them. "All of you, just stay back." He utters with a wave of his left arm, his cane still in his grasp causing the five of them to step back as ordered.
"What's the meaning of this? Why are you getting in my way?!" Shisui snaps remembering how he had gone to the Hokage and the elders earlier this day to tell them what has come of Itachi and his attempts with the clan along with his decision. "Before I answer that. What happened to the child you were with?" Danzo tactfully changes the subject causing Shisui to click his tongue as he bites back a growl thinking of Akari. "I sent her back to the compound where she will be safe!" He yells from his anger and frustration with what is happening. Danzo hums in thought for a moment before clearly accepting Shisui's deception. "Kotoamatsukami... A visual jutsu that creates false experiences. Such an incredible power, but what a waste to use it merely to stop a coup." From accepting Shisui's answer to his question, Danzo moves on to explain the answer to the teenager's."How unfortunate that an Uchiha doesn't know how to use the Sharingan." With Danzo's claim. Shisui's eyes widen as they waver on the man, unable to believe the man would even claim such a thing.
"If you had used your visual jutsu on the clan... as long as the Uchiha exists, it's highly doubtful that another coup can be avoided. And even if your plan worked, it is only for this instance. There is no guarantee that the same thing will not happen again. Actually on the contrary. It probably will happen again. Sooner or later, the Hidden Leaf Village will have to deal with the Uchiha." As he speaks the last part his voice drops, lowering as if proving how severe the situation is to the young Uchiha before him. "If so, by exterminating the Uchiha now... Means the future of the village will be secure, don't you think?" Danzo asks as he opens his left eye now watching for Shisui's reaction to this.
Shisui narrows his eyes on Danzo as he remembers Akari's argument against this very man. "Danzo, you were plotting this all along!" Shisui seethes watching as Danzo raises his head as if he is looking up at the sky when he in fact closes his uncovered eye. "This is for the sake of attaining true peace for the Leaf." Danzo more speaks for himself, as if setting his reasons into stone within him and casting aside all of his lingering doubts. He then lowers his head again as if he is actually looking at the teenager. "Shisui... Do not worry. I will make good use of your eyes." He claims before suddenly stepping forward. Now rushing for Shisui who raises his left hand ready to pull his tanto.
Akari was lurking in the trees behind Shisui. Deciding on a way to slip through their guards even as Shisui begins his battle with Danzo. She couldn't help the frown settling into place on her features remembering Danzo's speech he had given Shisui from thinking there was no need for him to hide anything from the one he was planning to kill. With her Sharingan still active from their previous altercation just outside of the compound, her gaze nearly unwillingly catches each moment of the battle. Taking in the abilities of the ones who were fighting as well as their fluctuating chakras. She has known all along that Danzo is the third strongest in the village as he is practically on par with the Third Hokage himself. Only The third and Fugaku could overshadow him which is why he has been in charge of Root. What was unthinkable to her is the fact that Shisui is pushing Danzo so far. Standing even in strength with the elder. She has known the legendary Uchiha was strong but she had forgotten exactly how strong.
"How persistent you are. You've earned your reputation as the strongest of the Uchiha." Danzo pants as he and Shisui are left nearly doubled over from their exhaustion with sweat clinging to their brows and running down their faces. "I suppose I must force an opportunity upon you." He claims before giving a wave of his left hand. Drawing the five anbu, who had hidden just within the trees in order to avoid the fight, to leap forward and into the battle. In unison, they throw kunai and shuriken at Shisui forcing him to deflect them with his own kunai. In that moment Danzo appears behind him causing him to grunt as he looks over his shoulder. Just as Danzo raises his left hand ready to snatch Shisui's eye, he turns and leaps back. Moving his chakra into his thighs and hands draws Danzo's gaze to them in time to see him cup his hands. Just before a dark blur seemingly appears from having raced past Danzo. Akari turns in mid-leap with her kunai already up and ready. Her feet crash against Shisui's enforced hands pushing them back against his legs. With a shove, he aids her leap and propels her forward, directly at Danzo.
One moment. One single heartbeat is all it took. Danzo's quick reach had managed to push into Shisui's socket and pluck out his eye from having already been in prestrike for it. However, he couldn't evade the blade that was in the young child's hands. His eye caught the smile that curved her lips and the color of her inverted Sharingan that was narrowed upon him. Her blade nearly struck true if he hadn't of been in the process of pulling his hand back from Shisui, his actions having forced Shisui to become unsteady created a discrepancy in her trajectory. Causing her kunai to dig into his throat but miss his artery by half a millimeter. Shisui groans in pain and nearly falls back. He stumbles on his feet he manages to drop to his right knee as he holds his hand over the right side of his face. "Lord Danzo!" the anbu call as they sprint forward. One catches the elder's arm to keep him from hitting the ground, two land between him and the violet-haired girl who had just landed looking as if she was ready to leap in and finish the job. Another comes up at Danzo's other side as the last takes point ready to attack.
Seeing the three anbu preparing to take on Akari even through the haze of immense pain, Shisui pulls a smoke bomb and throws it down at the ground between Akari and their adversaries. The moment the smoke fills the air, Akari turns and grabs his arm. Forcing him to run behind her against the pain racking his body. "I'm sorry, I was the cause for you failing." Shisui grunts as the leap through the trees. "It can't be helped. I miscalculated his speed." She admits with a frown. She then looks behind them. "At least they shouldn't chase us since their master will die if they don't react quickly."
"We can hope." Shisui grunts from the strain it is putting on his body to run like this after having fought Danzo and the pain he is currently going through. "Keep going, and get to the compound. If they are coming at least I can redirect them and keep them busy with my speed." She points out. Not giving Shisui a chance to even argue against her plan she disappears from his side. "Akari!" He calls out as he looks behind him. From his depth perception being affected without his right eye, he ends up stumbling over the next branch causing him to fall forward and down toward the ground. At that moment, arms latch around him successfully catching his fall before he is suddenly set on the forest floor.
Shisui smiles weakly as he looks up at the one who had caught him. "I thought you were leaving on a mission." He admits to Itachi. "Something didn't feel right. So, I came back." Itachi tries to smile down to his friend. "I'm glad you did. Sorry for the trouble." Shisui grunts in pain as he reaches up and touches his right eyelid in reaction. "You aren't any trouble. What happened?" Itachi questions curiously watching his friend. "I'll answer that soon. But first..." He grunts as he uses the tree to force himself to his feet. "We need to move away from here." He suggests and Itachi nods turning as Shisui moves forward slowly leading away from where the fight had taken place. Even with Shisui fighting to stay on his feet, his gaze continually bounces through the trees looking for the one he hopes didn't run into any trouble.