Izuna's day started as usual, with him roaming the familiar streets of Konoha, his cane tapping rhythmically against the ground. As he moved through the village, his senses picked up every whisper, every footstep, every flicker of chakra that passed by him. He had grown accustomed to navigating the village through sound, touch, and the faint shifts in temperature, all while blending in as a harmless, blind man.

Today, however, felt different. He had noticed two familiar presences trailing him for quite some time. It didn't take long for them to approach him directly, moving with a grace and precision that only skilled shinobi possessed.

"Hello, Izuna-san," Itachi's calm voice greeted.

Izuna paused, tilting his head towards the duo. "Well, well, if it isn't the Uchiha Duo," he said with a small, amused smile. "To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?"

"We need to talk," Shisui said, his tone serious, though there was always that hint of friendliness lurking beneath.

Izuna nodded thoughtfully. "Then let's not stand around in the middle of the street. Follow me." With practiced ease, he led them toward the small, run-down apartment that he shared with Naruto. It wasn't much, but it was home, and more importantly, it was private.

Once inside, he motioned for them to take a seat while he shut the door behind them. "Welcome to my humble abode," he said with a hint of sarcasm. "Please, make yourselves comfortable. Itachi, why don't you make some tea?"

Itachi raised an eyebrow, but he didn't question it. He moved towards the small kitchen area, finding the tea set and heating the water with careful, measured movements. Shisui, meanwhile, took a seat across from Izuna, his eyes darting around, taking in the modest surroundings.

"This place is…cozy," Shisui commented.

"An understatement, but yes, cozy," Izuna replied, chuckling. "Naruto's idea, really. Said it felt more like home this way."

As the tea began to boil, Itachi quietly set about preparing it, and before long, the three of them sat around the small table, cups of steaming tea in their hands. There was a moment of silence, the calm before the inevitable storm of questions. Izuna took a sip of his tea, savoring the taste before setting the cup down.

"So," he began, "what's so important that it brought the two most promising members of the Uchiha clan to my doorstep?"

Shisui leaned forward, his eyes narrowing. "We've been watching you, Izuna-san. You're not just a blind wanderer, are you?"

Izuna smirked. "I never claimed to be. You two are quite observant, as expected. But I'm guessing you already knew that before you decided to pay me a visit today."

Itachi placed his cup down gently. "You're training Naruto, aren't you?"

There was a pause, and for a moment, Izuna's playful demeanor faded. "What makes you say that?"

"I've seen how he's progressed," Itachi said calmly. "His chakra control, his sudden improvement in taijutsu—Naruto doesn't have anyone else who could teach him these things. And then there's you, always around, always keeping an eye on him."

Izuna sighed, leaning back in his chair. "You two don't miss much, do you? But yes, I've been training him. Not that it's any of your concern."

Shisui folded his arms. "It becomes our concern when someone so skilled in the shinobi arts suddenly appears out of nowhere and takes an interest in the jinchuuriki of Konoha."

"Don't you think the boy deserves to learn how to protect himself?" Izuna countered, his tone suddenly sharp. "Especially when so many people in this village would rather see him fail?"

Itachi met his gaze calmly, unflinching even under the weight of Izuna's words. "We're not questioning your intentions, Izuna-san. In fact, we believe that your involvement has been beneficial for Naruto. He's… happier, stronger, more focused. But we need to know why you're doing this."

Izuna took a long sip of his tea, contemplating his answer. "Let's just say," he began slowly, "I see something in him. Something that reminds me of myself when I was younger. And I won't let him be consumed by this world without a fighting chance."

Shisui nodded slowly. "Fair enough. But there's something else, isn't there? You're not just any shinobi, are you? We've seen you move, the way you sense your surroundings even without your sight. You're not a man to be taken lightly."

Izuna chuckled. "I'd be offended if you did." He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. "You're right, Shisui. I'm not just some ordinary blind man. But that's all you need to know for now."

There was a silence, and then Itachi spoke again, his tone softer, almost hesitant. "Izuna-san, the night of the Nine-Tails attack… you know something, don't you?"

Izuna's expression darkened, and for a moment, something cold and dangerous flickered in his eyes. "I know who was behind it," he said quietly. "But that's not something I can share with just anyone."

After Izuna remained silent about who was behind the Nine-Tails attack, Shisui leaned forward, his eyes sharpening with determination. "If you're not going to tell us, I can always go to the Hokage," Shisui said, his voice low but carrying a dangerous edge. "I'll let him know that an unknown shinobi has been training our village's Jinchuriki in secret. And we both know how that would turn out, don't we?"

Izuna's expression darkened, his own voice dropping to an almost menacing whisper. "Are you threatening me, Shisui?"

The air in the room grew heavy, and Shisui didn't back down, holding Izuna's gaze. "If that's what it takes to get the truth, then yes," he replied firmly. "You might be hiding in the shadows, but don't think for a second that we can't drag you into the light."

Izuna's fingers tightened around his walking stick, but before he could respond, Itachi quickly intervened, raising his hand to calm the situation. "Let's not make this a confrontation, Shisui. We need information, not enemies."

For a moment, it seemed as if Izuna might respond in kind, the tension in the room at a breaking point. But then, he slowly relaxed, letting out a soft chuckle. "You've got spirit, I'll give you that," he said, tilting his head slightly. "But threats won't work on me. Not today, and not ever."

For a moment, Shisui's eyes hardened, but Itachi stepped in, raising a hand in a gesture of peace. "Let's not escalate this, Shisui," he said, his voice calm yet firm. "Izuna-san, you have to understand. The situation within the Uchiha clan is deteriorating. Tensions are high, and we don't have the luxury of time to play games. We need to know what you know."

Izuna leaned back, a hint of amusement tugging at his lips. "And you think you're entitled to that information just because you demand it?" He shook his head. "Even if I told you who was behind the attack, it wouldn't make a difference."

"We'll be the judge of that," Itachi replied, his eyes narrowing. "Tell us."

Izuna chuckled softly. "You're so eager, Itachi. Fine. I'll humor you. The one responsible for the Nine-Tails attack was none other than a man named… Danzo Shimura."

There was a stunned silence as both Itachi and Shisui exchanged incredulous looks. Shisui was the first to react, shaking his head. "Lord Danzo is the elder of the village. That's impossible."

"See? I told you," Izuna said with a smirk. "You wouldn't believe it, even if I told you the truth."

Itachi listened carefully, his face expressionless but his eyes narrowing as he processed the information. "Why would Danzo go to such lengths?" he asked, skepticism clear in his voice. "To summon the Nine-Tails, risk the entire village, just to frame the Uchiha clan?"

"Danzo always wanted to be Hokage," Izuna began slowly, leaning back in his chair. "When Hiruzen Sarutobi appointed Minato Namikaze as the Fourth Hokage, the power dynamics in the village began to shift. Minato didn't follow the strict teachings of Tobirama Senju, especially when it came to the Uchiha. He wasn't as wary of your clan as Tobirama was. In fact, he sought to integrate and empower the Uchiha more than any Hokage before him."

Itachi nodded, following Izuna's reasoning, while Shisui frowned, still unconvinced.

"Danzo was Tobirama's student," Izuna continued, "and he absorbed Tobirama's distrust and hatred for the Uchiha like a sponge. When Minato became Hokage, Danzo felt his influence slip. And with the Uchiha clan gaining more power under Minato's leadership, it was only a matter of time before Danzo decided to act. The Nine-Tails attack gave him the perfect opportunity."

"But how could Danzo control the Nine-Tails?" Shisui interjected. "We know the fox can be controlled by the Sharingan, but Danzo isn't an Uchiha."

"Ah, but Danzo didn't need to be," Izuna said, a grim smile playing on his lips. "He stole a Sharingan. In fact, he didn't just take any Sharingan—he took one with the Mangekyō Sharingan. It's implanted in his right eye socket, hidden beneath those bandages. That's how he was able to summon and control the Nine-Tails."

Both Itachi and Shisui's eyes widened in disbelief. "You're saying that Danzo used the Mangekyō Sharingan to make it appear as though the Uchiha clan had summoned the Nine-Tails?" Itachi questioned, his voice sharp with realization.

"Exactly," Izuna confirmed. "After that, he manipulated the situation perfectly. He advised the Uchiha clan to stay on the outskirts of the village, to protect the civilians and not engage directly with the Nine-Tails. Then he spread rumors that the Uchiha deliberately avoided the battle, that they let others fight and die while they remained untouched. It was the perfect setup. The village's distrust of the Uchiha grew, and Danzo used that distrust to push your clan further into isolation."

Itachi took a deep breath, trying to process this revelation, while Shisui clenched his fists, anger bubbling beneath the surface. "If this is true, why haven't you told anyone? Why haven't you gone to the Hokage with this information?" Shisui demanded.

Izuna's smile faded. "Because Danzo isn't the type to leave loose ends. And right now, I have other priorities. Besides," he said, glancing towards the academy in the distance where Naruto was still in class, "I know that the truth will come out eventually. The question is, will you two survive to see it?"

Itachi and Shisui exchanged a tense look. It was clear that this revelation was only the beginning of something much larger, and for the first time, they realized that their own clan's fate might be in the hands of forces far more dangerous than they had imagined.

Itachi's brow furrowed as he listened to Izuna's reasoning. "But Danzo, he's been loyal to Konoha for so long. Why would he release the Nine-Tails, something he's fought to protect the village from?" He struggled to reconcile the image of Danzo as a protector with the idea of him orchestrating such destruction.

Izuna nodded, sensing the skepticism in Itachi's voice. "That's the very question that led me to my conclusion," he said. "Danzo always wanted to be Hokage, a position he believed was rightfully his. He lost that chance to Hiruzen Sarutobi, and it's been a thorn in his side ever since. His ambition knows no bounds."

"Are you saying he's willing to destroy the village just to pursue his own ambitions?" Shisui asked, disbelief etched on his face.

"Precisely," Izuna replied, his tone serious. "Danzo wanted to install Orochimaru as the Fourth Hokage. Orochimaru was his subordinate, and Danzo believed that with him in power, he could manipulate Konoha from behind the scenes. But Hiruzen thwarted that plan as well. So, Danzo devised a new approach—the Nine-Tails attack. It was a way to destabilize the village, create chaos, and lay the blame at the feet of the one person he saw as an obstacle: Minato."

Itachi's eyes widened in realization.

"Because the previous Jinchūriki was Kushina Uzumaki, Minato's wife. He planned for the seal to break under Minato's watch."

Izuna continued, leaning forward slightly, "by allowing the Nine-Tails to attack, he could spin the narrative to make it look like a failure on Minato's part to protect the village from his own wife. In the aftermath, he could position himself as a savior, claiming that only he could ensure the village's safety. If Minato survived, Danzo would still have a way to shift public opinion against him, creating a perfect opportunity to push for Orochimaru's return to power."

Shisui shook his head, anger flaring within him. "And he didn't anticipate Hiruzen taking the Hokage position again?"

"Not at all. Danzo is manipulative, but he underestimates the will of the people and their loyalty to Hiruzen. The village saw Hiruzen as their protector, and he proved to be just that. But by that time, Danzo had already set his plans into motion," Izuna explained. "The destruction caused by the Nine-Tails would weaken the villagers' faith in Minato, paving the way for him to regain influence."

Itachi's expression darkened as he realized the depths of Danzo's treachery. "But no one knows the truth behind Orochimaru's experiments. He was exposed, but Danzo's involvement has never mentioned."

"Exactly," Izuna said, his voice low. "Most people believe Orochimaru was acting on his own. In reality, it was Danzo who orchestrated much of it, feeding Orochimaru the ideas and directing his research. He used Orochimaru as a tool for his own ambitions."

The room fell silent, the weight of Izuna's words sinking in. Itachi and Shisui exchanged glances, both grappling with the betrayal that lay hidden in the shadows of their village.

"Do you have proof of this?" Itachi finally asked, a hint of urgency creeping into his voice.

Izuna leaned back, a wry smile on his lips. "Proof? Not yet. But I have my suspicions and enough information to piece things together. We need to be careful how we approach this. Danzo is not someone who takes threats lightly. If he senses that we're onto him, it could put not just the Uchiha clan in danger, but the entire village."

Shisui clenched his fists, determination replacing his earlier disbelief. "Then we need to act. If Danzo is planning something this drastic, we can't let him get away with it. We owe it to the village, and we owe it to our clan."

Izuna nodded, his gaze steady. "Agreed. But we must tread carefully. For now, keep your ears open, and gather whatever information you can. The moment we strike, it has to be decisive."

Author Note:

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