"Itachi, do you have a minute?" Shisui asks.
His tone conveys a sense of urgency.
Their encounter is by the empty hallways of the hospital's first floor. Shisui's sudden appearance is perhaps less of a coincidence than Itachi initially expected. Yet it is instinct that alludes to this statement. Shisui has the uncanny ability to manipulate a situation into a manner that lessens suspicion.
Itachi nods, and together, they leave the hospital grounds.
Between the extremity of the Uchiha grounds and the placid stream that demarcates the village farms, Shisui gestures a stop to their fifteen minute stroll.
"Sorry Itachi, I can't risk anyone listening in," he averts to the vast countryside where distant farmhouses reside, "but I think it's safe here."
"Shisui, is everything okay?"
His mind sits in that automated state of uncertainty. Shisui's unexpected presence and the need for secluded conversations are often synonymous with the Uchiha's escalating actions.
But there is something peculiar about Shisui's expression. His response indicates his acknowledgement of Itachi's concern.
"Nothing of that urgency," Shisui assures, "but there is something I need to ask you…or rather, confirm with you."
He pauses, as if reconfiguring his thoughts in a way that is comprehensible.
"Itachi, since your escapade with Izumi to Cascades Mountain, was there…anything she mentioned to you that seemed unusual?"
For a moment, Itachi is confounded by the multiple meaning of the question.
"Specifically to me?"
"Yes."
"My interpretation of unusual may differ from yours, particularly if there is something that you are locating," he answers.
Shisui laughs.
"You sound like Honoka."
"I really don't know whether I should be affronted by that."
"From others, maybe. But it's a compliment if it comes from me," Shisui grins.
His smile lasts for several seconds, then falls beneath a layer of disheartenment. Shisui may have said something unintended without realising the consequence of its meaning. But to Itachi, he sees through the complexity and the contradiction that is in part a mirror image of his current circumstance.
"To clarify your question, did Izumi go through any altered waking moments when you were with her alone?"
Shisui's hardened tone denotes his intent on changing the topic.
"She did."
He remembers the night terrors, the cries and the petrified expression that left his actions numb and his conscious perturb. He may have followed her into that limbo state - an empty space that exists as a pathway to the multitude of parallel worlds, but Izumi experienced something more.
"There was a time during her 'waking' moment where she said she could see it and that we can't escape, even if we die, we can't leave," Itachi continues.
At this point, Shisui is looking visibly apprehensive.
"I was certain it was just an ill-effect of her experience on Cascades Mountain, but given recent developments, I now have my doubts."
Despite his composure, he remains oblivious to the tremors that coats his fingertips.
On Shisui's end, there is a myriad of intricate emotions that embeds his features. He takes his time with the quietude, as if regarding a theoretical approach.
"I see," he answers slowly.
Then, he makes a turn and gestures Itachi to follow.
"Let me show you something."
Shisui does not allude to further explanation. His demeanour is a non-verbal indicator that they remain silent until the next safe area.
For another fifteen minutes, they venture past the deserted grounds and into the back end of the Uchiha Memorial Park. There are no lights, spare a distant moon that subsists behind a thickened mass of clouds. Rarely does Itachi visit such place. His father frequents the area - for offerings and for prayers, yet had never encouraged, nor educated his own children on the significance of such matters.
Meanwhile, Shisui's attentive features have transpired into a procession of inscrutable emotions. He keeps watch of their surroundings, but there is a deeper more calculative look that controls from beneath.
"We're here," he says.
Shisui stands by the memorial's shrine - a small covert structure that sits at the edge of the park.
"Is there something here?" Itachi asks.
He gazes intently at the shrine, as if expecting an apparition, but Shisui steps in and touches the ground with a preceding hand seal. And it is only then, on the grounds before the shrine, that Itachi notices the Uchiha emblem and the surrounding cluster of unfamiliar symbols.
Then he sees the circular light and the amalgamation of the symbols beneath an enlarge Sharingan. Shisui turns his on and for a brief moment, nothing happens. But Itachi senses the vibration and the discomforting aura that sends a powerful sensation of heaviness through the air. Shisui's Sharingan is syncing with the one on the ground.
Where there was concrete seconds ago is now replaced with a large circular hole that permeates deep into the subterranean.
"Let's go," Shisui says.
The descent is not without its complication. The steep dilapidated stairs requires a carefully balanced chakra that keeps his mind focused. Itachi gets the peculiar sensation that only those with higher grade chakra can access this place.
And as if reading his mind, Shisui speaks from somewhere in front.
"You need to be an Uchiha by blood to access this place. But there are caveats. It's restricted to some people."
They eventually arrive on even surface.
The underground consists of numerous pathways and chambers. Most have locked wooden doors and solid walls, whilst a handful are open access. Across the walls, there are colossal sized lamps lit by an enormous blue-white flame.
"Shisui, where are we?"
"Secret Uchiha underground," Shisui winks.
"Cliche."
"Touche!"
Shisui suppresses a snort and waves airily.
"It doesn't have a name," he continues, "but like I said before, it is restricted to only a small number of Uchiha elites, mainly the higher ups. I believe your father would eventually introduce you to its existence."
Is this the reason for his father's frequent visits to the Uchiha Memorial Park?
"But you're showing me," Itachi says.
"Yes, and whilst I am forbidden to do so, we are here for other reasons that are far more pertinent than following the rules."
"What are the reasons for its restriction?" Itachi asks.
"Before I answer that, I want to show you something," Shisui signals for Itachi's presence in a particularly large open chamber.
Engraved into the wall's entirety is the Uchiha family tree. There are countless branches and sub-branches, each name barely visible from Itachi's close proximity.
"Within every clan or bloodline, there are branches," Shisui points to the small branches and the names attached to them, "the Uchiha are no different. As much as we'd like to believe that our clan is centred on camaraderie, cooperativeness and trust, there will always be branches that have differing opinions, views and values. Nevertheless, there is one bloodline within the Uchiha."
At this point, Shisui moves towards the far right and runs a finger down a particularly small family branch.
"We don't know too much about them but there have been rumours of their ability to control time-space and open alternate dimensions."
"But they died out," Itachi traces his finger on the name of the last branch.
"About ten years ago, the last surviving Uchiha of this particular bloodline was crushed by a boulder during a mission. Uchiha Obito's body was never recovered under the wreckage. His comrades gave witness - there was no way he could have survived," Shisui answers.
He averts his gaze to the very top and breathes deep before speaking again.
"Itachi, do you remember our theory regarding the king and the alternate worlds?"
"Uchiha Obito's direct ancestor?"
"Correct. And to answer your earlier question around restriction, if you look around you, these numerous chambers have been created and sealed by members of specific Uchiha bloodline. As I said, within a clan, particularly large ones, there will be opposing views and opinions. With that comes resentment and rebel, and ultimately powers and confidential information that are kept amongst certain bloodlines. So in order to build trust, this underground was built to house secrets, weapons and possessions, albeit they can only be accessed by their respective bloodlines."
Itachi frowns.
"That doesn't seem to make much sense. If there were issues with trust, why would they still have separate chambers where each bloodline can store their possessions and secrets?"
Shisui sighs.
"Yes, that's the conundrum is it not? I believe our ancestors couldn't come to a consensus, so the compromise was to have everything in one underground but concomitantly provide individual chambers for each bloodline. The chambers were restricted to certain individuals of each bloodline, but once a bloodline dies out, the agreement was that their chamber could be accessed by the other members. Of course, this did not always happen. Some of the Uchiha went ahead and put their own forbidden seals without approval, so if their bloodline dies out their chamber could never be accessed."
Political power play does not surprise him. Even in this day and age, politics is rife despite the majority consensus amongst the Uchiha. But that may be his father's uniting leadership and his capability to persuade even the most difficult of skeptics.
"So your family bloodline have their own chamber here as well?" Itachi asks.
"No. Not all Uchiha bloodlines have chambers. I believe it was more to do with the bloodlines that had significant influence and power, and were more overt with their views, or opposed values held by the clan leader at the time. From what I know, there are fifty chambers in here, so I gather at the time, fifty branches or bloodlines of the Uchiha had some form of influential power. There are only six active chambers today, the rest have been unsealed due to the demise of the bloodline, or are still sealed because of the forbidden seals placed on them."
The silence pervades, until Itachi notices the blackened smudges dotted across certain branches.
"These names have been redacted," he contemplates the blackened branches across the wall, "is there a reason?"
"I believe there may be elements of betrayal or perhaps names that hold forbidden meanings," Shisui says.
He stares attentively at a particularly small redacted branch.
"Forbidden meaning?" Itachi repeats confoundedly.
"Certain individual names may have associations with specific powers, forbidden techniques and information. Knowing their names may encourage those with strong opposing views to seek out information that could be used against the clan. The Uchiha higher ups were probably aware of this issue and were perhaps inclined to prevent internal corruption or defection by way of redacting names."
Shisui holds the quietude for several moments before speaking again.
"But returning to our protagonist, the king, and my reason for bringing you here."
He takes Itachi through a convoluted pathway that eventually leads to a concrete door.
"Itachi, I can see it," he points to the illumination of his Mangekyou, "but you cannot. There are innumerable black spores attached to this chamber door. It wasn't here before, until you and Izumi returned from Cascades Mountain. And it certainly wasn't this numerous in number until we all returned from our recent mission."
The spores may be invisible, but he senses its familiarity - the intrusive sensation, the claustrophobic tension and the extraction of energy.
"Does this chamber belong to…"
"Uchiha Obito's bloodline," Shisui finishes.
He turns and points to three crumbling chambers.
"Over the course of two hundred years since this underground was built, thirty chambers were opened when each bloodline or branch died out. The contents were then taken by the higher ups. Fourteen chambers had forbidden seals on them. When eleven of the bloodlines died out, the higher ups forcibly opened the chambers, but the seal was invented to respond to this sort of intrusion and the contents were destroyed," he gestures towards a caved in chamber on the opposite end.
"Only three inaccessible chambers remain with forbidden seals attached to them, despite the demise of their bloodline. One of them is this one right here," he points to the invisible spore laden chamber, "and the other two are on the other side of the underground. I believe those two belonged to branches with redacted names."
"This chamber has a connection to Cascades Mountain," Itachi says.
Beneath the stoic composure, he hears the escalating disconcertment of his own wary tone.
Shisui seems to have absorbed this state of mind, because his response is cautious yet firm.
"Yes. When you have the ability to transverse space, time and dimension, there is a high chance that you are able to enter differing worlds and manipulate chakra from there. As each of us comes from a single point of chakra origin split into multiple universes, our death in one world isn't necessarily a death in another. We can still be manipulated - even after we die."