Naruto: An Informant from the Uchiha

Bang!

A test sparring session unfolded on the training grounds. Although the opponent had only recently become a Chūnin, Itachi showed no urgency in his movements, calm and composed.

"That's a bad habit he picked up from you, isn't it?" Shisui said.

Yun glanced at him. "What do you mean by me? Mine's called a relaxed mindset, his is just trying to look cool."

"But that kenjutsu, was that your doing? It's impressive paired with the double tomoe Sharingan. That Chūnin's just unlucky to be assigned this match."

Yun actually recognized that Chūnin, he was the older brother of Tenma, one of this year's graduating students. A few months ago, Yun had scared him stiff right outside the academy.

Shisui scratched his head. "Only a year in the Ninja Academy before graduating… You'd need to be truly exceptional. This test isn't an easy one either. If he wins, it's expected. If he loses, it'll be a disgrace."

Yun replied with interest, "I heard that Chūnin's little brother is in the same graduating class. Imagine if he ended up on Itachi's team, that'd be fun."

Shisui hesitated, "...It can't be that much of a coincidence, right?"

The field assessment ended quickly, and for a genius like Itachi, the written and theoretical tests were no problem. By the afternoon, he had passed the special examination and would now be placed among the current graduating class.

That evening, in a yakiniku restaurant, Shisui raised his glass. "You two are underage, and as a ninja, I have to avoid the three ninja prohibitions. So, we're celebrating Itachi's early graduation with soda."

Clink.

After taking a sip, Shisui pulled out a scroll. "It's for your protection. Come find me tomorrow, I'll give you some crows too."

Itachi accepted it, then turned to Yun with an expectant look.

Mouth full of grilled meat, Yun casually pointed toward a box near the entrance. "Heard your little brother Sasuke's still peeing himself, so I got you a box of diapers. Thought you might need them."

Uh…

The atmosphere turned awkward. Itachi frowned. "If you hadn't pulled that prank last time, Sasuke wouldn't have been scared into—"

Shisui quickly waved his hand with an awkward smile. "Yun, maybe don't joke like that again. Itachi's little brother is still very young..."

Yun scratched his head, then put down his chopsticks. "Alright. You ignored my advice and still graduated early, but to help you avoid becoming a pawn for certain snakes, I'll let you ask me a few questions."

Shisui immediately interjected, "Yun, Itachi's only seven."

Yun raised his hand to stop him. "He'll be a shinobi as soon as he's placed into a squad. And Shisui, Itachi's talent isn't inferior to yours. Maybe... maybe a second pair of those eyes will appear."

Shisui fell silent, his own three-tomoe Sharingan slowly spinning. 'A second Mangekyō? Was Itachi really that close?'

Itachi raised his head, stared at Yun, and asked seriously, "What is it you and Shisui have been planning all this time?"

Exactly the question Yun expected.

He glanced at Shisui, then cast a barrier over the private room.

Then he said, "It's complicated, so I'll keep it simple. We plan to crush the faction within the Uchiha clan that wants to rebel, unite with those who wish to coexist with the village, side with the Fourth Hokage, and consolidate power from the various clans, then purge the rotting roots beneath the great tree that is Konoha."

A simple sentence, but it plunged the room into silence.

Itachi contemplated whether Yun's words were true, while Yun and Shisui observed him carefully, trying to discern his stance.

Shisui, who had awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan, understood its power all too well, and Yun was certain Itachi held the same potential.

If that power stood in opposition to their goals, the entire plan could fall apart.

The Uchiha had just started to earn the Fourth Hokage's trust. Shisui couldn't allow setbacks now.

"I'll need some time," Itachi finally said.

The celebration ended in a heavy silence. After Itachi left, Yun and Shisui exchanged looks and went to the mountains behind the village.

"Does Itachi really have Mangekyō potential?" Shisui's Sharingan spun slowly, radiating its unique ocular power.

Yun nodded. "He's experienced love, and he's bound to lose it. For someone like Itachi, who's been reflecting on life since early childhood, the risk of mental instability is high."

Shisui was speechless for a moment. "Be serious, why do you always say Itachi has the potential to go insane?"

Yun looked him straight in the eyes. "You've awakened the Mangekyō; you should know the price. Feeling love and understanding it is easy. But when you lose it all in an instant, can you guarantee you won't lose your mind? Won't want to destroy the world?"

"Kekkei Genkai can be seen as hereditary illnesses. And the Sharingan, with its activation method... it leaves deep flaws. Radical personality shifts, obsession, darkness—all symptoms of this 'inherited disease.'"

Shisui remembered his own awakening, loss, regret, and helplessness. When that power erupted... he truly believed he could flip the world upside down.

Yun sighed. "Ever since Itachi applied for early graduation, I've sensed something. He's already touched the darkness of Konoha."

"A double tomoe Sharingan at five and a half years old, that's unprecedented in Uchiha history. And someone who once saw the might of Madara and Hashirama... has always craved that power."

Shisui froze. "He's already been approached? The Fourth has been busy lately... with matters in the Land of Lightning..."

He trailed off, unwilling to speak further. Yun didn't ask. Instead, he said, "It's just a guess. What matters now is what choice he makes. But Shisui, if it comes to that, I hope you won't hesitate."

Shisui nodded, his eye spinning with the distinctive cross-shaped Mangekyō: "He may be like a little brother to me… but I won't let anyone destroy everything we've built."

"My left eye's ability… has recovered."

Yun understood exactly what that meant. "Just a little longer. One defection from the hardliners, one Mangekyō pair… we're almost there."

Shisui asked quietly, "I've always known you had your secrets. But your eyes still haven't awakened. So what is this overwhelming power you're hiding?"

Yun only smiled. "Who knows? Maybe I'll awaken the Mangekyō tomorrow."

Beneath the Hokage Tower, in Root Headquarters…

"Itachi, what did you discuss inside that barrier today?"