I'M NARUTO UZUMAKI

Prisoner's Self-Cultivation

The shadow clone standing guard over Shisui was momentarily stunned before calling for Naruto, who was training outside.

Naruto glanced at Shisui suspiciously before saying, "What does it matter if you know the current state of the Uchiha clan? Do you think you can escape from here? You've broken free from Kotoamatsukami's control—maybe it's time you started thinking about yourself."

He smirked. "Like me, just sit back and enjoy the show."

Shisui understood his position as a prisoner and begrudgingly admitted that Naruto had a point.

Over the past few months, despite being confined, his life had been strangely comfortable. Though he had lost his freedom, he no longer had to concern himself with the village's affairs or the fate of his clan. He was simply a blind, incapacitated shinobi, his only worry being what meals awaited him the next day.

Yet, in the quiet of the night, thoughts of his family and comrades—especially those within the Uchiha clan—would inevitably creep back in.

With a soft sigh, Shisui said, "Running won't solve anything… but I still want to know what's happening to my clan. And honestly, if this conversation weren't at least a little interesting to you, you wouldn't be telling me this, would you?"

Naruto was mildly surprised by Shisui's shift in tone. He smiled.

"Well, if you're so eager to know… since your 'death,' the situation between the Uchiha Police Force and Konoha's leadership hasn't just remained tense—it's worsened. Everyone in the village knows about it now."

He leaned against the wall, crossing his arms.

"New shinobi are rising, and speculation is spreading that a full-blown conflict between the Uchiha and the higher-ups is inevitable."

"In other words, your 'sacrifice' only delayed the inevitable. It changed nothing. You might as well sit here with me and wait for the Uchiha's downfall."

Shisui frowned. "You sound so sure that Uchiha will perish. But what if Captain Fugaku's coup succeeds? What if he actually makes it into the Hokage Building and claims the position of Fifth Hokage?"

Naruto didn't answer—he simply smiled, a knowing, unsettling expression that made Shisui uneasy.

"If you really believed that was possible, you wouldn't have chosen 'suicide' in the first place, would you? Maybe instead of worrying about your clan, you should think about how to stay alive. As long as you live, Uchiha blood will endure."

Shisui fell silent.

He had never truly believed the coup could succeed. Even if it did, the cost to both the village and his family would be catastrophic—a battle with no real victors. Unable to find a way to prevent disaster, he had used Kotoamatsukami on Fugaku, hoping to buy time, only for Danzo to ambush him, steal his eye, and leave him for dead.

Now, as he listened to Naruto's words, something shifted within him. He looked at Naruto, a trace of hope in his expression.

"Is there really a way to prevent conflict between the Uchiha and Konoha? A way for both sides to coexist?"

Naruto chuckled. "You're asking me? I'm the guy who ambushed you and stole your eye. Did you forget who you're talking to? If you want answers, go ask the Hokage."

Shisui let out a small, dry laugh. A prisoner asking his captor how to save his clan—how absurd.

And yet, when a drowning man sees even the flimsiest branch, he will reach for it.

Naruto's expression turned thoughtful. "There is another way. The village leadership never trusted the Uchiha. The Uchiha never accepted their place in the village. So why not just leave?"

Shisui's eyes narrowed. "You're suggesting defection? A full-clan defection? That's no different from staging a coup."

Naruto shook his head. "It's completely different. The success rate of leaving is much higher than a coup. Uchiha was one of the two founding clans of Konoha, yet now the village rejects them. So, why should they stay? Why choose death over departure?"

His words echoed in Shisui's mind, stirring thoughts he had never considered before.

For so long, he had believed that Uchiha and Konoha were inseparable. That leaving was unthinkable. After all, if the Uchiha defected, Konoha's military strength would be greatly diminished, and other villages would see them as vulnerable.

But after Danzo's betrayal and the loss of his Sharingan, that certainty was crumbling.

Konoha was not a monolith. It was composed of individuals, of different factions. Danzo had never seen the Uchiha as part of the village. He had never trusted them. That was why he had stolen his eye.

So why was Shisui still considering Konoha's well-being over his own clan's survival?

The realization made him look at Naruto differently.

Who was this person? He wasn't working for the Hokage. He wasn't one of Danzo's operatives. He wasn't even an ally of Fugaku. Could he really be just a rogue ninja, an outsider watching from the shadows?

Shisui exhaled slowly, then spoke, almost to himself.

"How would we convince the jonin to lead the clan out of the village?"

His mind raced. "The Anbu and Root would try to stop us. The other clans might not stand aside either. And if we do leave, where do we go? Do we settle in the Land of Fire? Or another nation? How do we sustain ourselves? Do we take assets with us before leaving?"

He spoke as though no one else was in the room, lost in deep contemplation.

Naruto sighed, shaking his head. "You're overthinking it. Maybe focus on escaping my surveillance first. That's your real problem."

Shisui froze. He had nearly forgotten—he was still a prisoner. The person he had just been strategizing with wasn't his old friend, Uchiha Itachi. He was speaking with the very shinobi who had attacked him.

Naruto smirked. "See what I mean? You're getting ahead of yourself."

Shisui closed his eyes for a moment. He had thought losing Kotoamatsukami would change him. That without it, he would be different.

But now, it seemed that even before using the genjutsu, he had been too naive.

Then, as if remembering something important, Shisui suddenly looked at Naruto, his expression firm.

"I don't need to escape." His voice was steady. "Ever since you stopped me from reaching Itachi and took my Sharingan, you've been waiting. You've been expecting something to change."

Naruto sat down, casually drinking a glass of milk before flashing a sharp grin.

"You're not wrong." His eyes gleamed with amusement. "But unfortunately, I can't let you go just yet. If you reappear without your Mangekyō, you'll just become Konoha's next target. And that would be boring."

Shisui thought carefully before replying. "Even if you let me go, I wouldn't reveal myself. Without the Sharingan, I can't rally the clan. Worse, it would only draw the higher-ups' attention. I need to regain my strength first. I need another Sharingan."

Naruto laughed. "Forget Kotoamatsukami. I'm not giving that back. But if you want a new eye, go see Danzo. If you can take it from him and his Root agents, maybe then you'll stand a chance."

Shisui's expression darkened. He remained silent, but deep down, he had already made his decision.

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