Habara had left Konoha, traveling north through the Land of Fire on a special mission. Accompanying him was another figure... Uchiha Shisui.
Normally, Habara maintained an indifferent stance towards the Uchiha clan. However, now that he was traveling alongside Shisui, he casually inquired about their current circumstances.
"Shisui," Habara began, "how are things with the Uchiha these days?"
Despite Habara's casual tone, Shisui addressed the question with gravity. This was partly his earnest nature, but also because the Uchiha clan's situation was indeed dire.
"The clan's situation... isn't great, Habara-senpai," Shisui began, choosing his words carefully. It was clear 'isn't great' was a significant understatement. "Since that incident, we've garnered considerable support. Around sixty clan members have sided with us, willing to work towards mending the rift with the village..."
"That's more than I expected," Habara admitted, surprised. He hadn't thought so many 'rational' individuals existed within the Uchiha.
"In terms of sheer numbers, we've made progress," Shisui clarified. "But concerning the actual balance of power within the clan... our gains aren't as significant. The vast majority willing to stand with us are Genin; even Chunin are scarce. Most of the clan's Jonin-level shinobi hold unfavorable views towards the village." He had primarily secured support from the lower ranks.
Numerically, Shisui might have garnered thirty to forty percent support, but in terms of actual strength, his position hadn't improved much over the past couple of years.
"Shinobi are just shinobi. Many Uchiha fail to grasp that, which leads to their irrationality." Habara phrased it delicately, perhaps mindful of Shisui's feelings. The Uchiha often carried an inflated sense of superiority, which Habara found misguided. While their average skill level was indeed high, often surpassing other shinobi, unless one awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan, the difference between an 'excellent' Uchiha and a standard shinobi wasn't fundamental.
Sure, an Uchiha might score a 90 where others score 80 or 70, but that gap alone wasn't enough to justify their immense pride.
As for the Mangekyo Sharingan... well, many Uchiha didn't even know such a thing existed.
If the pro-Konoha faction could truly count Shisui's full strength among their assets, it might be enough to negate the anti-Konoha faction's perceived power advantage. After all, Shisui could manifest Susanoo—could the others?
Unfortunately, Shisui was fundamentally different from someone like Itachi Uchiha. If Itachi represented cold rationality, Shisui was driven by emotion. His dream was to heal the rift, transforming the entire Uchiha clan into loyal shinobi of Konoha... A noble ideal, Habara thought, but realistically, the chances of achieving it were slim to none.
If the Uchiha rebelled, Shisui would intervene. If Konoha moved to exterminate the clan, Shisui would try to stop that too.
Regarding the Uchiha problem, Shisui's stance mirrored the Third Hokage's. Lacking a definitive solution, both sought to delay the inevitable confrontation for as long as possible, until delaying was no longer an option.
An emotional idealist, Habara mused grimly. He felt he could already foresee Shisui's tragic end.
"Lately, finding more supporters within the clan has become incredibly difficult," Shisui admitted. "The establishment of the new Police Force structure and the resulting divisions... while we believe we're doing what's right, and there have been some positive outcomes, it's also deepened the opposition... And recently, the clan elders seem particularly interested in Jiraiya-sama's movements." Shisui sounded troubled, caught in a fresh wave of conflict.
"Jiraiya-sama hasn't been spending much time in the village lately. That wouldn't be hard to notice," Habara remarked.
Tsunade, Orochimaru, Jiraiya... Konoha had effectively lost the Sannin's collective might. Such a shift in the power dynamic could easily foster the illusion among some Uchiha that their time had come again.
Shisui himself presented a unique problem: Kotoamatsukami. Nobody liked the sound of that genjutsu, Habara included. As long as he was near Shisui, Habara kept his senses on high alert. While hailed as the 'ultimate genjutsu,' Kotoamatsukami thankfully lacked the terrifying activation speed of Tsukuyomi. If Habara sensed Shisui focusing chakra towards his eyes, his immediate reaction would be to break line of sight and prepare a ranged counter. Habara wasn't certain if Shisui possessed the Mangekyo yet, but theory suggested he should already have those eyes.
Regardless, vigilance was essential. Habara couldn't stake his own safety solely on Shisui's integrity. Altering someone's thoughts without them even knowing... that was far more terrifying than a kunai in the back.
Shisui agonized over his inability to curb the growing rebellious sentiment within his clan. It was a burden Habara knew no one else could truly share.
Habara considered this for a moment. "Kushina-sama's internal village group, Akakammuri," he said finally. "Perhaps membership could gradually be opened to your faction of the Uchiha. Hopefully, that might help."
He sighed inwardly, marveling at his own unexpected magnanimity. Fine, he conceded mentally, for Shisui's sake, I can extend a small olive branch to his followers.
"Thank you very much, Habara-senpai." Shisui bowed his head, genuine gratitude softening his features into a rare smile.
Shisui's faction had effectively broken away from the clan's mainstream, but given the Uchiha's notorious reputation, acceptance within the village wasn't guaranteed. Officially, the higher-ups preached inclusion, yet not even the Hokage could dictate the personal feelings and prejudices of every shinobi. And whether those feelings leaned towards goodwill or animosity towards any Uchiha... well, Habara could hazard a guess.
Thus, Habara's offer to advocate for their inclusion in Akakammuri was a significant boon for Shisui. But Habara knew his assistance ended there. Whatever ultimate fate awaited the Uchiha clan... he remained largely indifferent.
Another hour of travel brought a sprawling complex of buildings into view.
"Looks like an abandoned city..." Habara murmured, squinting.
"The ninja cat clan closely associated with the Uchiha lives here," Shisui explained. "Both the cats and the few humans residing with them are masters of forging ninja tools. The Uchiha have been their clients for generations..."
"Ninja tools, eh?" Habara mused aloud. "A pity. That's not what we're here for this time."