C21 Shisui Uchiha

Tenno studied the map in his hands and murmured to himself, "I must be in the right place, right?"

Though he had spent his entire life in Konoha Village, this was his first time delving into the depths of the forest beyond Shadow Rock.

He had heard tales of the rich variety of birds here, the perfect place for collecting feathers.

With only the black and white feathers left to gather for his Sky Feather Clothes, he had ventured here on purpose.

Deep within the forest, the towering trees hid the sky and sun from view.

Beams of sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, casting speckled patterns on the ground.

Suddenly, Tenno let out a sound of astonishment.

In the distance, he saw hundreds of wooden bird nests hanging from the great trees, spacious enough for thousands of birds to dwell.

Surely, only humans could have built so many nests.

Could it be that these birds were being raised by people?

At that moment, Tenno spotted a figure donning a Konoha headband and the garb of the Uchiha family. It was Shisui Uchiha!

He hadn't expected Shisui to be the one tending to these birds.

There was Shisui, hefting a large barrel of meat, tending to the birds.

The birds seemed to adore Shisui Uchiha, gathering around him, alighting on his head and shoulders, and affectionately rubbing against him with their beaks.

Shisui looked on at the birds with a relaxed and contented smile.

Then, he sensed someone approaching.

His expression shifted to one of caution, and he became vigilant.

He lifted his gaze to the approaching individual.

To his surprise, he found a child, who appeared to be no older than seven, standing not far off.

He was taken aback.

The presence he had detected was close to that of a Chionin, and yet it was just a young child.

Are today's children really so strong?

Itachi Uchiha often praised his younger brother's remarkable talent to Shisui.

Itachi's brother was only a year older than this boy, but the difference in their abilities was significant.

Not even the exceptionally gifted Itachi Uchiha, a prodigy of the Uchiha clan, had such strength at the age of seven.

"Who are you?" Shisui Uchiha asked.

Realizing that Shisui Uchiha was the caretaker of these birds, Tenno knew he would need Shisui's help to collect the feathers. He approached respectfully and said, "Senior Uchiha, you're Shisui from the village, aren't you?"

After a moment of thought, Tenno spoke with utmost politeness, "Senior, you're Shisui Uchiha from the village, aren't you?"

"My name is Tenno, and my family runs a ninja tool shop in Konoha Village. I'm currently in need of some feathers, and I was hoping you could lend me a hand."

"Furthermore, I'm willing to pay a fair price or do anything else within my capabilities."

Tenno disliked beating around the bush, so he promptly laid out his situation to Shisui. Shisui's face went through several expressions, indicating he had much on his mind. Ultimately, he asked a rather strange question.

"Does it not bother you that I am from the Uchiha clan?" he asked.

It was a confusing question, but Tenno quickly understood its context. Relations between the village and the Uchiha clan were strained and fraught with conflict. Villagers were openly hostile towards the Uchiha, often showing disgust when speaking of the clan. To Shisui, Tenno's behavior seemed quite unusual.

With a gentle smile, Tenno responded, "People develop biases because they don't understand. However, I know you're a peace-loving individual, so the discord between the Uchiha clan and the village doesn't affect my judgment."

Shisui was momentarily stunned, then nodded thoughtfully after digesting Tenno's words.

"Please, ask away, Senior," Tenno encouraged.

No sooner had he asked than he felt a pang of regret. He knew the answer all too well, yet he couldn't resist asking, reflecting his deep-seated unease. Like him, many of his peers who held both the village and the clan dear had faced untimely and mysterious ends.

He also realized the absurdity of his question. To think he'd ask such a thing of a seven-year-old child.

"No," Tenno replied, shaking his head.

He felt there was some truth to what Tenno had said earlier.

When Uchiha Shisui looked at him again, he found himself unexpectedly pleased by his appearance.

"I'll help you, no charge," he said. "But you have to answer a question for me."

"Please, go ahead, Senior," Tenno replied.

After a moment of contemplation, Shisui spoke gravely, "When there's a conflict between the village and the clan, does it inevitably mean that someone must be sacrificed?"

No sooner had Shisui asked the question than he regretted it.

He already knew the answer, so why did he still ask, unwilling to accept it?

Several of his comrades, who loved the village and the clan as much as he did, had already died under mysterious circumstances.

And he felt utterly ridiculous for asking such a question of a seven-year-old child.

Perhaps it was because the child had spoken with such maturity earlier that he felt he could confide in him.

"No," Tenno shook his head and said.

Shisui was taken aback; this was the complete opposite of the answer he had anticipated.

"Why?" he asked urgently.

Tenno looked up, his eyes firm as he met Shisui's gaze and smiled. "Because sacrifice is inherently meaningless."

Meaningless sacrifice?

Hadn't he heard of the Will of Fire, as spoken by the Third Hokage?

For a moment, Shisui wanted to counter Tenno's words, but Tenno continued, "I believe that whether a person's death is voluntary or forced, it's a fact. Many believe they can change something, but in reality, the dead cannot change anything."

Tenno added, "I think that only by being alive can one truly have the power to change things. No matter how difficult, as long as I live long enough, I will have the chance to make a difference."

In response to Shisui's question, Tenno didn't offer a superficial answer; he spoke sincerely, expressing his core belief that life was the most precious thing in the world.

Shisui fell silent, pondering the response he had never considered before, which might just be the key to solving the dilemma he faced.

"Here are some bird feathers I've collected. Feel free to use them. If you need more, help yourself to any from these birds. I must be going now," Shisui said, his attention elsewhere as he pointed to a half-meter tall burlap sack.

Then, as if lost in thought, he wandered off into the distance.

"Thank you, Senior Shisui," Tenno called out with appreciation.

Upon opening the sack, Tenno found feathers of white, black, crimson, emerald, and various other colors.

There were thousands of each, evidently the result of Shisui's long-term collection.

Tenno hadn't expected such generosity!

His heart buoyed with happiness, a flash of silver light appeared in his hand, and he quickly transferred all the feathers from the sack into his storage ring.

With that, he too left the area.