Obito’s choice

"Shisui," Itachi said his friend's name once they were alone.

"I understand how you feel so well, it hurts." His friend's brow furrowed, and he looked down.

"Yashiro's the leader of the group pushing for a coup.

To him, all the people of the village are enemies."

The abuse Itachi was showered with earlier still echoed in his ears.

He lowered his face as if to look away from the image of Yashiro that rose in the back of his mind.

"Since it looked like you were going into the Anbu, I did some maneuvering of my own."

"What do you mean?" Itachi asked.

"Ryuu-sensei helped me get the authority to independently investigate the true state of affairs in the clan.

They have taken me off my regular duties to make sure the clan doesn't get any more riled up.

Their dissatisfaction is going to explode.

The Hokage promised I could act at my discretion to prevent that and gave me a position in the Anbu.

But that's just in name only.

In the end, I report directly to the Hokage, so your dad and the others don't know about my joining the Anbu.

Even inside, only a few people know."

"You went to Hokage-sama?"

"Relax, I said nothing about the coup, and neither has sensei.

All he knows is the Uchiha aren't satisfied.

Itachi, we're gonna keep fighting to stop the clan from exploding.

You, Obito, and Sensei, from inside the Anbu, and me as a ninja, reporting directly to the Lord Hokage."

Shisui stopped looking at the ground and looked at Itachi.

"No matter what happens, I'll never forget our promise."

Shisui thrust a fist out. Itachi stuck his own out to touch it.

"Above all else, we have to make them stop with the coup, at least," Shisui said firmly. Itachi nodded in agreement.

----------------------------------------

Meanwhile, Obito and Ryuu had also reached a safe place to talk.

"This is…" Obito remarked, recognizing where they were.

"The only place we aren't being monitored." Ryuu looked down.

"I'm going to show Itachi the monitors tomorrow."

"You trust him that much?"

"Almost as much as I trust you, you know?"

"I see…"

"I was wondering, what's your take on the Uchiha clan and the village? Where do you stand in all of this, Obito?"

"My take?" Ryuu nodded.

"Well, I…

I've never been too close to the clan.

Apart from you, the only relationship I've had with anyone in the clan was with my grandmother.

Everyone else looked at me like a loser...

I just…"

Ryuu saw Obito being conflicted with that question.

"Relax, you aren't speaking to the head of the clan or the Hokage.

Be honest with me, Obito, I'm your friend, you know."

"Yeah…

I know…

it's just not a simple question.

I can't go against the clan.

And yet, I also can't go against the village, I mean… Kakashi, Rin, Minato-sensei and even Kushina-sensei.

You're all my family and without you…

No one else would redeem me from Madara Uchiha. You saved my life many times."

"I understand." Ryuu looked away.

"Whose side are you on, Ryuu?"

"I've never been that close to members of the clan apart from my student and my family.

That allows me to think outside the brainwashing done to us.

But it also makes me susceptible to the brainwashing from the village, although I also haven't been too fond of people in the village other than my friends and family either.

Anyway, ultimately I believe that this shouldn't be a question.

If the Uchiha clan didn't unite with the Senju clan, we wouldn't have the hidden leaf. I don't want conflict at all.

I will make a peaceful world and my clan will live to see it.

That being said, if the clan goes through with the plan to go against the village I swore to protect, I'll have to help the village as much as I can without killing or hurting my father's clan.

Even if my father was hurt by his clan, his brother lives and he loves him a lot."

"I see…"

Obito thought in silence for a while and then got an answer.

"In that case, I'm with you every step of the way." Ryuu smiled.

Ryuu put his hand on Obito's shoulder and said.

"It's great having you as a friend, you know." Ryuu winked.

"You too, Ryuu."

"Now, go back home, Rin's shift is almost over, she should be on her way home.

I better get lost too, if Ichika realizes I'm gone. I'm sleeping on the couch, you know." Ryuu waved Obito off and teleported to his house.

'It's time to get to bed…' Ryuu slowly snuck into his bed, careful not to wake Ichika up.

The next day, Ryuu and Kakashi took Itachi to a secret surveillance room, under the given Anbu room.

It was dark and had no windows, the only light that came from it was the screens.

"I know it's a little disturbing but it's not like we monitor their every movement."

"The Nine Tails incident. The village officials suspected Uchiha involvement," Kakashi remarked, standing beside him. Itachi listened, staring at the monitors.

Obito was with them too, his shift was over so he left.

"Not satisfied with just isolating our clan compound on the edge of the village, they started monitoring everything in the compound, twenty-four seven."

"And that's this room?"

"It is."

"So, we can see everything?"

"We don't need to check on each and every little thing, but basically." Kakashi answered

"I understand. I will under no circumstances inform the clan."

"From now on, you'll be monitoring the clan all day from here." Ryuu stated.

"You're telling me to watch my comrades?"

The Anbu wearing a monkey mask stood up and stopped staring at the monitors.

"Whether they're your clan comrades or not, a mission is a mission.

Your clan drew in the Nine Tails.

So they're being monitored. Accept reality, newbie…"

Ryuu put his hand on his shoulder.

"Kou, unless you've forgotten, I'm part of that clan too.

I lost people too.

We all did." Ryuu tightly squeezed Kou's shoulder.

"I'm… Sorry… captain."

Ryuu glared at Kou.

"You aren't.

You're just afraid."

"Ryuu, that's enough." Kakashi said.

"Hmph!" Ryuu let go of his shoulder.

"This here, keeping an eye on my clan is a mission. Just like you said.

Don't make the mistake of involving your personal feelings on a mission while I'm here.

Especially if your personal feelings are against my clan.

I'll make something clear for you.

Disrespecting my clan is the same as disrespecting me, don't make that mistake again."

"Sorry sir, I won't repeat my behaviour again."

"I know."

"You're up, Itachi."

Kou said.

He tried to play it off but he couldn't stop holding his shoulder.

Itachi sat down.

Kakashi saw the look in Ryuu's eyes and said,

"You were too rough on him."

"I haven't been rough enough.

If he wasn't afraid of saying that while I'm standing right here just imagine the things he says when I'm not around."

"Just don't lose your temper again, you're a leader after all."

"Yeah."

Fun Fact: I once planned to make Ryuu evil.