Living Through Time

Prologue

Shisui had lost hope a long, long time ago.

Once upon a time, he owned the notoriety of being a sunshine, a source of hope to his companions. A sturdy rock anyone could lean their weight on when they were unstable. A person people would run up to when they felt sad, because the stupid conversations and jokes he created would always cheer them up.

A radiant smile, contrasting with the milky white of his skin, the deep ink of his hair and the blood coming from his eyes.

A smile releasing an aura so warm and comforting they forgot how lethal he truly was.

He carried many nicknames throughout his life. The world view him as "Shunshin no Shisui", his opponents called him "Shisui of the thousand yards stare", their distant allies named him "Shisui of the Sharingan". However, Konoha's population and those who knew him, who had seen the devotion he held in every action he made, who witnessed the care in his gaze when they saw him scan over the village; they dubbed Shisui the name of "Light of the Uchiha clan".

Because, despite all the tension that clan had toward the village and vice versa, the citizens and shinobis alike viewed Shisui as one of them. The shinobis welcomed him into their ranks, first with judgement and fear, but eventually warmed up to his presence to the point of jokingly claim he could be a great Hokage some day. The citizen were more discreet, intimidated by his stature and power. They would watch him from afar. The distance gradually trimmed at the disclosure of his mission successes, of the lives he saved, of the people he guarded. He became a symbol of protection. They would gift him the freshest of fish, the sweetest of tea and the largest piece of meat whenever he ate at a restaurant. Sometime going as far as offering free meals to the young Uchiha.

'A retribution for the all work you've done.' they insisted.

And Shisui would always respond with a grin, brighter and hotter than the sun itself.

At the news of his death, the nation turned sour. Most people couldn't believe that Shisui Uchiha would commit suicide. The lively young teen was just... too cheerful for such actions. Just the day before, he was roaming through the streets, playing 'ninja' with his baby cousin, and then eating dango with his best friend.

He had a dazzling smile on his face, not the expression of someone about to kill themselves.

Some citizens started making theories. Each more absurd than the other. Ranging from 'Yeah... it could be a suicide' to 'It must be that demon brat!'. They were just innocent speculations at first, assumptions generated by people either bored or grieving. But those speculations shifted into rumors, and like every rumor with enough points to be plausible, the people latched on to it. Spreading it everywhere like wildfire. It reached every section of Konoha, even showing up in some parts of Sunagakure.

They had all heard the disastrous rumor that 'The Uchiha clan is to blame. They never accepted Shisui and wanted to get rid of him in silence.'.

A lie so powerful it multiplied the pace in which a ravine of doubt dug itself between the village and the clan. It disgusted to the core even those who didn't know Shisui. The village's founders created the village with the goal of empowering comradery. The concept of a clan murdering one of theirs outraged everyone.

The hate lived on and progressed, day by day. The Uchiha's reputation flew downhill. Shisui's death wasn't the only reason for that, only a mere factor. It was like the entire village had removed the invisible veil of disdain they held toward that clan. Before, they displayed their dislike in snide comments here and there, in unpleasant looks. There was even documentations that led to believe that some corporations provided poor services to members of that clan.