As long as they can become the person they idealize, most people will be grateful, even tearfully so, for being used by others.
This is one of the reasons Aizen must always be a victor, not a loser.
A victor should always focus on what the world *should* be, rather than what the world *actually* is.
To shape it, to change it.
Not to obey it.
Even having failed once, Aizen never believed he was wrong.
"Sōusuke."
"Is Yakumo really alright, that child?"
After leaving the Kurama clan's residence, Kurenai Yuhi quietly asked him.
Kurenai Yuhi had been Yakumo's tutor since Kurama Yakumo was eight years old, practically watching her grow up. She cared for her as if she were her own younger sister, so naturally, she was concerned.
"Overall, it's controllable."
"But whether she can stick to this path from now on depends on her."
Aizen shook his head slightly, appearing not very optimistic.
Kurenai Yuhi vaguely understood.
As a Genjutsu-type Ninja, she naturally knew the pain of constantly tearing apart one's soul and damaging one's spirit.
It seemed Sōusuke wasn't too optimistic about Yakumo either.
However, having seen the child grow, she felt a little relieved.
Just as Kurenai Yuhi dismissed that thought and was about to seize this rare opportunity to invite Sōusuke out, she saw him already sealing the dark Chakra into a scroll and hurriedly turning to walk home.
"Sōusuke, wait!"
Before she could say anything, the man in front of her waved his hand: "Yuhi, I still need to research the nature of this Chakra. Let's talk about anything else next time."
Hearing him say that, Kurenai Yuhi's words, which she had been about to utter, all stopped.
She could only stand with her hands on her hips, pouting as she watched him.
This insensitive fellow.
Aizen Sōsuke had his back to her, his expression showing no change.
Kurenai Yuhi, for now, was of no use.
Women lost in love are always impulsive and blind.
To make better use of someone, one needs to maintain a certain distance with them, for future use.
Not just Yuhi.
Kurama Yakumo was the same.
As a very important and unique test subject, he could not allow this child to be strongly influenced by others, even her parents.
But how exactly to do it required careful consideration...
Just as Aizen began to busy himself with research, Hiruzen Sarutobi also became busy, and he remained so for several days.
"Base 73, no discovery!"
"Base 91, no discovery!"
"Base 42..."
Listening to report after report from the Anbu Ninja, Hiruzen Sarutobi's brow furrowed deeper and deeper.
This operation was different from previous ones.
Probably due to the Kotoamatsukami, Danzo Shimura had truly handed over control of the entire Root to him.
However, it was only after personally receiving the detailed full report of the Root that Hiruzen Sarutobi realized that this organization, nominally still an 'Anbu training department,' had long since developed into a truly boundless Root system under Danzo Shimura's control.
There were easily over a hundred bases, laboratories, safe houses, warehouses, etc., just around Konoha, not to mention the countless ones located abroad.
The Root's direct combat personnel were also severely over-staffed, with Danzo able to directly command nearly two hundred people.
The remaining researchers, warehouse managers, local informants, and so on were equally innumerable.
Clearly.
Some things seem insignificant until truly measured.
For Hiruzen Sarutobi, this operation was like a 'grand inventory experiment' for Konoha, both a pleasant surprise and a shock.
Now, with just the Anbu manpower at his disposal, even inventorying the Root's assets and research findings was exceptionally difficult, let alone finding Shisui's eye, like searching for a needle in a haystack.
He could only hastily organize the Anbu personnel into three-person teams, leading the Root personnel to search on their own.
What kind of situation was this?
Hiruzen Sarutobi took a heavy drag from his pipe, glancing irritably at Danzo Shimura beside him.
Danzo Shimura, on the other hand, had a composed expression, looking utterly loyal and as if everything he did was for Konoha.
"Third Hokage."
Finally, a short Root Ninja led his team to them and reported:
"Base 113, no discovery."
This was the last search team.
"Sigh."
With his last hope completely dashed, Hiruzen Sarutobi let out a long sigh, his tone carrying a hint of warning:
"Danzo, you should understand the seriousness of this matter. Before things escalate to the worst-case scenario, you'd best quickly reveal the true whereabouts of that eye."
This sentence itself, of course, was directed at Uchiha Shisui beside him.
But beneath this sentence, there was another layer of meaning.
At the very least, you have to hand the eye over to my Anbu so I can speak on your behalf and smooth this matter over!
Five whole days.
The Anbu and Root did nothing but rummage through your personal belongings in the Village every day.
What exactly are you trying to do?
However, Danzo maintained his stubborn demeanor, saying in a deep voice:
"I already told you the truth."
"Now the command of the Root is also in your hands, Hiruzen."
"You should know very well that this is a conspiracy by that evil Uchiha brat!"
"You—"
Hiruzen Sarutobi's fists clenched.
He suddenly wondered if Shisui's Mangekyo was a bit overrated?
This old man was acting just as usual, not at all as if he was obeying his every command?
Their private discussions had been continuous these past few days, but no matter how many times they spoke, Danzo always maintained this attitude.
It made even Hiruzen Sarutobi begin to doubt himself.
Could there really be a mysterious person who could snatch the Mangekyo Sharingan he had just acquired from Danzo out of thin air?
Was that possible?
This was in Konoha!
Hiruzen Sarutobi bit his lip and remained silent for a while, finally turning to look at Uchiha Shisui beside him, sighing somewhat helplessly:
"Shisui-kun, you see."
"If your Kotoamatsukami really worked, then Danzo probably..."
Even with Hiruzen Sarutobi's seasoned face, saying this sentence made him feel inexplicably ashamed.
Judging by the common sense of the Ninja World.
This was called a tall tale.
However, after all this had settled, Uchiha Shisui's expression became even calmer.
"I understand, Third Hokage."
Compared to Hiruzen Sarutobi, who had no real concept of the Mangekyo Sharingan's power, Uchiha Shisui had no doubts about his Kotoamatsukami.
He had participated in the Root's search operations these past few days and indeed found no clues about his eye.
Since that was the case, no matter how incredible the outcome, it could only mean that this time, Danzo was indeed taking the fall for someone else.
And the only one capable of such a feat was probably that person.
Uchiha Shisui lowered his gaze, recalling the topic discussed at the previous clan meeting.
The possibly existing, other Mangekyo Sharingan.
Yet, knowing this, he dared not tell the two of them the truth.
If he revealed the truth, it would likely only further escalate the current conflict between the Village and the clan.
At the same time, lying to the Third Hokage, who was the only one still trusting him, would cause him intense unease in his conscience.
Therefore, at this moment, Uchiha Shisui could only continue to remain silent.
But who could it be?
"..."
Watching the three of them look at each other, all appearing confused, the Root Ninja beside them subtly lowered his gaze.
Yakushi Kabuto sighed faintly in his heart.
He had once heard someone say that growth is the process of gradually becoming disenchanted with everything one once respected.
In his short life, no moment was more direct than this one.
If he hadn't brazenly walked out of the Root base with Aizen and all those scrolls and the eye...
At this moment, he would probably be scratching his head just like them, wouldn't he?
Yakushi Kabuto was a person who admired strength.
In his early years, Yakushi Nonou was the strongest woman in his heart.
A little older, Danzo Shimura became the person in his heart who could truly control everything.
After learning more, the Hokage-sama, with greater power and strength, became the strongest in his heart.
And later, it was the wise and brave Orochimaru.
But now, these figures seemed to be gradually cracking from the deepest part of his heart.
Aizen seemed to use only trivial little tricks to make them dance in circles.
The difference between them was difficult for Yakushi Kabuto to describe in words.
If he had to say, there were probably only two words.
Loyalty!
However, the only thing that currently puzzled him was:
'Aizen already possesses such power, so why does he still pretend to be subservient as he used to?'
Yakushi Kabuto pondered in secret.
His masked head lowered further.
After a long period of fruitless thought, Hiruzen Sarutobi finally sighed: "Regardless, Danzo, your violation of Village regulations and attacking a fellow Ninja is still verifiable."
"A small punishment to serve as a warning."
"In any case, let's move all these Root supplies back to the Hokage's Office Building first."
Upon hearing this, Danzo Shimura's single eye immediately widened, veins suddenly bulging on his forehead, his eyes bloodshot. He looked as if he was about to break free from the Kotoamatsukami's restraint:
"Hiruzen, you bastard?!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi, however, was gradually mastering the trick to communicating with him, and he snorted coldly:
"Your answer?"
Danzo Shimura trembled all over, looking at the various scrolls and research findings accumulated by the Root over many years.
Finally, he nodded with difficulty:
"Yes, Hokage."
Uchiha Shisui beside him then added, twisting the knife: "Third Hokage, please also remember to return the Sharingan eyes stored by the Root to the Uchiha clan."
"Those are minor matters, as they should be."
"You—!?"
...Just as Hiruzen was 'training' Danzo here.
In the shadows of the forest, Uchiha Shisui's much-sought-after 'other Mangekyo Sharingan' was quietly observing the scene.
His gaze was primarily focused on the only Uchiha among the group of people.
After an unknown amount of time, he suddenly heard himself speak in a hoarse voice to the shadow beside him:
"What happened?"
No sooner had his voice fallen than a figure wrapped in two flat leaves extended from a nearby tree trunk, its face half-black, half-white, with a playful expression:
"Uchiha Shisui's eye was stolen, but the culprit can't be found."
"Hmph."
Uchiha Obito snorted: "Konoha is still the same old."
"But..."
"What do you mean, the culprit can't be found?"
At this point, even Uchiha Obito's voice carried a hint of confusion.
"Uchiha Shisui and Danzo fought, the Sharingan was gouged out, and then it was gone—they've been searching in the Root for days!"
"Huh?"
Uchiha Obito's expression became even more bewildered.
Clearly.
White Zetsu's intelligence was relatively limited, and asking him to describe such a complex situation was perhaps a bit too much for him.
Uchiha Obito's intelligence was also relatively limited; he scratched his head but couldn't figure it out, finally just pretending to snort coldly:
"This failure."
"He doesn't even know whose hands his own eye was gouged out into."
"It seems I was a bit overly cautious of Shisui before."
White Zetsu seemed to catch the hidden meaning in his words, looking up at him: "Obito, have you finally decided to make your move against him?"
"..."
"No."
After a moment of silence, Uchiha Obito finally shook his head: "Let those fools like Setsuna test him first."
"He still has one eye after all."
As for what an Uchiha with only one Mangekyo Sharingan could achieve, no one in the entire Ninja World had more authority to speak on the matter than him.
Ever since learning of Uchiha Shisui's Dōjutsu, Uchiha Obito had maintained a certain distance from Konoha.
Distorting thoughts.
Just hearing about such a thing was terrifying.
What if he turned back into his old self... Obito only imagined it for a moment and couldn't delve deeper.
What a person hates most is always the past self who left countless regrets in their memory.
"Yes."
The White Zetsu beside him responded with a smile.
Uchiha Obito glanced at him.
No matter how many times he heard it, that peculiar tone always made him feel a little uncomfortable.
Soon, his figure vanished into the shadows... It was two days later when Uchiha Shisui returned to the clan compound.
Although the Third Hokage readily agreed to his request to return the Sharingan, at this moment, Uchiha Shisui was clearly still full of worries.
What kind of Dōjutsu would a Mangekyo Sharingan capable of snatching an eye from Danzo out of thin air possess?
How strong was the opponent?
Could they resist his Kotoamatsukami?
If the opponent suddenly stepped forward now and led the clan members in a coup, how should he stop them?
There were always too many things for Uchiha Shisui to worry about.
However, just as he was walking towards home, concealing his presence as usual, Uchiha Shisui suddenly stopped.
He looked up.
Several figures, front and back, had blocked the alleyway.
Several pairs of scarlet Sharingan glowed faintly in the night.
Uchiha Shisui's expression was vigilant.
The leading figure slowly stepped out from the shadows, looking at Uchiha Shisui, whose left eye was covered, with a solemn expression, and spoke in a serious voice:
"Shisui."
"Where did your eye go?"