Konoha, Year 56. Six years ago, the Nine-Tails incident not only took away the Hidden Leaf Village's young and strong Fourth Hokage but also left the Uchiha clan, one of the founding families, in an even more precarious position.
After all, during the disaster six years ago, the Sharingan reflected in the Nine-Tails' eyes could not be faked.
Facing more and more radical clansmen at the clan meetings, Uchiha Shisui, who held the Will of Fire, was deeply anxious. At this moment, the Uchiha clan was like a powder keg that could explode at any time.
Fortunately, the Uchiha clan's meetings rarely produced any real policies anyway, but at this moment, Uchiha Shisui had already decided to use his final trump card.
"It seems… this is the only way." After leaving the clan meeting, Shisui looked up at the moon and touched his left eye.
Time waits for no one; Shisui planned to go to the Hokage building that night to report his intentions to the Third Hokage.
To avoid suspicion, he planned to take a detour through the Forest of Death.
However, just as he entered the Forest of Death, a figure suddenly appeared before him.
At first, Shisui thought it was an enemy attack. But when he saw the person's face under the moonlight, he relaxed and even smiled warmly.
"Seiryu, why are you here?"
The newcomer was no stranger to Shisui: Uchiha Seiryu, a genius of the same generation as him.
Unlike other Uchiha, who excelled in Fire Style and Genjutsu, Seiryu was an outlier, investing all his skill points into Lightning Style. On one battlefield during the Third Great Ninja War, he used the Lightning Style: Kirin—a move that summoned a natural disaster—to wipe out 15 Mist ninja squads at once, earning him the nickname "Azure Thunder Dragon."
In Shisui's eyes, this clanmate, a year younger than himself, was a rare Uchiha who genuinely possessed the Will of Fire. In his work in the police force, he was always kind to the villagers. Seiryu almost never attended clan meetings, which earned him criticism from the clan's radical faction.
"I just finished my daily training. What about you, Shisui? Why are you here in the Forest of Death at this hour?" Seiryu asked with a gentle smile.
"I couldn't sleep, so I went for a walk," Shisui replied. After all, he couldn't exactly say he was heading to the Hokage's office to deliver clan information.
"Is it because of the situation between the clan and the village?" Seiryu asked.
"Yes," Shisui sighed deeply. "Seiryu, you should understand. If the clan rebels, we're no match for the village, and the village would suffer heavy losses. The peace we finally have would be shattered."
Shisui didn't feel much need to be guarded with Seiryu. His kind, conciliatory approach made Shisui consider bringing him onto his side.
"People living in peace often don't realize how precious it is," Seiryu said. "At the same time, the clan's vision is limited to itself, which leads to this predicament."
Shisui was comforted by Seiryu's words. He hadn't expected that, besides Itachi (praised by the Third for having the mind of a Hokage), the clan had another far-sighted youth.
"But I do have an idea about our current predicament. However, I'll need your help, Shisui." Moonlight filtered through the forest, casting gentle rays on Seiryu's pure white haori.
"What's your plan?" Shisui asked seriously. "What do you need from me?"
"I'd like to borrow your eye, Shisui." Seiryu's words sent chills down Shisui's spine. In the next instant, a flash of blue lightning appeared in Shisui's eye.
The sound of metal clashing echoed over the Forest of Death. At the last moment, Shisui drew his ninja blade and barely blocked the fatal blow.
"Seiryu! Why?!" Shisui demanded as they clashed.
"You're planning to side with the village, aren't you? You even took a long detour to report to the Hokage so the clan wouldn't notice," Seiryu said coldly.
They separated, each holding a blade, three-tomoe Sharingan eyes locked on each other.
"So, your vision is also limited to just the clan? I thought you shared the Will of Fire," Shisui said, eyes now cold. Seiryu's strike just now had been aimed to kill.
"Hahaha!" Seiryu threw his head back and laughed. "Ridiculous! You and Itachi think you care about the village, but your eyes can't truly see the future of the clan and the village. You're just a frog at the bottom of a well, gazing at the moon."
Lightning crackled around Seiryu. "My vision is no longer limited to this small place. My eyes see much farther than yours. This sick world needs a thorough revolution!"
"You want to start a war? You madman!" Shisui gritted his teeth. "I thought you stayed out of clan meetings because you loved peace, but you're even crazier than the elders. I was truly fooled by your act."
"No, I simply don't want to mix with insects," Seiryu replied coldly. "They talk about rebellion all day but never come up with a viable plan. How can you do politics with such people?"
"I see…" Shisui took a deep breath as if making a decision. "Seiryu, your thoughts are too dangerous. For the village, I have to stop you!"
The three tomoe in Shisui's eyes spun rapidly, forming a pinwheel pattern.
"So, this is your trump card?" Seiryu sneered. "The genjutsu that can alter someone's will—Kotoamatsukami."
Shisui's eyes widened in shock. Since awakening his Mangekyō Sharingan, he'd never revealed its abilities. How did Seiryu know about his dōjutsu?
"Surprised?" Seiryu laughed. Then he pointed to his own eyes. "I told you, my eyes see farther than you think."
As he spoke, the three tomoe in Seiryu's eyes also changed, three fierce lightning patterns circling the pupils.
"Mangekyō Sharingan?" Shisui stared in disbelief, not expecting Seiryu to have this trump card too.