Outside the Root Base.
Hearing footsteps behind him, Danzo turned around to face Shisui, as if he had been waiting for some time.
"Shisui, you've finally come. I thought you wouldn't show up."
Shisui couldn't quite figure out Danzo's intentions. He lowered his head and replied, "Lord Danzo, did you call me here because of the coup? I'm about to attend the clan meeting."
Danzo asked, "You're planning to use your eye technique to control Fugaku Uchiha, to stop the coup, right?"
Shisui glanced at Danzo and nodded. "As long as I control Captain Fugaku, the Uchiha will stop thinking about launching a rebellion. This is the best way I can think of to prevent it."
Upon hearing this, Danzo sneered inwardly and coldly questioned:
"Controlling Fugaku may delay the Uchiha's betrayal, but it's only a delay. As time passes, there will be others among the Uchiha who grow restless and rise up against the village."
Shisui frowned. "I believe that under Lord Hokage's leadership, the clan can change. Eventually, we can truly integrate with the village. Lord Danzo, perhaps you're being too suspicious."
"Suspicious?" Danzo scoffed. "Yes, I am more cautious than Hiruzen and the others. They always place their hopes for peace in others' hands, while I choose to create peace for the village myself."
Shisui ignored Danzo's veiled criticism of the other village elders and said impatiently, "If that's all you wanted to say, Lord Danzo, please allow me to leave. I still need to stop the clan's coup."
Danzo suddenly stepped in front of him, his tone low and ominous:
"You always hope the Uchiha will integrate into the village. But have you ever thought—someone like me will never trust the Uchiha?"
Shisui's expression turned grim. Though he was angry, he held back from being disrespectful and turned to leave.
Just then, Danzo suddenly attacked, aiming straight for Shisui's eye—his target: the Mangekyō Sharingan.
But Shisui had already anticipated something like this. With a glance, he cast a genjutsu to subdue Danzo.
Staring at the now-hypnotized Danzo, Shisui sighed softly.
"Lord Danzo, I know you want to stop me. But no one can stop me from protecting both the village and the Uchiha clan."
"But rest assured—this is just a basic illusion. I won't kill you and create more hatred."
With that, Shisui turned and left the Root base, ready to attend the Uchiha clan meeting.
Suddenly, the genjutsu-bound Danzo vanished—and reappeared in front of Shisui in a flash. In an instant, he launched a devastating strike and snatched Shisui's right eye.
Shisui jumped back quickly, clutching his bleeding eye in shock.
He had expected Danzo to attack, but what stunned him was that Danzo had somehow broken free of his Sharingan illusion—a technique that was Shisui's specialty.
Then Danzo removed the bandage covering his eye. Seeing the three-tomoe Sharingan now devoid of vision, Shisui understood everything.
Danzo had used the forbidden Uchiha technique: Izanagi—rewriting the reality where he was caught in Shisui's genjutsu.
But when did Danzo acquire a Sharingan? When did he learn Izanagi?
Could it be... Danzo has been secretly collecting Uchiha eyes?
The more he realized, the more fearful Shisui became. A deep dread filled his heart.
Danzo, having succeeded in taking the eye, did not attack again. He looked at Shisui with a cold, blank expression and said in a heavy tone:
"Stop resisting, Shisui. Hand over the other Mangekyō Sharingan. I'll make sure these eyes are put to good use."
At those words, all of Shisui's remaining hope vanished.
Forming hand seals, he growled, "Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
As the giant fireball roared through the air, a group of Root ninja leapt out from hiding and countered with Water Style jutsu.
Seeing this, Shisui realized Danzo's preparations were even deeper than he imagined. Quickly, he used the steam and mist created by the heat and water clash to perform a Body Flicker and escape.
If he still had both eyes, he might have stood a chance against the Root squad. But now, with one eye gone, he wasn't a match.
If Danzo obtained both Mangekyō Sharingan, it wouldn't just be Shisui who was in danger—the entire Uchiha clan and even the Hokage would be at risk.
He had to escape.
As Danzo watched Shisui's retreating figure, his face darkened.
Even though he had already estimated Shisui's strength generously, he still underestimated him. Despite being surrounded by him and the Root members, Shisui had escaped.
Should I pursue him? Danzo hesitated. In the end, he only sent Root agents after him.
At worst, they would lose one Mangekyō Sharingan. But if he personally pursued and was caught in Shisui's Kotoamatsukami, the consequences would be far worse.
In the forest, Shisui was quickly overtaken by Root ninja.
Facing some of their elite members, Shisui was slowly being pushed back. Just as he was about to be hit by a barrage of jutsu, he forcibly activated his trump card: Susanoo.
Using up most of his remaining chakra, a half-body green Susanoo emerged above the trees.
It blocked all incoming attacks and repelled the Root ninja.
Without hesitation, Shisui followed up with "Susanoo: 99 Arrows"—summoning a storm of chakra arrows that rained down like a deadly tempest.
Everything in their path—trees, rocks, and flesh—was pierced and shredded like paper.
Scanning the area with his remaining Sharingan, Shisui confirmed that there were no survivors.
Exhausted and gasping for breath, he dispelled the Susanoo and staggered deeper into the forest. At this point, he was nearly spent—both in chakra and stamina—and could only barely keep moving.
Finding a safe spot, Shisui began to tend to his injuries and assess the situation.
His wounds would take at least a month to recover—there was no way he could prevent the clan's uprising now.
Worse yet, appearing before the clan in his current condition would only intensify their desire to rebel. It would have the opposite effect of what he wanted.
But if he stood by and did nothing, a full-blown conflict between the Uchiha and the village's leadership was inevitable—a battle that would leave both sides devastated.
After a moment of reflection, Shisui made a decision.
After quickly dressing his wounds, he headed toward a cliff where he often met Itachi.
He couldn't stop the coup while alive—but maybe in death, he could.
Losing their strongest fighter might shake the Uchiha's resolve. Before dying, however, he had to entrust his remaining eye—and his ideals—to his closest friend.
With that in mind, Shisui began writing his final letter.
When he finished, he carefully folded it and tucked it into the lining of his clothes.
Just as he was about to leave, he spotted a figure standing on a nearby tree branch with their back turned. The person glanced over their shoulder and gestured for Shisui to follow.
Who is it? Shisui narrowed his eyes.
But soon his doubts faded—the person's movements and posture were unmistakably Itachi's. They had arranged to meet here, after all.
(End of Chapter)
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