Uchiha Itachi had not yet awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan. That likely occurred only after witnessing Shisui's death.
Now, Itachi was fully indoctrinated, thoroughly brainwashed by the Third Hokage's Will of Fire. His mindset had veered far from the clan's path and would be extremely difficult to change.
It was Shisui's ideology that influenced him most. If Shisui could be swayed, and with Uchiha Fugaku and himself already aligned, plus the Hyuga clan likely no longer opposing the Uchiha, then the village leadership wouldn't be much of a threat.
At present, the only major factions supporting the Hokage were the Ino-Shika-Chō trio.
The Nara clan was known for its intelligence and Shadow Imitation Jutsu. The Akimichi clan specialized in offense but wasn't overwhelmingly strong. The Yamanaka clan dealt mainly with intelligence gathering and wasn't formidable in direct combat.
Other supporters included the Aburame and Inuzuka clans. Aside from them, there were the Shimura and Sarutobi clans. The remaining minor clans could be ignored.
If the Uchiha went all out against these forces, victory wasn't out of reach.
Ryōsuke couldn't understand how Hiruzen Sarutobi dared to eliminate the village's strongest fighting force, causing Konoha's rapid decline.
The Third Hokage later perished during Orochimaru's invasion. Had the Uchiha been involved back then, even if Orochimaru had multiple heads and arms, he never would've succeeded.
Without the traitors' betrayal, even if the Uchiha fought the entire village alone, they could have forced a mutual defeat.
Even without his help, that was the reality.
With such power, if the Uchiha didn't lead Konoha, who should?
Itachi, meanwhile, was visibly angry. Ryōsuke had surpassed him in strength, and that was unacceptable. He had always far outclassed his peers. Now, facing a genuine rival wounded his pride and stirred a sense of crisis.
What was worse, this powerful clan member was a narrow-minded loyalist. That made him dangerous.
He had no choice now but to use genjutsu.
Chakra flowed through his fine meridians, converging in his eyes. His Sharingan grew deeper in color as he locked eyes with Ryōsuke.
"Demonic Illusion: Shackling Stakes Technique."
Ryōsuke sensed it immediately and launched the same technique in return.
His ocular power had already been enhanced. He wasn't sure if it was equal to Itachi's, but even if it was slightly inferior, as long as he went all out, he shouldn't lose to genjutsu.
They stared each other down. Whoever lost the battle of ocular power would be trapped by the Shackling Stakes.
Itachi's lips curled. His opponent wanted to fight him in genjutsu?
There was no way Ryōsuke could beat him in this domain. Even Shisui had praised his Sharingan's strength, and Shisui was the Uchiha's top three-tomoe user.
The watching clansmen were even more eager now. This was their specialty—genjutsu duels were a classic Uchiha matchup.
Even Uchiha Fugaku watched with great interest. He had never tested Ryōsuke's ocular power himself, so he was curious.
But he knew his son's strength very well.
Itachi's taijutsu was inferior, but when it came to ocular power, the outcome was uncertain.
A strong Sharingan could turn the tide of battle.
Of course, this only held true if Ryōsuke didn't activate the Eight Gates. Once he did, his internal chakra would surge violently. That chakra storm would make genjutsu ineffective. If genjutsu couldn't disrupt the opponent's chakra, it became useless.
Ryōsuke could sense that Itachi's ocular power was immense—possibly even greater than his own. He was gradually falling behind in the mental struggle.
Panic crept in. Was he about to lose a genjutsu battle?
The longer it dragged on, the more likely he'd fall. Then a voice echoed in his mind.
[Your Sharingan senses malicious intent toward the host. Outraged, it begins refining. Ocular power has increased again.]
A warm current surged through his eyes. His vision sharpened. All the pressure from Itachi's genjutsu vanished instantly.
Itachi's expression shifted. He felt the sudden spike in Ryōsuke's ocular power.
Just moments ago, he had been suppressing Ryōsuke. All he needed was a bit more time to force him into the illusion.
Then, his mind was struck by a sharp jolt—and suddenly, he was inside a red-hued illusionary world. Four giant stakes pierced his limbs and pinned him down. He couldn't move.
He was all too familiar with this realm—it was the same space his genjutsu trapped others in. Now, he was the prisoner.
His face changed. He had lost.
In the very field he prided himself on.
Here, Ryōsuke was the master. He, the sacrificial lamb.
Had Ryōsuke been hiding his true ocular power all along?
In the real world, the clan members saw Itachi's body slump. His eyes were dull. The outcome was clear.
Ryōsuke had defeated the genius.
Their respect for him deepened.
His three-tomoe Sharingan held a depth of power they hadn't anticipated. Such strength earned both awe and loyalty.
A new powerhouse had emerged in the Uchiha clan. And before this day, few had even heard of him.