BOOM—!!
The moment the green Susanoo manifested, a suffocating pressure swept across the area like a shockwave.
Shisui wasn't strong enough—not yet—to bring out a complete Susanoo.
But even an incomplete form was still terrifying.
"This… is that legendary power?"
"Susanoo… the 'godlike' force people talk about?"
The shinobi gathered below stared in disbelief.
Most of them had never seen the Mangekyō Sharingan, let alone Susanoo. To them, it was a rumor—something from war stories and forbidden whispers.
And now Shisui had activated it in front of everyone.
Kakashi's covered left eye twitched faintly, as if reacting to something deep inside him.
Then his gaze dulled again, sadness swallowing that flicker of life.
Rin's gone. Obito's gone…
So what does this eye even mean now?
Around him, the crowd's verdict came quickly.
"It's over."
"Yeah. If Shisui had to use Mangekyō, Leon's already done enough."
"Honestly, just seeing Susanoo once is worth it."
"An Uchiha training taijutsu instead of mastering the Sharingan… what a waste."
The mood tilted hard in Shisui's favor.
To most people, Susanoo meant only one thing:
checkmate.
Hokage Office
The instant Shisui's Mangekyō appeared, both Hiruzen and Danzō frowned.
They already knew what Shisui's eyes could do—Shisui had reported it himself, proudly, as proof of his "loyalty" to the Will of Fire.
A genjutsu that could permanently rewrite a person's mind…
Danzō's expression went cold with hunger.
"That ability is too dangerous," he said through clenched teeth. "It must be controlled by Konoha."
Hiruzen's pipe lowered.
His voice sharpened.
"Shisui is not yours."
A pause.
"Say it again… and you'll regret it."
Danzō's jaw tightened. He didn't argue further.
He simply stared at the Crystal Ball—at Shisui's Mangekyō—like a starving man staring at meat.
As for Leon?
Danzō barely acknowledged he existed.
Hokage Rock
Up on the monument, Leon had already pushed his Observation Haki to the limit the moment Shisui activated Mangekyō.
Because there was one thing in particular he couldn't afford to take lightly—
Kotoamatsukami.
If anything felt even slightly "off," he would go all-out immediately.
Shisui, wrapped in the green giant's shadow, spoke coldly.
" Uchiha Leon. Your taijutsu is strong… but is it stronger than my Susanoo?"
He didn't sound like someone testing a candidate anymore.
He sounded like someone delivering a lesson.
"You've already proven you can pass the Jōnin assessment," Shisui continued. "But I want you to understand something."
"Taijutsu has no future."
"Only when your spirit changes—when you undergo a true transformation—can you rise higher."
Leon tilted his head slightly.
"Is it worth it?"
His tone wasn't mocking.
It was almost… genuinely puzzled.
"Mangekyō has side effects. You're pushing Susanoo this far just to 'teach' me something."
"That's killing a thousand… at the cost of eight hundred."
"Worth it," Shisui said immediately, eyes shining with fanatic conviction.
"Where leaves dance, fire will live on."
"I'll use Mangekyō to make you understand: your pursuit is meaningless. Only the Will of Fire is the Uchiha's path forward."
Leon stared at him for a beat.
Then he sighed—softly, almost tired.
Hopeless.
Shisui wasn't just "loyal."
He was a believer.
A zealot who genuinely thought he could unify the clan and the village.
He didn't realize that to Konoha's upper leadership, he was a tool—useful until he wasn't.
A dog you praised while it bit.
A dog you killed the moment you wanted what it carried.
Leon's voice stayed calm.
"Fine."
Shisui's gaze hardened.
"Come. I'll crush the taijutsu you're proud of—until it means nothing."
The green Susanoo clenched both massive fists.
It didn't even need to move to look overwhelming.
Chakra poured off it in waves, each pulse promising explosive strength.
Standing there, it felt like a mountain had risen.
Leon didn't argue anymore.
He simply let out a slow breath—
and wrapped both fists in black Armament Haki.
He wanted to know too—
how far his body had climbed.
—Whoosh!
Leon vanished, charging straight in.
Shisui didn't flinch.
"Good."
The Susanoo threw a massive right punch.
A heartbeat later—
Leon's small fist met the giant's fist head-on.
And the collision detonated.
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