Konoha, The Forest of Death.
Shisui leaned against the crumbling wall of a desolate outpost, his gaze fixed on the moon and the starry expanse above.
Thanks to crude first aid, the trauma around his eye socket had begun to heal. The toxins in his system were largely expelled, drawn out alongside his continuously refined chakra. Give it a little more time, and he would likely recover physically...
But his heart remained outside these walls, heavy with worry for his clan and for Itachi.
Yet, he dared not leave.
Shisui knew with chilling certainty that Konoha was crawling with Danzō's men. He had encountered them before, sparing their lives for the sake of the bigger picture. He hadn't expected that mercy to nearly cost him his life.
He closed his remaining eye, unable to stop his turbulent emotions from bleeding outward.
Suddenly, his eye snapped open. The three tomoe of the Sharingan spun into existence. A rustling sound from the shadows caused every muscle in his body to tense.
He had been in this state all day—paranoid, seeing enemies in every swaying patch of grass and hearing threats in the wind. Shisui gripped his kunai tight, waiting.
Minutes passed. Outside, silence reigned.
He began to relax, his shoulders dropping slightly.
But in that exact split second—
A bizarre distortion rippled from the wall directly behind him.
Shisui launched himself forward like a spring, vanishing into the night. In the spot where he had been hiding, only a man wearing a spiral-patterned orange mask remained.
"Shisui of the Body Flicker... how pathetic you look."
The masked figure let out a soft chuckle, then quietly dissolved into the darkness.
Shisui didn't stop. He fled across two hills before finally taking shelter inside the hollow of a massive tree.
With his single eye, he stared intensely into the dark.
Was that a Root squad?
No.
The sensation was wrong. It didn't feel like a Root operative, nor did it carry the telltale signature of Earth Style ninjutsu. That chakra felt completely internalized, restrained...
'A Hiden technique? Or a jutsu beyond my current understanding?'
Shisui closed his eye, extending his senses to catch the slightest disturbance in the environment.
Abruptly, without any warning signs, he thrust his kunai backward, stabbing deep into the wooden wall of the hollow.
Thud!
The blade passed harmlessly through a silhouette that flickered into existence.
Shisui's pupil constricted. He immediately executed a Body Flicker, warping backward. The tomoe in his eye spun wildly, morphing into a complex, four-pointed shuriken pattern.
Just as Kotoamatsukami was about to activate...
The masked man showed a hint of surprise. "Mangekyō Sharingan? No wonder Danzō wants you dead. I don't know what that ability does, but the cost to use it must be steep, no? Besides... how can you be sure this is my real body?"
"You aren't one of Danzō's men," Shisui said, his voice cold. "Who are you?"
He pulled another kunai from his pouch.
The man in the spiral mask merely smiled behind the porcelain. "I am someone saving you. That eye of yours... it received temporary treatment, but the method was too crude. If you don't transplant a new eye soon, the optic nerve will atrophy."
Shisui remained silent.
The masked man continued, his tone dangerously casual. "Do you not hate Konoha?"
"..."
Shisui said nothing, but his mind was racing, analyzing every variable.
After a long pause, he maintained his defensive stance. "That has nothing to do with you."
"True. One should always remain guarded against strangers. So, I'll give you a gift."
The stranger chuckled lightly and dropped a sealing scroll onto the ground.
"This is a Sharingan I found wandering in the outside world. Perhaps you can find a use for it. Also..." He laughed, a low, resonant sound. "A free piece of intel: I am not the only one possessing lost Uchiha eyes. Danzō, Orochimaru... even Tobirama Senju back in the day possessed them."
"Since you don't trust me, you'll have to handle the transplant yourself."
With that, his figure warped and vanished from the spot.
Shisui's expression was grave, his mind battered by waves of shock.
He wasn't surprised that Danzō or Orochimaru studied the Sharingan. He had even guessed which jutsu Danzō intended to use—Izanagi.
But...
The Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju? Even he had researched the Sharingan?
Shisui stood in silence for several seconds before using a wire attached to his chakra to retrieve the scroll from a distance.
Looking at the scroll, he hesitated.
The stranger was right. His self-treatment was makeshift at best; it couldn't provide a perfect heal and would jeopardize any future transplant. If he wanted to keep the nerve alive, he needed an eye in the socket immediately.
But who could he trust to perform the surgery?
The Next Morning.
At the Ninja Academy, the bell rang. Masahiko hurriedly dealt with the students' questions and immediately rushed toward the Konoha Hospital.
On the playground, Ino pouted. "Sensei seems out of it today. He barely smiled at all."
"He probably has business to attend to," Shikamaru replied, yawning lethargically. "It's better if he's distracted. Otherwise, he'll just come up with more troublesome activities."
"I heard the Social Studies Fieldwork was entirely Masahiko-sensei's idea," a gloomy voice drifted in from the side.
Chōji shuddered, nearly dropping his potato chips. He turned around with a look of deep resentment. "Shino... next time, make a sound before you speak, okay?"
"Seriously, that was scary!" Ino nodded in agreement, then immediately narrowed her eyes at Shino. "What's wrong with the Social Studies Fieldwork? It's a brilliant idea. Are you actually opposing it?"
"..."
Shino was speechless. After a moment, he adjusted his sunglasses. "I didn't oppose it. I was merely stating a fact."
"Alright, alright! Let's just go to class," Shikamaru muttered, hanging his head in his usual display of exhaustion as he walked toward the building.
Ino jogged up to him, whispering conspiratorially, "Shikamaru, let's skip class!"
???
Shikamaru and Chōji stared at her in shock, then shook their heads violently in unison.
If they skipped class, they'd get a scolding. But if anyone dared to help Ino skip class? With her father, Inoichi Yamanaka, involved? That wasn't just a scolding; that was a death sentence.
Ino looked displeased. "If you don't take me, I'll skip by myself and tell everyone you put me up to it."
"Women are so troublesome," Shikamaru sighed. He glanced around before murmuring, "Sensei mentioned he went to the hospital yesterday..."
"Thanks, Shikamaru! I won't sell you out!" Ino beamed, grateful, and immediately dashed off in the direction of the village center.
Chōji watched her go, his hand frozen mid-chip-reach. He looked at Shikamaru.
Shikamaru shrugged. "Let her go. Uncle Inoichi can't even stop her, let alone you or me."
He lowered his head and shuffled toward the classroom.
Konoha Hospital.
Kanpō paced the hallway, clutching a research application report. He had completely lost the patience to see patients.
Medical Water Release...
According to the analysis in this report, while this technique lacked the precision and potency of standard medical ninjutsu, it possessed distinct advantages as a combat-oriented healing art.
But the most critical factor was simply this: Whoever participated in this research and produced results might seize the initiative for the next promotion.
The old captain of the Medical Corps was nearing retirement. The next captain...
Why shouldn't it be me?
At this thought, Kanpō's eyes burned with ambition. His finger traced the name on the file: Yagyu Masahiko.
He quickly pulled the corresponding medical record from the stack. "Arm injury..."
He stood up immediately and sprinted toward the surgical department.
When Kanpō arrived at the surgical wing, he saw a familiar, handsome ninja sitting on a bench outside the door. His eyes lit up, and he hurried over.
"Are you Yagyu-sensei?"
"Hello." Masahiko stood up and nodded politely.
Kanpō bowed respectfully. "My name is Kanpō. I am a member of the Konoha Hospital Medical Corps and the Research Division."
After introducing himself, he could barely contain his excitement. "I saw the application you submitted to the Research Division. Could we chat about it?"
"Of course, but I'm currently—"
"I'll check you in myself!" Kanpō answered without hesitation, a pleading look surfacing on his face.
"But I don't know much about medical theory..." Masahiko said, feigning hesitation.
"We can just exchange ideas! The concept is what matters most!" Kanpō insisted immediately.
"Well... alright then."
Masahiko agreed, looking appropriately "reluctant."