This utterly unconcealed gaze naturally did not escape Shine's perception.
He turned his head, his indifferent gaze falling upon Itachi, a cold curve hooking the corner of his mouth: "Little wolf cub, your milk teeth haven't even fully grown in, yet you dare bare your fangs at an elder? Do you believe I'll pluck your teeth out right now and teach you what reverence means?"
The moment his words fell, the Chakra around Shine violently erupted!
A terrifying pressure surged through the tent like a tidal wave, the candle flames pressed so violently they flickered wildly, almost extinguishing.
Uchiha Itachi's pupils constricted to pinpoints, his small body collapsing uncontrollably to the floor. He felt the man before him was like a demon god crawled out of Hell, a cold Aura enveloping him, making even breathing difficult, a primal fear welling up from the depths of his heart.
Nara Shikagen was similarly oppressed by this Chakra, cold sweat streaming down his face, his legs trembling slightly, his back already soaked through.
He was, after all, an Elite Jōnin, yet before Shine's Chakra, he couldn't even stand straight, forced to retreat half a step in disarray, his mind roiling with shock — this amount of Chakra was simply inconceivable!
Even Uchiha Fugaku felt as if a massive rock were pressing on his chest, making it hard to breathe.
He was also a Three-Tomoe powerhouse, yet Shine's Chakra was not only terrifying in quantity, but its quality was also exceptionally pure, carrying a unique fluctuation of Yin and Yang fusion, making him instinctively wary.
No one present knew the source of the terror of Shine's Chakra.
Chakra is originally formed by the combination of the Yin Release of Mental Energy and the Yang Release of life force, and Shine's Mangekyo Dōjutsu 'Ōkuninushi' allows the Yin and Yang Releases to perfectly converge and unite into one. Whichever side — Mental Energy or life force — is stronger, it pulls the weaker side up to the same level.
If one were to say that in the future, Uchiha Itachi and Shisui, after awakening the Mangekyo, had a Yin-Yang Release ratio of 10:2, with a Chakra quantity only slightly exceeding that of ordinary Elite Jōnin, relying entirely on their Dōjutsu, ocular power, and Susanoo to reach Kage-level;
Then Uchiha Shine's Yin-Yang Release ratio is a perfect 10:10 — the Sharingan Bloodline grants him Mental Energy not inferior to the life force of the Uzumaki Clan, and 'Ōkuninushi' compensates for the shortcoming in Yang Release, making his Chakra quantity far exceed that of ordinary Kage-level.
This volume, even if not comparable to Uzumaki Kushina who possessed the Nine-Tailed, is enough to approach Senju Tobirama who possessed the Senju Bloodline!
It must be understood that the Mental Energy of the Sharingan is originally on the same level as the life force of the Senju and Uzumaki. The singular Mental Energy in the Mangekyo state is in no way inferior to Kushina without the Nine-Tails, and Shine, with his balanced Yin and Yang, has long surpassed the Chakra quantity of the vast majority of Senju and Uzumaki Clan Members!
The tent fell into dead silence, with only Shine's heavy breathing and the suppressed panting of the others interweaving.
Shine slowly withdrew his Chakra, his gaze sweeping over the three men with their varied expressions, the disdain at the corner of his mouth deepening: "Now, does anyone still wish to question me?"
"Shine!" Uchiha Fugaku stared at this Clan Member who seemed like a completely different person, his face alternating between green and white, shifting like a palette.
The former Shine was gentle and humble; even with his extraordinary talent, he had never been so ostentatious. But the current him radiated a cold Aura that kept others at a distance, the Three-Tomoe Sharingan in his eyes carrying undisguised arrogance, as if he didn't even regard him, the Clan Chief, with any importance.
But Shine remained expressionless, pulling out a gilt-edged certificate from his chest, holding it out to Fugaku between his fingertips. The words 'Hokage's Order' were glaringly prominent on the paper: "By the command of Hokage-sama, I am authorized to select fifty Ninja from the camp to serve under me, with full command authority. Lord Fugaku, any problems?"
The seal on the certificate was clearly identifiable; it was indeed Hiruzen Sarutobi's personal signature and the Hokage's official seal.
Uchiha Fugaku's pupils contracted, rage instantly flaring in his heart — Hiruzen Sarutobi was blatantly trying to divide the Uchiha's combat power, yet he couldn't refute it.
He clenched his fists tightly, knuckles turning white, the crimson Three-Tomoe spinning wildly in his eyes, almost bleeding. After a long moment, he forcibly suppressed the violent anger in his heart, gritting his teeth: "I will assign you... suitable personnel."
"No need for the trouble." Shine retrieved the certificate, his tone calm and unruffled, yet carrying an undeniable forcefulness. "I appreciate Lord Fugaku's 'consideration,' but I believe selecting fifty men from among the Uchiha Clan Members will suffice. They are all from our own Family; cooperation will be more seamless. If there's nothing else, I'll go make my selections."
With that, he turned and walked toward the tent entrance, his steps not pausing in the slightest, as if the Clan Chief before him was merely an insignificant passerby.
"You!" Uchiha Fugaku watched his unhesitating retreating back, his chest heaving violently, a surge of blood rushing to his head.
He could clearly feel that Shine was blatantly seizing power!
Yet, precisely because the other held the Hokage's Order, he had a legitimate pretext.
The Three-Tomoe in his eyes spun faster and faster, the Three-Tomoe faintly showing a tendency to connect into a line, clearly indicating his emotions were agitated to the extreme, almost on the verge of breaking through a limit.
But when he caught sight of the complex expression on Nara Shikagen's face beside him, the fury in his heart was forcibly pressed down again.
This was the Allied Forces Headquarters. People from Konoha were watching. He couldn't lose his composure, couldn't give Konoha a handle to suppress the Uchiha.
Taking a deep breath, he said in a low voice, "At most five Jonin! The rest must be Chunin and Genin! The Frontline combat strength is already strained; we cannot allocate too many elites for you alone!"
Shine's footsteps paused at the tent flap. He didn't turn around, but his voice came like ice: "Are you ordering me?"
"This is for the greater good! For the Uchiha! And for the Konoha Allied Forces!" Fugame forcefully maintained his Aura, enunciating each word.
"Greater good?" Shine chuckled lightly, the laughter full of mockery. "Worry about yourself, you waste. Can't even protect your own Clan Members, don't even dare to resist being sidelined by Konoha, and still have the face to talk about the greater good?"
With those words, he paid no further heed to the furious Fugaku behind him, lifted the tent flap, and strode directly out of the Headquarters, leaving behind a room full of dead silence.
Passing by the corner of the tent, he stopped, his gaze falling upon the rigid figure of Uchiha Itachi.
The four-year-old child was curled up there, his small face pale, eyes full of terror, yet still stubbornly refusing to lower his head.
Shine crouched down, meeting him at eye level. His gaze was terrifyingly calm, devoid of the disdain he showed Fugaku or the contempt for Nara Shikagen, containing only a naked, undisguised killing intent, like a cold blade pressed against Itachi's neck: "Little brat, remember one phrase — your position determines your stance."
His voice wasn't loud, but each word was clear, carrying a penetrating force: "You're still young now, can't see Konoha's hypocrisy, can't see your father's cowardice. But if one day you can't see clearly, take the wrong side, if your position is misaligned, then keep your mouth firmly shut for me."
Advance chapter available on pãtrêon Got1808