"Kotoamatsukami…!"
Obito's mind raced.
"Shisui's left eye… it's in your possession?!"
Madara said calmly, "I know about Kotoamatsukami. It's recorded in the Uchiha's secret scrolls. In the early Warring States period, it appeared only briefly, yet it directly changed the clan's position in war for many years."
"You mean that Shisui… the so-called 'Shisui of the Body Flicker' from the Third Shinobi World War?"
Back then, Madara had been hiding underground, gathering intelligence through White Zetsu. He had heard of Shisui, but never paid him much attention.
"Yes. That Shisui."
"Oh? His Mangekyō gave birth to Kotoamatsukami? How intriguing."
No wonder Madara didn't know.
Shisui had awakened his Mangekyō early, but concealed it well. He only revealed its secret to the Third Hokage and Danzō shortly before the Uchiha coup.
Akira explained Shisui's story to Madara, which naturally led to the Uchiha massacre and Itachi's deeds.
"So that's how it was…"
"When Edo Tensei was suddenly released, I even praised the Allied Forces for having capable shinobi."
"To think it was Sasuke's brother, Uchiha Itachi…"
"After Kotoamatsukami was activated, Itachi burned the crow with Amaterasu."
"And I used Yumotaryu to retrieve the eye."
"As for how I did it… Uncle Madara, you can probably imagine."
"Mm." Madara raised his hand and touched Hashirama's eye socket through his robe.
"I can imagine it perfectly."
Obito asked, "But Kotoamatsukami needs Hashirama cells to recharge quickly after being used, right?"
"Did you transplant them too, Akira?"
"No. I found another way."
Akira bit his finger and formed seals with blood.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
"Bang!"
A three-foot-long bird with white feathers appeared in a cloud of smoke and landed on Akira's left shoulder.
Its gaze was cold.
Its right eye socket was empty and dark.
In its left socket…
A Mangekyō Sharingan with a four-bladed pinwheel pattern.
Obito recognized it instantly.
"That's… Shisui's eye!"
Akira said, "This is Guhuo Bird. I cultivated it using Hashirama cells."
"I use it as the medium to activate Kotoamatsukami."
Compared to Shisui's right eye, Madara was even more shocked by the bird itself.
"Akira… you can cultivate cells too?"
Back then, he had relied on the Demonic Statue to create Hashirama clones.
Raising a living summon was far more advanced.
Akira smiled.
"It's a long story. I learned it from someone."
"I'll explain later."
"Hm?" Deidara, who was patrolling in the air, noticed the white smoke through his scope.
His C2 dragon swooped down sharply.
"An intruder in Peachspring? That's rare!"
He reached into his pouch.
"Shhshhshh!"
Clay was chewed in his palm.
"Perfect! Time to test my art! Mm!"
"…!"
Akira raised his eyes.
Deidara's expression changed violently.
He crushed the clay in his pouch.
The flying dragon dove down.
Deidara dropped to his knees before Akira.
"So it's Lord Shadow himself!"
"My apologies! My apologies!"
"I almost let my art be sullied!"
Madara and Obito both stared at him.
Then looked at each other.
The shock in their eyes was no less than when they learned about Kotoamatsukami and Guhuo Bird.
Because…
With their eyesight, they saw no trace of genjutsu control on Deidara.
Madara thought, What's going on…? Kotoamatsukami shouldn't work like this.
Obito was certain.
Kotoamatsukami altered one's will without them noticing.
But outsiders could still detect abnormalities in chakra pathways and undo it.
Back at the Five Kage Summit, Ao had exposed Danzō's trick.
"Could it be…" Madara suddenly realized something and looked at Akira's left eye.
Akira thought, As expected of Uncle Madara. He saw through it immediately.
Yes.
It was that left-eye ability.
The power originally born in Jin's left eye.
Inherited by Akira through transplantation.
A dojutsu that amplified any technique it supported.
When paired with Edo Tensei, it broke its limits.
Allowing Madara to use true Rinnegan power.
Letting Obito retain his Six Paths-enhanced body and eyes.
When paired with Kotoamatsukami…
It permanently erased abnormal chakra reactions in the brain.
Not just undetectable.
Even the "backdoor" for release was gone.
Genjutsu…
Became reality.
Those affected would become Akira's spiritual captives forever.
To what extent?
That depended on his will.
Usually, Akira didn't erase personalities.
As long as they were loyal and behaved in his territory, he left them intact.
Like Deidara—still obsessed with art.
Of course, he adjusted intensity case by case.
"Poof!"
Guhuo Bird vanished in smoke.
Akira said, "Deidara, continue your patrol."
"Yes, Lord Shadow!"
Deidara stood up and mounted his bird.
Then his gaze paused on Obito's face.
He stared deeply, frowning.
"Hey, Wrinkle-face dude… have we met before?"
"You feel familiar."
Obito smiled.
"No… you've got the wrong person."
"Oh… okay."
Deidara flew off, muttering,
"Still feels familiar…"
Madara chuckled.
"Akira, he called you 'Lord Shadow,' huh?"
Akira shrugged.
"They insisted. I never crowned myself."
They descended stairways along the cliff to the main street.
Bustling shops.
Crowds everywhere.
Obito frowned.
"This place is isolated. Where did all these civilians come from?"
Akira replied, "Most were secretly relocated from Amegakure."
"They were used to closed rule."
"So they adapted easily."
"What?!" Obito was stunned.
"How did you manage that?"
"You couldn't have used Kotoamatsukami on everyone!"
Akira smiled faintly.
"I could. But there was no need."
"Just needed someone with absolute influence."
"One call, and they followed."
Obito frowned.
"Rain Village… who has that kind of authority?"
"It was me."
A cold female voice sounded above.
"Rustle—"
Countless paper sheets fluttered down.
They formed a slender woman.
Clear features.
Orange eyes.
Blue hair cascading over her shoulders.
The Akatsuki cloak fluttered softly.
Obito sucked in a sharp breath.
His face turned pale.
"That's impossible…!"
"You're dead!"
"I confirmed it myself…"
"How are you standing here… alive?"
"Konan!"
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