Among the Uchiha clan's forbidden dōjutsu, there exists a technique known as Izanami.
This technique allows the user to record a sequence of actions between themselves and their target and then forcibly replay that moment—again and again.
Anyone caught in Izanami becomes trapped in a loop between the "first action" and the "second action" recorded by the user. To break free from this genjutsu, the victim must accept their fate and show genuine repentance—otherwise, they remain trapped in a cycle of infinite recurrence, lost in illusion forever.
There was no doubt—this was a fearsome technique. Even someone like Uchiha Shisui, who possessed the legendary Kotoamatsukami, couldn't help but feel unease at the thought.
But to his knowledge, invoking Izanami came at a steep price: complete blindness in the eye that cast it.
"Your eyes aren't blind, and I didn't sense the release of any genjutsu or ocular power…"
"This isn't Izanami. Yuki Yoru—what the hell did you do?!"
Shisui's eyes locked onto Yoru with deadly intensity. He was on the verge of forcibly activating his own Mangekyō abilities in a last-ditch effort to seize control of the situation.
But what good is a genjutsu… when even life and death were being cycled?
"Izanami? Ah, is that a dōjutsu similar to what I used just now? You Uchiha sure have a lot of tricks."
Yoru smiled coolly, peering down at Shisui from his elevated perch.
"Now then, can we talk like proper allies?"
Shisui remained silent, glaring with unwavering defiance.
Yoru sighed lightly. "Man, you really are a stubborn one. Then again, I suppose you'd have to be. You wouldn't have awakened those eyes if you weren't."
"That said… you're starting to feel it, aren't you? The numbness."
"What…?"
Shisui frowned, not quite understanding—until his his body violently shuddered. He completely lost control, collapsing weakly to the ground.
His chakra dispersed. His ocular power faded. Susanoo vanished.
A moment ago, he had been a god of war. Now, he lay there like a fish on a cutting board—completely helpless.
His crimson Mangekyō spun rapidly in his sockets, but his limbs would not respond. His thoughts were still sharp, but his brain...
—had been paralyzed.
"It seems this stuff works very well. Even a top-tier genjutsu master like you, with the Mangekyo Sharingan, and even an Eternal Mangekyo, can't detect or restrict it."
Yoru chuckled as he leapt down from the tree, walking over to Shisui's side.
Raising one hand, a pale blue chakra glowed at his fingertip. He thrust it firmly against Shisui's chest.
"Four Symbols Seal."
"Urgh!"
Shisui groaned as the jutsu took hold. Though his body was unresponsive, his five senses remained intact. The pain of his chakra being forcibly sealed surged through him.
Within moments, his chakra was completely sealed. Without chakra supply, his eyes quickly reverted to the three-tomoe Sharingan state. Even the three-tomoe couldn't be maintained, flickering faintly.
Shisui tried to resist, to fight back—but he couldn't even move his tongue. He couldn't speak. All he could do was let out a guttural moan of terror as saliva dribbled from the corner of his mouth.
"Don't worry. The pain won't last long. And afterward…" Yoru patted his head like one would a disobedient pet. "I expect you to behave."
He glanced toward the distance, where the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path (Gedo Mazo) had already vanished, then turned back to Shisui.
"Tell me everything—why you're here, what happened to both your eyes. If you're honest, I might even forgive your earlier hostility."
"Not entirely, of course. I'd just shift the blame for your little stunt from 'Konoha' to you personally."
"After all, I doubt you'd want all the effort your village put into negotiating peace with Kirigakure to go up in smoke because of one hot-headed Uchiha."
"Ggh... ghh!!"
Shisui tried to speak, but only groaned incoherently.
It took several seconds for the effects of the neural disruption to subside. Bit by bit, control of his body returned.
"Yy... Yu—Yuki Yoru..."
He mumbled weakly, as his consciousness fully returned. Feeling the full extent of his sealed chakra and replaying Yoru's words in his mind, the once-mighty Uchiha genius began to wear a look of bitter despair.
"What… do you want to know?"
"Everything," Yoru said flatly. "Start with why you're involved in this Akatsuki mess, and what triggered the evolution of your eyes. I want the full story—especially about your right eye."
"Tell me everything honestly, and I'll consider not holding your actions against Konoha."
Shisui clenched his fists inwardly. If it were up to him, he would've rather taken the truth to his grave than tell this monster anything.
But he had no choice.
Even though they were in Amegakure, Shisui knew full well what it had cost Konoha to secure the peace treaty with Kirigakure.
If his actions jeopardized that—if he brought destruction down upon the village…
He wouldn't be able to forgive himself.
"…It was Lord Danzo's orders," Shisui began, voice low. "Danzo had once worked with Hanzo of the Salamander. The deal was, if we helped Hanzo eliminate Akatsuki, he would send troops to assist us on the Iwagakure front."
"I was ordered here with an elite Uchiha team to gather intel, confirm targets, and capture the one known as Konan. We handed her over to Hanzo, who used her as leverage against Akatsuki's leaders—Yahiko and Nagato."
Shisui gave it all up. He knew Yoru could verify the details himself. Lying was pointless—and besides, he no longer had the leverage to lie.
Yoru listened quietly. He didn't offer praise or condemnation.
In the world of shinobi, kidnapping and extortion were mild tactics. A ninja's job was to get results, no matter the cost.
"As for my eye…" Shisui's voice grew quieter. "After you took my right eye, I received devastating news from the clan."
"My father was gravely ill. He wanted to see me one last time. Clan Leader Fugaku faced intense pressure, but he allowed me to return to the compound."
He spoke in a whisper. Yoru didn't interrupt—he simply listened.
It was the tale of father and son—the very blood bond necessary to awaken the Eternal Mangekyō.
"My father and I… we never saw eye to eye. We constantly clashed over ideals. But that day…"
Shisui's voice cracked.
"I saw a man on the brink of death. And he saw me—his son—missing an eye."
"He cursed my cowardice and weakness. But… he didn't abandon me."
"He wanted me to reclaim the Uchiha's pride. And to do that… he gave me his own right eye."
"But in the end… I still let him down."
Shisui trembled. Yoru could clearly feel the emotional surge roiling within him.
Despite the Four Symbols Seal in place, an unmistakable ripple of chakra rose from Shisui's brain—dark, overwhelming.
The source of his Mangekyō.
"Between the clan and the village…"
"My beliefs—my choices—pushed my father beyond his limit. He… died in front of me."
Shisui suddenly looked up, eyes blazing.
"You want to know the secret of the Uchiha? It's emotion."
"Strong enough emotions—loss, grief, rage—are what awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan in those with the potential."
"The moment my father died—when I forced him to his death—my eyes changed. They became the very thing you desire."
"So that's how it happened…"
Yoru nodded, patting Shisui's head again.
"Don't get the wrong idea. I'm not after the Mangekyō itself—just the dōjutsu it reflects within a twisted soul like yours."
"What…?" Shisui looked stunned. "You're after… Kotoamatsukami? But how do you know about that—?!"
So it is Kotoamatsukami!
Yoru's eyes lit up. He focused on Shisui's left eye with undisguised interest.
"I fought that spiral-masked man on Higashimatsuyama—the same one you encountered. So I conducted some research."
"Besides, I already have a Mangekyō in my right eye, and another one right here."
He tapped his sleeve. "All I lacked was the emotional trigger. But now... I have it."
Emotion.
With the absurd rate at which he'd grown thanks to this war—power, resources, experience—Yoru had never experienced the kind of pain required to awaken the Mangekyō.
What, was he supposed to awaken it because he was too rich? Too powerful?
That would be ridiculous.
"Alright then. Your story wasn't half bad. I'll accept it. Now, for the next step…"
"Urgh!"
Shisui screamed as searing pain exploded in his eye sockets. With practiced calm, Yoru extracted one Mangekyō Sharingan—and one Eternal Mangekyō—and placed them into a preservation vessel.
Even if he didn't know the Eternal Mangekyō's exact abilities yet, Kotoamatsukami alone was worth the trouble.
He sealed the vessel inside a scroll, knocked Shisui unconscious with a precise strike to the neck, and slung him under his arm.
Even if Hiruzen Sarutobi had lied, and the intel was bogus, it no longer mattered.
Kirigakure would now possess Uchiha blood.
Shunpo—activate.
In a flash, Yoru appeared in a clearing.
Ahead of him was a battered red-haired boy—a member of the Uzumaki clan.
Both legs crippled by explosive tags. His chakra and life force drained by the Demonic Statue. Mentally and physically broken, yet still shielding his comrade with his body.
"Things don't look so good, do they, Nagato?"
"Who are you?! Don't you dare hurt Nagato!"
Despite her chakra being sealed, the girl—Konan, having already lost one comrade—threw herself in front of Nagato protectively.
"We've never met, but this symbol should explain it."
Yoru pointed to the Mizukage's hat atop his head. "Yuki Yoru, Fourth Mizukage of Kirigakure."
"And also... your former employer. Right, Nagato?"
"...Yuki Yoru."
Nagato looked battered and savage. His Rinnegan, radiating a chilling aura, stared at Yoru, who was clad in the Fourth Mizukage's robes. A hoarse voice, distorted by intense emotional fluctuation, emerged from his throat:
"Why… are you here?"
"Ah, I received a notification from the Third Hokage to bring this unfilial son who enraged his own father to death back home, and to collect some things along the way."
Yoru gestured to the unconscious Shisui slung under his arm, then pointed toward the battlefield littered with fallen Uchiha corpses.
"Didn't expect things to be this lively though…"
"I remember telling you before—Yahiko's ideals were noble, but too naive."
"He wanted peace—but left that choice in the hands of others."
"We can trust our own strength, but we cannot trust the hearts of others. When you place the initiative in someone else's hands, those in power only need a single thought to destroy hard-won peace. That's reality. And Yahiko... it seems he couldn't withstand the cruel onslaught of reality."
"It's not Yahiko who was wrong, but this filthy, dark, and ugly world!"
Nagato's voice suddenly grew sharp. His Rinnegan began to emanate an unsettling aura!
"You're right," Yoru said, nodding. "A boy who gave his life for peace, and died protecting his friends, was never wrong."
He knelt, planting a spiritual seed into the ground and tossed a scroll toward Konan.
"Maybe some mask-wearing weirdo or a black-and-white freak reached out to you before I did."
"But remember what we discussed in the Land of Iron, Nagato."
"Whether you follow Yahiko's dream—or your own—Kirigakure will support your path to peace."