"Shisui, the version of yourself you've been clinging to is long dead. It's time to face reality."
Shisui froze at those words, sitting blankly on the floor with a dazed expression.
He had already sensed something was wrong the moment he lost his Mangekyō Sharingan days ago, but he had deliberately chosen not to think too deeply, refusing to trust his instincts.
Even after Naruto exposed the truth, Shisui resisted accepting it.
Because accepting reality required courage—courage he no longer had. He didn't want to go back to who he used to be.
Watching the shadow of despair descend over Shisui, Naruto sighed softly. He left a shadow clone to keep watch in secret, then quietly walked out of the underground base.
Shisui needed time to come to terms with the truth, and Naruto could use that time to familiarize himself with the Kotoamatsukami Sharingan.
As he walked through the dense forest, Naruto found himself reflecting on everything that had happened to Shisui.
If he hadn't witnessed it firsthand, he never would have believed that the Shisui who chose suicide to avoid choosing between clan and village was nothing more than an idealized version of the man—one created by Shisui himself, not the real Shisui.
Still, anyone who could deliberately overwrite their own will… was ruthless in their own right.
Soon, Naruto ventured into a valley teeming with wild beasts—an ideal place to master the Kotoamatsukami Sharingan and absorb all the innate abilities of the eye.
After practicing the basic Sharingan traits—enhanced dynamic vision, perception, and genjutsu amplification—Naruto decided to try summoning Susanoo.
Unfortunately, having only one Mangekyō Sharingan wasn't enough to unlock it.
This disappointed Naruto. Whether Susanoo was powerful or not was beside the point—after all, giant mechs were every man's dream.
Still carrying that regret, Naruto pushed on with his training. His control over the Sharingan steadily improved—he could now clearly track fast-moving targets and even began practicing Uchiha-style shuriken techniques.
Whoosh!
Kunai flew from between Naruto's fingers, ricocheting off each other mid-air to change trajectory, finally striking a hidden target behind a tree with pinpoint accuracy.
"This eye really is a great prize… as long as you don't treat it like a Mangekyō."
Hours later, soaked in sweat, Naruto soaked in a mountain spring while musing aloud.
The Sharingan was undoubtedly powerful—but it still didn't compare to Kurama. Not only could Kurama talk and give advice, he offered three powerful transformation modes as well.
After his bath, Naruto stepped out of the water, dried off with Wind Release, and began heading toward a nearby town.
Because his Kotoamatsukami Sharingan couldn't be deactivated and couldn't be hidden with a henge or an eye-patch, he had to rely on colored contacts to mask the Mangekyō's distinct pattern.
As for whether the Third Hokage might notice during his regular home visits—well, the old man never paid him much attention anyway. Why would he catch such a small detail?
---
Elsewhere, Danzo—leader of Root—had also transplanted a Kotoamatsukami Sharingan.
Unlike Naruto, a young Uzumaki and Asura reincarnation, Danzo was extremely cautious during his eye transplant.
Now lying on the operating table, Danzo was surrounded by elite medical-nin, with Root guards stationed outside to prevent interference.
Despite all these precautions, the operation wasn't smooth—several complications occurred during the process.
Even after the transplant succeeded, the eye's rejection response caused Danzo severe pain. He was no longer a young man—he was over sixty years old, and death was a constant risk.
Still, as long as he could obtain the power of the Mangekyō and Wood Release, all risks were worth it.
With both powers, he could realize his grand ambition—to lead Konoha back to greatness.
Once the rejection subsided, Danzo couldn't wait to test Kotoamatsukami. He summoned several experimental subjects to assess the eye's power.
But like Naruto, he quickly discovered the eye had entered a ten-year cooldown.
Danzo's face darkened upon this revelation, frightening the test subjects into silence.
He had intended to use Kotoamatsukami to manipulate many targets—the Five Kage of the great nations, minor village leaders, even the Daimyō of the Land of Fire.
Any one of these would've provided tremendous strategic benefits and fueled Root's rise.
But now, with Kotoamatsukami on cooldown, his entire plan was off to a disastrous start.
What bothered him even more was this: When had Kotoamatsukami been used? And on whom?
Was it Uchiha Fugaku? Sarutobi Hiruzen? One of the village's other advisors? Surely Shisui hadn't wasted it on a battlefield enemy—that would be an unforgivable waste.
Turning away from the thought, Danzo asked one of the researchers:
"The Mangekyō transplant is done. When can I receive the Wood Release kekkei genkai?"
The researcher looked troubled and shook his head.
"Lord Danzo, the First Hokage's cells are incredibly volatile. Based on current data, the chance of transplant failure is over 70%. Unless you acquire a second Mangekyō Sharingan, I strongly advise against proceeding."
Danzo fell silent.
Of course he wanted both eyes. He wanted to combine the powers of the Uchiha and Senju—but Shisui had unexpectedly escaped the ambush.
And he suspected the second Kotoamatsukami eye was in Itachi's hands.
Itachi, though technically his subordinate, was far harder to deal with than Shisui—his mind sharper, his resolve unshakable.
After a pause, Danzo asked:
"Is there any other way to improve the surgery's success rate?"
The researcher skimmed through a report, frowning.
"The essence of the Mangekyō is Yin Release. Transplanting multiple Sharingan infused with Yin energy could help balance the instability from the Wood Release cells. But we don't have that many Sharingan available. And the difficulty of such a surgery would increase exponentially. No one here could perform it."
"Unless… unless you can get Tsunade or Orochimaru to handle the operation."
"Tsunade or Orochimaru?"
Danzo immediately dismissed the idea of Tsunade—the legendary medical ninja.
Though skilled, she detested him and would never assist in such a procedure. Even Konoha's initial Wood Release experiments were conducted behind her back, and now the program had been shut down by the Third Hokage.
That left only one viable option: Orochimaru, his longtime collaborator.
But persuading that greedy snake wouldn't be easy either.
As for the necessary Sharingan… wasn't the village still full of Uchiha jonin?
For the sake of the village's future, such sacrifices were necessary. The Uchiha would come to understand, eventually.
They were always shouting about rebellion during their clan meetings anyway—might as well become nutrients for Root.
If he could obtain both Senju and Uchiha powers, he could surpass even Tobirama and the First Hokage.
And when that day came, the Uchiha would bask in that glory as well.
---
Somewhere in the Land of Fire.
Obito emerged from a swirling vortex, appearing in front of a speeding carriage.
Without hesitation, he killed the official inside while the guards watched helplessly. He left with the corpse, ignoring the chaos as White Zetsu cleaned up the rest.
Sitting atop a tall tree, Obito stared silently at the blood on the ground.
He didn't enjoy these bounty missions, but Nagato and Konan insisted that Akatsuki members take on contracts, so he had no choice but to participate under a hidden identity.
Just then, a message arrived. Obito narrowed his eyes under the mask.
It was brief—just a few words.
"Shisui has disappeared. Internal Uchiha intel suggests Itachi was the one who killed him."
(End of Chapter )