After the Kage Summit, the shinobi world had remained in constant unrest.
Although the Five Great Hidden Villages and the Akatsuki organization had exercised restraint to avoid outright war, minor conflicts kept breaking out continuously. These conflicts mainly revolved around attempts to win over the smaller ninja villages.
Everyone understood that war would inevitably break out—it was only a matter of time.
Under these circumstances, striving to gain as much support as possible had become an unavoidable trend.
However, when everyone aspired to become a ninja, farmland was left abandoned. Although ninjutsu could, to some extent, promote agricultural development, very few people were willing to continue farming after obtaining power. The chaotic state of the shinobi world also lacked the conditions needed for peaceful cultivation.
This led to food shortages and rising grain prices. Bandits and thieves ran rampant, worsening the situation further and causing even worse food scarcity—an endless vicious cycle.
Moreover, the scenario predicted by the Raikage back then had also come to pass.
Unrestrained power had become like a dragon breaking free from its cage. Random killings had become the norm, and innocent people were often caught in the crossfire of conflicts.
Except for the Five Great Hidden Villages, which were barely holding onto peace, the entire shinobi world had fallen into a kind of frenzied state, as if the world itself had rotted!
In such a complex and volatile situation, four more years had quietly passed!
...
Konoha, Uchiha clan's territory.
"A few days ago, while on a mission, I noticed that more and more refugees from various regions have been flooding into the Land of Fire, heading toward Konoha," said Itachi, dressed in Anbu attire, with a puzzled expression. "There's no war, so why has everything become like this?"
"Because the world is rotting!" Shisui replied firmly.
"The world is rotting?" Itachi's expression turned complex. Having been thrown into battle at the age of four to be forced to grow up fast, his thinking was indeed more mature than that of his peers. "At this rate, Konoha's peace won't last much longer either, right?"
Shisui let out a long sigh. "As long as Konoha remains part of the shinobi world, there's no way we can escape this vortex!"
Itachi looked troubled. "Then does that mean what Akatsuki says is true—that a dramatic revolution is necessary to purge the entrenched evils, destroy the current order, and let the shinobi world rise anew from the ruins?"
"I don't know whether the Akatsuki are right or not, but I do know one thing..." Shisui said, pausing for effect. "To end this chaos, someone must step forward and restore order with an iron grip!"
Itachi looked strangely at him. "That sounds familiar. Didn't someone also say something like, 'The great transformation of our world is both a challenge and an opportunity; if we seize the moment, we can forge the scattered shinobi nations into a single, powerful unity!'"
Shisui chuckled. "So you've read The Shimura Diaries too, huh?"
Itachi gave a dry expression. "I just didn't expect you to side with Hokage-sama!"
"How could that be?" Shisui shrugged. "Although these words don't quite suit Hokage-sama, they're not wrong on their own. They'd be perfectly fitting if used to describe another venerable figure!"
Itachi already knew who that senior was and didn't ask further. Instead, he asked with a serious expression, "Are you planning to use your ability on Hokage-sama?"
Shisui gently pressed his eyebrow. Three Tomoe in his pupil rapidly rotated, transforming into a shuriken-shaped pattern resembling a windmill. "That senior told me not to use my eye abilities for now and to continue practicing genjutsu!"
"Even with your genjutsu skills, you still need to keep training?" Itachi first showed shock, then calmed himself. "But it's true. Even if you've awakened the Mangekyou Sharingan, without practice, it'd be difficult to truly help that person, right?"
"Never mind me, how about you?" Shisui smiled. "Didn't I already tell you the method to awaken it?"
"That's impossible! Experiencing intense negative emotions—even witnessing the death of a loved one—it's just too hard!" Itachi sighed and asked, "How did you manage to do it? I haven't heard of any of your close friends or family passing away."
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"That senior once told me love can be divided into great love and small love," Shisui said emotionally, touching his eyes. "It was precisely because I witnessed how the infinitely beloved world transformed into what it is today that I awakened the Mangekyou Sharingan! These eyes that wish to change the current situation!"
Itachi was deeply moved, murmuring, "Great love and small love?"
Shisui nodded continuously. "So, what do you think? Do you feel like awakening your eyes yet?"
"I'm not sure," Itachi touched his chest. "I also have love for the world, but apparently it's still not enough to awaken my eyes... Could it be because I don't love this world deeply enough?"
At that moment, a cheerful voice came from afar.
"Brother, brother, I've mastered the Grand Fireball Jutsu!" Sasuke excitedly ran in front of Itachi and said.
Seeing the delighted Sasuke, whose face clearly read "Come on, praise me," both Itachi and Shisui felt puzzled in their hearts.
Was mastering the Grand Fireball Jutsu really something worth boasting about? They could just glance at the scroll and master it before even entering the academy.
Looking at the seven-year-old Sasuke, Itachi's eyes were filled with caring and pity as he encouraged, "Sasuke, you're a genius!"
"Hehe!" Sasuke shyly smiled, then waved his little fist, "Brother, I'll surpass you!"
Itachi smiled and patted Sasuke's head like a dog. "Yeah, I believe you can do it!"
Watching from the side, Shisui suspected in his heart, "Could it be that the key to Itachi awakening his Mangekyou lies in Sasuke?"
"Should I play a little prank on Itachi?" Unexpectedly, Shisui began visualizing a scenario in his mind where Clan Leader Fugaku kills Sasuke, claiming that this child is already useless and that he should use him to test Itachi's capacity.
"Forget it. Itachi might actually turn against me!" Sighing, Shisui interrupted their conversation and said, "I still have a mission. I'll go ahead first!"
"Bye, Shisui nii-san!" Worried that Shisui might change his mind, Sasuke quickly sweetly called out.
Finally, he could drive away that annoying guy who stole his brother!
Of course, Shisui could see through Sasuke's little thoughts and couldn't help smiling wryly, then left with several quick leaps.
After Shisui left, Sasuke looked up expectantly. "Aniki, teach me more ninjutsu!"
However, Itachi was lost in thoughts about the greater good and familial bonds. Apologetically, he gently poked Sasuke's forehead. "Forgive me, Sasuke. I'll teach you next time."
Hearing this dismissive response, Sasuke's cheeks puffed up like a pufferfish.
"You're doing it again! I'm really angry this time—don't even try to cheer me up!"
Itachi nodded. "Then I won't try to cheer you up."
...
After leaving, Shisui steered clear of prying eyes in the village and made his way to a secluded forest.
Glancing around nervously, he whispered, "I've come as I promised!"
A voice came from the shadows behind him. "Have you made your decision?"
Shisui turned around and faced the mysterious man wearing a swirling mask. "What exactly did you mean when you spoke to me the day before yesterday?"
Obito said, "The Uchiha are already standing at the edge of a cliff. Only you can save them now!"
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