"Lord Garp, this is my failure in discipline. He's still just a child. I'll order him to return home and reflect immediately."
For the first time, Fugaku sensed a shift in Garp's tone, and his heart clenched.
He clearly noticed it, earlier, even after being struck by Kotoamatsukami, Garp hadn't shown the slightest anger.
But as Shisui kept stirring chaos and insisting that his eye had been blinded by Garp, the man before them… his gaze finally changed.
There was no killing intent.
From what he knew of Garp, even if Shisui had been rude first, Garp wouldn't go so far as to take his life.
But whether or not he'd actually smash his eyes blind… that was another story.
"Who said I'm weak? I haven't lost yet."
Cold-faced, Shisui suddenly pushed himself up from the ground.
"That's enough, Shisui.
As the head of the Uchiha clan, I command you to stand down immediately."
After Shisui repeatedly ignored his authority, treating him, the clan head, as nothing, Fugaku could no longer endure it.
His sharingan spun violently, and under the wary gazes of Orochimaru and Kushina, the three tomoe connected into a single line, morphing into a Mangekyo Sharingan.
Ferocious, icy killing intent surged out like a tide as the Mangekyo spun, crashing down upon Shisui.
"Another Mangekyo Sharingan!"
"Just like during the old era, two Mangekyo awakenings at the same time!"
"I wonder what terrifying dojutsu Fugaku's eyes hold…"
The moment Fugaku revealed his Mangekyo, Orochimaru, Kushina, and the others felt both fear and curiosity.
With Shisui's Kotoamatsukami earlier, they already had some idea of what Mangekyo could do.
"Take him away, take him away. Before I get annoyed and accidentally slap him to death.
Then I'll have to bear the ridiculous accusation of bullying the young and killing a minor."
Garp waved dismissively at Fugaku, not even sparing Shisui a glance, then turned and walked toward the camp surrounded by Orochimaru, Kushina, and the others.
"Take him away."
Fugaku looked gratefully at Garp's departing figure.
Even if one Mangekyo might truly be blind… at least the other could still be saved.
However…
Just as he signaled the clan members to restrain Shisui, who had his head lowered and remained silent, Shisui suddenly snapped his head up.
The Mangekyo pattern in his eyes began spinning at a terrifying speed.
Centered on his body, a visible torrent of overwhelming chakra burst out like a tsunami.
In an instant, a bright green mass of chakra wrapped around him, forming a gigantic skeletal figure.
"Ah…"
The few Uchiha members closest to Shisui were instantly blasted away by the green skeletal Susanoo.
"Shisui, are you insane?"
Fugaku flickered aside, narrowly avoiding the green Susanoo's sweeping arm.
Even as an Uchiha himself, he felt that Shisui had utterly lost his mind.
Using the precious Kotoamatsukami during a spar was one thing, at least it was "only" a dojutsu of the eyes. The backlash was sizable, but still within reason.
But Susanoo was different.
As clan head and a Mangekyo user himself, his understanding of Susanoo far surpassed Shisui's.
Susanoo was a divine power of the Uchiha… but for Mangekyo that had not evolved into Eternal Mangekyo, it was a life devouring technique.
"What dojutsu is this?"
"That chakra is terrifying."
"Is this the technique of the other Mangekyo eye?"
The moment Susanoo appeared, even just in its skeletal form, it exuded a suffocating pressure that would crush an ordinary shinobi.
"Garp, I haven't lost yet. Our battle isn't over."
Shisui coughed up blood.
His whole body was racked with unbearable pain, every cell screaming as if pierced by needles, but the exhilarating tide of power pouring from Susanoo made him tremble with intoxication.
"Susanoo, huh? Haven't seen this in a while."
Garp paused, glancing briefly at the green skeletal Susanoo. A hint of nostalgia flickered across his face.
Back in the old days, the only ones who could face his Fist head on besides Hashirama's Wood Golem… were Madara's Susanoo.
Of course, that was Perfect Susanoo.
As for Shisui's version… in Garp's eyes, it was nothing more than a flimsy Susanoo toy that would shatter at a touch.
"Do you see it now? This is the divine power of the Uchiha, far stronger than your Fist!"
Feeling the endless chakra flooding into Susanoo, Shisui couldn't help raising his right hand.
Boom!
The skeletal Susanoo began growing muscles, tendons, and skin.
As Susanoo completed its second stage, a violent gust exploded outward from the entrance of the Konoha camp.
"Stop this at once.."
Fugaku shielded himself from the storm and shouted furiously toward Shisui.
"Garp! If you've got the guts, try catching this the same way, using just two fingers like before!"
Ignoring Fugaku completely, Shisui formed hand signs.
At the same time, the fully enveloping second-stage Susanoo synchronized his movements.
"Susanoo: Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
As the final seal completed, Shisui exhaled, and Susanoo mirrored him.
Both opened their mouths and unleashed a colossal fireball infused with Wind Release chakra, roaring forward like a falling meteor.