Shirakashi noticed that Akisawa had fallen into deep contemplation and simply watched him quietly, waiting for the reality to sink in.
"Alright, I believe you are Madara Uchiha. Since you know so much, you must possess a Sharingan that surpasses the Mangekyo."
Shirakashi nodded. "My Sharingan is indeed more advanced than yours. But that's not the point. What I'm about to tell you is far more important."
He leaned in slightly. "After awakening the Mangekyo, although you gain extremely powerful abilities, that power comes at a terrible price."
"As long as you use the Mangekyo, you consume pupil power—and that power is not infinite. Once it runs out, the Mangekyo will close forever."
"What does 'close' mean?" Akisawa asked, his brow furrowing.
"It means blindness. To put it simply: you will go blind. So I advise you not to overuse those eyes."
Hearing the word "blindness," Akisawa looked thoughtful. "Is that why you want someone else's Mangekyo? Because yours has already gone blind?"
Shirakashi shook his head. "The Eternal Mangekyo, a level higher than the Mangekyo, carries no risk of blindness. As for how to awaken the Eternal Mangekyo... I will tell you after you agree to cooperate with me."
Cooperation?
Akisawa's expression turned grim. "What exactly makes you think I will cooperate with you?"
"I told you before," Shirakashi said calmly. "To awaken the Mangekyo, you must experience the death of a beloved friend or family member. To pursue this power, many Uchiha have done terrible things—even killing their loved ones with their own hands."
"Now, look at your situation. All your teammates are dead. The mission has failed. When you return to Konoha, not only will you face severe torture and interrogation from the village, but even within the Uchiha clan... how will they look at you?"
"Ordinary clan members may not know the secrets of the Mangekyo, but your elders definitely do. How will they view you—an anomaly who has suddenly awakened these legendary eyes?"
Akisawa stared at him intently. "Is this fearmongering supposed to be the source of your confidence?"
Shirakashi smiled. "Isn't it enough?"
"I can hide my Mangekyo."
"Naive," Shirakashi scoffed. "Konoha's Yamanaka clan secret techniques and the Uchiha's own Sharingan can both peer into a person's memories. If you want to bet your life on whether they'll use those methods on you, be my guest."
"Of course, you could also choose to tell them about me. But you must be clear about one thing: overly powerful strength attracts jealousy, and it attracts greed."
"When that happens, how will you face it? If the Konoha higher-ups and your own Uchiha elders decide they want your power, what will they do to get it?"
Shirakashi leaned close to his ear and whispered, "You have a very good relationship with your little sister, don't you?"
Akisawa's expression shifted rapidly as he began to seriously consider the threat.
He wasn't a fool; he understood Shirakashi's implication perfectly.
First, returning to Konoha would inevitably lead to interrogation. No matter what he did, the fact that he had awakened the Mangekyo would be exposed.
Even if he survived the interrogation, his power would attract predators. Having already awakened these eyes, he knew just how terrifying their strength was.
If someone in Konoha used his sister to threaten him, what could he possibly do?
Defect from Konoha with her?
Impossible. Even if he managed to escape, his Mangekyo would eventually go blind from overuse, leaving them both defenseless.
At this moment, Shirakashi's expression shifted, a knowing smile playing in his eyes. "Let me tell you, there is only one path left for you now. You must become a rogue ninja."
A rogue ninja?
Akisawa narrowed his eyes, watching him silently.
"Whether it's for yourself or for your sister, you must hide the fact that you possess the Mangekyo. You have no choice but to leave Konoha."
"What did you mean by 'cooperation'?"
Hearing Akisawa finally ask about the deal, Shirakashi mentally licked his lips in excitement. Finally. He took the bait.
Natural enemy? Please. If I don't fool you until you're crippled, I'll be your pet!
"Join my organization and work for me," Shirakashi said smoothly. "I will tell you everything about the Mangekyo. If you want to see your sister, I can even arrange that for you—although I don't recommend it."
"Why?"
"It concerns the secret of the Eternal Mangekyo. Does this mean you've agreed to my request?"
Akisawa looked at Shirakashi quietly, and Shirakashi returned the gaze with a confident smile.
Five minutes later, Akisawa nodded. "Alright."
But Shirakashi just smiled and shook his head. "Words are cheap. I need to see substantive action."
Akisawa was stunned. Shirakashi shrugged and gestured toward the entrance. "We have guests."
"Was everything part of your calculation?"
"Not entirely. But the result is still quite favorable for me."
Akisawa turned and began walking toward the cave entrance.
Shirakashi walked over to Yuhaku, sealed her consciousness again, and then forced her eyes open. The three of them stood together, watching Akisawa's retreating back with strange smiles.
...
At nine o'clock in the evening, the sky was pitch black, void of both moonlight and stars.
The wind howled through the entrance of the cave, making a strange, mournful sound.
Shōen Uchiha stared at the not-so-distant cave with a cold expression.
Someone behind him spoke up. "It's confirmed. The scent disappears completely here. Everyone should be inside."
Shōen waved his hand, and immediately, several Uchiha clan members rushed into the cave.
Two minutes later, screams erupted from the darkness, mixed with angry curses and shouts of panic.
But just as quickly as they started, the sounds vanished without a trace.
After waiting for another five minutes with no response, Shōen looked at the cave and sighed softly. "Collapse this place."
"Great Elder, what about the clan members who just went in?"
"Don't worry about them. I have a bad feeling."
The dozen or so remaining Uchiha fell silent. Even the Anbu who had tagged along were surprised by his ruthlessness.
In the end, they still carried out the order.
"Fire Style: Great Dragon Fire Technique!" (Katon: Ryūka no Jutsu!)
Almost all the men Shōen brought were jonin of the clan. The sight of more than ten jonin using the Great Dragon Fire simultaneously was spectacular.
Over ten massive fire dragons roared into the cave one after another. Half a minute later, the accumulated heat inside reached its peak.
With a deafening boom, the cave collapsed, just as they had expected.
A moment later, a powerful gust of wind blasted outward from the rubble, pushing all the debris to the periphery.
After the dust settled, four people walked out.
Akisawa Uchiha walked at the very front, with Shirakashi and the other two following behind him.
Shōen quietly looked at Akisawa, and Akisawa looked back at him with dead calm eyes.
He had killed all the clan members who had entered the cave. Now, there was no turning back.
Actually, he knew very well that to protect Reika, he had another choice: to end his own life.
He didn't care about living or dying, but he knew that if he died, "Madara Uchiha" would simply continue targeting his clansmen until he got what he wanted.
But if he stayed alive... he would pose a threat to Madara. A living Mangekyo user would make Madara hesitate to act against the Uchiha again.
This could be considered an indirect way of protecting Reika and the clan.
It's just that to protect them, he had to inflict harm on them first.
Was it really okay for him to do this?
He didn't know.
There was only one thing he felt he must do.
He had to drag out the Madara Uchiha hiding behind the scenes and tear him to pieces, if only to relieve the hatred burning in his heart.