Deep within the Forest of Death.
The Masked Man emerged from the earth once more. However, the instant he surfaced this time, he felt a strange, jarring trance wash over him.
In the very next second, he shattered the Genjutsu. Shisui's figure appeared before him again.
Only this time... it wasn't just one.
Dozens of Shisuis surrounded him in a tight circle, their blades flickering with the intense glow of fire.
Boom!
The flaming blades slashed through his body in a singular, coordinated flash.
"Is this your answer?"
The Masked Man's body turned intangible, phasing through the attack with terrifying calm. There was no anger in his voice.
Shisui, having slashed through nothing but air, showed no surprise. He stared intently at the faint scorch marks left on the Masked Man's robes and spoke with cold analysis.
"A technique that instantly transports your physical body into another dimension... This is no ordinary Space-Time Ninjutsu." Shisui locked eyes with the enemy. "It's a Dōjutsu, isn't it?"
"You are clever. Even cleverer than I imagined," the Masked Man chuckled softly.
He looked at Shisui's face, noting that the other eye—the empty socket—had already been healed.
'No wonder.'
"To think you solved the issue of a Sharingan transplant on your own..."
"I have my own subordinates cultivated outside the clan. Such matters are not difficult for me," Shisui replied, his gaze piercing. "I also know that you possess a Mangekyō Sharingan not recorded in the clan's history. The release of the Nine-Tails years ago... that was your doing, wasn't it?"
"Not a difficult guess to make. You are indeed much sharper than Itachi." The Masked Man raised his head, looking down at Shisui. "So, is your answer revenge?"
"I want to know the reason, and your objective. That will determine whether I cooperate with you," Shisui answered calmly. "Otherwise, even if you are willing to accept me, how can I be sure you aren't just another Danzō?"
Kotoamatsukami. The ultimate Genjutsu.
After experiencing betrayal once, Shisui understood clearly: no one would let their guard down against such a technique. Including the man standing before him. He had pondered this for days before deciding on this course of action.
The Masked Man chuckled low in his throat. "Naturally, it is because... I am the architect of the Uchiha. Your technique is useless against me."
"You are... Uchiha Madara?"
For the first time, Shisui's composed expression cracked, revealing a violent shift in emotion. Shock and disbelief flashed across his face before he forced himself back to calmness.
"I have read the archives. Madara never used a Dōjutsu like yours."
"If one lives long enough, one accumulates all manner of collections. Including your eyes... I do indeed have a use for Kotoamatsukami." The Masked Man's tone turned indifferent. "If you are unwilling to submit, I can simply take it myself."
"I want the Uchiha to survive. Even if it is only a small portion of them," Shisui stated his condition.
The other man responded dismissively. "Your wish is too small."
The Masked Man looked up at the moon.
"Though, I suppose for a child like you, your vision is still too narrow. Of course, I would allow a small portion to survive. But as long as war and conflict exist, the destruction of the Uchiha is merely a matter of time."
He lowered his gaze back to Shisui. "To create a nation controlled by the Uchiha... only then can the clan truly be saved!"
"You can go to the Naka Shrine and look at the stone tablet there. Although your pupil power is insufficient to read all of it, you will at least learn some of the secrets."
"By the way," the Masked Man added, his figure beginning to fade, "Hiruzen Sarutobi's men are already searching the various training grounds. To go or not to go... the choice is yours."
"Let us meet again at that place."
Shisui remained frozen, wearing an expression of stunned daze. Only after "Madara" had completely vanished did he slowly regain his composure.
'Naka Shrine...'
Shisui knew perfectly well that the shrine would be a focal point for the Konoha Anbu's surveillance. Yet, he had a reason he simply could not ignore.
This was a risk worth taking.
Night. The starlight was dim and oppressive.
In his apartment, Masahiko finished drilling the Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu. After an unsuccessful attempt at training the Soft Physique Modification technique, he withdrew from the training space.
Having read through the scrolls on Soft Physique Modification, Masahiko believed this technique would be highly beneficial. It could help alleviate the muscular stress caused by his "Limit-Break" state.
He had planned to organize his medical ninjutsu knowledge to solve the issue of softening the human muscular structure.
However...
From outside the house came a series of faint, almost imperceptible whoosh sounds.
"What's happening?"
Masahiko was secretly startled. He pressed himself against the wall, channeling chakra to maximize his sensory perception and hearing.
Obscure chakra fluctuations rippled through the surrounding area. Subtle sounds rose and fell in waves.
A large deployment of ninja.
At a time like this, it could only be the Anbu.
Masahiko's heart sank. 'What situation requires dispatching such a massive number of Anbu?'
He knew that something unexpected must have occurred. Combining this with the "Prequel" plotlines he had seen before, there was only one possibility—
'Shisui has been exposed!'
And the reason for his exposure was highly likely related to the Obito lurking within Konoha.
"Obito..."
"The direction the Anbu are heading is..."
Masahiko frowned. Based on the sensory data, he locked onto the coordinates:
Naka River.
It was eighty percent likely that the incident was happening there.
He closed his eyes, remaining silent. After a long moment of contemplation, he decided to hold his position. Shisui would have to seek his own fortune.
Naka Shrine.
Shisui, having used Genjutsu to incapacitate the guards, quickly infiltrated the shrine's secret chamber.
Standing before the stone dais, he channeled his pupil power. The tomoe in his eye spun rapidly, forming the pattern of his single Mangekyō Sharingan.
On the stone tablet, rows of obscure, cryptic text suddenly floated into view.
The text was blurry at first. Shisui frowned, closing his eye and then reopening it, adjusting his focus until realization dawned on him:
The text on the stone tablet reveals different amounts of content based on the level of pupil power and the quality of the eye.
So, the tablet actually recorded secrets of this magnitude!
"Well?"
A voice resonated within the secret chamber.
Shisui looked up. The man calling himself "Madara" had appeared before him once again.
Shisui took a deep breath. "I recall rumors within the clan... that you once stole your younger brother's eyes..."
"I had overused my Mangekyō Sharingan. At the same time, my brother died at the hands of Tobirama Senju. And so, I transplanted his eyes."
"Madara" walked to the stone dais. "With your current pupil power, that is likely the only section you can decipher, correct?"
Shisui nodded slightly.
"The subsequent parts," "Madara" continued, "speak of a technique called the Eye of the Moon..."
Shisui listened intently from the side. He was not skilled at acting, so he kept his expression largely unchanged, showing only slight ripples of emotion.
After listening for a long time, he asked, "And you believe in such a technique?"
"It does not matter."
"Madara" shook his head. "The technique is real. The Uchiha can use it to deter the entire ninja world. That is what matters most."
Shisui fell into deep thought, then nodded slowly. "As you say... the Uchiha clan is both powerful and weak. If we possessed a power capable of deterring the entire ninja world, perhaps true peace could be realized."
"Excellent. You are indeed the one among this generation who understands me best."
"Madara" nodded in approval.
Shisui was silent for a few seconds before speaking. "It is a pity... my other eye was taken by Danzō."
"No matter."
"Madara" laughed low. "Let him safeguard it for a while. One eye alone can accomplish nothing."
Shisui fell silent, looking toward the exit. Although he hadn't sensed any specific disturbance yet, he was certain the Anbu had arrived.
"If there is nothing else..."
"Do not fear."
"Madara" smiled. "As long as you are willing to join me, I will help you leave this place."
"Am I not considered joined yet?"
Shisui's expression darkened, but after a few seconds of silence, he glanced outside again. "What else do you require me to do?"
"My organization only accepts rogue ninja. So... to truly become a rogue ninja, you must demonstrate your resolve and your strength."
"Madara's" tone turned cold. "I do not accept trash."
Shisui hesitated slightly. Then, drawing a kunai, he carved a deep horizontal line across his forehead protector.
"I will prove myself."
"See you outside the village."
With those words, Shisui gripped his blade and charged out of the Naka Shrine.
Several Anbu operatives rushed to intercept him head-on.
Illusory clones materialized around Shisui's body. Then, the tomoe in his eye spun.
The Genjutsu took hold instantly.
Flash.
His blade, blooming with firelight, slashed across their vitals.
In a single instant, the four-man squad collapsed. None survived.
"I'm sorry!"
Shisui whispered the apology.
He did not wish to turn his blade against his former colleagues, but now, they were enemies. And more importantly...
He had to join "Madara's" organization. He had to uncover the man's true intentions.