Lord Shadow

Kotoamatsukami...!

Obito's thoughts raced. "Shisui's left eye is in your hands!?"

Madara said, "I know of Kotoamatsukami. It was recorded in the Uchiha clan's secret archive of ocular techniques. It was an ocular technique that flashed briefly into existence during the early Warring States period, yet it directly changed the Uchiha's place in warfare for many years to come."

"The Shisui you mentioned wouldn't happen to be the one known as Body Flicker Shisui during the Third Shinobi World War, would he?"

During that time, Madara had secluded himself in his underground lair, gathering intelligence from the outside world through White Zetsu, so he knew of Shisui as well.

However, Madara had not paid him much attention at the time.

"That's right, Body Flicker Shisui."

"Oh? His Mangekyō Sharingan gave birth to Kotoamatsukami? Now that is strange."

It was no wonder Madara did not know. Shisui had awakened his eyes early, but concealed them deeply. It was not until the eve of the Konoha Uchiha uprising that he revealed the details of both eyes to Third Hokage Hiruzen and Danzo.

Chen explained Shisui's situation to Madara, which naturally led to the events of the Uchiha Clan Downfall and Itachi's story.

"I see. When the Impure World Reincarnation was suddenly released back then, I even told the Five Kage that the Shinobi Alliance had several capable shinobi. So it was Sasuke's older brother, Uchiha Itachi..."

"After Kotoamatsukami was activated, Itachi used Amaterasu to burn the crow implanted with Shisui's left eye. Then I used Omodaru to retrieve that eye. Uncle Madara should be able to imagine the exact process!"

"Mm." Madara raised a hand and stroked Hashirama's eye socket through the God Robe...

"I can imagine it perfectly."

Obito asked, "But since it's a Kotoamatsukami that has already been used, wouldn't it need Hashirama Cells to recharge quickly? Did you transplant Hashirama Cells too, Chen?"

"No, but I have another use for it."

Chen bit his finger and formed Hand Seals with blood.

—Summoning Technique!

"Poof!" A bird covered in white feathers, three chi long, appeared amid a cloud of white smoke and landed on Chen's left shoulder.

The bird turned its cold, handsome eyes.

Its right eye socket was a pitch-black hollow.

Within its left eye socket was, astonishingly, a Mangekyō Sharingan with a four-bladed shuriken pattern.

Obito recognized it at once. "That's right, it's Shisui's eye!"

Chen said, "This is Gohōkaku, a summoned bird I cultivated using Hashirama Cells. I use it as the vessel for activating Kotoamatsukami!"

Compared to Shisui's right eye, Madara was actually even more surprised by Gohōkaku's existence. "Chen, you're skilled at cell cultivation too?"

Back then, he had relied on the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path to cultivate that artificial Hashirama body.

Chen had cultivated a living creature bound by a summoning contract. In terms of technical difficulty alone, it was clearly a cut above.

Chen smiled. "Yes, but that's a long story. I specifically sought instruction from someone. I'll explain it in detail when there's a chance."

"Hm? What's that!" The white smoke created by Gohōkaku's appearance was spotted through a "telescope" by Deidara, who was on patrol. The C2 Dragon abruptly veered while flying at high speed, then dove straight down!

"An intruder in Taoyuan? Now that's rare!"

Deidara reached into the ninja tool pouch at his waist. "Crunch, crunch, crunch!" The mouths in his palms chewed clay.

"Perfect timing to test my art!! Mm."

"..." Chen raised his eyes. "!!" Deidara's expression suddenly changed!

He crushed the artwork he had just made directly inside his ninja tool pouch!

Riding the dragon straight at him, Deidara prostrated himself before Chen!

"To think Lord Shadow himself had arrived! Forgive me, forgive me! I almost let art gather dust here!"

Madara and Obito both studied Deidara!

Then they looked at each other. The shock in their eyes was no less than when they learned Chen possessed Kotoamatsukami and Gohōkaku!

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Because with their peerless eyesight, they could not detect even the slightest trace of Deidara being controlled by genjutsu!

Madara thought, What is going on... Kotoamatsukami should not possess this kind of effect, according to the rumors?

Obito, who had witnessed Kotoamatsukami, was even more certain: Kotoamatsukami could alter a person's thoughts without the target noticing, but that only meant the victim could not notice it themselves. Others could ultimately use perception methods such as the Sharingan or Byakugan to detect abnormalities in the brain's Chakra Meridians, then begin removing it...

During the Five Kage Summit that year, the tampering Danzo performed on Mifune was discovered by Ao of Kirigakure, who possessed the Byakugan.

"Could it be..." As Madara pondered, he noticed something. His gaze turned toward Chen's left eye.

Chen thought, As expected of Lord Madara. He saw through the phenomenon to its essence so quickly...

That was right... it was Mizuha, the ocular technique that had first been born in his younger brother Jin's left eye and was inherited by Chen along with the transplanted eye.

It could bring Overkill returns to any technique used alongside it.

When paired with the Impure World Reincarnation, it could break through the reincarnation's carrying limit, allowing Madara to use the power of the Rinnegan's original owner and allowing Obito to retain the body and eyes imbued with the power of the Six Paths.

When paired with Kotoamatsukami, it could permanently eliminate the abnormal Chakra reactions in the recipient's brain meridians!

Not only could it not be observed, but even the back door for undoing Kotoamatsukami's control was completely sealed shut.

Genjutsu had become reality.

This was—Mizuha: Kotoamatsukami!

Anyone subjected to this Kotoamatsukami would become Chen's spiritual prisoner forever and completely. How thoroughly they were enslaved depended entirely on Chen's will.

Chen generally would not erase a target's original personality completely. Instead, as long as they remained absolutely loyal to him and behaved themselves within his territory, he would preserve part of their individuality.

Just like Deidara before them, who still loved art.

Of course, depending on the individual, Chen would also be more or less heavy-handed when "administering the medicine."

"Poof!" Gohōkaku vanished amid white smoke.

Chen said, "Deidara, continue your patrol."

"Yes, Lord Shadow!" Deidara rose. Just as he was about to mount his bird and fly into the sky, his gaze suddenly froze on Obito's face. He stared deeply, his eyes growing increasingly strange.

"Hey, wrinkly-faced guy, have we met somewhere before? I keep feeling that you have a familiar aura."

Obito smiled. "No, you must have mistaken me for someone else..."

"Oh... all right." Deidara withdrew his gaze and flew away on his bird, muttering, "Still, I really feel like I've seen him somewhere before."

Madara said teasingly, "Chen, that Explosion Release brat just called you Lord Shadow~."

Chen shrugged with a smile. "They insisted on calling me that. I never crowned myself Shadow or anything."

Following the staircase built along the mountainside, they arrived behind the green belt of Hidden Shadow Street. Before them were bustling roadside shops and crowds of people flowing through the streets.

Obito asked in confusion, "This is an isolated Taoyuan. Where did all these ordinary civilians come from?"

Chen said, "Most of them are the original residents secretly relocated from Amegakure. That place was under closed rule all year round, so the people accepted Taoyuan's relatively enclosed environment."

"!?" Obito was greatly startled. "How did you manage that? You couldn't have used Kotoamatsukami on all these people, could you?"

A faint, inscrutable smile appeared at the corner of Chen's mouth. "I could have, but there was no need. This was easy enough. Just have someone with absolute influence in Hidden Rain Village step forward, and naturally, everyone would answer the call..."

Obito frowned. "Hidden Rain Village... someone with absolute influence? Who are you talking about?"

"Me." A cool female voice suddenly rang out overhead.

"Rustle, rustle, rustle..." Colorful sheets of paper gathered before Obito, forming into a slender woman with a radiant face and clear orange eyes.

The hem of her red-cloud cloak fell softly, lightly concealing her white stockings, while her long azure hair cascaded over her fragrant shoulders.

"Hiss!!!" Obito sucked in a sharp breath, looking as if he had seen a ghost.

"Impossible, you were clearly already... dead!!!"

Back in Hidden Rain Village, after I used genjutsu to force the location of the Rinnegan from you, I personally confirmed your death...

Why are you standing here alive and well... Konan!!!

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