The Taste of the Sharingan

The Taste of the Sharingan

"My brother has been acting strange lately, like he's become a different person."

"Whenever he used to refuse one of my requests, he'd always make time to accompany me the next day. But now, he only says 'next time,' and never keeps his promises."

"I wanted to ask Brother Shisui what was going on, but he seems to have disappeared."

"Everyone in the clan says Brother Shisui is dead, killed during a mission. But I can tell they're hiding something from me and refusing to tell me the truth..."

During class, troubled by his worries, Sasuke quietly complained to Naruto in a low voice.

Naruto found this a little strange and looked Sasuke over in surprise. Was this really the cool and aloof Sasuke he knew?

Noticing Naruto staring at him, Sasuke returned to his usual cold demeanor and continued listening to the lesson as if nothing had happened. Seeing Naruto as a rival, he was unwilling to lose to him in any respect.

Sakura beside them also noticed that something was off with Sasuke. She wanted to ask him about it, but he shot her a cold glance.

Not knowing what had happened, Sakura withdrew her hand, looking somewhat wronged. She did not understand what made her inferior to Naruto.

Iruka, standing at the podium, felt somewhat relieved when he saw this. Naruto had become much more normal recently.

He no longer treated his classmates roughly. He had also begun taking the initiative to make friends and fit in with the other students, no longer causing work-related trouble for the other teachers.

All of this seemed to be because of the Uchiha and the Police Force.

The Police Force had already replaced Naruto as the popular topic of discussion. Compared to the long-past Nine-Tails Night, the villagers cared more about the Military Police Force's violent attitude. That directly affected their own interests.

However, what Iruka, Sasuke, and the others did not know was that the Naruto sitting in the classroom was already a Shadow Clone.

Inside the Death Forest.

As a restricted area open only to ninjas, the Death Forest was home to many beasts around genin level. Outside the ninja village's territory, any one of them could easily threaten an ordinary person's life.

But for Naruto, who already possessed Jonin-level strength, this place was undoubtedly a paradise.

There were no complicated human schemes, nor was there Anbu surveillance. He only needed to reveal a fraction of his strength to avoid being disturbed by the beasts, while also gaining spoils from them through practical hunting combat.

After the hunt, Naruto returned to the secret base carrying bloody raw meat.

He casually stewed some vegetables and meat. While enjoying the wild fare, Naruto fed the blind Shisui as well, ensuring at the very least that he had enough energy to survive.

Having lost his eyes, Shisui's sensory abilities were restricted. He could only gather information through smell, hearing, and touch.

Judging by the humidity in the air, he was probably underground and still within the Land of Fire. The ninja who had captured him was undoubtedly a skilled cook; the food smelled extremely good.

Beyond that, the information Shisui could obtain was exceedingly limited.

He could only confirm that his opponent was a Jonin who had inherited the techniques of both the Hyuga and the Uchiha, and that they had no intention of killing him for the time being.

But the Hyuga and Uchiha were rivals within the village. How could someone possess the techniques of both Ninja Clans? He had never heard of any Hyuga and Uchiha becoming friends either. Could it be someone from Anbu or Root?

He was unfamiliar with Anbu, but he could only ask Itachi about Root.

But if Root had such a powerful person, they would have handed him over to Danzo long ago. Could some other faction in the village have acted instead?

Still, even if he learned the other party's identity, given his current condition, the only thing he could do was commit suicide.

Suicide could certainly solve his troubles, but after his momentary impulse had passed, he had abandoned the idea.

Because suicide could not solve anything. Whether he died or not, it would not change the conflict between the clan and the village. After decades of differential treatment, the idea of a coup had long taken root in every clansman's heart.

So he had to live. Only by living could he make changes, and the first thing he needed to do was escape this place.

But having lost his eyes and with his chakra pathways sealed, how could he escape from a Jonin guard? There might even be other Jonin outside.

Shisui once again sank into thought.

Even he himself had not noticed that after losing his Mangekyo, his mind had become much clearer and more active.

After lunch, Naruto rubbed his bulging stomach and headed toward the cage holding Shisui. Standing outside it, he watched for a long while before slowly saying, "Now that you've given up on suicide, you're thinking about how to escape? Is this the caliber of Body Flicker Shisui?"

His thoughts exposed, Shisui turned toward the source of the voice and said calmly, "Who exactly are you? A hidden Jonin under Captain Fugaku, or one of Third Lord's subordinates?"

Naruto smiled. "Neither. If I had to put it into words, I suppose I'm an outsider on the fringes of Konoha Village."

Shisui, his eyes wrapped in bandages, could not help frowning. "An outsider?"

Naruto nodded. "Someone nobody notices or cares about. Even if they die in some corner, they'll only be forgotten."

Shisui changed the subject, hoping to obtain more information through conversation. "Why didn't you kill me? You already have my eyes."

Naruto did not expose Shisui's intentions and merely smiled. "Because it's interesting. I'm looking forward to seeing how everyone reacts when someone who should have died reappears."

Shisui was somewhat stunned. "Just because it's interesting? You attacked me specifically for that?"

Naruto smiled and shook his head. "Of course, that's not all. But after losing the Sharingan, don't you feel that the world has become a little clearer? The Sharingan's existence was actually holding you back—and holding back the Uchiha as well."

Shisui fell silent. In the days since losing his eyes, he had indeed thought about many things.

He had also gained many new insights into many matters, but he had not lost his ability to judge because of the other party's words.

The other party had definitely come for Kotoamatsukami. Their other purposes were unknown for now.

Shisui remained silent, and Naruto naturally would not waste time waiting. He turned and entered another room, where there was a bed and a workbench covered in surgical instruments.

Naruto summoned a Shadow Clone, then lay down on the stone bed himself and waited for the operation to begin.

He had spent a great deal of time studying Medical Ninjutsu precisely to prepare for transplanting the Sharingan and Rinnegan in the future. He knew all too well how powerful a Sage Body combined with Sage Eyes could be—it could easily crush the current Five Kage.

The surgery went very smoothly.

Half an hour later, Naruto removed his own eyes and replaced them with Kotoamatsukami Sharingan.

Through the Sharingan's vision, the world became clearer, and everything he saw seemed to slow down considerably.

Naruto knew that the world had not slowed down. Rather, his perception had undergone a qualitative improvement.

Lowering his gaze, Naruto looked toward the mirror beside him and saw a pair of eerie Sharingan reflected in its surface.

Much like Kakashi's transplanted Sharingan, his Sharingan could not be deactivated either. It remained active at all times, consuming enough Chakra to drain a Jonin dry.

But when Naruto tried to use the ocular technique Kotoamatsukami, the feedback from the Sharingan left him stunned.