Opening the Eyes

Shisui's face was now clear and bright, his eyes filled with hope and clarity for the future, as if the "suicide" moments ago had been an illusion.

"You know it yourself."

Uchiha Siming curled his lips. He hadn't done much—just uploaded a compressed ZIP of nine-year compulsory education to Shisui, and just in case it didn't work, he also issued a command: obey his words.

That way, Shisui wouldn't stay so stubbornly dead-set in the future.

"What do we do now?"

Shisui thought it over, his expression turning extremely grave: "In Danzo's eyes, I should be dead by now. If I keep appearing in the village, it will inevitably stir conflict between the Uchiha and Konoha's higher-ups."

If he were dead, that would be fine.

Everything would lack a witness.

But if he were alive, Danzo's actions would have to pay a price, even leading to outright war between the village and the Uchiha—something he didn't want to see.

He continued in a low voice: "Siming, it looks like I'll have to fake my death."

This was the only way he could think of to prevent a clash between the village and the Uchiha clan.

"It's a shame that if Kotoamatsukami: Permanent in my left eye hadn't just been used, I could hit Danzo with it and make him a true 'good man.' The Kotoamatsukami in my right eye can only briefly influence someone's will."

A sharp glint flashed in Shisui's eyes.

He, who had always insisted on never using Kotoamatsukami, brought it up on his own at this moment.

"Oh ho, not bad."

Uchiha Siming chuckled lightly, sizing up Shisui: "It wasn't for nothing that I sent you that nine-year compulsory education ZIP. You're learning to be flexible now, not like before, only knowing that so-called 'sacrifice' and 'seppuku' spirit."

When they encountered problems they couldn't solve, they habitually resorted to suicide to resolve them. In their mindset, there was no concept of solving problems; instead, they took pride in suicide.

Using suicide to atone.

As if that proved how noble their will was—a typical small-island mentality.

But in reality, unsolved problems always remained. In Uchiha Siming's view, no matter how difficult the problem, no matter how harsh the hardship, use every means—even death, even despicable acts—

until the end, achieving peace between the Uchiha and Konoha could be called success.

As for judgment, leave it to those who come after.

"I was too foolish before."

Shisui sighed, speaking earnestly: "Siming, thanks to you. From now on, I will follow all your orders. Only you can save the Uchiha clan!"

Uchiha Siming didn't reply, placing a hand on Shisui's shoulder: "First, let's deal with your poison problem."

The chakra within him was mobilized, and a green energy surfaced, flowing through Shisui's body.

In an instant, a cool force coursed through Shisui's body, and the poison vanished like snow melting away without a trace.

"What is this?!"

Shisui was stunned, his eyes filled with disbelief: "This is a poison unique to Root! Even the village's top medical experts would need to remove it bit by bit, at least half a month!"

Even Tsunade's healing speed couldn't be that fast, could it?

Siming was powerful enough to snatch back the Mangekyo Sharingan from Danzo's hands, and now even his medical ninjutsu had reached such a pinnacle!

What else couldn't he do?

[Ding! Congratulations, Lord Hashirama, mission complete!]

[Mission reward: Indra Chakra!]

In that instant!

It was like water from an endless source, a surge of immense power flooding into his body. A warm force seemed to pour into his eyes, making those already pitch-black pupils even deeper, as if they held the darkness of hell itself!

The Hashirama Cells within him slowly began to merge with this Indra Chakra.

The pace was slow, but he could feel the dojutsu power of his Mangekyo Sharingan increasing, the constitution of his Sage Body strengthening, and strands of the power of All Creation being born!

When the two fused to their peak, the power of All Creation would erupt, and his Mangekyo Sharingan would transform into the Rinnegan, granting him complete mastery over All Creation!

"Alright, Shisui."

Uchiha Siming said calmly: "You go first. Now it's time for me to deal with Danzo."

"Siming, what are you going to do?"

Shisui quickly said: "We can't move against Danzo yet. If Root and the Uchiha go to war, even if we kill Danzo, the village will be plunged into conflict. The village isn't just the Uchiha and other major clans—there are also... countless ordinary villagers!"

The Uchiha and other clans were nobles and shinobi, that was true.

But once war breaks out, it's the ordinary people who suffer.

"Killing Danzo would be letting him off too easy."

Uchiha Siming's eyes were dark and deep, his voice righteous and awe-inspiring, like the majestic might of heaven!

"Everyone in Konoha is my family! I won't let a single innocent family member come to harm."

His expression was solemn, his face cold and hard as iron:

"Likewise, anyone who harms Konoha, I'll make them regret ever being born into this world!"

"Death? Far from enough to atone for his sins. I'll make Danzo watch as his hopes shatter, I'll make him know that his entire life was a mistake!"

Given Danzo's crimes, they were too numerous to record!

Uchiha Shisui's expression shifted.

In that moment, he realized that what Uchiha Siming had said in the Hokage's office was never a lie.

He truly possessed an iron will and a resolve to protect the village!

For a time, a trace of shame welled up in Uchiha Shisui's heart.

It was because of Siming's ironclad determination, and even more so because of his own self-loathing for having judged a gentleman's heart with a petty man's measure.

"Siming, only you can save the Uchiha clan!"

Shisui's expression was moved.

The Uchiha Siming before him was the person he wanted to become but could never be, and a hint of reverence crept into his eyes!

With those words, his figure vanished in an instant.

Not long after, Uchiha Itachi rushed over in a panic, his eyes filled with tension and urgency: "Siming! Shisui—did something happen to him?"

"He's fine."

Siming comforted him: "Just a little bit dead, that's all."

He then pointed at the rushing mountain stream, his voice carrying three parts sorrow and helplessness: "See, Shisui... jumped right there. He'll probably... die without a place to rest."

Itachi: "???"

His scarlet Three Tomoe Sharingan spun rapidly, forming a triangular pinwheel as he activated his Mangekyo Sharingan.

Siming: "???"

Wait.

You just awakened it like that?

Seeing Itachi on the verge of breaking down, Siming quickly explained the whole situation, only omitting the part where he used Kotoamatsukami to alter Shisui's will. Itachi's expression improved somewhat, but it was still unbearably grim!

Yet a hint of doubt lingered.

He asked, half-believing, half-doubting: "Siming, are you sure... you're not lying to me?"

Soon, he shook his head: "Siming, I trust you. After all, Shisui will still come back. But—"

"Danzo, how dare he!"

Itachi's face was a mix of shock and anger: "Utterly reckless! Is he trying to start a war between the village and the Uchiha?!"

He couldn't believe it.

As a Konoha elder, how could Danzo be so deranged as to go this far?!

Was he not afraid of the Uchiha clan rebelling?!