A Forbidden Jutsu That Could Twist One's Personality

"This dojutsu..." Shinji paused, an I see now expression appearing on his face. "That explains everything!"

The dojutsu in Fugaku Uchiha's right eye was called "Izanagi."

Whether in name or effect, it bore some resemblance to the Uchiha Clan's famous Forbidden Jutsu, "Izanagi."

Simply put—

"Izanagi" was an alteration of fate.

The user would select a branch of destiny favorable to themselves, then graft it onto reality to overwrite the original fate.

It was a technique that could truly distort reality.

Thus, its cost was immense. Once activated, it would permanently cost the user one Sharingan, which was why it had been classified as a Forbidden Jutsu.

However, the dojutsu in Fugaku's right eye, "Izanagi," differed from "Izanagi."

Its effect was to peer into the branches of fate and obtain unknown information from those branching destinies.

In other words, "Izanagi" could not truly alter fate and distort reality the way "Izanagi" could.

Its ability was more like spying on events that had yet to occur.

For example, when A and B faced each other.

At that moment, fate could produce unknown branches due to slight changes in environmental factors.

There could be a branch where A and B fought fiercely, or one where both took a step back. Then those branches could further develop into one where A defeated B, or one where B defeated A.

The Forbidden Jutsu "Izanagi" twisted and rewrote branches unfavorable to its user.

"Izanagi," meanwhile, allowed its user to glimpse certain branches of fate before events occurred—to glimpse one possible future that had not yet happened.

For instance, if A possessed "Izanagi," then before fighting B, he could activate it to peer into the outcome of their clash.

By peering in advance at future branches of fate, he could obtain information about a battle that had not yet taken place.

If he discovered that he would most likely lose, A could avoid the fight and prevent the battle from happening, thereby avoiding a branch of fate unfavorable to himself.

So, in the end—

"Izanagi" could genuinely alter fate and distort reality. "Izanagi" could only use glimpses of future information to artificially avoid unfavorable fates.

After fully understanding the characteristics of the dojutsu "Izanagi," Shinji finally understood Fugaku's many contradictory actions while plotting the Uchiha rebellion.

Clearly—

During the Third Shinobi World War, Fugaku, having awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan, had been brimming with ambition. He must have believed the Uchiha Clan could finally hold its head high.

Then the Fourth Hokage emerged out of nowhere, becoming the brightest rising star of the Third Shinobi World War!

Fugaku must have used "Izanagi" on the Fourth Hokage back then, only to discover that he was no match for him at all. So he could only lie low.

He had not even dared to forcibly reclaim the Sharingan that the Fourth Hokage's disciple Kakashi had transplanted without the Uchiha Clan's permission.

Then came the Nine-Tails Attack, and the Fourth Hokage and his wife perished.

Fugaku must have thought the Uchiha Clan's chance had arrived, so he secretly used "Izanagi" on the Third, Danzo, or other Konoha higher-ups.

Judging from his later contradictory behavior, it was not difficult to infer that the branches of fate he saw this time likely showed either an even match, or victory at an extremely heavy cost.

And so—

His ambition, born from possessing the Mangekyō Sharingan, made him restless, while the fate glimpsed through "Izanagi" filled him with dread.

That was why his actions became so contradictory afterward.

On one hand, he actively convened clan meetings and plotted rebellion. On the other, he could never make up his mind, forever hesitating.

As for the Night of the Massacre—

Perhaps he had used "Izanagi" on Itachi as well, only to awkwardly discover that he, the father, could not even defeat his own son.

Perhaps to preserve the last of his dignity, or perhaps to avoid father and son killing each other and needlessly draining Itachi's Dojutsu, he ultimately chose to concede to his son and give up resisting.

At that thought, Shinji shuddered.

At first, after learning what "Izanagi" could do, he had considered it an extraordinarily powerful, even terrifying dojutsu.

After all, information was sometimes priceless.

Being able to trade Dojutsu for information from the future—even if it was only a brief glimpse of the near future—could, if used well, almost be considered foresight.

But after reviewing Fugaku Uchiha's life, Shinji was horrified to discover that "Izanagi" had unknowingly twisted Fugaku's personality.

To become the Uchiha Clan's leader and awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan—

Whether in talent or ability, Fugaku Uchiha should have been one of the Uchiha Clan's finest.

Yet after mastering "Izanagi," this clan leader's performance was simply beyond words.

With supreme geniuses such as Shisui Uchiha and Itachi Uchiha appearing in the clan one after another, he had sent the Uchiha, a great clan with a thousand-year legacy, down the road to annihilation in merely seven or eight years.

"Even a pig sitting in that position couldn't possibly have done worse than Fugaku, could it?"

While grumbling inwardly, Shinji also became secretly vigilant.

After awakening the Mangekyō Sharingan, Fugaku Uchiha could be politely described as overly cautious. Less politely, he was simply timid and cowardly.

This showed that "Izanagi" had gradually influenced, perhaps even twisted, his personality.

It appeared that he had gained the ability to peer into fate and control it, but in truth, he was more like a man gradually ensnared by fate's web, eventually becoming a pitiful figure unable to advance, retreat, or move at all.

"If I become overly reliant on this technique, I might end up like Fugaku Uchiha someday—unable to make any decisions, becoming a coward who only dares take a step when victory is guaranteed!"

Just imagine it.

If Shinji had possessed this technique before, then before forcing his way into the ANBU Building, he would certainly have used it on the ANBU guards and received a prediction that he either could not win, or that victory would come at an enormous and unacceptable cost.

Faced with that, would he have dared to take that step and break into the ANBU Building?

Likewise, after obtaining this technique, would he still have the courage to force his way into Danzo's Root Base?

When he asked himself honestly—

If "Izanagi" had shown him a branch of fate unfavorable to himself, he truly might not have dared to boldly yet carefully break into the ANBU Building and Root Base one after another as he had now.

"Without sufficient strength of character, no one can wield a technique involving fate!"

Shinji let out a soft sigh.

Previously, he had believed that the price of activating "Izanagi" to peer into fate was merely Dojutsu. Now that he thought about it, aside from Dojutsu, one also had to pay with courage—a price that could not be measured by value at all!

Only then did he realize that, just like "Izanagi," "Izanagi" was also a Forbidden Jutsu whose cost was unbearably high!

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