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By the time Shinji returned home, an hour had already passed.

His figure slowly appeared in the living room, his face pale as paper as he casually tossed his backpack onto the floor.

Shinji collapsed onto the sofa, bracing his hands at his sides as he leaned back weakly, desperately trying to calm his wildly pounding heart.

"That was almost a disaster."

He murmured softly. His Chakra was nearly depleted, and his palms were still trembling slightly.

Tonight, he had nearly failed to make it back. The Uchiha had practically sent out all their elites, but fortunately, he had been a step ahead.

"Good thing the system refreshed that blinding consumable, Solar Flare, this week."

"Thank you, True Love System Store."

Shinji pressed his hands together and smiled as he thanked the system.

It worked on the same principle as when the Allied Shinobi Forces used Lightning Release: Lightning Pillar during the Fourth Shinobi World War, blocking the Ten-Tails' vision with intense light.

Of course, people like Ebisu or members of the Aburame Clan, who wore sunglasses, would not be affected.

But Shinji had seen clearly that none of the ninja who had surrounded him earlier wore goggles or sunglasses like those.

After a while, his emotions gradually settled.

Shinji got up and walked over to tonight's spoils. He placed the backpack on the table and took out its contents one by one.

When he finally took out two sealed preservation jars, his breathing could not help quickening.

One of the jars contained a Three-Tomoe Sharingan.

It was because he had taken that eye that he triggered the alarm beneath the shrine, leading to the pursuit that followed.

But when he picked up the other preservation jar, a trace of regret appeared on Shinji's face.

He had grabbed it blindly in his panic after triggering the alarm, without having time to inspect it closely.

Resting quietly inside was merely a pair of Two-Tomoe Sharingan.

"What a pity."

Shinji spoke softly.

He then looked at the dark black special scroll beside the Three-Tomoe Sharingan. A smile curled across his lips as he consoled himself.

"At least I achieved everything I set out to do tonight. I even obtained the Transcription Seal!"

As for the ancient books he had brought out from the Clan History Archive, he raised a hand and rubbed his chin, having no interest in examining them for now.

But later, he would definitely go through them carefully.

He wanted to find records related to the Totsuka Blade and the Yata Mirror.

Once his Sharingan evolved into a Mangekyo, perhaps he could truly try searching for those two legendary divine artifacts.

In the original story, after Uchiha Itachi defected from Konoha, he had taken a large number of books from the Uchiha Clan.

Shinji had always felt that the clan histories preserved within the family might still contain some overlooked clues.

He went upstairs to his room and took out three Sealing Scrolls he had prepared. Shinji had specifically bought them from other scroll shops in Konoha two days ago. He had not gone to Granny Cat's shop, and had even deliberately used the Transformation Jutsu.

He believed that even the clan head and elders would not be able to trace it back to him.

Before long, Shinji stored the Sharingan and ancient books one by one, sealing them inside the scrolls.

Shinji raised a hand and yawned. Once he relaxed, a wave of exhaustion washed over him. After taking a hot bath in the bathroom, he plunged straight into his pillow and soon fell asleep, soft snores quietly echoing through the bedroom.

On the third floor of the Hokage Building, inside the Hokage's Office.

Hiruzen Sarutobi took a deep drag from his pipe and sat silently in his chair.

Before long, the door opened. An Anbu ninja wearing a Dog Mask entered with a bow and dropped to one knee.

"Hokage, tonight's incident was caused by trouble within the Uchiha..."

The Anbu reported in full on the Uchiha's pursuit of Shinji, Fugaku's words at the scene, and all the other intelligence, then quietly awaited instructions.

When Hiruzen heard that Shinji had escaped successfully, his pupils suddenly contracted.

He gently set down his pipe and said kindly to the Anbu ninja, "I understand. You've worked hard. You may withdraw for now."

Watching the Anbu's departing back, he murmured in a low voice, "Uchiha!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi thought once more of his old friend, Kagami Uchiha.

He raised a hand and lightly pressed his brow, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes.

"The culprit behind tonight's incident may pose a danger to Konoha. We must get to the bottom of this."

"Perhaps Shinji or Shisui can be sent to investigate in secret. They are outstanding ninja who carry the Will of Fire. They will surely be willing to accept this mission."

At that thought, a faint smile unconsciously appeared on his lips.

After the dog-masked Anbu left the Hokage's Office, he glanced around in all directions. Once he confirmed no one was nearby, he secretly let out a sigh of relief.

He cautiously removed his mask, his gaze vigilantly sweeping the surroundings. The next moment, he frantically rubbed his eyes and could not help but suck in a sharp breath.

A low curse drifted through the corridor:

"Damn it, my eyes!"

Root, Underground Base.

After listening to his subordinate's report, Danzo's hand unconsciously clenched.

"A rift must have already appeared within the Uchiha."

"I can use that to my advantage, but first, I must find out who acted tonight."

"The Uchiha are an inherently evil clan. Teacher Tobirama's guidance cannot be wrong."

He rapidly calculated in his mind as one vicious scheme after another surfaced.

Bang—

His cane slammed heavily against the floor, and Danzo's voice was especially piercing in the dark space.

"Go. Find that person for me. Report back immediately the moment you have any news!"

He looked down expressionlessly, yet his tone carried an unquestionable resolve.

He had developed a great interest in the Uchiha who had appeared tonight.

"Perhaps he'll become a crucial piece in destroying the Uchiha."

At that thought, a cold glint flashed through Danzo's eyes.

The Anbu bowed to accept the order, then flashed away into the darkness.

"Danzo, it seems you're very interested in this matter."

From the shadows, a pale-skinned man with snake-like vertical pupils slowly emerged, a sinister smile hanging from his lips.

Danzo paused slightly and turned toward him.

"Orochimaru?"

His words abruptly stopped as his strange gaze fell on the other man's eyes. "What happened to your eyes?"

Orochimaru's eyes were severely swollen and red, with an abnormal reddish puffiness around their sockets.

He narrowed his eyes at Danzo without offering an explanation, though a few traces of dangerous chill entered his gaze.

That was right. Orochimaru had also been lurking nearby at the time, merely there to watch the show. In the end, he became one of Shinji's victims, blinded by the intense light.

He licked his lips and silently marked Shinji down in his mind.

A rare smile tugged at Danzo's lips before quickly vanishing.

"Orochimaru, there's something I'd like to ask your help with."

Orochimaru tilted his head, his tone carrying a hint of confusion.

"Oh? What is it?"

Naka Shrine, second underground level.

Uchiha Yuichi watched Clan Head Fugaku return with the group, followed by Elder Yashiro and the members of the Police Force. The corner of his mouth kept twitching.

"Clan Head, your eyes?"

Every one of the clansmen had red, swollen circles around their eyes, making him quietly draw in a breath.

Fugaku raised a hand and rubbed his eye sockets, his expression grim.

"It's nothing. They were injured by the enemy's intense light. It's not serious."

"Elder Yuichi, have you finished tallying the missing items?"

Yuichi froze for a moment, his gaze sweeping across the young people behind Fugaku.

Fugaku immediately understood and turned to give an order.

"Elder Yashiro stays. Everyone else, return to the surface first."

Once only the three of them remained, Yuichi said in a low voice:

"The most important items, the Sharingan, are missing two jars. Three ninjutsu scrolls were lost, and more than half of the ancient books were stolen."

"There are still backups for the ninjutsu and ancient books, but the Sharingan..."

Yuichi did not continue. He believed Fugaku and Yashiro both understood the weight of it.

Once the Sharingan were lost, they would be difficult to recover.

Yashiro suddenly slammed his fist into his palm and shouted furiously:

"Investigate! There must be a problem within our ranks! Start with a thorough investigation of the clan!"

Fugaku let out a soft sigh and slowly closed his eyes.

"Do as you said first."

No one knew what he was truly thinking at that moment.