"Sit Upon the Frosted Heavens, Hyōrinmaru!"

Under normal circumstances, once a Sharingan left its original owner's body, it became an independent entity. Even if it were transplanted into a new host, without Uchiha Clan blood, the eye would never be able to close, nor could it ever evolve.

The same was true for the Byakugan.

It was simply that the Byakugan consumed far less Chakra than the Sharingan.

However, the Sharingan actually possessed another special ability.

That was visual sharing!

Or rather, synchronized eyes!

When the original owner's emotions underwent intense fluctuations and caused the Sharingan to evolve, the other eye would undergo a corresponding evolution as well.

Obito and Kakashi had been exactly like this in the original story.

The Sharingan awakened and evolved when members of the Uchiha Clan suffered severe emotional setbacks, producing a special kind of Chakra in their brains that stimulated tomoe and other patterns to appear in their eyes.

Although Kakashi possessed a Sharingan, he was not from the Uchiha Clan. Therefore, he could not use his own power to induce changes in the Sharingan. All he could do was study and utilize its power.

However, when Obito had rushed frantically toward the battlefield to rescue Kakashi and Rin, his left eye had briefly seen Rin, and it had hurt terribly.

By the time Obito arrived at the scene, the two Sharingan embedded in different people's eyes had evolved into Mangekyō Sharingan at the same time.

That was because the two Sharingan had originally been one. Through the power of their mutual resonance, they synchronized, both producing unique Chakra that stimulated the Two-Tomoe Sharingan to transform into Mangekyō Sharingan!

"Did these eyes of yours see that boy's potential, Uchiha Fugaku?"

"How is that possible..."

Uchiha Fugaku's expression darkened to the extreme as he stared fixedly at Yoru. "You, someone who isn't from the Uchiha Clan, actually possess so many Uchiha secrets! That's impossible!"

He had indeed discovered Shisui's potential when Shisui's eye was taken.

He had clearly sensed that although the eye only had Three-Tomoe, the Dojutsu Power contained within it was only slightly inferior to his own Mangekyō Sharingan!

That was a boy who was only fourteen years old!

Without question, so long as Shisui grew smoothly, he would certainly be capable of awakening the Mangekyō Sharingan.

Adding his own eyes to the equation, the Uchiha Clan would possess two pairs of Mangekyō Sharingan.

When that time came...

That position, forged jointly by their ancestor and the First Hokage, had been passed down through the Hokage line for three generations. It was time for them to sit in it as well!

Before that, what he had to do was preserve Shisui's talent to the greatest extent possible and safeguard that future Mangekyō.

He had to take Shisui's eye back!

That was why...

He had followed Jiraiya here to surround and eliminate Yoru.

Looking at Yoru, who was as young as Shisui, Uchiha Fugaku felt boundless apprehension rise within his heart.

Without question, if this youth before him were given more time, even Uchiha Fugaku could not predict just how far he might grow. This person's appearance was absolutely a disaster for the Uchiha Clan—and absolutely a disaster for Konohagakure.

And to prevent that disaster from occurring, he had to completely snuff him out in the cradle before he had fully matured!

"I don't care where you got this information. Since you insist on being so stubborn, then die!" Uchiha Fugaku had lost all patience for speaking with Yoru. He had already made up his mind that even if he could not reclaim Shisui's eye, he would kill this fellow here!

His eyes focused, and the massive Susanoo smashed a fist viciously toward Yoru. The earth trembled beneath its overwhelming might!

Yoru dodged left and right, relying on Shunpo to continuously evade Susanoo's attacks.

But with the Uchiha Fire Formation in place, the cramped space made it difficult for him to maneuver. Several times, he had nearly been struck by Susanoo's attacks.

"Die!"

Fugaku's Mangekyō spun once more. Muscular veins began appearing over portions of the skeletal Susanoo, while two massive Chakra swords started forming in its empty skeletal fists.

Seeing this, Yoru took a deep breath. After evading Susanoo's attack once again, he landed steadily on the ground.

His right hand tightly gripped the hilt of the Asauchi in his hand.

"I wanted to save some Points to buy a Gigai for emergencies, but it seems now..."

Yoru stared gravely at his Points, which had only just risen to a little over 250,000 after he consecutively killed Hizashi Hyuga (37,000), Yamanaka Inoichi (37,000), and Nara Suzaku (12,000).

"System, exchange for Hyōrinmaru!"

[Exchanging for "Zanpakuto · Hyōrinmaru (Shikai)" requires 250000 Points. Proceed with exchange?]

[Exchange successful!]

[Detected "Zanpakuto · Hyōrinmaru (Shikai)." Detected unnamed "Asauchi." Assign name?]

"Assign it!"

Without the slightest hesitation, as he watched his Points nearly drop to zero, an extreme chill surged into Yoru's body in that instant.

Yoru suddenly felt the world before his eyes turn black, before the darkness transformed into pale white.

A howling cold wind swept past. The pale world before him seemed to have been stirred up with dust, but upon closer inspection, they were actually ice crystals. And that pale world before him was a land of ice and snow!

Biting cold winds swept through this world, and beneath the sky that seemed frozen in eternal frost, a terrifying existence beyond description silently gazed at Yoru.

Its crimson pupils radiated an inviolable majesty. Its winding body seemed to be formed from ice itself, while its enormous outstretched wings beat forth raging blizzards.

"Hyōrinmaru."

The colossal ice dragon slowly spoke, its voice echoing beside Yoru's ears.

The next moment, the icy world before him abruptly vanished, replaced by Fugaku's Susanoo, already condensed into its second stage!

"Have you given up resisting?"

Seeing Yoru standing motionless, Fugaku's eyes were filled with indifference.

But upon further thought, it seemed perfectly reasonable.

Faced with the divine power of the Uchiha Clan, what could even a genius like you possibly do?

There was only despair!

Only helplessness!

Regret provoking the Uchiha Clan, brat. This would become your eternal nightmare in Yomi!

"It's over."

His indifferent voice was like the proclamation of a Shinigami's descent. The terrifying Susanoo raised the Sword of Susanoo in its hand and viciously slashed down at Yoru.

At that instant, Yoru's eyes suddenly flew open. Icy frost surged into the heavens, and the once-clear sky abruptly darkened. Heavy clouds gathered together as torrential rain came pouring down.

"Sit upon the frozen heavens, Hyōrinmaru!"