The Second Pair of Mangekyo

The two had barely sat down when Fugaku Uchiha, without a hint of hesitation, asked the question weighing on his mind.

Shisui knew his Mangekyō could not be hidden for long, unless he chose never to utilize its powers.

But if he did that, how would it be any different from wearing fine silk in the dark?

"I will not hide it from you, Clan Head. I was fortunate enough to awaken new eyes today."

With that, Shisui activated his Mangekyō Sharingan, displaying it directly before Fugaku.

"So, it truly is those eyes."

Upon sensing the immense ocular power within Shisui's eyes, Fugaku Uchiha did not show much surprise; instead, he activated his own Mangekyō Sharingan.

"Clan Head, you also..."

In truth, Shisui had long harbored suspicions regarding the Mangekyō Sharingan.

Ever since Uchiha Madara left the village, not a single pair of Mangekyō Sharingan had appeared within the clan for all these years.

Could it be that his own talent, along with that of Obito and Itachi, was truly the greatest the clan had seen in all this time?

That seemed unlikely.

As long as the emotional stimulus was sufficient, every member of the Uchiha clan theoretically possessed the potential to awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan.

The conclusion was obvious: the higher-ups of the Uchiha clan had been suppressing information regarding the Mangekyō Sharingan within the clan.

As for why they would do such a thing, Shisui could guess a thing or two.

At this moment, the system suddenly prompted:

[Detected that the opponent also possesses a Mangekyō Sharingan, meeting the conditions to activate Yamata.]

[Plundering the bloodline of a clansman (with strength equal to or greater than your own) can increase the development of the Indra Bloodline, enhance Mangekyō Sharingan ocular power, and grant the opponent's dōjutsu.]

In fact, the moment Fugaku Uchiha activated his Mangekyō Sharingan, Shisui had felt a craving emanate from his left eye.

He simply hadn't expected the ability of Yamata to be capable of plundering another person's Mangekyō Sharingan.

At this time, Fugaku Uchiha also felt the oppressive pressure radiating from Shisui's eyes.

"Shisui-kun, your eyes must harbor a formidable dōjutsu; they actually make me feel a strong sense of threat."

Having confirmed the Mangekyō in Shisui's eyes, Fugaku Uchiha had already elevated Shisui to a status equal to his own.

After a pause, Fugaku Uchiha unexpectedly revealed the ability of his own eyes.

"The ability of my Mangekyō is to predict the future."

"My left eye can predict according to my subjective will; for instance, if I choose to attack you now, I can predict that the one who will fail is undoubtedly me."

"As for my right eye, the future it predicts is more objective; it does not fluctuate significantly based on my subjective will. It can be understood as an unchangeable future."

"However, this prediction has limitations. I cannot see too far into the future, and the images I see are blurred and fragmented."

After hearing Fugaku Uchiha describe the dōjutsu of his Mangekyō, Shisui understood why, on the night of the clan's annihilation, Fugaku Uchiha had chosen to bow his head and accept his fate when facing Itachi Uchiha.

It was highly probable that both his left and right eyes had predicted the same future, a result that Fugaku Uchiha was powerless to change.

Thus, caught between a meaningless sacrifice and the preservation of his two sons, Fugaku had chosen the latter.

"Regarding the abilities of my eyes, Clan Head, I apologize, but I do not wish to speak of them."

Whether it was the "Kotoamatsukami" in Shisui's left eye or the "Yamata" in his right, once the information leaked, it would only turn Shisui into a public enemy of the ninja world.

"It is fine, Shisui-kun. Everyone has their own secrets. You are the future backbone of our Uchiha clan; you must learn to protect yourself."

What Fugaku Uchiha did not say was that he had also used his eyes to predict the future of Shisui Uchiha.

Some of the images he had seen were at the opposite extreme of the low-key, reserved Shisui sitting before him.

This had left Fugaku Uchiha deeply shocked.

However, he was relieved that in those visions, the Uchiha clan was far more powerful.

Itachi Uchiha and the second child Fugaku was about to have were both living healthy, happy lives.

For Fugaku, that was enough.

"Shisui-kun, go ahead and do what you wish to do. Both I and the Uchiha clan will support you."

"Furthermore, I entrust the guidance of Itachi to you as well," Fugaku said to Shisui with sincerity.

"I thank you for your support, Clan Head. I will take good care of Itachi."

In this moment, two clever men reached an agreement.

Unlike the harmonious scene within the Uchiha clan, Hiruzen Sarutobi was currently facing an agitated Danzō Shimura.

In Konoha, within the residential district of the Sarutobi Clan, at the home of Hiruzen Sarutobi.

"Hiruzen, look at what the village has become! The Uchiha clan is actually using the Konoha Military Police Force to openly recruit other ninja clans and form cliques. Yet Minato Namikaze sits by and does nothing, allowing the Uchiha clan to grow unchecked. He even..."

Facing the endless, rambling Danzō Shimura, Hiruzen Sarutobi hurriedly interrupted him.

"Danzō, you should show more respect for the Fourth Hokage. Minato Namikaze is my student's student, not an outsider. You must try to understand and support his work."

Watching Danzō, who was nagging like a resentful wife, a flicker of impatience flashed through Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes.

Now that he had stepped down from the position of Hokage, and with Minato Namikaze still showing him a fair amount of respect, many of the core positions within the village were still held by Hiruzen Sarutobi's old guard.

Hiruzen Sarutobi did not want to disrupt this current balance.

"But what about the evil Uchiha Clan? Eliminating them was the will of Master Tobirama; have you forgotten that?"

Seeing that Hiruzen Sarutobi was not taking the bait, Danzō brought up their shared teacher, Tobirama Senju.

"Enough! Whether that was truly the master's will or just you, Danzō, using it to achieve your own personal goals—do I really need to spell that out for you?"

"Are you still unsatisfied even today, insisting on sitting in that Hokage seat? If so, then act openly and honestly like Minato, and stop pulling strings behind people's backs."

Hiruzen Sarutobi reprimanded Danzō without a shred of mercy.

"Hiruzen, you, you... cough, cough, cough, cough."

Apoplectic with rage, Danzō nearly lost his breath, coming close to meeting Tobirama Senju in the afterlife.

Danzō finally understood: when Hiruzen was in power and had use for him, he treated him like a darling.

Now that Hiruzen no longer needed him, he was kicking him aside like a chamber pot.

"Hiruzen, you will regret this!"

Having said that, Shimura Danzō turned and left the Sarutobi Clan Compound without looking back.

"Danzō, don't forget that I am the Hokage... I am the Third Hokage."

Although Minato Namikaze currently treated Hiruzen Sarutobi with great courtesy, in truth, Minato did not approve of some of the actions taken during the Third's tenure.

Furthermore, Hiruzen Sarutobi's abdication had not been voluntary.

It was because the factions supporting Minato Namikaze's rise to power had grown increasingly strong, inevitably clashing with the old guard under Hiruzen's command.

In the end, both sides took a step back.

Hiruzen stepped down to protect the interests of his old brothers-in-arms.

Minato took office, promising a future to his supporters.

Both men were well aware of these facts.

Therefore, Hiruzen Sarutobi did not want any further contact with Danzō, lest he bring trouble upon himself when Minato eventually came to settle accounts.