So Konoha's High Command knew about Uchiha Shisui's Mangekyo abilities. And since they knew, there was no reason Danzo wouldn't. Otherwise, he wouldn't have struck first and stolen Shisui's Sharingan.
Orochimaru was obsessed with the power of the Uchiha Clan and had colluded with Danzo. There was no reason he wouldn't know about Shisui's Mangekyo.
There was only one possibility: Danzo had kept the truth from him.
Orochimaru didn't know Shisui had awakened the Mangekyo. That was why he was so agitated.
"Who is he?"
Orochimaru licked his lips and asked in a sinister voice.
He had already made up his mind. No matter who it was, he would retrieve the Mangekyo.
Ahem!
Hōzuki Mangetsu paused, then smiled and held out his right hand.
"The Snake Clan Contract!"
He still couldn't stop thinking about that item.
"Bastard!"
A murderous glint flashed in Orochimaru's eyes, but he soon let it go.
Though they hadn't dealt with each other for long, he understood this Hozuki Clan brat well.
He was the sort of bastard who never lifted a finger without a reward.
It seemed that unless Orochimaru gave him something, the brat wouldn't tell him willingly.
After a long moment's thought, Orochimaru tossed a scroll to Hōzuki Mangetsu.
"This is the ultimate defensive ninjutsu used by the First, Rashomon. It can be summoned from hell to provide defense."
Ultimate defense?
Hōzuki Mangetsu looked at the scroll in his hand with delight. Summoning this required a huge amount of Chakra. He remembered that Hashirama, the First, had once summoned five Rashomon gates, while Orochimaru could summon three at most. Ukon could summon only one.
Hozuki Mangetsu had more Chakra than Orochimaru, so he could manage to summon four gates with all his strength.
Four Rashomon gates were enough to shrug off most attacks.
Although he hadn't managed to get the Snake Clan Contract, trading for a decent defensive ninjutsu was still a good deal.
"Uchiha..."
He deliberately drew out the word.
Orochimaru said coldly, "Kid, if you dare play me, I'll make you regret it."
Seeing Orochimaru lose his temper, Hōzuki Mangetsu finally said it word by word: "Uchiha Shisui!"
Uchiha Shisui!
Orochimaru narrowed his eyes.
"A descendant of Kagami, the Second Hokage's disciple? Very good!"
As he spoke, he began forming the hand signs for Earth Release to leave.
"Wait!"
Hōzuki Mangetsu suddenly stopped him. "Since you've been so generous, Orochimaru, I'll give you one more piece of information for free. In a few days, Shisui will clash with a Mist Ninja reconnaissance team along the border between Konoha and the Land of Water."
Orochimaru glanced back at him, his gaze icy.
"If you dare try anything, I won't let you get away with it."
"I wouldn't dare!"
Hōzuki Mangetsu shrugged. "I'm not interested in the Uchiha..."
Orochimaru swiftly formed several hand signs, and his body disappeared into the earth once more.
As if!
Hōzuki Mangetsu silently added the rest to his thought.
Only after Orochimaru had left for good did Hōzuki Mangetsu put away the Rashomon technique and hurry toward Ranmaru's hiding place.
This time, he had managed to kill two birds with one stone: he'd tricked Orochimaru into going first and wearing Shisui down, and he'd also obtained a decent defensive technique from him.
Now all Hōzuki Mangetsu had to do was hurry to the border between Konoha and the Land of Water and wait there for Orochimaru and Shisui to weaken each other.
A few days later, at the border between Konoha and the Land of Water.
Ao led a team of sensory-type shinobi quickly toward Konoha's border.
This time, they were going to conduct a reconnaissance mission along Konoha's frontier.
As soon as they stepped into Konoha's border, two shinobi beside Ao suddenly collapsed to the ground, their bodies convulsing.
Ao was taken aback and hurriedly stopped.
An Illusionary Technique?
He looked around but saw no enemies.
Byakugan!
Ao immediately activated the weapon in his right eye—the spoils he had taken from the battlefield.
A figure stood on a treetop in the distance.
Green Chakra!
Ao was startled again and said, "Retreat! That's Body Flicker Shisui of Konoha. We're no match for him."
He had merely glanced at them from afar, yet they had already fallen under an Illusionary Technique. This young man's power was truly unfathomable.
Besides, they were here to conduct reconnaissance, not start a war.
The Mist Ninja quickly withdrew.
Uchiha Shisui emerged and muttered to himself, "The Mist Ninja should behave themselves for a while now."
Three shinobi appeared behind him as well.
This time, they had been assigned to patrol the border.
"Captain Shisui, it's lucky you were here. Otherwise, the Mist Ninja wouldn't have withdrawn so obediently."
One of the team members spoke sincerely.
Body Flicker Shisui's reputation had spread far and wide, especially for his skill in Illusionary Techniques. As long as he could catch sight of an opponent from a distance, he could ensnare them.
Shisui smiled faintly. "The mission's over. We should head back, too."
His three subordinates acknowledged him and were about to leave.
A group of shinobi turned back. They were the Hidden Mist shinobi.
"This is outrageous!"
One team member sneered. "These fools really don't know when to quit. They know Captain Shisui is here, yet they're still trying to force their way through. Have they already forgotten what happened a moment ago?"
"Prepare to fight!"
Shisui frowned and used Body Flicker to rush forward.
Body Flicker Shisui certainly lived up to his name. In a few quick blinks, he was standing in front of the opposing group.
"This is Konoha territory. Hidden Mist has already trespassed. Are you trying to start a war?"
Shisui asked calmly.
The Hidden Mist shinobi had learned their lesson from his Illusionary Technique and were now prepared. They avoided looking into his Sharingan.
The Sharingan's Illusionary Technique was triggered by its ocular power. If the opponent was prepared, it would lose its element of surprise.
However...
A cold smile appeared on Shisui's lips.
Illusionary Techniques weren't all he could use.
The Mist Ninja paid him no heed and simply charged forward.
"This is bad. It's a trap!"
Uchiha Shisui suddenly realized what was happening and hurriedly retreated with his subordinates.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
A series of explosions rang out.
The Mist Ninja's bodies burst apart in an instant.
They had had Explosive Tags stuck to them all along.
Fortunately, Shisui had been alert, so his team suffered no major losses.
"Summoning Technique!"
A voice rang out suddenly.
The Shisui squad suddenly found themselves under a shadow. A gigantic figure appeared above them.
A huge snake appeared in the forest, and the Shisui squad was already trapped beneath its body.
Uchiha Shisui escaped the giant snake's shadow with a Body Flicker Technique, but his three subordinates weren't so lucky.
The snake crushed them beneath its body. Two were killed instantly, while the last was left half-dead, lying on the ground and wailing.
"Those are some impressive eyes."
A tall, slender figure appeared atop the snake's head.
"Orochimaru!"
Uchiha Shisui exclaimed in shock.
He had never imagined that Orochimaru, Konoha's rogue ninja and an S-rank terrorist, would appear at Konoha's border.
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