Never mind.
Let's leave it at that!
Remembering the seed he had planted not long ago, and the goodwill Shisui had just cast aside, Uchiha Jin was looking forward even more to what would happen next.
Shisui was certain to die, but in the little time he had left, Jin might as well squeeze out every last bit of value from him!
Hopefully, their Darkness of the Ninja World would enjoy this grand gift—and get a glimpse of the Uchiha Clan's true power!
Uchiha Jin wore a gentle smile, just like the other Uchiha around him, as though he were delighted that their clan had gained another Mangekyō wielder. But his murderous will once again surged through their linked ocular power and invaded Uchiha Shisui's mind.
"With someone like Danzo around, the clan and the village will never reconcile. You got lucky this time. Next time, you might not be so fortunate!"
Although Uchiha Jin had not yet managed to awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan, his own ocular power had undergone another transformation after fusing with several pairs of Sharingan.
During the process, Uchiha Jin's genjutsu skills had finally broken through the LV6 bottleneck. His Fire Release and Uchiha Style Swordsmanship had also advanced to LV6 after he absorbed the legacy of the "Flame Demon."
At this point, Uchiha Jin had crossed the threshold of Kage Level in all three core attributes: ninjutsu, taijutsu, and genjutsu.
Even if he faced Uchiha Fugaku and Uchiha Setsuna together again, he was now absolutely confident he could take them on without resorting to a shameless sneak attack—just that one Panda Fist and Groin Kick!
But Kage Level was Kage Level, and the Mangekyō was the Mangekyō!
His strength still wasn't enough to go head-to-head with a cheat like Kotoamatsukami, but he believed that his soul, will, and ocular power were now strong enough to put up a fight.
And that...
Was enough!
If Uchiha Shisui tried to kill him at any cost, Jin could simply hide among the powerful Uchiha army at his back.
The Mangekyō's power was undeniably formidable, but even ants could bring down an elephant if there were enough of them—especially when they were all red-eyed Uchiha.
Even if Kotoamatsukami's power really was stronger than he expected, it still wasn't a spiritual attack that annihilated the soul.
As long as Uchiha Shisui died on the spot, and the system completely stripped him of all his power, how could something like Kotoamatsukami possibly be an exception?
In other words, Uchiha Jin had already secured his position of invincibility!
All he had to do was stir things up a little more. With Shisui's pathetic eloquence and saintly political stance, the Uchiha present would immediately see him as an enemy.
It was one thing for a Mangekyō Sharingan wielder to refuse to help them. But if he was also going to become an enemy of the Uchiha Clan, then Uchiha Fugaku would probably be willing to reveal his own Mangekyō.
In that situation, as long as Sarutobi Hiruzen remained as indecisive as ever and didn't join forces with Shimura Danzō to launch an all-out attack, the outcome was already decided.
Would Sarutobi Hiruzen and Shimura Danzō try to swoop in and reap the benefits after the battle?
Was Uchiha Jin afraid of that?
Of course not!
He could always flip the table!
After inheriting the power of Uchiha Shisui and the many Uchiha elites, obtaining the Eternal Mangekyō and crushing...
By then, if Jin joined forces with the Uchiha Clan, he might not be able to wipe out Konoha completely, but he could certainly leave it severely weakened.
And by then, Uchiha Jin wouldn't be so easy to kill. He'd only need to leave for a short recovery period after the battle before rallying his strength and truly erasing Konoha into the dust of history.
Though life afterward might be a little rough. Reviving the Uchiha Clan would fall to him alone. Should I win over Tsunade first, or go after Terumi Mei?
Heh—ptui!
You temptress, don't you dare shake my resolve!
With a will as sharp as a blade, Jin cut down those unrealistic fantasies and looked once more at Shisui nearby.
No matter what choice Shisui made, it was all the same to Uchiha Jin.
The Lord didn't care!
Still, compared with the tragic spectacle of being slaughtered by the Uchiha army, Shisui's death would better suit the frustration and indignation of his saintly persona!
The Lord's mercy had already been bestowed, yet Uchiha Shisui had failed to cherish it. Now he could go meet the end fate had in store for him!
Jin gave Shisui—who was already as good as dead—a dispassionate glance, then turned to Uchiha Setsuna and Uchiha Fugaku before him.
"Clan Head, Great Elder, Shisui has only just awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan. He clearly can't yet control this immense power."
"So I'll have to trouble you both to calm him down. Let our new Mangekyō rest on the main platform for a while."
Uchiha Fugaku and Uchiha Setsuna exchanged a knowing nod. The Mangekyō Sharingan meant a great deal to the Uchiha Clan, so Shisui naturally needed to be comforted and looked after.
But Uchiha Shisui's mind was already elsewhere. He needed to get to the Hokage Building as soon as possible and tell Lord Hokage about Uchiha Jin's vicious intentions!
Shisui believed that although he couldn't deal with Uchiha Jin for the time being, Sarutobi Hiruzen—who had inherited the great Will of Fire—would surely be able to resolve the problem.
The colossal Susanoo slowly faded away. Uchiha Shisui landed on the arena with a complicated expression, then clasped his hands toward Uchiha Fugaku.
"Clan Head, I'm a little tired. I'll head back and rest."
"Since that's the case..."
Uchiha Fugaku was about to agree when Uchiha Jin cut in.
"The commotion from Shisui's Susanoo has clearly alerted the reporters outside the clan compound. Until this gathering is over, Shisui should stay here."
"Exactly!"
Uchiha Setsuna stepped forward and came to Shisui's side. He gently took Shisui by the right hand and spoke warmly.
"Let's talk after the gathering is over!"
Clearly, after Jin's reminder, Uchiha Setsuna and Uchiha Fugaku had also realized how awkward Shisui's status was within the clan.
A turncoat like him... a lost lamb, was exactly the sort who needed a firm hand. They couldn't let that bastard Sarutobi sweet-talk him!
"I..."
Uchiha Shisui had never been good with words. Now, with Uchiha Fugaku and Uchiha Setsuna backing each other up, he was reluctantly escorted to the main platform.
Even so, before he left, his eyes remained fixed on Uchiha Jin, filled with murderous intent.
Jin clearly didn't care. He turned to the many Uchiha clansmen behind him and called out.
"Did you see that?"
"Though Zongxian's death is a tragedy, to die fighting in a duel is a Uchiha's good fortune!"
"Zongxian must have known that when he used a forbidden technique that hadn't yet been fully developed. The outcome may not have brought him victory, but it did give our clan another Mangekyō. I'm sure Zongxian's spirit can rest in peace now!"
"You!"
On the main platform, Uchiha Shisui clenched his teeth. The fury in his eyes seemed ready to burn everything to ashes.
How could anyone be this shameless? He knew perfectly well that Shisui's Mangekyō hadn't awakened in the arena, yet now he could lie straight-faced and blame Zongxian's death on a forbidden technique going out of control...
"Shisui, you don't want the Third Hokage to find out that you've been hiding your Mangekyō, do you?"
Just as Uchiha Shisui was about to denounce the lies below, another wave of mental will entered his mind.
What!
Uchiha Shisui's pupils trembled slightly. He suddenly remembered that he hadn't just kept his Mangekyō Sharingan hidden from the clan—he had concealed it from Sarutobi Hiruzen and Shimura Danzō too.
With relations between the clan and the village so strained, if he revealed now that he had deliberately hidden his Mangekyō, Shisui felt he would no longer be able to help Lord Hokage resolve the conflict between the village and the clan.
"You..."
Uchiha Shisui still believed Lord Hokage to be wise and mighty, but the thought of those unacceptable consequences choked off the words in his throat.
And no one seemed to care about Uchiha Shisui on the distant main platform. Instead, all their increasingly fervent gazes were fixed on Uchiha Jin.
Because...
Before you continue