Yuzhen's dojutsu was straightforward.
Left eye: Ichimokuren.
Right eye: Ame-no-Murakumo.
His left-eye technique, Ichimokuren, was a little more complicated in how it worked.
This dojutsu
could narrow what should have been an infinite number of possible futures down to just one outcome.
In other words, once he decided, "I'm going to cut off his arm,"
every method he used in the end would become the most reasonable strike, and the enemy's arm would be cut off.
His right-eye technique, Ame-no-Murakumo,
was simple and brutal!
Once activated, this dojutsu could emit a flash of sword light from his eye.
As long as his eyes could see it,
that sword light...
could slice through anything it caught: time, space, karmic retribution, past sins, and other abstract concepts!
Once he understood his dojutsu,
three words surfaced in Uchiha Yuzhen's mind: "Absolutely invincible."
Ichimokuren limited his enemy to their worst possible future, while Ame-no-Murakumo could cut through anything.
With these two dojutsu, he would surely become...
the first person in the Ninja World to kill with his eyes!
Uchiha Yuzhen opened his Mangekyō Sharingan and went to the edge of a pool.
He gazed into its tranquil waters.
In his eyes, the three tomoe of his scarlet Sharingan were gone.
Only a slightly more intricate pattern bloomed brilliantly in his gaze.
"A Straight Tomoe pattern? That makes sense... My dojutsu are both direct, power-based abilities."
"I don't have a single genjutsu, so it obviously can't be a Curved Tomoe pattern."
He was satisfied with his dojutsu, and he liked the Mangekyō's pattern too.
But his changes...
weren't limited to his dojutsu.
At that moment,
Yuzhen could feel that when his Mangekyō Sharingan appeared,
it was as though a shackle had been unlocked within his body.
A vast amount of potential seemed ready to surge up from deep within him.
Yuzhen clenched his fist and murmured to himself, "There's no doubt about it. Every Uchiha who awakens the Mangekyō becomes a Kage-level powerhouse."
"So it's not just the dojutsu! My body is changing too!"
He could feel his chakra about to increase significantly over the coming days!
"And... I can feel it. My guardian deity is about to take shape."
Susanoo—
the Uchiha's guardian deity.
Every person who awakened the Mangekyō gained this ability.
It was powerful, too, but he would have to master it step by step.
So... his next goal was to consolidate the power of his Mangekyō before the Third Great Ninja War broke out.
He would use this time while Team Minato was recuperating
to become a true Kage-level powerhouse!
With his thoughts in order, Uchiha Yuzhen began his formal training.
The Land of Water, Kirigakure.
In the Mizukage's office, the frail, aged Third Mizukage picked up a report from his desk.
"Oh? That kid who killed Biwa Juzo actually pulled off something like this?"
"He took part in the mission to assassinate the Kazekage?"
Genji the Fourth, the Mizukage's aide, let out a long sigh.
"This Uchiha Yuzhen... If I remember correctly, he's the one who killed Biwa Juzo!"
Genji was astonished. Uchiha Yuzhen had killed Kirigakure's figurehead not long ago.
And now he'd gotten involved in the mission to assassinate the Kazekage?!
The report from Sunagakure was perfectly clear.
Like his jonin leader, Uchiha Yuzhen had the ability to move instantaneously.
As an old-timer, Genji knew exactly what that meant.
It was the Flying Thunder God of the Senju of the Forest!
That technique could...
rival the Uchiha's Mangekyō Sharingan!
And if he wasn't mistaken,
the report said Uchiha Yuzhen was only twelve years old.
At that age,
he was already this powerful.
And with the Flying Thunder God...
If the boy awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan someday...
Would the Ninja World gain...
a new Asura of the Ninja World? Or a new God of Shinobi?
At the thought, Genji could no longer sit still.
He urgently addressed his old companion, the Third Mizukage.
"Mizukage-sama, from now on, we should focus our intelligence gathering on Uchiha Yuzhen!"
"We need to collect every scrap of information about him!"
Genji's thinking was direct, as was common with the old and shrewd.
They would collect everything they could about the boy and learn what he liked.
If Uchiha Yuzhen really did grow to that level one day,
they could make sure to cater to his preferences.
That way, they might preserve Kirigakure.
"Genji, why do you want to do that?"
"My reasoning is..." Hearing the Mizukage's question, Genji explained what he had just been thinking.
After hearing him out, a glint of red flashed in the Third Mizukage's eyes.
"That's right. I'm a shinobi who lived through that era, too."
"We should consider what we'll do if the Uchiha produce another shinobi this powerful."
"From now on, then, make that boy our primary target for intelligence gathering!"
Genji nodded in satisfaction.
What he failed to notice
was the tiny patch of deep red at the center of the Third Mizukage's pupils, beginning to writhe.
Elsewhere, in a gloomy cave,
a white-haired old man with a fearsome presence gave a soft "Hm?"
Hearing his puzzled sound, the strange man with one half of his body white and the other black
asked him, "Lord Madara, what's wrong?"
"How interesting. Very interesting!" Uchiha Madara chuckled, glancing at the strange man. "Zetsu... There's an interesting young fellow in the Uchiha Clan."
That was right. For decades, he had used genjutsu to control the Third Mizukage.
Which meant...
whatever the Mizukage knew, he knew too.
He had just seen the report the Mizukage had read.
Through the link formed by his dōryoku controlling the Mizukage, he had seen it as well.
Uchiha Yuzhen, twelve years old.
Three Tomoe Sharingan.
And he'd also learned that piece of trash Tobirama's Flying Thunder God.
His battle record was impeccable, too.
He had killed Biwa Juzo and fought Sasori of the Red Sands to a standstill.
A genius!
Without a doubt, a Uchiha genius!
Madara admitted that at that age,
he had been weaker than Uchiha Yuzhen.
It was easy to see why.
He had been fifteen when his father's pressure forced him to cross blades with Hashirama.
Only then had he awakened his Sharingan.
But this boy already had the Three Tomoe at twelve...
and had even mastered the troublesome Flying Thunder God.
He knew all too well
how troublesome that technique was!
Izuna, who had possessed the Mangekyō, had been killed by the despicable Senju Tobirama using that very technique!
This boy's talent was truly terrifying.
No matter what, he had to keep an eye on him!
He needed to observe his personality and see whether he would interfere with his plans.
Could he
become the heir to his great plan?
Before you continue