Bait

Boom!

The secret chamber fell silent in an instant.

Tekka and Yashiro's expressions changed drastically.

Fugaku's eyes narrowed sharply.

Shisui's body stiffened.

He stared fixedly at Shin-getsu.

"How do you know?"

Shin-getsu replied calmly:

"That's not important."

Shisui said in a low voice:

"It is important."

The Mangekyō Sharingan was the Uchiha's highest-level secret.

Only a handful of people in the clan knew that Shisui had awakened the Mangekyō.

How could a nine-year-old child like Shin-getsu possibly know?

Shin-getsu didn't explain how he knew. Instead, he continued:

"More importantly, your Mangekyō ability is special."

Shisui's breath caught.

Shin-getsu looked into his eyes and said, one word at a time:

"Kotoamatsukami."

At those three words, Shisui's expression changed completely.

Fugaku also turned sharply to look at Shisui.

"Kotoamatsukami?"

Tekka looked bewildered.

"What's that?"

Shin-getsu said:

"One of the most powerful Genjutsu."

"It can permanently change a person's will without them noticing."

Tekka's pupils contracted sharply.

"Change their will?"

Yashiro drew in a sharp breath.

Fugaku's gaze toward Shisui changed completely.

"Shisui, is what he said true?"

Shisui fell silent.

His silence was an admission.

Tekka exploded.

"No wonder Danzo wants to take your eyes!"

"Wait..."

He suddenly realized something and whipped around to look at Shisui.

"Don't tell me you ever thought of using this to control the clan?"

Shisui's face went pale.

Anger blazed in Tekka's eyes.

"You really did?"

Shisui immediately said:

"I only wanted to stop the conflict!"

"I didn't want the Uchiha to go to war with the village!"

Tekka punched the wall.

Boom!

The wall shook.

"So you wanted to control your own people?"

"Control the clan head?"

"Control the Uchiha?"

Shisui opened his mouth, but no words came out.

Shin-getsu looked at him coldly.

"This is why I said you're dangerous."

"Shisui."

"You're too naive."

"You think changing someone's mind with Kotoamatsukami will bring peace."

"But have you ever thought about what Danzo will do once he learns about these eyes?"

Shisui grew paler by the second.

Shin-getsu continued:

"He'll take your eyes."

"Then he'll use Kotoamatsukami to control the Hokage, the Uchiha, the daimyo—anyone he wants."

"You want to use it to prevent a tragedy."

"But in Danzo's hands, it'll create an even greater tragedy."

Tekka said angrily:

"Shisui, how could you be so foolish!"

Shisui lowered his head and clenched his fists.

For the first time, he couldn't argue back.

Because everything Shin-getsu had said could happen.

No.

It wasn't just possible.

Judging by Root's actions these past few days, Danzo would definitely do it.

Fugaku said in a low voice:

"Shisui, did you previously intend to use Kotoamatsukami on me?"

Shisui's body trembled.

After a long while,

he managed to speak.

"I did."

Tekka was so furious that he immediately drew his sword.

"You bastard!"

Fugaku raised a hand.

"Tekka."

Tekka gritted his teeth and stopped.

Fugaku looked at Shisui, his gaze complicated.

He wasn't furious.

Instead, he felt a profound disappointment.

"Shisui."

"You've disappointed me."

Shisui's face was pale.

"Clan Head, I..."

Fugaku cut him off.

"You wanted to save the Uchiha."

"But you nearly betrayed the Uchiha in the cruelest way possible."

The secret chamber was terrifyingly quiet.

Shin-getsu didn't say anything more about Shisui, because he'd already achieved his goal.

He wanted to bring Shisui to his senses.

Not destroy him.

Shisui was an important fighter.

He had to bring him back.

So Shin-getsu spoke:

"There's still time."

Shisui looked up at him.

Shin-getsu said:

"Danzo hasn't taken your eyes yet."

"And you haven't used Kotoamatsukami to control your clanmates."

"You haven't gone all the way down the wrong path."

"So come back."

Shisui's gaze wavered.

"Come back?"

Shin-getsu looked at him.

"Stop standing between the village and the Uchiha, pretending to be a saint."

"You'll only be crushed by both sides."

"You're an Uchiha."

"Stand firmly with your own people first."

"Then talk about how to save the village."

Those words struck Shisui's heart like a heavy hammer.

Stand firmly with your own people first.

Then talk about saving the village.

He'd always tried to look at the problem from a higher vantage point.

But he'd forgotten that if he couldn't even protect the people at his feet, then peace was nothing but a joke.

Shisui slowly closed his eyes.

A moment later, he opened them.

His gaze had changed.

He was no longer wavering.

No longer avoiding the truth.

"I understand."

He looked at Fugaku and dropped to one knee.

"Clan Head, I'm willing to accept the clan's supervision."

"Until Danzo's threat is dealt with, I won't leave the clan compound alone."

"I won't use my Mangekyō on clan members, either."

Tekka's expression finally eased a little.

Fugaku looked at Shisui.

"Are you sure?"

Shisui nodded.

"I'm sure."

A system notification suddenly rang in Shin-getsu's mind.

[Host revealed Kotoamatsukami, successfully changing Shisui's predetermined course of thought.]

[Shisui gave up on using Kotoamatsukami to control the Uchiha Clan Head.]

[The causal deviation regarding Shisui's death has increased significantly.]

[Obtained Causality Points: 12000.]

[Night of the Clan Massacre Deviation increased.]

[Current deviation: 35%.]

A glint flashed in Shin-getsu's eyes.

Nice.

This move had changed Shisui's most critical mistaken choice.

And his Causality Points had surged.

He immediately opened the panel.

[Current Causality Points: 28700]

[Available Enhancements:]

[1. Perfect Three-Tomoe: 8000 Causality Points]

[2. Lightning Style: Earth Flash Proficiency: 3,000 Causality Points]

[3. Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique Proficiency: 2,000 Causality Points]

[4. Body Flicker Technique Basic Deduction: 5,000 Causality Points]

[5. Destiny Rehearsal: Shisui's Eye Seizing Crisis, costs 10,000 Causality Points]

Shin-getsu didn't hesitate.

"Rehearse Shisui's Eye Seizing Crisis."

In the next instant,

the system screen unfolded.

Three days later.

The side courtyard of Hokage Tower.

Shisui received a summons to meet the Third Hokage alone.

On the way, Danzo ambushed him.

Root's Barrier sealed off the area.

Torune and Yamanaka Fū joined forces to suppress him.

Taking advantage of Shisui's hesitation, Danzo launched a surprise attack and seized his eye.

Shisui escaped, gravely wounded.

In the end, by the Naka River, he entrusted his remaining eye to Itachi.

Then he threw himself into the river.

The scene abruptly ended.

Killing intent blazed in Shin-getsu's eyes.

Just as expected.

Even with the events happening ahead of schedule, Danzo would still use the same old tactics.

A summons.

An ambush.

Seizing his eye.

But this time, Shisui had already been warned.

So it was time to switch the hunter and the prey.

Shin-getsu lifted his head.

"Danzo will make his move in three days."

Everyone's expression changed.

Fugaku asked gravely,

"Where?"

Shin-getsu answered slowly,

"Between the side courtyard of Hokage Tower and the Naka River."

"He'll use a private summons to lure Shisui out."

"Root will set up a Barrier in advance."

"The target is Shisui's eye."

Tekka shot to his feet.

"Then what are we waiting for?"

"Let's ambush him in three days!"

Shin-getsu shook his head.

"No."

Tekka froze.

Shin-getsu's eyes were cold.

"Not in three days."

"Tomorrow."

Fugaku furrowed his brow.

"You want to make a move early?"

Shin-getsu nodded.

"Danzo thinks he's the hunter."

"So we'll give him some bait."

Shisui looked at Shin-getsu.

"I'm the bait?"

"That's right," Shin-getsu said.

"But this time, you won't be alone."

He looked at Fugaku.

"Clan Head, let word get out tomorrow."

"Say that the clan has started doubting Shisui, and that he's going to meet the Hokage alone to explain Kotoamatsukami."

Tekka's eyes lit up.

"Danzo won't be able to resist!"

Shin-getsu's lips curled into a cold smile.

"He wants to take Shisui's eye."

"So we'll let him come."

"Then..."

The Three-Tomoe in Shin-getsu's eyes slowly spun.

"we'll chop off his hand."

A system notification rang out.

[Anti-Hunting Plan triggered: Naka River Gambit.]

[Target: Prevent Danzo from taking Shisui's Mangekyo and severely wound Danzo.]

[Quest rewards: 20,000 Causality Points, a special trait, Mangekyo awakening progress.]

Standing in the center of the secret chamber, Shin-getsu spoke in a low voice, yet his words set everyone's blood racing.

"Tomorrow."

"We hunt Danzo."