Taking the Eyes

But at that moment, Uchiha Shisui was kneeling on one knee, gasping heavily.

Between his blood loss and opening Susanoo with only one eye, Shisui had burned through too much chakra and stamina.

By now, Shisui was completely spent. He knew he didn't have much time left.

As for this eye, he needed to entrust it to the person who mattered most.

That person was Uchiha Itachi.

Shisui had never considered telling Uchiha Fugaku that his eye had been stolen.

Because if he told Fugaku, the conflict between the Uchiha and Konoha would reach its peak.

The Uchiha Clan would launch a coup at once.

The result would be the Uchiha Clan's destruction, with both sides suffering terrible losses.

The other four great ninja villages would seize the opportunity to start a war.

Uchiha Shisui briefly treated his wound.

He also left a will.

Then he went to the place where he often met Uchiha Itachi.

As he felt his life slowly slipping away, he waited for Itachi to arrive.

He had just sent a Summoning Beast to notify Uchiha Itachi.

At last, as the sun set, Uchiha Itachi appeared at the place where he and Shisui often met, still wearing his mask.

Seeing that Shisui was completely spent, his expression changed.

Itachi hurried over to Shisui. Shisui braced himself against Itachi's shoulder and said in a trembling voice, "Shisui, what happened to you...?"

Shisui summoned the last of his strength and stood up. He seemed much more alert now, a sign that he was experiencing a final burst of energy.

He said slowly, "I planned to use Kotoamatsukami to stop the coup, but Danzo took my eye."

"He doesn't trust me. He wants to protect Konoha in his own way."

"Before that happens, I'm entrusting this eye to you."

Itachi's voice trembled. "Shisui..."

Shisui slowly removed his eye and handed it to Itachi.

Itachi's eyes were already brimming with tears. He summoned a Crow and placed Shisui's eye on its back.

A smile touched Shisui's lips. He closed his eyes and said to Itachi, "I'm leaving everything to you, my friend. You must protect the village's peace and safeguard the Uchiha's honor."

"Perhaps things will change a little once I'm gone."

As soon as he finished speaking, he fell straight backward.

Uchiha Yan watched Shisui, whose cowardice had reached its limit, with cold eyes.

He was one of the most gifted Uchiha, yet he had spent his life on his knees.

His Sharingan had been stolen, but he didn't dare speak up. He could only endure it in silence, sacrificing himself for so-called strategy and the greater good.

He casually tossed a Kunai, mercilessly ending Shisui's life.

Host killed Uchiha Shisui. Rewards obtained.

1: Kotoamatsukami

2: Body Flicker Technique

3: Mastery of Swordsmanship

Uchiha Yan chose option one without hesitation: Kotoamatsukami.

It was one of the most overpowered ocular techniques. With it, he might be able to spark infighting within the Konoha High Command.

Sarutobi Hiruzen might tolerate Danzo trying to assassinate him once, but what if Danzo brought Root to fight him inside the Hokage Building?

Uchiha Yan had made up his mind.

At that moment, after seeing Shisui die, Uchiha Itachi

reached out and cried, "Shisui!"

Then he closed his eyes, and blood tears ran from his left eye.

When Itachi opened them again, his Three-Tomoe Sharingan had transformed into the shape of a Three-Bladed Shuriken.

Just then, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his chest.

Uchiha Yan coated his hand in Wind Release chakra and, with a blank expression, reached into Itachi's chest from behind.

Uchiha Itachi's eyes flew wide. He slowly turned to look at Uchiha Yan, disbelief written across his face.

He said, "Yan, why...?"

Uchiha Yan crushed Itachi's Summoning Crow with one hand and placed Shisui's eye in the portable cultivation vessel he carried.

He said indifferently, "I won't let any Uchiha traitor get away."

Uchiha Yan's voice was calm, as if he had just crushed an ant.

With that, he casually crushed Itachi's heart.

As Itachi felt his life slipping away, Uchiha Yan's face blurred before his eyes.

His mouth moved, but Yan couldn't tell what he was saying.

Uchiha Yan gave Itachi's neck a slight twist, snuffing out his final breath.

He gouged out both of Itachi's eyes and dropped them into the cultivation vessel.

Finally, Uchiha Yan picked up Itachi's corpse and threw it down.

The system's rewards arrived right on time.

Host killed Uchiha Itachi. Rewards obtained.

1: Amaterasu, Tsukuyomi

3: Hokage Mindset

4: Totsuka Blade, Yata Mirror

Uchiha Yan glanced over the rewards. When he saw the second one in particular, the corner of his mouth twitched.

Hokage Mindset—did that mean the mindset of a seven-year-old child?

Then did that make Sarutobi Hiruzen's level about the same as a seven-year-old's?

What a joke.

Uchiha Yan muttered with a sigh, "No wonder Kishimoto's his favorite. He really gets whatever he wants."

After choosing reward four, Uchiha Yan prepared to carry out his plan.

Sarutobi Hiruzen still had the Dead Demon Consuming Seal, a jutsu that took the user down with their opponent.

He had to be cautious. If the other man used it on him, he'd regret it too late.

Who knew what the Uzumaki Clan had been thinking when they came up with a jutsu like that?

Uchiha Yan flashed away.

It was time to set his coup plan in motion.

Uchiha Yan easily found a group of Root operatives near the Uchiha compound, where they were keeping watch on the Uchiha.

The Root squad had no idea disaster was about to strike.

They were casually discussing what to eat.

"What should we eat after this mission?"

"You're always thinking about food, kid. Want me to take you somewhere fun?"

"Bro, you mean it?"

"Since you called me 'bro,' of course I'll take you."

As they chatted, Uchiha Yan had already crept up behind them without making a sound.

Uchiha Yan casually took out two of them.

Then he chose the reward, which was about as worthwhile as a mosquito's leg.

After observing the system's rewards for so long, Uchiha Yan had reached a conclusion.

The more a reward affected the plot, the better it was.

For Root cannon fodder like these, killing them only earned pitiful little rewards.

Then Uchiha Yan patted the sole survivor on the shoulder.

"Senior, what is it?"

The Anbu operative turned around, only to see a familiar yet unfamiliar face.

But the Three-Tomoe Sharingan in the man's eyes made it clear that something was very wrong.

"Not good." The Root cannon fodder had only just realized it

when he found himself trapped in a Sharingan genjutsu.

After getting the information he wanted, Uchiha Yan tightened his grip.

He crushed the Root operative before him.

Then, after efficiently disposing of the body,

he used the Body Flicker Technique to leave.

At that moment, Danzo was raging inside Root headquarters.

"Useless! You're all useless. I've poured a mountain of resources into training you, and you're a bunch of battle-hardened killers, yet you couldn't even deal with a badly wounded Shisui?"