The Monstrous Uchiha Gray

Uchiha Shisui's breathing grew ragged, as if he were a bull driven to a frenzy.

He could be gentle and kind to everyone, even forgiving of others' shortcomings, but his love for the Leaf and his devotion to the village were the faith and passion of his life—he would never allow anyone to tarnish them!

If Uchiha Gray could not provide a reason that convinced him, and instead dared to sully his dream, then he would teach him a lesson he wouldn't soon forget!

"Heh." Uchiha Gray sneered, cold as a thousand-year glacier, and said word by word, "I said, you, Uchiha Shisui, are a complete and utter fool!"

Gray was not the least bit worried that Shisui would turn on him; given the man's personality, the worst he would do was give him a beating.

But now, a very interesting idea had suddenly occurred to him.

Since things had already reached this point, and Uchiha Shisui's faith in the Leaf—no, in Sarutobi Hiruzen—had already been shaken, why shouldn't he fan the flames, change his perspective, and bring him into his fold?

Body Flicker Shisui, possessor of the strongest ocular genjutsu in the world of the Hokage.

If groomed correctly, this was, damn it, the best asset one could ask for!

"You don't want to resolve the Uchiha Clan's rebellion, do you? Are you planning to use that Mangekyou Sharingan of yours to kill every single member of the Uchiha?" Uchiha Gray's voice was icy and filled with aggression.

"No, of course not!" Uchiha Shisui replied without hesitation.

"I want to..."

Before Uchiha Shisui could finish, Uchiha Gray interrupted him mercilessly, "You want to use your Mangekyou Sharingan to hypnotize Fugaku Uchiha and turn him into a puppet to protect the Leaf?"

"But will he end up a puppet protecting the Leaf, or a puppet protecting Sarutobi Hiruzen!"

The words were deafening.

Each syllable seemed to strike directly at Uchiha Shisui's heart!

His throat bobbed, and with a look of shock and disbelief, he stammered, "Gray, how could you possibly know the ability of my Sharingan!?"

"Heh." Gray sneered, saying indifferently, "The Sharingan is the Eye Reflecting the Heart. Since you possess such powerful genjutsu capabilities, it is only natural that after awakening the Mangekyou Sharingan, you would possess even more potent illusions."

"It seems I guessed correctly."

Uchiha Shisui was thoroughly stunned. He still wanted to argue, "Lord Hokage, he is not like that..."

Halfway through, he couldn't even continue. The scene he had just witnessed had truly played out before his eyes; how could he ignore it, and how could he lie against his own conscience?

How could Uchiha Gray let this opportunity slip?

Since you cannot bring yourself to say it, I will say it for you: "For the sake of his own interests, Sarutobi Hiruzen used Hizashi Hyuga as a peace offering to appease the Cloud Hidden!"

"But what did Hizashi Hyuga do wrong? The incident that occurred in the Hyuga Clan two days ago—the commoners might not know, but I believe you are well aware that the Cloud Hidden attempted to kidnap Hinata Hyuga. After they were killed, not only were they not in the wrong, but they demanded the Hyuga Clan bear the brunt of their rage!"

"And your so-called Lord Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, not only failed to provide any protection in this matter, but he was the one who orchestrated the death of Hizashi Hyuga."

"In other words, in this matter, Sarutobi Hiruzen is just as much a murderer!"

As Gray's words fell, Uchiha Shisui's face turned deathly pale.

Watching the confusion on Uchiha Shisui's face, Uchiha Gray fell silent; he knew well that saying too much would only lead to chaos.

Everything that needed to be said had been laid bare.

Uchiha Shisui was not stupid; on the contrary, he was incredibly intelligent—otherwise, how could he have developed a common Body Flicker Technique into an invincible one?

He was simply too trusting of authority.

If he said any more, it would only seem contrived. What he needed to do now was let Uchiha Shisui discover the darkness of the Leaf for himself!

When Uchiha Shisui eventually came to him of his own accord, the initiative would be back in his hands.

"Sigh." Uchiha Gray let out a breath, his expression remaining resolute, like a samurai heading to his death, his demeanor solemn. "It seems it really did end up like this in the end."

"If you cannot accept it, then forget all of this. I will save the Leaf in my own way!"

As he finished, to Uchiha Shisui's astonishment, Gray's figure vanished instantly before he could even ask another question.

Gray had not left; a playful smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth. He had only left because he sensed someone approaching.

Uchiha Itachi? Uchiha Gray's expression turned strange as he glanced back at the bewildered Uchiha Shisui.

What kind of bizarre things would happen when these two overthinkers got together?

"Shisui-san!"

Itachi's young face was filled with surprise.

He had been precocious since childhood and could see at a glance the complexity and sorrow on Uchiha Shisui's face, as if he were a patient who had lost his spirit.

This was not the usually energetic and approachable Shisui-san he knew!

"What... is wrong, Shisui-san?"

Uchiha Shisui sighed. The scene he had just witnessed and the words Uchiha Gray had spoken to him were deafening, leaving him unable to process his thoughts.

What exactly did Gray mean by his final words?

What method could he possibly have to change the Leaf?

Could it be that he had a plan all along, and the reason he had been ignoring him was simply because he didn't want him to be dragged into this whirlpool?

"Uchiha Gray's thoughts are simply beyond my ability to fathom." Uchiha Shisui did not answer Uchiha Itachi's question, murmuring to himself instead.

Uchiha Itachi's gaze suddenly froze!

Uchiha Gray?

Could it be that Big Brother Shisui had become like this because of Uchiha Gray?

"Big Brother Shisui, is it because of Uchiha Gray that you've ended up like this?" Uchiha Itachi couldn't help but ask. "I came to find you today precisely because I wanted to ask about Uchiha Gray!"

"Today at the Training Ground, I sparred with Uchiha Gray and discovered that his strength is immense—he could even rival an elite Chunin!"

Uchiha Shisui's eyes flashed as he looked up at Uchiha Itachi, surprised that he, too, had come for the sake of Uchiha Gray.

In an instant, their eyes met, and a sense of mutual understanding passed between them.

"No!" Uchiha Shisui said without hesitation. "Itachi, you may not know this, but Uchiha Gray already possesses the Two-Tomoe Sharingan. Furthermore, his Body Flicker Technique is no less than my own. He can absolutely rival an elite Chunin, or perhaps even a special Jonin!"

"How is that possible!"

Uchiha Itachi could no longer maintain his composure, and he exclaimed in shock.

Eight years old and already awakened the Two-Tomoe Sharingan, with a Body Flicker Technique that rivals Shisui's—what kind of monster is Uchiha Gray exactly!