Shisui Uchiha's Decision

"Uchiha Ensei, the clan head ordered that you must attend the clan meeting today."

Dressed in ANBU attire, Shisui Uchiha looked at the expressionless Uchiha Ensei, and an exceedingly strange feeling rose within him.

For some reason, this clansman, who was the same age as Itachi, always seemed utterly out of place with the entire Uchiha Clan.

He had clearly not been like this as a child, yet ever since the Nine-Tails' Attack, not only had he changed, but the entire clan—and even Konoha as a whole—had undergone an indescribable transformation.

The rift between the clan and the village seemed to have grown even more severe.

"Hmph! It doesn't matter whether I attend that useless Fugaku's clan meeting or not."

After frowning at Shisui Uchiha for a long while, Uchiha Ensei spoke with a disdainful expression.

As his strength grew, he gradually encountered all sorts of restrictions and obstacles within the Uchiha Clan, while his relationships with his clansmen also worsened.

Still, no one really cared much about such things.

The Uchiha Clan revered strength. As long as one was strong enough, one naturally possessed privileges.

"Ensei, are you still dissatisfied over the clan compound's relocation? This matter..."

Upon hearing Uchiha Ensei's words, Shisui Uchiha froze completely and only regained his senses after a long while.

"Shut up, Shisui!"

"If Fugaku is a coward, then you're an idiot!"

"Do you really think you can earn the trust of Hiruzen Sarutobi and Shimura Danzō?"

"When those Mangekyō are dug out of your eyes, I'll keep them for you. It would be such a pity to lose an ability as special as Kotoamatsukami."

Uchiha Ensei's words immediately made Shisui Uchiha frown, and killing intent involuntarily surfaced in his gaze.

"Ensei... where exactly... did you hear about Kotoamatsukami?"

The killing intent of a powerful man enveloped Uchiha Ensei, a ten-year-old child, with exceptional intensity.

If he had been an ordinary ten-year-old child, he would likely have already fainted in terror. It would not even have been impossible for him to be scared to death outright.

Even a genius like Itachi Uchiha would have found it difficult to remain calm beneath Shisui Uchiha's killing intent at this moment.

Yet Uchiha Ensei before him simply ignored that intense killing intent and continued in an indifferent tone:

"What a waste of the Mangekyō Sharingan on you."

"Idiot."

As Uchiha Ensei spoke, his jet-black pupils instantly turned white. Pale blue halos floated over his crimson eyeballs, making them appear particularly bizarre.

Along with those strange eyes came chakra so dense it had nearly solidified. The instant that overwhelming chakra pressure appeared, it alarmed all of Konoha.

"M-Mangekyō Sharingan... How is that possible? How could it look like this?"

Shisui Uchiha was so shocked that he could not speak. He had never seen such bizarre eyes before. Normally, even a Mangekyō Sharingan should not look like this.

Could it be a bloodline mutation?

He had never heard of anyone from another clan causing a mutation in the Sharingan bloodline.

"This isn't the Mangekyō Sharingan. It's merely a side effect of gaining power."

Uchiha Ensei's eyes gradually returned to normal, and the dense chakra leaking from his body slowly subsided as well.

"Don't bother me. My experiment is at a critical stage, and I have no time for those trivial clan matters."

At that, Uchiha Ensei fell silent for a moment before continuing:

"Protect the secret of your eyes. Don't let anyone else learn about Kotoamatsukami."

"And... if your eyes are taken..."

"Forget it. That probably has nothing to do with you."

After saying that, Uchiha Ensei returned to the seemingly ordinary house behind him.

Shisui Uchiha wanted to say something more, but the two Ninja Cat Clan guards at the doorway blocked his path.

At this time, just over two years had passed since the Nine-Tails' Attack.

During those two years, although Konoha remained peaceful on the surface, the Uchiha Clan's situation had not been good.

First, they had been ordered to relocate their clan compound. The entire clan had been moved to the edge of Konoha, extremely far from the central district.

Then came the changes in the Ninja Cat Clan.

Originally, the cooperative relationship between the Ninja Cat Clan and the Uchiha Clan had progressed smoothly. Yet, at some unknown point, the Ninja Cat Clan seemed to have become Uchiha Ensei's vassals, openly appearing throughout Konoha.

Naturally, this drew the attention of the ANBU.

As a result, Uchiha Ensei's name began appearing frequently among the upper ranks of both the Uchiha Clan and Konoha.

Perhaps it was because of the Ninja Cat Clan, or perhaps because of Uchiha Ensei's age.

No one had caused him trouble over the past two years. There had only been occasional inquiries and tests.

But clearly, after more than two years, someone had finally grown impatient.

As it happened, Uchiha Ensei had also gained sufficient power from his cloning experiments over those two years. He could not be called invincible, but he had enough strength to protect himself.

He... had no intention of silently waiting for the Clan Massacre Night to arrive.

After leaving Uchiha Ensei's residence, Shisui Uchiha first reported to the clan head, Fugaku Uchiha, before heading to the Hokage Building.

When he emerged from the Hokage Building, his eyes were filled with confusion.

He did not want to abandon either the village or the clan.

Yet the circumstances seemed unwilling to allow it. He had to make a choice!

Just moments earlier, the Hokage had told him an extremely classified piece of intelligence.

During the Nine-Tails' Attack, an unknown force had infiltrated Konoha using an unknown and undetectable Transformation Technique. Neither the Byakugan nor the Sharingan could identify it.

And now, the Hokage suspected that an enemy had already replaced Uchiha Ensei. He was ordered to investigate, and if necessary, he could kill him!

After all, even the most gifted individuals in the Ninja World had never possessed such immense power at the age of ten.

Rationally, Shisui Uchiha sensed many suspicious points.

But emotionally, he was torn. He did not wish to suspect his own clansman, nor did he wish to suspect Konoha's Hokage.

"For the sake of the village... I'm sorry, Ensei."

After hesitating for a long time, Shisui Uchiha finally made his decision.

Ensei, since you possess the power of the Mangekyō Sharingan, let my Mangekyō Sharingan test the limits of your resolve.

Don't worry. I'll be careful. I won't let your Mangekyō suffer excessive strain.

Just as Shisui Uchiha made up his mind, Uchiha Ensei's experiment also reached its most critical stage.