Transcription Seal

Qiu Shan Uchiha paid little attention to the rogue ninja. After collecting the mission and the relevant intelligence, he casually stuffed them into his ninja tool pouch, then went to the Dango Shop and bought a large handful of dango for breakfast. He ate as he walked, chewing the soft, sweet Three-Color Dango while watching the bustling crowds in the streets.

As the foremost ninja village in the shinobi world, Konoha still had deep reserves, even though the Third Hokage and Danzo had driven it into decline. Its clans, large and small, its diverse and unique kekkei genkai, and its endless stream of talented young ninja were the true source of its confidence.

Qiu Shan Uchiha had grown up in Konoha, after all. It was impossible for him to have no emotional attachment to it. But the conflict between the Uchiha Clan and Konoha was growing ever more intense, while Qiu Shan Uchiha himself was rapidly becoming stronger. For both him and the Uchiha Clan, Konoha was an invisible cage. They could either endure a stifled existence within it, always watching out for underhanded attacks from the Third Hokage and Danzo, or break free and allow Qiu Shan Uchiha to grow without restraint.

As he neared Shisui Uchiha's home, Qiu Shan Uchiha finally finished his bag of Three-Color Dango. He casually tossed away the remaining skewers, embedding them in a tree, then pushed open Shisui's front door and called out:

"Shisui, are you up? I've come to see you! I brought your favorite Three-Color Dango."

Still calling out, he walked straight inside without standing on ceremony.

Qiushan's shouting woke Shisui Uchiha from his sleep. Still looking half asleep, he let out an enormous yawn and unceremoniously snatched the bag from Qiu Shan Uchiha's hand. Stuffing dango into his mouth, he asked through a mouthful:

"What are you doing here this early? When have you ever gotten up this early without a mission?"

Qiu Shan Uchiha shook his head at Shisui's complete lack of decorum. He poured a cup of water and handed it over, remarking, "If your fangirls saw you like this, I wonder how many hearts would break."

The ninja world admired strength. Qiu Shan Uchiha's reputation as "Body Flicker Shisui" was well known, and with his good looks and gentle manner, he had a following of fangirls both within the clan and throughout the village.

Shisui Uchiha took the cup and gulped down a large mouthful before replying irritably:

"A ninja's strength comes from within. Ability is what matters. What good is appearances? Just look at Lord Jiraiya. No matter how shabby he looks, he still has plenty of admirers."

Watching Shisui eat with such relish, Qiu Shan Uchiha couldn't resist reaching over for a skewer himself. He chewed slowly, and for a while, neither of them spoke.

Only after Shisui Uchiha had finished eating and begun leisurely sipping his tea did Qiu Shan Uchiha speak:

"I took a mission that will require me to leave the village. I should be back in about half a month."

Hearing Qiushan's words, Shisui Uchiha asked, "Then what about our plan?"

"I've already spoken to the clan head. The plan will proceed as usual. Don't worry, this won't interfere with anything. I'll be back before we put it into action."

Shisui Uchiha nodded in acknowledgment. "When are you leaving?"

"Right away. I'm using this mission as an opportunity to take care of something outside the village."

As he spoke, Qiu Shan Uchiha set down his cup. Still uneasy, he warned, "If something happens and I don't make it back, make absolutely sure you don't let Danzo gouge out your eyes when you meet him."

Qiu Shan Uchiha saw the puzzled look on Shisui's face, as though he were saying, I'm not even concerned about my life anymore. Why would I care so much about my eyes?

Since Shisui Uchiha had a history of having his eye gouged out by Danzo, Qiu Shan Uchiha thought it over and decided to tell him the truth.

"I secretly used the Transcription Seal to seal Izanagi into your Sharingan earlier. It's set to activate twelve hours after your heart stops beating, erase any harmful effects on your body, and bring you back to life. I wanted to surprise you, but I was worried you might let Danzo gouge out your Sharingan to make things look convincing. If he happens to take the eye with Izanagi sealed inside it, you'll really die."

Understanding dawned on Shisui Uchiha as he listened. No wonder Qiu Shan Uchiha had said he should actually die so that no one would discover his death was staged. He had already prepared a contingency.

Suddenly, Shisui Uchiha seemed to remember something and asked him anxiously:

"Then are your eyes all right? I don't know how to use Izanagi, but I do know that using it permanently blinds the Sharingan that casts it."

Seeing that Shisui's first concern was for him, Qiushan felt warmth well up in his heart. He reassured him:

"Don't worry, Shisui. My Sharingan are a little special. They won't be affected."

Only after learning that Qiu Shan Uchiha's eyes were unharmed did Shisui relax. He grumbled:

"You're always like this, never missing a chance to mess with me. Just how twisted is your sense of humor? If this weren't so important, I bet you'd be snickering to yourself when I came back to life looking completely bewildered."

The two chatted a while longer. Seeing that it was getting late, Qiu Shan Uchiha told Shisui he had to leave.

After saying goodbye to Shisui, Qiu Shan Uchiha headed out of the village. Since he was the only one assigned to this mission, he wasn't in any hurry. He handed his mission slip to the ninja at the village gate to register his departure, then left.

Qiu Shan Uchiha had deliberately chosen this mission because the rogue ninja's location lay in the same direction as the Land of Whirlpools. Rather than rush to complete the mission, he would take care of his own business first.

When Qiu Shan Uchiha passed through a fairly large city, he played the part of a wealthy man and went on a shopping spree.

Using the operating funds he had drawn from Fugaku Uchiha, Qiu Shan Uchiha first bought a large quantity of food for his clansmen to use when they moved to the Land of Whirlpools. He also bought firewood, rice, oil, salt, tables, chairs, stools, and all sorts of other goods. Food, clothing, shelter, travel-every aspect of daily life was covered by his shopping plans.

Because he was buying an enormous quantity of goods and spending a considerable sum, Qiu Shan Uchiha rented a small courtyard residence. He used multiple Shadow Clones along with the Transformation Technique to make purchases according to his plan, keeping a low profile while working efficiently.

Of course, Qiu Shan Uchiha had no intention of buying everything in one place, since that could attract unwanted attention. There were plenty of cities along the way anyway. By buying a little here and a little there, he would gradually gather everything he needed.

While his many Shadow Clones went out shopping, his real body stayed in the courtyard residence without going anywhere. Once the courtyard was nearly full, he activated his Mangekyo and moved the supplies onto the island within his space. The island was vast enough to hold a hundred years' worth of supplies for his clansmen without any trouble. Of course, Qiu Shan Uchiha didn't have that much money.