Copying Eye

Qiu Shan Uchiha seemed to be struggling to hold something back. His voice was hoarse as he spoke, one word at a time:

"The Uchiha Clan was wiped out!"

Qiu Shan Uchiha's eyes were bloodshot as he glared fiercely at Shisui Uchiha. But Shisui knew that glare was not aimed at him, but at an enemy several years in the future.

"That night, neither the Uchiha ninja nor the ordinary clan members escaped. They all died. In the end, only two clan members remained alive. Uchiha Itachi deserted, leaving only the clan leader's youngest son, Sasuke Uchiha, in Konoha."

Qiu Shan Uchiha did not say that Uchiha Itachi had killed the entire clan. Although Uchiha Itachi had told Sasuke that he had slaughtered the Uchiha Clan, anyone with a brain who thought it through would know that was impossible.

The Uchiha Clan was Konoha's largest clan. Never mind Uchiha Itachi-even if the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, were still alive, he could not have wiped out the Uchiha Clan without a sound unless he had help.

After hearing Qiu Shan Uchiha's words, Shisui Uchiha fell silent. The two stood facing each other without speaking.

By then, the moon had climbed into the sky, its light falling on their two expressionless faces.

After a long while, Shisui Uchiha seemed to accept the reality of it. At last, he spoke, asking calmly:

"Have you told anyone else about this?"

Qiu Shan Uchiha shook his head.

"No. Everything I've said is far too shocking. Even if I told people, most of them wouldn't believe me."

"You haven't gone to the clan leader? If you explained everything to him in detail, I think he'd believe you."

When Shisui Uchiha suggested telling the clan leader, Qiu Shan Uchiha shook his head firmly. "No. I don't trust him."

"Why?"

"Because the clan leader also has the Mangekyō Sharingan. And although he died in the end, too, the only two surviving Uchiha were both his sons. Don't you think that's too much of a coincidence? I can't tell where his loyalties lie. If I told him, it wouldn't matter if I got caught up in it, but then there would be no way to save you or the clan."

Shisui Uchiha seemed convinced by Qiu Shan Uchiha's words. Looking at him, he asked:

"What do you need me to do?"

Seeing that Shisui believed him, Qiu Shan Uchiha let out a long breath. After all that talking, he had finally convinced Shisui. It seemed the future could still be changed.

"Shisui, you're one of the strongest members of our Uchiha Clan, and now you're our hope as well. I want you to be extremely careful. Don't let your guard down around anyone, especially the Third Hokage and Shimura Danzō. Be even more vigilant when they're nearby. Don't relax."

Shisui knew Qiu Shan was worried about his safety. He nodded and promised, "I will. Don't worry!"

"Also, have you told anyone that you've awakened the Mangekyō?"

Seeing Shisui Uchiha shake his head, Qiu Shan felt relieved.

"Good. Don't tell anyone you've awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan. Remember, anyone. No secret stays hidden forever. Every additional person you tell means that much more danger."

Still worried, Qiu Shan Uchiha stressed the warning.

"Finally, can you tell me the names of your Mangekyō Sharingan's Dōjutsu and what they do? That way, I'll know where we stand and can make plans and arrangements based on our circumstances. Of course, I'll tell you about my Mangekyō's Dōjutsu and their effects first. Would that be all right?"

Shisui thought it over. Qiu Shan's request did not seem unreasonable, and for the sake of the Uchiha Clan's future, the two of them really did need to work together. He nodded in agreement.

Seeing Shisui Uchiha agree, Qiu Shan Uchiha breathed an inward sigh of relief. After all, everything he had said and done had been for the sake of copying Shisui's Kotoamatsukami.

Qiu Shan Uchiha pointed to his left eye and continued, "The Dōjutsu of my left Mangekyō Sharingan is called 'Rift of Time.' It lets me see images and fragments of the future. The drawback is that I can't control it—it happens at random. You already know that."

Seeing Shisui Uchiha nod in understanding, Qiu Shan Uchiha suddenly asked, "Shisui, do you remember my nickname?"

"Yes. The Uchiha's Copy Eye. You're the best in the Uchiha Clan at copying an enemy's ninjutsu."

Seeing that Shisui still remembered his nickname, Qiu Shan Uchiha chuckled, then pointed to his right eye with unmistakable pride and said:

"My right eye's Dōjutsu is called 'Copying Eye.' Can you guess what it does?"

"Copying Eye? You could already copy ninjutsu when you had three tomoe. Now that you have the Mangekyō Sharingan, your copying ability must have improved..." Shisui Uchiha murmured to himself.

Gradually, he seemed to be alarmed by his own speculation, and the look he gave Qiu Shan Uchiha grew increasingly strange.

Qiu Shan Uchiha chuckled and said rather smugly, "That's right. Just as you guessed, my Mangekyō Sharingan can now copy certain special kinds of ninjutsu. These special techniques have a particular name: 'Kekkei genkai.'"

In truth, Qiu Shan Uchiha's Sharingan had not yet reached the level where it could copy kekkei genkai. But according to the system's instructions, once his Sharingan copied Shisui Uchiha's Kotoamatsukami and successfully evolved into the Mangekyō Sharingan, it would be able to copy some kekkei genkai ninjutsu.

Seeing that Shisui seemed startled, Qiu Shan Uchiha scratched his head sheepishly and added, "Don't be alarmed. I can only copy a limited few. It's not as outrageous as you're imagining."

Shisui Uchiha came back to his senses, feeling a little amused by his own loss of composure.

"I thought my Mangekyō Sharingan's Dōjutsu was frightening enough. I never imagined yours would be just as powerful."

Shisui Uchiha paused, then said, "My left and right Mangekyō Sharingan both have the same Dōjutsu. It's called 'Kotoamatsukami.' It lets me manipulate people at will without them realizing it, and permanently and completely alter their thoughts and will."

"But it has a major drawback: the cooldown is very long. I can feel that after using my Dōjutsu once, I'll have to wait at least ten years before I can use it again."

At that, Shisui Uchiha let out a deep sigh and said helplessly, "I'd planned to use this Dōjutsu to ease relations between the village and our Uchiha Clan. But from what you've told me, I still failed—and lost both my life and my Sharingan."

After hearing Shisui reveal his Mangekyō Sharingan's ability, Qiu Shan Uchiha knew he was another step closer to his goal. Choosing his words carefully, he said, "If that's your Mangekyō's ability, then I know what we should do to ease the tension between the clan and the village."