By the time Shimura Danzō reacted, Shisui Uchiha had already guided the skeletal hand into the stone wall beside him, slipping it in as easily as if it were tofu.
With a slight push from the skeletal arm, Shisui Uchiha's body was effortlessly lifted and propelled toward the cave entrance.
The Root members who reacted to Shimura Danzō's command hurled Kunai, Shuriken, and all manner of hidden weapons at him, but the skeletal Susanoo deflected them all.
With Shisui Uchiha protected by the skeletal Susanoo, Shimura Danzō knew that even if he gave chase, he would not be able to stop him from escaping.
Danzo waved his hand, sending his subordinates after him while he followed at a leisurely pace. Though stopping Shisui Uchiha was unlikely, there was still a chance. What if Shisui Uchiha's Susanoo reached its limit? Wouldn't he be able to scoop him right up then?
Shisui Uchiha endured the pain and controlled the skeletal arm, pulling himself toward the cave entrance.
Before long, Shisui Uchiha finally escaped from the cave. Shisui looked up at the sky and felt as though a lifetime had passed. The sky was still the same, yet it felt different now.
Though he had escaped Shimura Danzō's Root Base, Shisui Uchiha knew this was no time to relax. His pursuers would arrive any moment, so he had to keep running.
Moreover, Shisui Uchiha could feel that his Susanoo was nearing its limit. His Mangekyō Sharingan now caused pain so intense that he twitched uncontrollably. If not for his past training, he might already have given out.
But what truly could not hold out now was his body. During his escape, Shisui Uchiha had tried every antidote he routinely carried, but none had any effect. In fact, the poison inside him seemed angered by his attempts to take antidotes, and its upward spread seemed to be accelerating.
Shisui Uchiha did not linger at the cave entrance. He headed straight for the Uchiha Clan Compound in Konoha. If his Susanoo expired and his pursuers caught up, he would be in serious trouble.
The Root Base was some distance from Konoha. Otherwise, wandering villagers or Genin on gathering missions around Konoha might discover it and leak its location, which would be troublesome.
In truth, that distance was trivial for a Jōnin, but to Shisui Uchiha in his current condition, it felt almost beyond reach.
As he drew closer to Konoha, Shisui Uchiha felt himself approaching his limit. He had lost all sensation below his chest; the poison had already spread that far. Once it reached his heart, he would die. His Susanoo had also reached the limit of what he could sustain. Shisui felt throbbing pain in his head, a sign that his mental energy was nearly exhausted.
Shisui Uchiha felt his mind growing hazy as well. Only instinct and the tiny shred of clarity he fought desperately to preserve allowed him to keep controlling his Susanoo as he fled.
Just then, Shisui Uchiha suddenly felt a stab of pain in his heart. The poisonous insects had reached it. With that pain, Shisui Uchiha finally gave out. The skeletal Susanoo dissipated, and Shisui's body crashed heavily to the ground. The impact restored a little clarity to his mind, but his body had reached its limit. He could no longer move.
"Ah, so I failed to keep my promise to Qiushan after all? I hope Qiushan can use this opportunity to lead our clansmen away from annihilation."
Shisui Uchiha opened his eyes. His body could no longer sustain his Sharingan, leaving his eyes their ordinary black. Watching a bird fly across the sky, he managed a faint smile with difficulty. His vision kept darkening, and his consciousness grew increasingly blurred. He felt as though he were slipping into an endless abyss.
Just as Shisui Uchiha was about to lose consciousness, he suddenly heard Qiu Shan Uchiha calling his name. Shisui Uchiha thought he was hearing things, but then another, clearer call reached his ears, letting Shisui know that Qiu Shan Uchiha had come looking for him. He struggled to open his mouth, but could only make a weak sound.
As Shisui Uchiha grew anxious, afraid that Qiu Shan Uchiha might not find him, he suddenly felt the ground beside him tremble. Then someone blocked his view. Shisui Uchiha struggled to focus his eyes and saw Qiu Shan Uchiha's anxious face.
Seeing that Shisui did not even have the strength to speak, Qiu Shan Uchiha hurriedly used the Mystical Palm Technique to examine his body and see whether he could treat him.
When Qiu Shan Uchiha's Mystical Palm Technique touched Shisui's body, he sensed something wrong and quickly tore open the clothing over Shisui's chest. His entire body had turned purple from the poison, and his cells had already died. The Mystical Palm Technique could no longer save him.
Seeing Qiushan's expression, Shisui Uchiha understood what had happened. He knew his own body's condition. He did not think Shimura Danzō had lied to him. If he said no one else could save him, then that was most likely the truth.
Shisui Uchiha struggled to lift the corners of his mouth, but could only whisper, "I've kept our promise. I brought my body back intact. I'll leave the rest to you."
Seeing Shisui like this, Qiu Shan Uchiha could not help feeling sorrow, even though he knew that with the contingency he had left in place, Shisui Uchiha would probably be standing before him, alive and well, in a few hours even if he died now.
Then Shisui Uchiha tilted his head toward the boy who had been standing nearby from the start. "Itachi, take good care of yourself from now on. Don't sit alone overthinking things. When you run into trouble, ask your big brother Qiushan for advice. He's sharp. Don't forget that you still have a little brother to look after. Only by taking care of yourself can you take care of others."
Among the Uchiha clansmen who had accompanied Qiu Shan Uchiha was Uchiha Itachi, who had returned from a mission a few days earlier. Hearing that they were going to rescue Shisui, the older brother he respected most, he had joined them. Qiu Shan Uchiha had been so preoccupied with Shisui that he had not noticed Uchiha Itachi slipping into the group.
Seeing his beloved big brother Shisui on the verge of death, Uchiha Itachi seemed unable to accept it. Though his expression barely changed, his clenched fists and continually contracting pupils betrayed the turmoil within him.
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