Danzo in action

Itachi pulled Sasuke closer and stared into his dark pupils.

The next second, the whites of Sasuke's eyes turned red, and a single tomoe slowly revolved along a black circle.

"Uh, Sasuke, don't tell Father about this just yet."

Itachi thought it over. Given the current situation, if word got out that Sasuke had awakened his eyes at six, the Uchiha might rebel tonight.

Then his and Shisui's plan would come to nothing.

Although Sasuke didn't quite understand why, this was his beloved big brother.

How could he ever hurt him?

The scarlet faded, giving way to the original black and white.

Sasuke nodded and answered.

"Okay, but why?"

Itachi glanced at the distant sunset and stroked Sasuke's spiky hair.

"Because... of the current situation."

"Just trust your big brother. I'll definitely protect you."

Mm, Sasuke's hair still feels just as prickly. Nice.

Sasuke puffed out his cheeks. Honestly, his big brother kept brushing him off with things he couldn't understand lately.

"Then you have to practice ninjutsu with me tomorrow. I want to learn Phoenix Flower Fire Shuriken!"

Itachi thought for a moment, then nodded.

After all, he hadn't trained with Sasuke in a long time. He had been neglecting his duties.

"Okay, no problem."

"Really? It's a promise!"

"Yes, it's a promise."

The road beneath the setting sun filled with Sasuke's laughter and Itachi's soft chuckles.

At Konoha's Root.

In Danzo's Pot Kage office.

"Lord Danzo, Shisui has arrived."

Otsu knelt on one knee and addressed Danzo, who sat on the Pot Kage's throne, with utmost respect.

"Mm, bring him in."

"Danzo" narrowed his eyes and waved for Otsu to bring him in.

Less than a minute later, Shisui entered the office in his combat uniform.

"Lord Danzo."

Looking at Shisui's bowed head, Danzo softened his voice a little.

"Now, now, stand up. We're all part of Konoha. There's no need for that."

A glimmer of red flashed in Shisui's eyes, only to disappear the next second.

"Very well, Lord Danzo. About the internal affairs of my clan..."

Shisui stood as he spoke, while Otsu thoughtfully brought over a stool.

"Mm-hmm. Actually, I think you could do this, then this, and then this."

Danzo answered Shisui's questions seriously, offering his own ideas.

After they had talked like this for about five minutes, Danzo suddenly steered the conversation elsewhere.

"Shisui, I hear you've awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan."

"Don't take offense. The Hokage told me. It also offers another avenue for resolving the Uchiha... issue."

Shisui looked at Danzo's bandaged face and smiled faintly.

"Lord Danzo, I'm sorry, but I'd like to ask: were you behind the police force being framed?"

His tone remained gentle, but the respect from earlier was gone.

The next second, black patterns emerged in his pupils, and the shapes they formed began to spin.

Kotoamatsukami!

What a joke. Do you really think I'm an idiot?

With all the problems the Uchiha have had, I've seen plenty of traces of Root during my investigations.

Don't underestimate Uchiha genjutsu.

As long as I alter Chief Adviser Danzo's will, the Uchiha might finally have a good life.

"No, I'm not..."

Just as "Danzo" tried to say something, his eyes suddenly went vacant. The next instant, a blade flashed and pierced Shisui's body.

Because Kotoamatsukami took such a heavy toll, Shisui failed to react in time, and Otsu stabbed him from beside him.

"How?"

Shisui hadn't expected Danzo to die outright. How was that possible? He had only altered his will.

Clap, clap, clap.

Accompanied by applause, dozens of Root elites surrounded the office.

Danzo's voice came from some unknown corner.

"Shisui, Shisui. What am I supposed to say about you?"

"You're every bit as naive as that fellow Kagami."

"Did you think you found all those clues on your own?"

"No, no, no. Those were bait I deliberately laid out, waiting for you to bite."

Heh heh heh. As the Darkness of Konoha and the Uchiha's nemesis, I studied under the Second Hokage. How could I not understand the Uchiha's tricks?

What's laughable is that these evil Uchiha always think their Dōjutsu and genjutsu are unmatched, without using their brains at all.

What a shame. If Shisui had played dumb a little longer, I might have let him live a few more days... as if!

Once I get his eyes, I'll go to Sarutobi's house one night while he's asleep, pin him right to his bed, and use Kotoamatsukami on his eyes.

From then on, Sarutobi will be my man. Who else but me will claim the Hokage position?

Heh heh heh!

"This is bad."

Shisui kicked Otsu away, then pulled out the blade embedded in his body.

After temporarily stopping the bleeding with chakra, he scanned his surroundings, thinking about how to escape.

"Stop struggling. You can't use your Dōjutsu again so soon, can you?"

"Even if you can use it again, care to guess whether the next me will be the real one?"

"Give up. Even if you escape, Sarutobi won't believe you."

"And you'll be charged with attempting to control the Konoha High Command and arrested on the spot!"

Danzo tried to break the Uchiha known as Body Flicker Shisui with words. After all, attacking the body was inferior to attacking the mind.

But was an Uchiha's mind so easy to break?

Especially an Uchiha who had awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan and deeply loved both Konoha and his clan.

Shisui's Mangekyō Sharingan spun rapidly. The next instant, a green skeletal frame rapidly took shape around him.

Dozens of kunai shot toward Shisui, only to be blocked by the newly formed skeletal frame.

A large green skeletal hand swept out and knocked all the kunai away.

Susanoo: Initial form

Through his subordinates' descriptions, Danzo immediately thought of that name.

The name that had once dominated an era and transcended shinobi.

Susanoo.

Tobirama had once written in a book.

"Each Mangekyō Sharingan of the evil Uchiha Clan harbors a Dōjutsu of immense power."

"And when two Mangekyō Sharingan of the same origin come together, the third power, Susanoo, will emerge."

Danzo's heart sank. He hadn't expected Shisui to be able to activate Susanoo after using Kotoamatsukami.

But this is my territory.

I refuse to believe I can let prey already in my mouth escape!

"Surround him. He's already wounded. He won't last long."

And that was indeed the case. Shisui could feel an enormous drain on his ocular power.

For an ordinary Mangekyō Sharingan, ocular power was a finite resource. Perhaps only the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan could replenish it.

But I have no choice but to use it now.

Itachi is still waiting for me.

The corners of Shisui's mouth lifted. Then the skeletal frame began to grow, and a green skull appeared before everyone.

Susanoo: First stage

The green skeleton scattered the incoming ninjutsu with both hands, trading damage to parts of its body for an escape route.

I have to leave now. I must tell Lord Third about this.

Shisui didn't believe Danzo's words. If the Third had wanted to harm him, he would have been arrested long ago. Why bother sending him to Hot Spring Street?

But that's if I can actually get out alive.

Watching the Root members attack from his side again, Shisui could only rely on Susanoo's defenses and his own footwork to evade them.

But purple was gradually appearing around his stab wound.