Inside Uchiha Xin's home.
Bang!
Uchiha Xin's body appeared out of thin air on the living room floor.
He lay sprawled on the floor, gasping for breath, his entire body drenched in cold sweat.
Recalling the confrontation on the rooftop, he still felt a lingering fear.
Itachi's strength had far exceeded his expectations. That intense killing intent and blindingly fast swordsmanship had made him truly feel the threat of death.
If he had not possessed the level 3 Limit Sharingan, which granted immunity to most genjutsu, he would already have fallen to the Demonic Illusion: Shackling Stakes Technique.
Although the level 3 Limit Sharingan could not yet grant immunity to Mangekyō-level Tsukuyomi, it could easily withstand ordinary mitsudomoe genjutsu like that.
On top of that, when he upgraded his Sharingan to level 3, the system had unlocked a third skill slot, and he had luckily drawn a super-S-rank Space-Time Ninjutsu-the Flying Thunder God Technique.
It was precisely thanks to Flying Thunder God that he had successfully escaped the Mangekyō's assassination attempt.
His Flying Thunder God Technique was currently only level 0, allowing him to mark just one formula.
As a precaution, he had specially commissioned a kunai bearing a Flying Thunder God Formula and hidden it in a secluded corner of his home as a backup escape route.
Previously, because he lacked chakra, using Flying Thunder God once would exhaust all his stamina, making it completely unusable in actual combat.
Now that he had opened the Gate of Healing of the Eight Gates Released Formation, his chakra had reached jonin levels, finally allowing him to use Flying Thunder God normally once.
But he absolutely refused to reveal this trump card lightly, lest it cause unnecessary trouble among the Konoha High Command.
He was certain that after he mentioned Sasuke, Itachi's composure had been shaken.
Itachi was smart. Until he learned the full extent of Uchiha Xin's capabilities, he would never report his existence to the Konoha High Command.
Uchiha Xin got up from the floor, walked to the sink, and washed his face with cold water.
"We've agreed to meet in seven days, but I'm still far too weak."
He looked at himself in the mirror.
To seize the initiative in their negotiations and secure cooperation, he had to demonstrate strength that would make Itachi wary.
To achieve this goal, Uchiha Xin began a high-intensity training regimen.
He had to raise the Enhanced Eight Gates Released Formation another level within seven days.
Over the next few days, he slept with his head on his desk during classes at the Ninja Academy to recover his stamina.
As soon as school ended, he plunged into the woods on the mountain behind it for brutally demanding training that pushed his limits.
Weighted sprints, handstand push-ups, braving the waterfall.
Again and again, he pushed his body to the brink of collapse, squeezing out every last bit of potential.
Five days later.
Beneath the waterfall on the mountain.
Uchiha Xin knelt in the pool, covered in blood, with extensive tears in his muscles.
Just as he was about to lose consciousness, a crisp mechanical voice finally sounded in his mind.
[Ding! Enhanced Eight Gates Released Formation proficiency is full!] [Enhanced Eight Gates Released Formation successfully upgraded to level 3! Third gate permanently opened: Gate of Pain!]
Boom!
An enormous surge of chakra erupted from Uchiha Xin's body, sending the waterfall overhead surging backward into the sky.
With the Gate of Pain open, his chakra amplification reached an astonishing twentyfold!
The chakra within Uchiha Xin increased sharply, surging through his chakra pathways like a tsunami. Its total volume had already far surpassed that of an ordinary jonin, reaching a staggering level.
At the same time, the system notification sounded again.
[Ding! Flying Thunder God Technique proficiency increased. Upgraded to level 1!] [Current number of formulas that can be marked: 10. Number of consecutive uses: ten.]
Uchiha Xin stood up, feeling the abundant chakra within him, and revealed a confident smile.
With these trump cards, he finally had the qualifications to speak to Itachi as an equal.
Two days later.
Late at night.
Uchiha Xin used the Transformation Technique, once again taking the form of that burly adult, and arrived at the agreed location on time.
The moment he landed on the rooftop, he sensed that familiar, icy presence.
Itachi was already standing there waiting for him.
Itachi spoke first, his voice devoid of inflection.
"The Uchiha Clan has officially decided to launch a coup."
"The Konoha High Command has also devised a response. They won't allow the coup to happen."
Uchiha Xin was not surprised by this news.
"So, are you willing to cooperate with me?"
Itachi gave him a long, searching look.
Itachi had already prepared himself to bear every sin and slaughter his entire clan.
But the appearance of this mysterious child, especially his Flying Thunder God Technique, had given his deadened heart room for another choice.
"If you want to discuss cooperation, fine."
Itachi slowly drew the short blade from his back.
"But first, I need to see your true strength and have you prove you're qualified to take part."
The moment he finished speaking, Itachi attacked.
His hands rapidly formed hand seals before his chest, moving so fast that only a blur of afterimages remained.
"Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Claw Crimson!"
Itachi spat several balls of searing flame from his mouth while violently flinging several shuriken with both hands.
Hidden within the flames, the shuriken swept toward Uchiha Xin in a dense barrage, carrying deadly killing intent.
Faced with this unavoidable attack, Uchiha Xin showed no panic.
He casually pulled a specially made kunai from his ninja tool pouch and hurled it toward a point behind Itachi and to his side.
The kunai traced a black streak through the air.
Just as the flames were about to engulf Uchiha Xin.
Whoosh!
Uchiha Xin vanished from the spot into thin air.
The next second, he appeared right beside the flying kunai and landed steadily, standing directly behind Itachi.
Itachi spun around, his eyes filled with shock.
"The Flying Thunder God Technique?"
He had only suspected it before, but now that he had witnessed it firsthand, he was finally certain.
This six-year-old child had actually mastered the Fourth Hokage's signature technique!
Having confirmed his opponent's trump card, Itachi stopped holding back.
The mitsudomoe in his eyes instantly merged, forming the pattern of the Mangekyō Sharingan.
"Mastering Flying Thunder God is certainly impressive."
Itachi's voice became ethereal and eerie.
"But once you fall prey to my eyes, it's all over. Tsukuyomi!"
Uchiha Xin's vision blurred, and the world around him instantly lost its color.
When he could see his surroundings clearly again, he found himself bound to an enormous cross.
The sky was blood-red, and the clouds were an eerie dark crimson.
Countless Itachis holding ninja blades emerged from every direction, staring at him coldly.
This was the Tsukuyomi Space, wholly under Itachi's dominion. Time, space, and mass were all under his control.
An ordinary person would have suffered a mental breakdown the instant they entered this space.
Yet, bound to the cross, Uchiha Xin looked remarkably calm.
"So this is Tsukuyomi? It really is powerful."
Uchiha Xin looked at the Itachi before him.
"But this isn't enough to trap me."
Boom!
The enormous chakra within Uchiha Xin, far surpassing that of a jonin, began to churn violently.
He opened his eyes wide and activated his level 3 mitsudomoe Limit Sharingan.