Chapter 123: The Death of Shisui
Uchiha Household.
"Brother, can you teach me shuriken today?" Sasuke sat down next to Itachi.
Itachi glanced at him. "What's wrong? You seem a bit unhappy."
"Because I was defeated by a classmate." Sasuke puffed out his cheeks, peeking at Itachi, afraid his brother would call him useless.
Itachi simply smiled. "Victory and defeat are only temporary. You have a long road ahead of you. The fact that a classmate surpassed you proves there is still room for you to work hard. Having someone to chase will help you grow stronger faster."
Itachi was surprised that someone's talent surpassed Sasuke's, but he didn't dwell on it. He truly believed what he said, just as he himself chased after Shisui.
"I don't want that. The only person I'll ever chase is you! I'll work harder and then I'll defeat him," Sasuke declared confidently, relieved that his brother wasn't disappointed.
"It's good to think that way. However, I have a mission soon and won't have time to practice with you. Just practice what I've taught you before on your own," Itachi said, flicking Sasuke's forehead with a smile. Then, he stood up and vanished from Sasuke's sight.
"Busy, busy, busy... all they know is being busy. Dad is like that, and so is Brother..." Sasuke pouted, feeling dejected as his brother disappeared. But then, his fighting spirit reignited. He walked to the Uchiha training ground and placed the Itachi figurine on a large rock nearby.
"Little brother, no missions today. Let me practice shuriken with you for a while."
Sasuke channeled his chakra, activating the figurine. The mini-Itachi began to speak. Sasuke smiled; even if his brother wasn't there, he had company. Even if it was fake.
"Alright! Today I'll master what Brother taught me, and then I'll surpass Kiba and defeat him!"
Swish! Swish!
Under the Setting Sun.
"Will you use your Kotoamatsukami on me too?"
"I..."
"I'll be taking your Sharingan."
"It's just a standard Genjutsu; you'll wake up soon."
Shisui used Genjutsu to paralyze Danzo and turned to leave. Suddenly, Danzo struck Shisui in the stomach with a punch. His left hand swept up and snatched...
Bang!
At the critical moment, as a sharp pain pierced his eye, Shisui retreated.
"This Sharingan will replace my own eye... Give me the remaining one as well!"
Swooosh! Swooosh! Swooosh!
A crowd of Root members appeared.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!"
The Cliff Overlooking the Naka River.
"I'm leaving this to you. I will use my life to delay the conflict between the clan and the village. The future of this struggle is in your hands. Don't try to save me; my mind is made up."
Shisui entrusted everything to Itachi and leapt. His hollow eyes and the smile of relief on his face showed his resolve. As Itachi watched, a line of tears flowed down his face. His three-tomoe Sharingan slowly shifted into a triangular windmill pattern, reflecting his inner turmoil.
A breeze blew across the horizon, tossing the hair of the grieving and vengeful boy. Itachi tightly gripped Shisui's eye. He closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, his expression had completely changed.
The Next Day.
A massive argument erupted at the Uchiha household. Itachi struck down several clan members. It wasn't until Fugaku Uchiha intervened that Itachi regained his composure and lowered his kunai.
The young Sasuke saw everything. Brother Shisui... is dead?
The argument was about the suicide note Shisui had left. The clan members had provoked Itachi, causing the usually steady youth to act impulsively. Fugaku looked at the fallen members and then at the effortlessly calm Itachi. He looked into his son's eyes and seemed to guess something.
Bang!
"Dammit, he actually let him escape!" Danzo was extremely dissatisfied with his subordinates. The entire squad had been wiped out.
Atop the Hokage Rock.
"Senior Tonbo, is your Will of Fire still as firm today as it was years ago?" Itachi Uchiha asked, looking down at Konoha.
"It's rare for the genius Itachi to seek me out, and just to ask that?" Tonbo laughed. This was the first time in years. It seemed something had shaken Itachi's resolve. Given the timeline, only "that event" could have such an impact.
"Yes. Among everyone I know, it seems only you can give me an answer." Itachi truly felt this way. Although they hadn't met in years, he had kept tabs on Tonbo—teaching children, getting married, having kids—he knew it all.
Tonbo rubbed his chin. "I don't know if my Will of Fire is particularly noble, but I know that once I've made a decision, I don't look back. So, my will has never changed."
Tonbo stated his inner thoughts, though he omitted the fact that his Will of Fire had a very flexible "bottom line." By the standards of the ninja world, his answer was normal.
"I understand. Thank you, Senior. I'll take my leave."
Swooosh! Itachi vanished.
Tonbo stared blankly. "Wait, what exactly did you understand?" Did he even say anything profound?
He shook his head. As expected of the world-famous "mentally unstable" clan—they sure do think a lot. But Shisui was dead, and only the Uchiha clan showed any reaction; Danzo's reach was truly long if he could suppress this. If Itachi hadn't sought him out, Tonbo wouldn't have known yet.
Living in the ninja world for nine years, he didn't always recall events unless he stumbled upon them. These past few days had indeed been quiet. Konoha was peaceful as always.
However, Tonbo wasn't very interested in the drama between the Uchiha and the village anymore. Plus, he had no interest in the Sharingan itself. He wasn't the same man who had just arrived in this world, interested in every bit of gossip.
As a ninja, intel is important but also lethal. His focus now was on his daily work and his family, unless a whim struck him to do something fun—like education or teasing the future "Konoha 11."
"Or perhaps, I should finish my theory on Genjutsu. In the future, if a Sage-level ninja or an Otsutsuki is touched by it, it's basically game over. That would no longer be a dream... though it is quite difficult!"
While scanning medical books at the hospital, Tonbo had conceived a new Genjutsu idea with high feasibility. This was a long-term research project. Even with his intellect, he estimated it would take eight to ten years to complete the final version. Things like five-sense manipulation, weather deception, and false memories were all relegated to "minor" or "support" roles in this theory.
But since it was only a theory, he still had to study other ninja techniques until he had results. After all, his time had to be split between his life and his job; research time wasn't exactly abundant.
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