Hyuga Hinata emerged silently from the lurking shadows. The Breath Concealment Technique minimized her presence to the lowest possible level; she had witnessed everything.
Danzo's despicable sneak attack, the trickery of Izanagi, the bloody sight of a Sharingan being gouged out, and that fleeting glimpse of the green giant, Susanoo.
Activating Susanoo with a single eye—Shisui is truly too overpowered.
"With my current strength, encountering a Susanoo would mean certain death. I'm still too weak."
"As for Danzo, he has etched the darkness of Root into his very marrow; he's nothing more than an irredeemable piece of trash."
Her final shred of potential assessment for this member of the Konoha Leadership turned into pure loathing.
"Uchiha Shisui... it's a pity about that power and conviction..."
He was too naive, simple-minded to the point of foolishness.
Setting aside whether he would have succeeded, even if he truly did, the Uchiha would still be marginalized. That is something that cannot be changed.
Hinata could even guess what promises the Third Hokage would make—nothing more than changing the Uchiha's current awkward status, altering the villagers' prejudices against them, and letting the Uchiha truly integrate into Konoha.
How could such promises, meant for coaxing children, ever be realized?
In this world.
Promises made by anyone don't count, even if they come from the Hokage, who holds the highest status. Only by grasping fate in your own hands can you be on the right path.
Furthermore, how could one just casually reveal their trump card... Shisui's Kotoamatsukami is a power that does not belong to Mortals. Until the moment it is used, it must absolutely never be spoken of; otherwise, the world will never tolerate you.
Hinata also felt an immense sigh of regret for Uchiha Shisui's end.
Shisui was an outlier within the Uchiha Clan; he wasn't extreme, and his heart was entirely for the Village and the Uchiha Clan. In the entire world of Naruto, he was a genuinely good person.
People like Shisui, if they aren't the protagonist, are the type most likely to kick the bucket... your traits are everything a protagonist needs, but since you aren't the protagonist, you neither have the extremism and unscrupulousness of Madara and Obito, nor the lineage and hidden abilities of Naruto.
If you don't die, who will?
Shisui possessed the supreme Genjutsu to alter the will of others, yet he was trapped by his loyalty to the Village and his affection for his clansmen. Ultimately, he was betrayed by the very people he sought to protect, and his power was taken away.
It's truly ironic; absolute power, without a matching cold Heart-Nature, will instead become a death warrant.
Power must be absolutely controlled by oneself, and one must never harbor naive illusions about any faction.
[Ding! Successfully witnessed and recorded the key historical node 'Danzo Shimura Seizing Uchiha Shisui's Mangekyo Sharingan' from close range, gaining insight into the filthy nature of power and strength.]
[Obtained points: 1500! Unlocked hidden information: 'The Price of Izanagi' (exchanging the power to briefly modify reality at the cost of permanent blindness).]
Uh... Hinata really wanted to say she already knew this information and ask if she could trade it for some more practical rewards.
[System Evaluation: host calmly perceived the core of the event, Observer Point bonus applied!]
Fifteen hundred points were credited instantly, and the information regarding the price of Izanagi flowed into her mind.
Extreme power is often accompanied by extreme costs; this is quite normal.
Evil Cultivators, after all, rise fast and fall just as quickly.
In her heart, Hinata felt even more disdain for power obtained through Bloodline and sacrifice.
Bloodline theory is to be avoided.
In Hinata's view, Spiritual Power Cultivation—advancing step by step, gathering ten thousand strengths within oneself, with a solid Foundation and boundless prospects—that is the Righteous Path.
At this moment, the points she possessed were already a huge sum.
This event truly has a massive impact; one could say it determines whether the Uchiha Coup happens or not.
Hinata did not immediately immerse herself in browsing the System Mall.
Her white eyes looked sharply toward the Naka River, then swept across the increasingly heavy, extremely gloomy clouds hanging over the Uchiha Clan Compound.
Shisui escaped with heavy injuries and would surely go to the Naka River to find Itachi for his final instructions. Having failed to seize the eye, how could Danzo let it go? Root would certainly be searching everywhere.
And when Itachi witnesses his best friend's tragic state and accepts that unbearable entrustment, his Mangekyo is about to awaken.
The Night of the Uchiha Massacre is only a few days away.
With a shift of her body, she no longer returned to the Hyuga Clan Compound, instead speeding toward the observation point she had long ago selected: the rooftop of an abandoned building on the outskirts of the Uchiha Clan Compound.
That would be the best position to watch the upcoming crimson feast—the VIP observation seat.
On the way, she diverted a sliver of her mind to quickly connect to the System Mall. points had to be converted into immediate combat power right away! Her gaze flew across the list.
[Low-grade Spiritual Power Shield Scroll] (One-time use, can block Jonin-level attacks for a moment): 600 points — Exchange!
[Gale Talisman] (Greatly increases movement and evasion speed for a short time): 400 points — Exchange!
[clarity heart pill] (Stabilizes the mind, effectively resists mental shocks and Genjutsu interference): 300 points — Exchange!
In an instant, 1300 points were consumed.
The exchanged items appeared silently within the System's built-in storage space, ready for use at any time.
With these trump cards, her safety factor during the upcoming observation would be greatly enhanced.
Especially the clarity heart pill; it was crucial when facing the soon-to-awaken Mangekyo and the potential appearance of Tsukuyomi.
Her speed was extremely fast. Before the night completely enveloped Konoha, she had already climbed onto the rooftop of that abandoned building as silently as a gecko, crouching once again in the shadow of that familiar, hidden, broken railing.
The position was perfect, and the view was excellent.
She adjusted her breathing, bringing her state to its peak. With the Breath Concealment Technique running at full power, she seemed to become a part of the rooftop, a lifeless stone.
The atmosphere within the Uchiha was oppressive, while on the outskirts, the cold Chakra of Root was quietly tightening its circle like a pack of wolves, monitoring every move of the Uchiha.
The Uchiha are being watched very closely now.
The next scene will be Uchiha Itachi's transformation and the awakening of his Mangekyo, which will soon take place by the banks of the Naka River.
She currently lacks the strength, and it would be difficult to save Shisui even if she wanted to; he himself wants to die.
Even if she used her foresight to warn him or interfere with the plot to let Shisui escape his fate, she would be targeted by Danzo.
Shisui would not kill Danzo.
Doing so would only put her on the edge of danger, which is a major taboo. Shisui's Karma and price might all be transferred to her.
If she found Shisui in advance to tell him the future and the truth, Shisui wouldn't believe it anyway. A little girl from the Hyuga Clan only a few years old saying the Uchiha Clan would be wiped out?
No matter how you hear it, it sounds like another clan as large as his own is cursing the Uchiha Clan to perish so they can dominate alone.
Maybe Shisui would even glare at her with Genjutsu to see what her deal was, and then she'd be finished... The night grew deep.
The countdown to destruction—the hands of the clock have already swept past the finish line.