Outside a derelict Buddhist hall on the outskirts of Konoha, two massive painted statues stood like weathered skeletons in the twilight, moaning and whimpering in the night wind. The air was thick with the decaying scent of stale incense ash, rotting wood, and damp earth. Yellowed weeds poked stubbornly through the rubble, their stems bent low under the weight of the night dew.
Twelve figures, like ink seeping from the ground, merged silently into various shadowed corners of the ruins. They wore uniform dark tactical gear and expressionless animal masks—fox, wild boar, crow... behind the eyeholes of the masks was a void deeper than the night itself. Their presence was suppressed to the absolute limit, making them part of the shadows, their heartbeats barely audible. Only the occasional glint of a kunai or a hidden blade peeking from a sleeve betrayed a cold, murderous intent.
Aburame Tatsuma was hidden behind a half-tilted giant pillar, countless tiny kikaichū crawling soundlessly within his wide sleeves, creating a sickening black ripple. Yamanaka Fu lay concealed behind the only standing half-wall left of the hall, his hands forming the initial seal for the Mind Body Switch Technique, his spirit like an invisible web quietly covering the silent battlefield.
Danzō Shimura stood alone on the relatively open gravel space before the hall. The moonlight outlined his slightly hunched figure, which radiated a sinister pressure. The heavy bandages wrapped around his right arm and right eye were particularly jarring under the clear glow. He was like a venomous spider waiting at the center of its web, patiently awaiting the moment his prey stepped into the final trap.
A faint whistling sound approached from the distance. A figure, moving like a gust of wind merged with the night, landed steadily a few paces away from Danzo after several swift leaps.
It was Uchiha Shisui.
He wore the iconic high-collared deep blue clan outfit of the Uchiha, a short blade strapped to his back. His left eye was covered with bandages, his face calm, though a trace of undetectable worry lingered between his brows. That single black eye, heir to the Uchiha bloodline, was clear and bright under the moonlight, not yet ignited with crimson.
"Consultant Danzo," Shisui nodded slightly, his voice steady, offering the ritualistic respect due to a village elder. "May I ask why you invited me here so late? Is there an urgent matter?"
Danzo's single eye rolled slowly behind the gap in his bandages, scanning Shisui like a cold probe. He did not answer the inquiry; instead, he hurled a question like a poisoned dagger, his voice dry and raspy, piercing straight to the core: "Shisui, I ask you one more time. If you ultimately fail to change the Uchiha clan's will to rebel... when that time comes, what will you do?"
Shisui's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly. He took a deep breath of the cold autumn air and met Danzo's gaze directly, his voice firm and clear: "If it truly reaches a point beyond redemption... for the peace of the village, I will use Kotoamatsukami."
He paused, his tone carrying a weight akin to a ritual sacrifice. "I will alter the will of the most core and radical shinobi within the clan, extinguishing the flames of rebellion at their root. This is the final resort. Lord Third has also promised that once the Uchiha threat is neutralized, he will put his full effort into pushing for integration, making the Uchiha truly an indispensable part of Konoha."
"Integration? Promises?" Danzo let out a faint, mocking scoff. "What a naive thought, Shisui. Even if your Kotoamatsukami changes the Uchiha's will and makes them as submissive as lambs... is the suspicion and fear in people's hearts so easily erased?"
"People like myself, or those who survived the Nine-Tails' rebellion and witnessed the terrifying power of the Sharingan—can your magical eyes easily wipe away the shadows in their hearts?"
His voice rose sharply, carrying a deliberately provocative edge: "If I... still cannot trust the Uchiha, and still believe those eyes are the source of calamity! Will you then use your supreme genjutsu to 'change' my will as well?"
"Will you turn me into a puppet of your will too?!"
This treacherous question struck like a clap of thunder! Shisui's entire body jolted, a flash of shock and disbelief crossing his clear eyes! He had never imagined Danzo would so blatantly question his moral baseline. This was no longer an inquiry; it was a malicious accusation.
And in that split second, as his spirit was shaken and a gap appeared in his vigilance—Danzo moved!
The hunched figure exploded with terrifying speed entirely inconsistent with his age! His left hand, like a viper lunging from its hole, whistled through the air, striking directly for Shisui's remaining right eye! This strike was ruthless, cunning, and completely without warning!
Strike while the enemy is weak!
However, he was facing "Shisui of the Flicker"! The shock in Shisui's eye instantly transformed into a sharp, cold glint. Facing this lethal sneak attack, his body seemed to anticipate the trajectory. With speed exceeding the limit of visual perception, he slid a half-step to the left. Simultaneously, Shisui's right hand shot out like lightning, accurately grabbing Danzo's wrist!
"Consultant Danzo!" Shisui's voice was as cold as a blade, filled with the fury of betrayal and a powerful pressure. "You have gone too far!"
Before the words could even settle, Shisui's clear black eye ignited! Crimson light erupted like hellfire! Three pitch-black tomoe spun wildly in the blood-colored pupil, instantly transforming into a complex, mystical pattern.
The pinwheel Mangekyō Sharingan!
"Genjutsu: Sharingan!"
With a single glare, an invisible yet spirit-twisting torrent of terrifying ocular power surged along their locked gazes, crashing ruthlessly into Danzo's mind!
Danzo's body went rigid! As if struck by an invisible hammer, the malice and calculation in his eye instantly froze and scattered. He felt his soul being forcibly ripped away, cast into a blood-red purgatory where countless distorted illusions and soul-deep terrors drowned him instantly. His body lost all control, standing frozen like a puppet.
Shisui looked at the instantly subdued Danzo, a flash of complexity in his eyes. His anger had not fully subsided, but his killing intent was ultimately suppressed by his reason. He released his grip on Danzo's wrist, his voice carrying a warning and a trace of undetectable exhaustion: "The genjutsu will wear off soon. I hope you behave yourself, Consultant Danzo."
He stopped looking at the frozen Danzo and turned to leave. His silhouette looked somewhat lonely and heavy in the twilight. He only wanted to leave this place of conspiracy and betrayal as quickly as possible.
But as he turned—the moment his mind relaxed due to anger and disappointment—disaster struck!
From the gap in the bandages of the Danzo who should have been pinned by the genjutsu, a bizarre surge of chakra erupted!
Izanagi!
Shisui felt the world before him blur unnaturally! The Danzo who was behind him appeared in front of him like a ghost! A withered hand wrapped in blood-stained bandages reached out like a claw from hell, whistling through the air, and thrust precisely and ruthlessly into Shisui's defenseless right eye!
Shisui's pupils shrank! It's Danzo! He broke free from the Mangekyō genjutsu? How is that possible?!
Squelch!
A sickening, wet sound echoed. Violent, soul-tearing agony exploded from his right eye, sweeping through his entire body. Warm liquid mixed with an unspeakable sensation of shattering poured down his cheek! His vision was instantly consumed by a viscous crimson followed by absolute darkness!
"Ugh—!"
Shisui let out a muffled groan of extreme pain, his body staggering back due to the agony and loss of balance, before he quickly leaped away to put distance between them.