Do you need friends, do you feel lonely when you're alone?
These things, as a father, I never knew and never asked.
Thinking about it, Fugaku's heart suddenly filled with guilt.
Have I been too strict in educating my son?
Perhaps I shouldn't have taken my young son into that Asura Hell-like battlefield to experience the cruelty of war as his enlightenment education.
It was since then that Itachi became more diligent, but also more indifferent.
As a father, I am truly a complete failure in educating my son.
◎
Time moved to the next day.
On the high platform, Shisui followed a ninja to this place.
Here, he saw Danzo, standing calmly opposite him, not far away.
"Elder Danzo, may I ask why you are seeking me at this time?"
Shisui asked.
Even though the strategy was devised yesterday, Danzo calling him for a private chat made Shisui very puzzled.
Danzo looked Shisui over for a moment, then said, "You don't have enough darkness."
Darkness?
Shisui looked puzzled.
Compared to the darkness and repression in Itachi's heart, Shisui completely failed to catch Danzo's eye.
This was Danzo's truest opinion.
"Tonight is the time for the Uchiha meeting, are you still insisting on your approach?"
Danzo asked.
"Yes. At this point, this is the best way."
Shisui replied.
"But I can responsibly tell you, your plan is bound to fail."
"I believe in my abilities."
"Your confidence is insignificant. I have lived through three Ninja Realm wars, and have long seen through the realities of the ninja world. Even if you control Uchiha Fugaku, the radical faction might promote another clan leader due to Fugaku's cowardice, and the coup will still happen."
Danzo said calmly.
"But if we don't try, how will we know the final result?"
"You're still a child and don't understand the real nature of this ninja world. Because leaders can be replaced at any time."
Ambition shone in Danzo's eyes.
"Such words..."
Shisui frowned, thinking Danzo's words were somewhat treasonous, as if he aimed to usurp the position of Hokage?
"Therefore, your pair of eyes, with me, can make Konoha stronger..."
"What?"
Shisui was shocked, suddenly sensing something wrong, instinctively wanting to retreat.
It was too late.
His right eye felt a sharp pain, Danzo's hand already held a living eyeball, glistening with a slippery shine.
Danzo looked at the eye in his hand with greedy eyes, and then said to Shisui with a smile, "That's why you're still just a child."
Itachi is a puppet capable of fulfilling his aspirations, while Shisui only hinders his actions.
Hiruzen, by exposing Shisui's abilities to me, you made your biggest mistake, thus your strategy to balance the Uchiha clan and the village thoroughly collapsed. Danzo sneered inwardly.
"Damn… damn it..."
Realizing his right eye had been taken by Danzo, Shisui endured the intense pain, using Instantaneous Body Jutsu to retreat, glaring at Danzo from his left eye with a burst of anger.
The Mangekyo Sharingan had already opened.
Danzo didn't care, instead closing his own eyes, making Shisui frown again, not knowing whether it was due to the pain of losing his right eye or because of Danzo's actions causing him a headache.
The Mangekyo Sharingan is a more advanced Sharingan pupil technique.
The Sharingan utilizes illusion techniques, requiring direct eye contact to complete the illusion casting.
But the Mangekyo Sharingan doesn't require that, as long as it can distinctly see the opponent's eyes, it can directly cast an illusion.
Danzo clearly knows many secrets of the Mangekyo Sharingan.
This should only be known by ninjas who have unlocked the Mangekyo Sharingan, important secrets.
Why does Danzo know them so clearly?
Danzo didn't give Shisui much time to think, with a wave of his hand, a large number of Root Ninjas emerged from around, about twenty-plus, causing Shisui's face to change drastically.
No words, no hesitation; they all swarmed toward him, taking the most fierce attacks, intending to kill Shisui and seize his left Mangekyo Sharingan.
Without hesitation, Shisui used Instantaneous Body Jutsu to leave the original place, no longer thinking of retrieving his right eye from Danzo but choosing to escape directly.
Facing such a large number of elite ninjas, having already lost one eye, he had only one path of defeat and demise.
Danzo didn't personally step forward to chase, but opened his eyes again, staring at the direction Shisui had fled, murmuring to himself:
"Kagami, by doing this, if you know in the spring below, you would understand me, won't you? All this is for the sake of the village's future... The ability of Kotoamatsukami shouldn't be controlled by others, this ability is too dangerous..."
◎
The sky darkened, the meeting had already started, Itachi didn't prepare to go to the Nankai Shrine to participate in the meeting, but misled his father, saying he didn't have any Anbu tasks today, nor did he meet with the Root members.
Because today everything would come to an end.
He went to the forest where he used to train, in a relaxed mood, that morning. This place was empty, belonging to a world shared by him and Shisui.
He didn't leave until evening.
Waiting here for Shisui to arrive, to tell him the plan had succeeded.
With such thoughts, Itachi felt relaxed; with those eyes, Shisui was sure to succeed.
While thinking, the sound of faint movements came from behind, Itachi turned around, a bit puzzled, looking at the person who came.
"Shisui, how come you..."