"What?"
"The clan head is dead?"
Uchiha Mei stared at the messenger before her, half-suspecting she'd fallen into a genjutsu.
Just a few hours ago, Clan Head Uchiha Tenzan had still been sitting in the arena stands, watching the matches.
And now… he was gone?
Saying that Danzo had him assassinated would have been more believable than claiming he simply died of natural causes.
"Yes," the messenger confirmed gravely.
"The Elders also request that you proceed to the Naka Shrine, Miss Mei."
So she hadn't misheard.
"I understand," Mei replied with a slight nod.
There was no need to guess what the Elders were planning.
They were clearly preparing to install Uchiha Fugaku as the new clan head.
And — it made sense.
Among the younger generation, Fugaku stood out. Barely in his twenties and already an elite jonin (three-tomoe Sharingan meant that level by default), few would oppose his succession.
The messenger bowed and hurried off to notify the other jonin.
And since the meeting was to be held at Naka Shrine, that could only mean one thing — a full clan assembly.
Only full-fledged jonin and three-tomoe Sharingan users were qualified to attend.
As the heir of the main family branch — her succession rights never formally revoked — Uchiha Mei had no choice but to attend.
Soon, she set out for the shrine with Uchiha Shizuka and Uchiha Shota.
Leaving only Shien behind, gazing blankly at the sky.
His expression was… complicated.
Anyone else might not think twice.
But Shien wasn't "anyone else." He knew exactly how a Mangekyō Sharingan awakened.
Which made the clan head's "sudden death" all too suspicious.
And the biggest red flag was Fugaku's reaction.
He hadn't even bothered to investigate the cause of death.
Sure, Uchiha Tenzan had been in poor health, but living another few years shouldn't have been an issue.
A sudden death, followed by no inquiry whatsoever — clearly, someone already knew why he died.
And when you considered how Mangekyō eyes were awakened… how could Shien not suspect a staged death?
Trading a few years of life to give Fugaku the chance to open his eyes — that was pure, calculated ruthlessness.
A wolf in human skin.
Shien couldn't help but feel a twisted admiration for the man.
In the future, Fugaku was known to possess the Mangekyō Sharingan, though the anime never explained how he awakened it.
Now, the truth stood revealed — a dark, brutal version that nonetheless made perfect sense.
Back before his transmigration, Shien had assumed Fugaku awakened his eyes on the battlefield.
But in hindsight, Fugaku had never been the type to feel deep emotions for anyone outside his family. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been nicknamed the "Grim-Eyed Fugaku."
Only patricide — the act of killing one's own father — could bring out such extreme emotional trauma.
Now you see why Shien's expression had turned so peculiar.
Even the timing made perfect sense.
Because of Mei and himself.
If Tenzan had waited a few more years and then peacefully abdicated, Fugaku might not have secured the succession.
After all, Mei also held legitimate rights to the clan head's seat.
She once bore the stain of being engaged to the "Disgrace of the Uchiha" — Shien — but that stigma had faded. If her strength grew further, it wasn't impossible for her to contest for the position.
The timing was perfect — too perfect.
At this stage, Mei was still far weaker than Fugaku. She had no chance to compete.
Tenzan's wisdom was terrifying.
With one carefully timed death, he solved two problems at once:
He gave Fugaku the trauma needed to awaken his Mangekyō, and at the same time stripped Mei of any future claim to leadership.
If only he hadn't died so early — if he'd lived as long as Sarutobi Hiruzen — perhaps the Uchiha tragedy might never have unfolded. (Madara & Danzo: "You're thinking way too highly of him.")
The next day.
The Uchiha Clan officially appointed its new leader — Uchiha Fugaku.
Yet, not a trace of joy showed on Fugaku's face.
Shien, but wanted nothing to do with that mess.
He checked himself into Konoha Hospital and became "wardmates" with Yamanaka Koji.
True. Lying. Flat. (JPG uploaded successfully.)
At last, he was living the lazy, carefree life he'd always dreamed of.
Of course, with only the two of them sharing a hospital room, it was inevitable they'd get up to a few "unspeakable" things together.
Inside the ward—
Shien straightened and walked away from the bed, tossing a remark over his shoulder:
"Put your clothes back on first."
On the bed, Yamanaka Koji silently pulled his patient's gown back over his shoulders.
Now that set the scene nicely.
"Have you really thought this through?"
Shien capped a vial of blood and turned to him again.
So this was the "unspeakable thing" — a pre-surgery examination.
Kōji's heart condition could be treated in two ways.
The first was conventional medical treatment.
With Shien's current capabilities, curing him wasn't impossible.
But then came the second option —
Enhancement Surgery.
Not only could it cure him, but it could also make him far stronger than before.
Given Kōji's natural talent, reviving the Yamanaka Clan's former glory was already out of reach — his entire Team Three's performance made that clear enough.
So when he learned about the enhancement surgery, he had immediately begged Shien for a chance.
Enhancement Surgery.
The concept had been born from Shien's research into the Newborn Serum.
The inspiration came from a video game he'd played before his transmigration — one that detailed twenty-two theoretical procedures to transform a human into a superhuman warrior.
Of course, in the real world, it had been pure fiction.
But in a world with chakra — where aliens, monsters, and eldritch beings walked the earth — the impossible became possible.
If someone like Orochimaru could turn himself into a literal monster, then enhancement surgery hardly seemed excessive.
Innovation and imagination — those were the twin pillars of all scientific advancement.
And as a transmigrator, Shien had both in abundance.
This surgery's purpose was the same as in that game — to turn ordinary humans into demigods.
Thus, he named the procedure:
The Stairway to Godhood.
Each surgery was a single step on that stairway — each one bringing a person closer to divine power.
And since Kōji was a dear friend rather than a disposable test subject, Shien was taking every precaution — collecting data, customizing every stage.
The second heart, in fact, already had precedent in the shinobi world.
Kakuzu had proven its feasibility with his Earth Grudge Fear technique.
So Shien's first operation — Second Heart Implantation — would enhance blood circulation, increase physical output, and serve as the foundation for later augmentations.
A powerful body needed a powerful engine.
Strengthening the heart itself was far too complex — so why not simply add another one?
For ordinary people, that would be impossible unless they were willing to become literal monsters.
Orochimaru and his abominations could manage that, sure — but Shien's goal wasn't to create monsters. It was to perfect humanity.
And thanks to his unique bloodline, he could bypass the two greatest hurdles:
Rejection response and adaptive evolution.
With those resolved, performing enhancement surgery became almost straightforward.
The second heart would be only the beginning.
And so, with calm precision, Shien prepared for his friend's transformation — the first true step on the Stairway to Godhood.
The pre-op phase passed swiftly. The actual surgery would begin after Kōji's discharge — otherwise, the hospital doctors might grow suspicious.
Shien asked one last time if he was sure.
Kōji didn't speak. But the unshakable resolve in his eyes was answer enough.
He would rather die on the operating table than live as a mediocrity.
And so, before long—
The day of the surgery arrived.
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