Chapter 234

AN: Check out my P@treon For extra chapters. Toshiro is currently battling Nagato at this point of the story in my p@treon. Checkout why...

Currently there is a discount running - use code 'FAC24' to get 10% off. This code is valid only till end of the month.

--------------------------------------

"You're mocking me now!!"

Obito's gaze hardened as he watched Shisui tending to his wounds with infuriating composure.

He felt torn. Part of him wanted to charge forward and finish Shisui off, but the lingering threat of Shisui's eye technique made him hesitate. Caution and frustration wrestled within him, leaving him momentarily paralyzed.

Retreating now would feel like a bitter defeat, but staying meant risking everything.

"If you're just going to stand there, I'm leaving!"

Having patched himself up, Shisui showed no interest in prolonging their standoff. His voice was calm, though his intent was clear.

His sharp ears had already picked up the faint, rhythmic sound of approaching footsteps. Judging by their frequency and weight, it was undoubtedly Danzo's men, and they were closing in fast.

In his current weakened state, Shisui knew that being surrounded would spell the end. Without another word, he prepared to vanish into the forest's shadows.

Having made up his mind, Shisui turned and walked away, leaving his back exposed to the opponent without a second thought.

"Obito, are you really going to just let Shisui leave like that?"

White Zetsu emerged beside Obito, his gaze shifting between Shisui's retreating figure and Obito, a flicker of confusion evident in his tone.

"…"

What else could he do? Chase after him, only to risk falling victim to that terrifying eye technique again?

The mere thought of the disastrous consequences—being ensnared by Shisui's genjutsu—sent a shiver through Obito. His chest tightened as if reliving the pain of the earlier wound, the phantom ache of his own blade piercing his heart.

"White Zetsu," Obito finally muttered, his voice laced with cold calculation, "trail Shisui. Leave a clear path for Danzo's men to follow. Let them deal with him."

Letting the enemy escape unscathed was out of the question, but Shisui's eyes posed an undeniable threat—he couldn't be allowed to survive.

As for Danzo, there was no way he could be permitted to obtain both eyes. At the very least, one had to remain out of his reach.

—-

"It's reached its limit," Shisui muttered under his breath.

The sound of erratic footsteps echoed around him. The reopened wound under his left rib throbbed painfully. His chakra reserves were nearly depleted, and even his vision had begun to blur.

The strain on his Sharingan became unbearable, and the red glow in his eyes faded as his chakra and mental energy gave out.

Shisui glanced at the 'comrades' surrounding him.

"Uchiha Shisui, stop resisting!" Danzo commanded, stepping forward. "This way, the power of your eyes can continue to serve Konoha!"

Shisui's eyes, once vibrant and full of resolve, were now dull and lifeless, like a black pearl veiled in dust.

Danzo's confidence in meeting Shisui's gaze head-on stemmed from this decline.

"Why?" Shisui's voice was strained, his breathing uneven. "You're a high-ranking official in Konoha. Why do you covet the Uchiha's power so desperately? And why... why have you harbored such animosity toward the Uchiha for all these years?"

Through his blurred vision, Shisui tried to make sense of the man standing before him. He couldn't comprehend the depth of Danzo's hatred.

Countless members of the Uchiha clan had given their lives for Konoha. His own father, uncles, and many from the Police Department had perished in the relentless wars of the ninja world, all for the village they had sworn to protect.

Wasn't their sacrifice enough for the Uchiha clan to be accepted?

"Why... do you hold such animosity toward the Uchiha?"

Shisui's question caught Danzo off guard, and for a moment, he froze. Then his gaze drifted as he sank into his memories.

In the beginning, it had been under his sensei's instructions. The Second Hokage had entrusted him with a mission: while Sarutobi Hiruzen would take on the mantle of Hokage, Danzo was tasked with keeping a vigilant eye on the Uchiha clan.

As time went on, political realities compounded the situation. The Uchiha clan had long sought to reenter the village's inner circle, but the core positions were limited. If an Uchiha were to gain a seat at the table, who among the existing powerholders would step aside?

Moreover, the Uchiha's power was seen as too great, too threatening. Those who had formed alliances and consolidated influence in Konoha's higher echelons collectively decided to suppress the Uchiha, systematically excluding them from the corridors of power.

Danzo had long established himself as the ideal figure to suppress and marginalize the Uchiha.

Over time, this suppression transformed into habit—an accepted norm and a form of political leverage. Until that fateful night when the Nine-Tails rampaged and Uchiha Toshiro revealed his hand.

Then came Shisui and the devastating power of Izanagi.

Each event had led inexorably to this moment.

"But none of that matters now," Danzo muttered, dismissing the past. The reasons for suppressing the Uchiha were irrelevant; what truly mattered was the Mangekyo Sharingan gleaming in Shisui's eyes.

"Your eyes will bring my dream to fruition!"

With his index and middle fingers extended, Danzo stared intently into Shisui's bloodshot gaze, unable to mask his exhilaration.

The Mangekyo Sharingan he had coveted for so long was almost within his grasp. How could he not revel in the moment?

"You finally revealed yourself!"

Just as success seemed within his grasp, a ripple of distortion appeared behind Shisui, and a hand materialized, resting firmly on his shoulder.

Danzo, however, remained unfazed. Before initiating his plan, he had instructed his men to remain vigilant for this elusive intruder.

Swish, swish, swish!

A barrage of kunai and shuriken whizzed past Danzo, narrowly missing Shisui's shoulder as they streaked toward Obito, who had appeared behind Shisui.

Undeterred, Danzo pressed on, his hand extending toward Shisui's Mangekyo Sharingan with single-minded determination.

A muffled groan escaped Shisui as he escaped. Summoning the last reserves of his strength, he activated his Body Flicker Jutsu, vanishing from both Danzo's and Obito's immediate reach in an instant.

"Keep a close watch on Shisui—don't let him escape!"

"It seems... our so-called cooperation ends here."

While the two had collaborated, their alliance was nothing more than a fragile façade. True cooperation is impossible without trust—they had merely been exploiting each other for their own agendas.

"Eliminate him!"

Although the opponent's techniques were undeniably unusual, the sheer number of Danzo's forces gave him some confidence. It was worth attempting, even if the odds weren't entirely in his favor.

Keeping someone as dangerous and unpredictable as this alive posed too great a threat to Konoha. Better to eliminate him now, even if the likelihood of success was slim.

"You're really nothing more than a fish on the chopping block now!"

Shisui watched as the Anbu futilely passed through the enigmatic figure, their attacks unable to land.

"Still here!"

Reaching into his ninja tool pouch, Shisui pulled out his last smoke bomb along with a few remaining explosive tags. His mind was set on a critical decision.

Danzo had nearly taken his right eye. He couldn't allow his eyes to fall into enemy hands—it was too great a risk.

Boom!

A thick cloud of smoke engulfed the battlefield, concealing Shisui's exhausted figure and momentarily disorienting everyone present.

"Stay sharp! Don't let him slip away again!"

As another plume of smoke rose into the air, both Danzo and Obito ceased their attacks on each other, their gazes shifting toward the spot where Shisui had last been seen.

"Still trying to make a desperate move, are you?" Danzo shouted, his voice cutting through the haze as his blurred vision strained to locate Shisui. Turning to his men, he barked, "Surround him! Don't let so much as a fly slip through this encirclement!"

Suddenly, something dawned on Danzo, his expression darkening. Without hesitation, he darted into the smoke.

Obito, too, seemed to sense the gravity of the situation. Without a word, he vanished into the dense cloud, reappearing closer to Shisui.

"Damn it!"

Both men reached Shisui at nearly the same moment. Danzo's eyes widened in horror as he took in the sight of Shisui's battered form. His body was adorned with explosive tags, and one was precariously placed near his eyes, its activation imminent.

Danzo's face turned ashen. Ignoring the faint crackling sound of the tags preparing to detonate, he lunged toward Shisui, his hand outstretched, desperate to claim atleast one Sharingan before it was too late.

------------------

AN: Check out my P@treon For +60 extra chapters. 

Thank You For your Support!!

www.p@treon.com/noviceauthor777