Chapter 55: Mangekyo Sharingan! (Part 1)

While Yuhara continued to impeach Uchiha Fugaku inside the shrine, Shisui had already arrived outside. Tonight's clan meeting was crucial, and Shisui would not allow anyone to disrupt it, not even Uchiha Itachi. It had been decided from the beginning that Itachi would not be allowed in, and now, seeing Itachi attempting to force his way in, Shisui naturally disagreed.

Hurrying to the shrine's outer perimeter, Shisui saw Itachi surrounded by people. His brows furrowed quickly as he noticed several clan members lying on the ground nearby, indicating that Itachi had already made a move.

"What are you doing?" Shisui didn't address Itachi's actions directly but asked, "The clan meeting is in progress; why is there so much commotion?"

"Shisui-sama, Itachi-sama is trying to force his way in," one of the Uchiha ninjas said with difficulty. Though he was an Uchiha ninja, he clearly did not possess the Sharingan and thus could not attend the clan meeting. He was caught between obeying the elders' collective orders and dealing with Itachi, who had the Sharingan and was the clan leader's son. This situation was challenging even for those with the Sharingan, let alone him.

"Who initiated the fight?" Shisui nodded and then asked.

"We received orders not to allow Itachi-sama in. When he tried to force his way in, we had to stop him, but then..." The ninja trailed off, his explanation vague and filled with worry.

Shisui didn't care about the details of who started the fight. He only needed a rough idea of what happened and a clear outcome. Nodding again, Shisui looked at Itachi with a complex expression. He quickly suppressed his mixed emotions, letting out a calm sigh, "Itachi, you know the rules. You shouldn't be here tonight."

"Why can't I be here?" Itachi's tone was equally indifferent, staring intently at Shisui. "If you can be here, why can't I?"

"This is the elders' order, and the clan leader agreed to it," Shisui replied, shaking his head. "You don't need to attend tonight's clan meeting. Leave now. Don't make things difficult for me or everyone else."

After saying this, Shisui turned to leave. Suddenly, he felt a powerful chakra building up behind him, causing him to stop and turn back. Itachi's eyes had turned blood-red.

"Indeed, you have changed completely, Shisui."

Itachi's voice was cold, his gaze piercing. "You're no longer the Shisui I remember. I don't know what caused this change, but I want to tell you that if I want to go in, you can't stop me. According to clan tradition, with my three-tomoe Sharingan, I have the right to enter the clan meeting!"

"Itachi, don't make this difficult for me," Shisui said, feeling bitter but remaining calm and firm. "I told you, this is the joint decision of the clan leader and the elders. Even with your three-tomoe Sharingan, you can't enter!"

As he spoke, Shisui's eyes also turned into the crimson three-tomoe Sharingan, signaling his unyielding stance.

"Clearly, I can't have any illusions about you because you're not the Shisui I once knew," Itachi said, a mix of sadness and resignation in his voice. As he closed his eyes, an even more eerie chakra began to emanate from him, spreading a cold, intense aura around them.

"If that's the case, there's nothing more to say. If I must go in, this is my stance. Let me ask you..." Itachi's eyes opened, revealing the spiraling pattern of the Mangekyo Sharingan.

"Are these eyes enough to let me in?"

"Mangekyo Sharingan?" Shisui was stunned, never expecting Itachi to have awakened these eyes. Along with his shock came a deeper concern—how had Itachi awakened them, and what did this mean for their relationship?

After hesitating for a moment, Shisui closed his eyes. When he reopened them, his own Mangekyo Sharingan appeared. He focused on Itachi's gathering chakra and spoke, "With your Mangekyo Sharingan, you indeed have the right to force your way in, but I need to ask you something."

Itachi remained silent, staring at Shisui.

Shisui continued, unfazed, "If I ask you not to report everything from tonight's meeting, can you do that?"

The surroundings fell into a deathly silence with Shisui's question. The Uchiha ninjas around them had retreated, unable to withstand the oppressive aura from the two young men.

"I understand," Itachi finally said after a long pause, turning away and leaving.

Shisui's face turned grim, and he called out softly, "Itachi, you..."

"There's nothing more to say," Itachi interrupted, speaking as he walked away. "It's disappointing, but I guessed your intentions and the final outcome. Take care of yourselves."

In the silver moonlight, Itachi's figure grew distant and eventually disappeared from Shisui's sight. At that moment, Shisui felt a profound pain in his heart...