Chapter 368: Itachi and Shisui’s Hypothesis

Chapter 368: Itachi and Shisui's Hypothesis

Haneda descended slowly from the sky, his thoughts swirling.

No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't think of a practical use for Bishamon-ten in the upcoming Fourth Great Ninja War.

His opponents during the war all had space-time techniques.

Obito had Kamui, Madara had Limbo: Border Jail, and Black Zetsu was a slippery manipulator, hard to pin down.

"Let's put this aside for now," Haneda muttered.

As he landed, his Rinnegan shifted back to the Mangekyō Sharingan, then to the three-tomoe Sharingan, before finally reverting to normal eyes.

Unlike Nagato or Sasuke, whose Rinnegan were always active, Haneda's Rinnegan—like Madara's—was his own power. He could freely activate or deactivate it as needed.

"How does it feel, Haneda?" Kakashi approached, his voice filled with genuine happiness for his friend.

Trailing behind Kakashi, Itachi noticed Haneda's eyes had returned to normal. Surprised, he asked, "Uncle Haneda, your eyes?"

Haneda waved dismissively. "I can turn them on and off whenever I want. It's no different from the Sharingan."

Then, with a teasing grin, he turned to Kakashi. "So, Kakashi, why aren't you asleep this late at night? Planning to practice elbow strikes at four in the morning like a certain someone?"

Kakashi sighed, his tone carrying a hint of exasperation.

"Not really. I just felt the massive disturbance you caused from home and thought the village was under attack. Naturally, I came to check."

Haneda laughed. "Haha, my bad. I did try to hold back, but I guess I'm just too strong—can't help it."

Kakashi pointed toward a group of masked ANBU in the distance. "Go ahead, brag all you want. I'm heading back to bed. Just don't cause any more commotions tonight."

"By the way, even Shisui and his team are here now."

Following Kakashi's gesture, Haneda saw Shisui's chakra signature approaching.

The disturbance caused by Shinra Tensei had been too significant. It felt like an earthquake, making it nearly impossible to go unnoticed.

The surge of chakra during the technique's activation had also drawn the attention of sensitive shinobi like Shisui.

Most likely, Shisui had assumed the village was under attack and had come to investigate with his squad.

Kakashi barely finished speaking when Shisui appeared, his expression a mix of surprise and curiosity.

"Hokage-sama, what… happened here?"

Shisui's gaze swept over the flattened Third Training Ground, now devoid of trees and life.

He clearly remembered this area as a dense forest. How had it turned into barren land in just one night?

"Could this be Hokage-sama's doing?" Shisui wondered to himself.

The more he thought about it, the more it made sense. In Konoha, only Haneda had such overwhelming power.

After all, years ago, during the battle at the Hoji Mountain Range, the Fifth Hokage had single-handedly carved out a canyon with a single slash, earning him a terrifying reputation.

Compared to that, leveling the Third Training Ground was trivial.

Unaware of Shisui's inner thoughts, Haneda calmly explained, "I was testing a new jutsu earlier. There's no need to worry. Everything is fine."

"I'll restore the training ground."

With that, Haneda clapped his hands.

He muttered, "Reforestation."

Instantly, countless trees sprouted from the ground, restoring the Third Training Ground to its former lush state.

Haneda had intended to chat with Kakashi afterward, but seeing that his friend had already left for bed, he decided not to disturb him.

Instead, Haneda teleported home using the Flying Thunder God Technique, leaving Itachi and Shisui standing in stunned silence amidst the rustling leaves.

"Captain Itachi, what just—" One of Shisui's younger ANBU teammates began to ask.

But Shisui immediately cut him off.

"If it's something you're not supposed to know, don't ask. This involves Hokage-sama's secrets. Just pretend nothing happened here tonight."

Another ANBU member hesitantly asked, "But Captain, the disturbance was so big. A lot of people were already asking on the way here if they should evacuate. What should we tell them?"

As the second-highest-ranking ANBU captain under Kakashi, Shisui had the authority to make decisions when Kakashi wasn't present.

Shisui thought for a moment before replying, "Tomorrow morning, we'll announce that it was a small-scale earthquake outside the village."

"As for the specifics, Hokage-sama will likely discuss it with Lord Shikaku in the morning."

"That's all for now. Let's head back!"

After issuing his orders, Shisui glanced at Itachi.

Without saying anything, he gestured subtly to Itachi, signaling that they would discuss the matter privately later.

Itachi understood the message. Turning to his own team, he instructed, "What happened tonight involves Hokage-sama's secrets. You all know what to do."

His team nodded. As ANBU, they were well-trained in keeping secrets.

Itachi wasn't worried about anyone leaking information.

Moreover, Uncle Haneda hadn't seemed particularly concerned, which meant even if the secret got out, it wouldn't have much of an impact.

As they walked through the forest and entered the Uchiha clan's training grounds, Itachi turned to Shisui and spoke softly.

"Uncle Haneda awakened the Rinnegan tonight."

"The Rinnegan?!" Shisui's eyes widened in shock. "But didn't he say it would take at least another year?"

Itachi nodded. "I saw it with my own eyes. It looks almost identical to Pain's—the same faint purple with ripple-like patterns."

"That's definitely the Sage's eye," Shisui murmured, still processing the revelation. "Hokage-sama confirmed it himself?"

"Yes," Itachi affirmed.

Unable to suppress his curiosity, Shisui asked, "So that disturbance earlier… that was Hokage-sama?"

"Correct."

Itachi then described how Haneda had used Shinra Tensei to flatten the training ground and Banshō Ten'in to restore it. His words painted a picture of power so immense it seemed divine.

Shisui listened intently, fully believing every word.

After all, he had personally witnessed Haneda's overwhelming strength during past conflicts, including the Moon incident where Haneda's Tenseigan had split the Moon itself.

Itachi continued, "There's one more thing, Shisui, but I'm not sure if I should tell you."

Shisui replied, "If Hokage-sama didn't forbid you, then go ahead. If it's something I shouldn't know, I won't press."

"It's not directly related to Uncle Haneda," Itachi said, shaking his head. He looked into Shisui's eyes and asked softly, "Do you remember how Uncle Haneda's Rinnegan reverted to normal?"

"Of course," Shisui replied. "His eyes were normal… wait, are you suggesting—?!"

Shisui's mind raced, drawing a connection to Pain.

Pain's Rinnegan had never deactivated, much like Kakashi's Sharingan. If the Rinnegan and Sharingan shared a lineage, did that mean Pain's Rinnegan wasn't originally his?

Itachi nodded. "Exactly. I suspect Pain's Rinnegan isn't his own. Do you know about Madara—Uchiha Madara from the legends?"

"I understand what you're implying," Shisui said, his tone grave. "You think Pain's Rinnegan might have come from Madara. It sounds far-fetched… but my instincts tell me you're right."

As their conversation turned toward Madara and Pain's eyes, both Itachi and Shisui fell into a heavy silence.

They decided to report their suspicions to Haneda.

...

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