Chapter 103: Shisui's Expectations

Obito stood still.

"Alright… this is what I want to do."

"However, aside from revenge, I have other goals. But they have nothing to do with you."

"Don't touch Sasuke."

"Of course. I don't need a child without Sharingan."

Uchiha Itachi instantly understood his intention.

To use Izanagi?

Obito changed the subject, "What about Uchiha Fugaku? If you can't do it, I can do it for you. It's not a big deal."

"No need," Itachi coldly refused. "Just help me take care of the Security Division's forces."

Seeing the masked man fall silent again, Itachi took it as silent agreement and continued, "There's no time to lose. We move tonight."

"Alright."

After the brief exchange, Obito disappeared, leaving only Uchiha Itachi practicing his shuriken.

A few kilometers away, Obito stepped out of Kamui's space.

If anyone could see beneath his mask, they'd see a twisted face filled with unease.

"Uchiha Itachi… is he really that ruthless?"

Even White Zetsu poked his head out from Obito's body. "Madara, is it possible that Itachi's lying to you? He actually wants to kill his own parents?"

Even White Zetsu, as simple-minded as he was, understood what parents meant. But Itachi still planned to kill them?

It made everyone uncomfortable.

"It's not impossible…" Obito said quietly. The more he thought about it, the more unnerving it became.

Putting himself in that situation, he'd have to kill his grandmother who raised him. Or expect Kakashi, that failure, to kill Hatake Sakumo.

Even after turning down a dark path, he couldn't do something like that.

Even when he launched the Nine-Tails Rebellion, he had his reasons. Revenge on Namikaze Minato for always being late, and to weaken Konoha's power in preparation for taking the Nine-Tails.

But Itachi… what exactly does he want?

Even if it's for the sake of the village, isn't this too much?

Obito forced himself to calm down.

"Tonight, everything will be clear. Even if it's a trap, they can't stop me."

—

Anbu

At the Third Battalion's training field, Yami was training Yamato.

The formerly flat field was now a complete mess, covered in trees. Yamato was struggling to use Wood Release to block Yami's ferocious attacks.

It was just a basic C-rank Great Fireball, but from Yami's mouth, it felt like a miniature sun crashing toward him.

No, multiple suns! His Wood Release defenses were like dry kindling, burning away instantly.

Soon, the trees scattered across the field were reduced to ashes.

Why hasn't the system triggered yet! It's been nearly a year, and the third-stage reward still hasn't come.

Yami's patience had reached its limit. He closed in and began beating Yamato with pure taijutsu.

Within a few punches, Yamato was flat on the ground.

Just as he thought the torment was finally over, he saw Yami raise a claw-like hand and reach for his head.

That was killing intent! Yamato's pupils shrank, and his hair stood on end.

No matter how much Yami had beat him before, he had never exuded killing intent. But this time… it was different.

If that hand landed, he would really die!

Just as Yamato's mind went blank, the system's notification finally chimed.

[Bond between host and 'Yamato' has reached third stage: Despair. Rewarding Special Talent: Wood Release.]

Boom!

The falling palm froze midair. The pressure of the strike still dented the ground several centimeters deep.

Finally! It finally triggered!

Yamato was dumbfounded. The hand hung just centimeters from his face. He didn't dare speak or move.

Only after Yami retracted his hand did Yamato realize his clothes were soaked with sweat, and even the floor beneath him was damp.

"I'm really disappointed," Yami said coldly. "I trained you for the sake of Wood Release, so that you could better serve the village. But in the end, it seems you're just wasted potential."

"Forget it. You don't have to come anymore."

Yamato, thoroughly scolded, didn't care at all. Instead, he asked excitedly, "R-really? Official dismissal?"

Yami waved his hand impatiently. "Get lost. Or I'll give you another beating."

Whoosh!

Yamato instantly performed the fastest Body Flicker of his life. He disappeared from the training field, not daring to look back. Faint sounds of his tearful laughter echoed from a distance.

—

Back in his office, Yami couldn't wait to examine the changes in his body.

Once Wood Release fused into him, he felt like he had become a tree.

More precisely, he had become a seed, taking root under the nourishment of massive vitality, sprouting, and growing vigorously.

What broken Wood Release? All it needed was a primer. With enough vitality, it would soon mature into a full-fledged Wood Release.

Yami pressed his palms together and muttered softly:

"Wood Release."

The windowsill cracked open, and a young sapling sprouted from the soil.

Though small, the difference was clear.

One was just wood.

This one was a tree with life.

This was the true Wood Release.

Just as Yami was about to inject more chakra to test its limit, a Root ninja arrived.

"Yami-sama, Lord Danzō requests your presence."

Yami frowned slightly, but replied, "Understood. You may leave."

"Yes, sir."

Once the Root ninja left, Yami plucked the sapling from the soil, activated Flying Thunder God, and appeared at the Root base in a flash. A few steps later, he entered Danzō's office.

"Old man, who do you want me to kill this time by using Anbu?"

Over the years, Yami had taken on multiple positions. The Third Battalion of Anbu didn't have many missions, so he occasionally helped Danzō with troublesome tasks.

"This time, it's not one person," Danzō said calmly. "It's… the entire Uchiha clan."

Yami was momentarily stunned. He hadn't paid much attention to village affairs lately. Just the Wood Release issue alone was enough of a headache.

Now that he thought about it, it had already been a year since Shisui's death.

Time for the loyal son to show his true colors.

"The village is finally making a move on Uchiha?"

"Not the village. It's Uchiha Itachi," Danzō corrected. "He realized the sins of his clan's bloodline. For the sake of justice and to preserve Uchiha's honor, he's prepared to kill his kin and minimize the village's losses."

Yami chuckled. "For once, I think the old man's Will of Fire is useful. But if he's going to do it himself, what am I supposed to do?"

"You will monitor him… and collect a batch of Sharingan for me."

Thinking of his greedy research partner, Danzō was annoyed. But there was nothing he could do. The man's scientific ability was unmatched.

After a brief pause, Yami nodded. "Got it. When does it start?"

"Tonight at 8. Root will set the stage for Itachi."

—

Yami left the Root base and went directly to Izumi's home.

Uchiha Izumi was chatting with her mother Kiyomi when Yami suddenly arrived.

"Don't ask. I'm taking you somewhere."

Yami created two shadow clones to surround the two, then activated a Flying Thunder God formation.

In an instant, the three of them appeared at a secret base hundreds of kilometers away from Konoha.

It was an abandoned Root facility. The builder had cut corners, and the construction hadn't met Danzō's standards. Yami had cleaned the place out himself later, essentially recycling the waste.

He took over the base and renovated it. It was now filled with traps, barriers, and anti-sensory seals—a solid safehouse.

"Yami, what's going on?"

Izumi had never seen Yami so serious before, much less send her to a safehouse.

Yami kept it brief. "The Uchiha clan is preparing for a rebellion. Uchiha Itachi… he inherited the Will of Fire and intends to stop it. He's going to kill his relatives for the village's sake."

"I'm not worried about him, but his assistant calls himself Uchiha Madara. His abilities are strange. I'm worried he'll target you."

Izumi and Kiyomi were both stunned.

A Uchiha rebellion. Itachi killing his own family for justice… and the legendary Madara?

It all sounded insane.

But there was no time. Yami had other things to handle, so he gave them a quick rundown, reminded them not to leave, and left the base.

He arrived at another hidden base.

After forming hand seals to open the barrier, Yami stepped into a long, dark corridor. After walking for a while, a faint light appeared.

A large underground chamber was bathed in green light. In the center stood a massive tank connected by several tubes.

Inside was a person everyone believed to be dead—Uchiha Shisui.

At this moment, Shisui was sealed with various sealing arrays and floating unconscious in nutrient fluid.

Yami released him and partially deactivated the array. Before long, Shisui regained consciousness.

"You're awake?"

Shisui blinked and stared blankly for a while before speaking in confusion:

"My… my eyes?"

Didn't Danzō take one of his eyes, and the other was entrusted to Itachi?

Why could he see clearly?

"These aren't your eyes," Yami said calmly. "Just ordinary chūnin eyes. But try to see if you can awaken another pair of Sharingan. That way, I'll have a stable supply moving forward."

Shisui didn't know what to say.

Was he a seedbed for Sharingan now?

"...Ugh."

Shisui changed the topic. "How long have I been unconscious? What's the current state between the village and the Uchiha?"

"Truly a great man," Yami said with a sigh. "Wakes up, and the first thing he asks about is the village and his clan. No need to say more, Shisui-senpai."

"Yami-kun, please stop teasing me," Shisui smiled bitterly. "Just tell me."

"Fine. Waking you up is part of the reason, anyway."

"After your 'death,' the Uchiha's ambitions were suppressed. A year has passed since then. Things are still peaceful on the surface."

Shisui showed a look of relief. It seemed his sacrifice had been meaningful.

"A year, huh? I didn't feel a thing while unconscious. Just like a long sleep."

"Don't celebrate just yet," Yami reminded him. "It's not wise to pop the champagne at halftime."

Shisui's smile faded. "Champagne? What do you mean?"

"The honeymoon's over. Your sacrifice wasn't enough to stop the tide. The Uchiha have planned everything. They're preparing to rebel in the next few days."

"No, I have to stop—ugh!"

Shisui had just gotten up when a sharp pain immobilized his body.

"Sorry, Shisui-senpai."

Yami stood before him, forming a hand sign. "Rather than calling this your body, you should consider yourself my puppet now. Without my permission, you can't do anything."

"Yami!"

Shisui was anxious. "I'm doing this for Konoha! We must stop the rebellion, or the other villages will take advantage of it!"

"Don't worry. There's someone who sees farther than you."

Yami dropped his hand and explained, "Itachi went to my old man and volunteered to resolve everything. I'll be supporting and monitoring him tonight."

"You haven't seen the outside in a while, so I thought I'd bring you along."

"Itachi…" Shisui's eyes softened, but he still felt uneasy.

"Let's go. It's getting late. If we're too slow, we'll miss the show."

Yami walked out of the chamber first. Shisui followed, hesitating only briefly.

Before leaving, he equipped a spare set of Root gear just in case.

Though he had no Sharingan or Mangekyō, his chakra and jutsu were intact.

He still had strength.

Looking up at the sunlight he hadn't seen in a long time, Shisui squinted.

"Itachi… If you're making this choice, then you must be able to resolve it all, right?"

Pfft.

Hearing his quiet murmur, Yami couldn't hold back.

He laughed.

(To be continued.)

***

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