CHAPTER 41
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Hyuga Hanabi didn't seem to care. She walked over with a smile, hands behind her back, and spoke to Ye Dou.
"Finally found your weakness. So it turns out you aren't good at everything!"
The mongoose took over the conversation with a snide remark.
"This guy doesn't know how to throw at all—he usually relies on gravity to control things."
Of course, Hyuga Hanabi couldn't hear the mongoose. Seeing Ye Dou remain silent, she assumed he was feeling frustrated and quickly tried to comfort him.
"It's okay, Ye Dou! I'll teach you how to throw shuriken and kunai. Leave it to me!"
"Girl, are you sure you want to do that? This guy…"
Ye Dou suddenly raised his hand and slapped his left shoulder, as if swatting a fly. Only when the annoying mongoose finally shut up did he lift his eyes toward Hanabi.
"I don't have the talent for this. You don't have to waste your time."
The mongoose just stared, speechless.
[When people die, there's nothing left.]
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In the following days, Ye Dou kept a close watch on the Hokage Building.
Whenever the mongoose detected Uchiha Shisui nearby, Ye Dou would immediately head to the rear of the Ninja Academy and activate a sound transmission seal to eavesdrop.
One day, two days, three…
One, two, three…
Watching the number of used-up sound transmission seals grow, Ye Dou felt a twinge of pain in his chest. These were high-grade, single-use items—not easy to replenish.
Still, in order to determine the exact date of Shisui's death and ensure his plan could unfold without error, he continued listening in.
Finally, at the end of June, he got the confirmation he needed.
Inside the Hokage's Office—
Uchiha Shisui knelt on one knee. His face was hidden behind an ANBU mask, but his voice carried a distinct tension.
"Hokage-sama, please give me one more chance. I can still persuade the Uchiha elders!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen exhaled a puff of smoke, his expression calm.
"Shisui, you're a good child. In you, I can feel the Will of Fire. I trust your judgment, and I'll continue to rely on you for intelligence."
Shisui's heart sank.
The Third Hokage hadn't addressed his request—he simply reaffirmed the need for surveillance. It was clear: Hiruzen had made up his mind. He believed the Uchiha posed too great a risk to Konoha's peace and stability.
But Shisui wasn't ready to give up.
"My Mangekyō Sharingan has the power to change everything. Please… just one more chance!"
This time, he laid all his cards on the table—revealing the existence of Kotoamatsukami, the most powerful genjutsu known, and offered to use it on Uchiha Fugaku to prevent a coup.
Hiruzen was stunned. The existence of such a genjutsu, capable of rewriting a person's will without them even knowing, was beyond anything he'd imagined.
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No one knew how much time had passed before Shisui left the office. But when he did, it was with a heavy heart and a quiet resolve. He headed toward the Uchiha district.
Meanwhile, in the Hokage's office, Hiruzen gave new orders.
"Alert the barrier team, but quietly. No panic. Don't let anyone from the Akatsuki act recklessly."
Though he had agreed to Shisui's plan, Hiruzen still made preparations—just in case it failed. He planned to coordinate with external forces like the Akatsuki to handle the situation if needed.
"I understand. Leave it to me, Sarutobi."
With that, Shimura Danzo disappeared into the shadows.
Danzo had no intention of letting such a dangerous ability fall into disuse—or worse, into someone else's hands. He would decide how to wield it.
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Elsewhere, Ye Dou opened his eyes the moment the Hokage's meeting concluded.
"So… it's finally happening."
He looked toward the sky, then leapt down from his perch and blended in with the other academy students on their way back to class.
According to canon, this was the day the Uchiha clan would hold a clan meeting to finalize their coup plans.
It was also the day Shisui planned to use Kotoamatsukami on the clan leadership—but before he could, Danzo would intercept him and steal his right eye.
"There's not much time, but I need to act fast."
In Ye Dou's memory, there were multiple accounts of the event.
One said Danzo used Izanagi and caught Shisui off-guard, stealing his eye in a flash.
Another suggested that Danzo unleashed the full force of Root in a drawn-out battle, wearing Shisui down before claiming the eye.
But regardless of the version, one detail was consistent: it all happened at dusk.
It was summer's end—meaning night fell late. Even by 7 PM, the sky would still be dimly lit.
The academy let out around 4 PM. That gave him about three hours before Shisui's confrontation.
"I still have at least three hours to get ready."
He ducked into a secluded corner. Once the mongoose confirmed the coast was clear, Ye Dou formed a hand seal and summoned four shadow clones.
Poof!
Poof!
Poof!
Poof!
The four clones glanced at each other, nodded, and then performed the Transformation Jutsu, changing their appearances before dispersing.
When the final school bell rang, Ye Dou stood up and walked out of the classroom with the rest of the students—just another face in the crowd.
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