[122] Third-Stage Susanoo!

[122] Third-Stage Susanoo!

The question of whether Hiruzen Sarutobi was right or wrong—Yuhara had explained things thoroughly enough that there was no need to continue.

Shisui needed time to digest Yuhara's words. Though Yuhara had always emphasized viewing issues from multiple angles, this time he offered an even broader, more layered perspective—looking at matters from different standpoints entirely.

That alone was enough for Shisui to reflect on. Especially since one of Yuhara's lines stuck in his head: "The world isn't black and white—it's a finely nuanced gray."

While this did shake up Shisui's thinking a bit, he'd already grown into his role as Uchiha's deputy clan leader. He could handle it. And now that Yuhara had broadened his horizons through words and actions, Shisui's ability to absorb new ideas had also grown.

His beliefs hadn't changed, but his thought process had become more comprehensive—a very welcome improvement.

"After all, this is an Uchiha. If I can change even one Uchiha, what other lunatics should I be afraid of?"

Yuhara figured, if he ever went back to his original world, maybe he wouldn't even need a corporate job. He could probably just work in a psych ward.

Of course, that was just his inner monologue. The Uchiha weren't truly insane—it was just that their emotions were extreme. They either loved intensely or hated absolutely, and they worshiped power.

As long as you could convince them—mentally and physically—they'd return your sincerity tenfold. No matter what you said, they'd listen earnestly and even seriously consider it.

Back at the clan, Yuhara had Shisui inform Fugaku and the two elders about the day's events with Hiashi, then went home to rest.

The Hyūga wouldn't be joining immediately. Hiashi still needed time to pick the right people and explain everything clearly. It'd take at least half a month, maybe a full one.

Yuhara didn't mind. The Hyūga joining would definitely help the Police Force's reputation, but the most important thing was internal reform.

Only when the Force itself improved would change become fundamental.

[Current Bind: Uchiha Clan]

[Status: Relatively Balanced—You've resolved internal issues and eliminated one major external threat, but development must be holistic. Some enemies remain.]

[Prosperity Level: 16,350 (Normal clan base: 10,000)]

[Suggestion: Moderately reform the clan to truly integrate with Konoha and achieve better development]

Yuhara casually opened his system panel and reviewed his status.

Even though he was mentally prepared, seeing his prosperity value still made him sigh. Without major events, point gain was miserably slow.

Last time he checked, it was 15,570—a weirdly specific number that reminded him of a certain world-record time.

But all this time later, it hadn't even risen by a thousand. Frustrating.

Still, Yuhara had a good attitude. After a moment of exasperation, he quickly adjusted.

He understood this period was all about laying low—reforming the Police Force, and giving Shisui and Fugaku injections of White Zetsu cells.

He didn't know whether the 1,000-point gain came from the reforms or the cell injections.

But either way, he was getting closer to his next draw.

"That's something, at least. Too bad I still need more time."

Yuhara closed his system panel with a soft sigh.

Reform takes time. Reaping results takes time. Even Shisui and Fugaku's enhancements would take time.

Their bodies were still adjusting to the energy from the White Zetsu cells. It left Yuhara slightly unsure.

Obito had also taken months to adapt, but then again, he'd had half his body replaced.

Shisui and Fugaku had only received refined cells—nowhere near the same level.

Yuhara couldn't help but wonder… if Obito hadn't gone evil, maybe he really would've been the protagonist?

Thinking about it, Obito's life did feel like a protagonist's story.

His team was basically the original version of Team 7: a cool genius guy, a love-triangle medical kunoichi, and a dumb underdog—classic setup.

The difference was, in Minato's team, the cold genius was saved from the brink of darkness, while the underdog fell into the abyss.

Maybe Obito really was a dark version of Naruto.

And Kakashi? He lived only for others—just like Sasuke.

"Such similar fates… but such tragically different endings."

Yuhara shook his head and gave up thinking about Obito. Even if he could've been the male lead, that was in the original series.

Reality was way crueler than the cheerful tone of the original. That happy vibe was mostly thanks to the narrative's built-in optimism.

Back during wartime, missions came before all else. In Naruto's era, everything revolved around "bonds."

"Whatever. No point overthinking. I should focus on improving myself."

Yuhara snapped out of it. He couldn't rely on anyone else. The system hadn't "paid him" yet—he had to figure it out himself.

His potential for growth was still huge. With Mangekyō Sharingan, his chakra was growing fast.

After being tempered by the Dark Scythe, his body had strengthened too.

Together, his eyes were gradually improving—but how far that would go was still unclear.

Still, he had something worth training: Susanoo.

Thanks to Tamayorihime's power, Yuhara had reached the second stage of Susanoo.

Against most enemies, that was plenty. But stronger foes? Not so much.

He knew exactly how insane future battles would get. And even in that chaos, Susanoo was one of the best survival tools around.

"Before, I was too cautious about using my eyes. Even though Tamayorihime could reduce Susanoo's difficulty and chakra cost, I still held back. I stayed at stage two and even developed a weapon, but I'm no protagonist."

Yuhara had reached stage two long ago—that's how he pressured Hiruzen. But advancing was tough. Chakra drain aside, Mangekyō Sharingan just couldn't keep up.

Plus, the technique demanded extreme mastery—only with constant practice could you push forward.

Don't let the anime fool you—Shisui only used it with one eye because he already knew the move and was risking his life. When you're desperate, who cares about eye strain?

The only one who truly integrated Susanoo into his being was Uchiha Madara.

Madara could summon the full-body version even without eyes.

Yuhara guessed that for a Mangekyō user, the upper limit was stage three—the armless armored version.

That gap? Absolutely terrifying.

"My current goal is stage three. My chakra, body, eyes—all should be able to handle it. Time to try. Hopefully nothing goes wrong."

With that, Yuhara blinked away to a spot behind his house. He didn't go far—he wasn't that confident yet.

Besides, it was just a trial. Even if he failed, no big deal.

He closed his eyes. When he opened them again, Mangekyō patterns whirled to life.

Chakra surged out—fierce and destructive.

A skeletal frame formed beside him and quickly solidified.

A glow erupted from him as the skeletal shell filled with chakra, becoming a towering giant.

This drew attention from nearby Uchiha residents. Though he was the clan head, Yuhara hadn't moved homes. He'd lived there for years—he was used to it.

Living close to his people helped him stay in touch with their daily lives.

So he didn't mind the onlookers—as long as they kept their distance, it was fine.

He inhaled deeply. His left eye spun faster. Chakra burst forth—dense and heavy.

That terrifying energy swept outward. The entire clan felt it.

Susanoo grew taller—its size doubled in seconds.

But now, the energy became chaotic. The chakra flow grew unstable.

Still, Yuhara forced it under control. He didn't stop—he wasn't at his limit yet.

"Fix!"

With a sharp shout, the unstable chakra solidified.

Armor began forming—layer by layer—wrapping the body entirely.

A tengu-like helmet with a long nose covered its head. A sleek sword hung silently behind it.

Susanoo now looked like a wrathful deity from an ancient temple—fierce, terrifying.

Boom!

As Susanoo fully solidified, a terrifying energy wave exploded outward.

The ground trembled. Houses shook and collapsed under the pressure.

"Sorry for the trouble, everyone."

Inside the shrine, Yuhara apologized sincerely to Shisui, Fugaku, and the two elders. They stared at him in a mix of exasperation and helplessness.

Yuhara hadn't expected success. He'd just wanted to try something as a hands-on leader—and it worked on the first go.

That was good news. He'd been stuck at stage two forever.

Even if he still needed to train this new form, just being able to use it was a huge step.

Unfortunately, it almost turned into a disaster.

Not for him—Susanoo protected him. But the onlookers weren't so lucky.

Despite staying far back, the sheer energy and shockwaves from stage three collapsed every house nearby. Some slow-reacting elders nearly got buried.

Thankfully, no one died. Just some minor injuries and property damage.

"Clan head, please choose a more suitable test site next time. Doing this in the village is... not ideal."

Seeing Yuhara's genuine attitude—and the relatively small damage—Uchiha Sō finally spoke up, albeit reluctantly.

He didn't want to, but everyone else kept quiet, so he had no choice.

If Fugaku were still the clan head, he wouldn't feel this pressured. Fugaku was too soft and lacked authority.

When he made mistakes, the elders didn't hold back.

But Yuhara? He had power, decisiveness, and vision.

No one forgot how Shisui had announced the Hyūga clan's agreement to cooperate.

That alone shocked Sō and Takeshi. They hadn't believed it possible.

Yuhara kept proving them wrong. Every time.

They couldn't help but feel old—like they were falling behind.

Especially after hearing Shisui explain how Yuhara analyzed Hiruzen's decision regarding Kumogakure.

He didn't blindly condemn Hiruzen. That situation was too complex for simple judgments.

Even though they hated Hiruzen, they couldn't explain exactly what he'd done wrong.

Yuhara, however, approached it from all sides—evaluating gains and losses—then concluded with "choosing the lesser evil."

His thinking was on a whole different level.

They knew he was special, but now they saw how big the gap really was.

Yuhara was just 15 or 16—but far superior.

"Sorry. I didn't expect things to escalate like that."

Yuhara had no idea what the others were thinking. He sighed, though his smile showed he was pleased.

"Thankfully, no major harm was done. It's fixable. Elders, I'll leave the soothing work to you.

Fugaku, Shisui—handle the rebuilding. Work closely with them and get it done fast."

"Yes, Clan Head!"

All four responded promptly. They could see Yuhara was in a good mood, and none of them wanted to scold him.

Even without seeing the full destruction, they'd pieced it together.

And what Yuhara unleashed was no ordinary Susanoo—this was stage three.

Fugaku, Sō, and Takeshi knew what that meant. Each stage of Susanoo required immense chakra and physical resilience.

Yuhara had already proven he had it. He'd succeeded on his first try.

That blew their minds. But it also worried Sō and Takeshi.

Using that much power would strain his eyes heavily.

"Clan Head, please use that power sparingly," Takeshi advised cautiously.

"Mangekyō is our ultimate strength—but it has flaws."

"Agreed," said Sō seriously. "You are the key to our clan's rise. Without you, we fall. Please take care of yourself."

The two elders' sudden shift left Yuhara stunned. Weren't they just scolding him about wrecked houses? Why were they suddenly worried about his eyesight?

He knew he had authority, but if even small actions sparked this much concern, it was awkward.

Luckily, Fugaku noticed and quickly stepped in.

"Elders, we must trust in the clan head's strength and wisdom. Besides, the main issue now isn't that.

Since the houses collapsed due to the power spike, we should focus on resettling those affected.

And provide compensation. The clan should cover it. In fact, this is the perfect excuse."

Perfect?

Yuhara thought the start of Fugaku's speech was okay, but this part was ridiculous.

What part of this was good?

Before he could object, Fugaku continued—and shut him right up.

"The clan head still lives in his old home. That's no longer suitable. I propose we use this chance to give him a new residence.

What do you all think?"

While the Uchiha were discussing rebuilding homes ruined by Yuhara's outburst...

In the Hokage building, Kakashi slipped in like a shadow.

Ever since talking with Yuhara, he'd resolved to chase the truth.

Even if he didn't expect success, he believed that the truth couldn't be fully erased. Clues always remain.

He'd been patient—waiting for the right moment.

And today was that moment.

After studying the ANBU patrols and security cameras, today was his squad's turn to guard the Hokage building.

Perfect chance.

He waited for the usual end-of-day ninja shift change—when traffic peaked—and slipped in using Transformation Jutsu.

After planting a shadow clone, he climbed to the window of the Hokage's office.

Normally, Hiruzen would've left by now.

He wasn't planning to check the archive again—he'd learned from his last attempt that sensitive files were never stored there.

With Root gone, the Hokage's office was the only lead left.

But just as he prepared to enter, he heard voices—his hair stood on end.

He pressed against the wall, used camouflage to stay hidden, and peeked inside with peripheral vision.

To his shock, he saw Hiruzen, Koharu Utatane, and Homura Mitokado all inside.

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