Boom! Boom! Boom!
The sound of a giant drum seemed to echo in the void, but upon closer perception, it became clear that it was the sound of one's own heartbeat.
At this moment, Fugaku felt as if every tiny blood vessel in his body had turned as rigid as the sinews of an enraged lion. As blood surged back into his head, his temples throbbed wildly, and his brain felt as though it were being crushed under a massive boulder.
This feeling stemmed from anger, from hatred, and from fear...
Tekka Uchiha—he was several years younger than Fugaku. Despite his exceptional talent, having awakened the Three Tomoe Sharingan at a young age, he was a reserved and loyal subordinate.
No matter how dangerous the missions Fugaku assigned, Tekka would always wear that slightly shy smile and follow him without hesitation...
Shisui Uchiha—undoubtedly the most gifted ninja in the clan. He was gentle and kind, devoid of the arrogance often seen in other Uchiha. His close relationship with Itachi was almost brotherly, with Itachi treating him as if he were an older sibling.
Whenever Fugaku sparred with Shisui, he couldn't help but notice his remarkable manners, rapid progress, and immense talent. Fugaku had been grooming Shisui as the next clan leader.
If the Uchiha clan were to be led by Shisui, it would undoubtedly usher in a new era of vitality!
But now...
All of this had shattered like a fleeting dream.
Clench... Clench...
Fugaku's teeth ground together audibly. Anger?
He thought he had long forgotten what it felt like to be angry. Ever since his Sharingan evolved into the Three Tomoe state, his strength had been sufficient to protect his comrades.
But now, that proud belief had been utterly crushed by Sōmi...
An uncontrollable surge of rage and frustration churned in his heart, like a trapped beast struggling violently in its final moments.
The Three Tomoe in his eyes resonated with this extreme emotion, spinning furiously. The faster they spun, the more the three tomoe began to merge into one.
Suddenly!
A chilling aura emanated from Fugaku's body.
"Hmm..."
"Interesting. To awaken the Mangekyō at a time like this?"
Sōmi observed Fugaku with great interest.
The fiery eyes, now transformed, took on a peculiar shape.
In the center of the crimson irises was a hollow black disk, connected to three tomoe with open notches. Beneath each tomoe was a small black dot.
For Fugaku, this moment felt like watching his life flash before his eyes—a "Revolving Lantern" of memories. Yet, in reality, it lasted only an instant.
Sōmi glanced down once more at the slightly larger-than-average eyeballs in his hand. They were indeed Shisui Uchiha's eyes, but they were only at the level of the Three Tomoe Sharingan.
What a disappointment.
Despite taking great care—detouring to approach Shisui from underground, using feints, setting up sealing arrays, and launching a surprise attack to kill him in one swift move—Sōmi had been cautious to the extreme, wary of the legendary Kotoamatsukami.
After all, the reputation of the ultimate genjutsu, Kotoamatsukami, rivaled even the infamy of "Betsutenkuchi."
But the result was utterly anticlimactic. Shisui didn't even possess the Mangekyō Sharingan...
Upon reflection, however, Sōmi realized this wasn't entirely surprising. Shisui's Mangekyō was likely awakened after the Nine-Tails Night, during the prolonged conflict between Konohagakure and Kumogakure.
However, due to Sōmi's interference, the scale and duration of the Third Shinobi War had been drastically reduced, followed by several years of peace.
For the Uchiha clan, who needed to endure pain and loss to gain power, peace seemed to be more of a shackle than a blessing.
Only through the loss of loved ones and the relentless scourge of hatred could their brains secrete the special chakra that granted them immense strength.
What a tragic clan...
Sōmi carefully placed Shisui's eyes into a bottle of Activating Solution, a special fluid he had acquired from Orochimaru. He had prepared plenty of these bottles, intending to "stock up" during moments like this.
A sudden thought crossed his mind—perhaps he could use Shisui's eyes for an experiment later.
Reaching into the pouch at his waist, Sōmi retrieved a Sealing Scroll. He crouched down and sealed Shisui's corpse inside.
After all, if the battle escalated and the body was damaged, it would negatively impact his experiments.
Fugaku's newly awakened Mangekyō Sharingan continued to spin as he watched helplessly while the enemy packed away Shisui's body.
Rage erupted from his chest, but his mind was simultaneously flooded with information—details about the power contained within his new eyes.
Fueled by anger, his chakra circulated rapidly, processing and assimilating the abilities of the Mangekyō Sharingan at an astonishing speed.
In his left eye, a murky yellow spring seemed to manifest, with countless corpses floating on its surface. As Fugaku focused, he was startled to see his own corpse among them.
In that instant, he seemed to "see" the souls within the bodies, their surfaces flickering with images like a revolving lantern—flashbacks of their lives.
As his consciousness drew closer, the speed of these images slowed, and he finally saw... the events leading up to his corpse's death!
This was the ability of Fugaku's left eye: Yomiotsu, the "Springs of the Underworld."
However, after using his Mangekyō ability, Fugaku's face turned pale.
In the visions he had seen, he clearly understood the overwhelming power of his enemy.
Even with his newly awakened Mangekyō Sharingan, he was no match for Sōmi.
The primal instinct to survive screamed from the depths of his soul, pushing every ounce of potential from his body.
Fortunately, his years of accumulated chakra and exceptional resolve allowed him to quickly grasp the ability of his other eye...
"All done!"
After securing Shisui's body, Sōmi clapped his hands lightly and turned his gaze toward Fugaku.
His golden cross-shaped pupils exuded a chilling coldness, like the winds of death blowing from the depths of the underworld, enveloping the battlefield.
Even if the shinobi world were to host a "Legendary Eyes" competition, Sōmi's domineering eyes would stand on par with any Mangekyō Sharingan.
Finally, it was time to claim his first pair of Mangekyō Sharingan.
Sōmi's right hand thrust forward, and a massive golden-green claw, resembling the hand of Shukaku, materialized. It grew larger with the wind, soon reaching the size of a house as it descended upon Fugaku, ready to grasp him like a mere chick.
~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~
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