---
"Hey!"
Shisui's left eye glowed ominously as the tomoe lines solidified, focusing on the mechanical monster towering before him.
...
Meanwhile, in the shadowy depths of a massive tree nestled among rolling mountains, darkness stirred.
A black silhouette raised its head abruptly.
"This feeling..."
The male voice, slightly muffled but laced with unease, broke the silence.
"Nagato, what's wrong?"
A soft yet concerned female voice echoed from the darkness.
"Uchiha Shisui… he's severed my control over the Asura Path!"
"What?"
The woman's voice betrayed her surprise. "But if it's just the Asura Path, it shouldn't matter, right?"
"If it were only that, it wouldn't be a problem. But his Sharingan's power... it briefly disrupted my own Rinnegan. Even for a moment, that's unprecedented."
"His ocular power is that strong?"
The woman's astonishment deepened, her tone reflecting disbelief.
"When my Rinnegan was affected, he also broke the connection to the Deva Path," Nagato muttered gravely.
"Yahiko!"
Both voices spoke simultaneously, filled with urgency.
"Konan," Nagato said with measured calm. "Retrieve the Deva Path immediately."
"Understood!" she responded, then hesitated briefly. "And what of Uchiha Shisui?"
"He has discovered the secret of Pain. His Mangekyō Sharingan's abilities are far beyond ordinary. Though his interference drained me heavily, we cannot let him escape."
"But your body—"
"My body cannot stray too far from the Deva Path," Nagato interjected. "You'll have to carry me with your paper clones. We must act now."
"It's too dangerous!" Konan protested.
"Better danger than leaving him alive to report back. Now go!"
Realizing Nagato's resolve, Konan nodded reluctantly. "Understood. Be cautious."
As her words faded, the towering tree dissolved into countless sheets of white origami, scattering into the night.
...
Among the jagged peaks, Shisui sped through the terrain, carrying his injured companion on his back. He pushed his body to its limits, his breathing labored but determined.
The battle replayed in his mind. The two adversaries he had fought weren't human—they were corpses manipulated by an unseen force.
"It's no ordinary puppet jutsu," Shisui muttered, his sharp eyes scanning the landscape. "The real puppeteer is still nearby."
He couldn't risk retrieving the bodies he had taken down. Any lingering chakra might allow the controller to track him.
The lines in Shisui's Mangekyō Sharingan slowly faded, reverting to the familiar three tomoe.
"So this is my limit…" he whispered as his body weakened.
But he didn't stop. His instincts screamed that the enemy wouldn't relent.
Then, an idea sparked in his mind.
"Of course!"
Forming a rapid sequence of hand seals, Shisui extended his arm.
With a faint pop, a sleek black crow appeared in a puff of smoke, landing lightly on his shoulder.
"Find Itachi," Shisui commanded, locking eyes with the bird.
The Sharingan glimmered in his gaze, and the crow's own eyes transformed, bearing the same three tomoe pattern.
"Go!"
The crow took flight, disappearing into the night.
...
Near the capital of the Land of Stone, Itachi stood on a terrace, quietly observing the blood-red sunset. He felt restless, an inexplicable unease gnawing at him.
"Shikaku-sensei, I need to return early," Itachi said, turning to the Nara clan leader by his side.
Shikaku raised an eyebrow, noting the Uchiha's uncharacteristic distraction. "Alright, but don't stray too far. We regroup tomorrow at dawn."
Itachi nodded before vanishing into the shadows.
Once out of sight, he formed a quick series of seals.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
A crow materialized before him, flapping its wings as its crimson Sharingan gleamed.
"Shisui's chakra…" Itachi's brows furrowed as he sensed the bird's energy.
Locking eyes with the crow, Itachi activated his Sharingan. In an instant, information surged into his mind.
"Shisui's in trouble."
His heart sank. Shisui's Anbu squad had been ambushed by none other than Pain—the elusive leader of the Akatsuki.
"Why now?" Itachi murmured, his expression grim. He realized that Shisui had sent him this message unaware that Itachi was far from Konoha.
"The Land of Stone…" Itachi clenched his fists. Even at top speed, getting this information to the Fourth Hokage would take hours—time Shisui didn't have.
"I won't let history repeat itself," Itachi whispered, recalling the day Shisui had entrusted him with his Mangekyō.
With renewed resolve, Itachi summoned two more crows. He scrawled a quick message onto a small scroll, which one crow clutched in its beak before darting toward Konoha.
He turned to the second crow—a distinct one bearing Shisui's chakra signature.
Sharingan blazing, Itachi stared into the bird's eyes.
"Hang on, Shisui," Itachi muttered as he prepared to act.
---
Swish!
Shisui moved swiftly along the mountain wall, his figure barely visible against the cover of darkness. He was making his way toward the border of the Land of Moon, taking the shortest possible route.
Chirp!
Suddenly, the sharp sound of birdsong echoed through the mountains behind him.
A shadow loomed overhead. Shisui looked up to see a massive, bird-shaped summoning beast soaring toward his position.
"They're tracking me," Shisui muttered, gritting his teeth. His hiding spot had been perfect—there was no way they had spotted him visually. The only explanation was that the enemy had a sensory ninja.
And when a sensory ninja realized their target had escaped, no amount of concealment would be enough within their range.
Boom!
The giant bird slammed into the mountainside, triggering a landslide. Rocks tumbled down in a chaotic cascade.
Swish!
Shisui leapt between the narrow gaps in the cliffs, narrowly avoiding the debris. The tight terrain offered some protection; the enormous bird couldn't maneuver effectively.
But Shisui knew better than to feel relieved.
Through his fading Sharingan, he could see a figure perched on the bird's head. Like the puppets he'd fought earlier, this one wore a black robe adorned with red clouds.
Shisui's sharp gaze caught the details, but his heart sank. His waning chakra meant he couldn't analyze the enemy's chakra signature clearly.
Even so, one detail was unmistakable.
"This one's a puppet too," Shisui concluded grimly.
The figure on the bird's head formed a sequence of hand seals. Shisui's stomach tightened. He had to act fast.
As the bird dived again, Shisui made a single-hand sign.
Pop!
A crow appeared, its crimson Sharingan eyes reflecting Shisui's.
Shisui hesitated briefly. "Is this… Itachi's?"
Before he could process the thought, the enemy leapt from the bird, landing gracefully nearby.
Poof!
Three more figures appeared in a burst of smoke, their black-and-red cloaks swirling ominously.
Shisui's Sharingan locked onto their eyes, and his breath caught.
"Rinnegan…" he whispered, his voice trembling.
The identical, cold gazes of the four figures bore down on him.
Shisui felt his hands tremble as he formed seals again.
Pop! Pop! Pop!
More crows materialized, surrounding him.
From atop a nearby peak, one of the Rinnegan bearers spoke, his voice calm but menacing.
"This isn't his chakra," he said, his orange hair glowing faintly in the moonlight. His face was strikingly handsome but marred by the eerie black rods protruding from his body.
The man's cold analysis cut through the tension.
Poof!
The crows vanished in a burst of smoke. But this time, instead of dispersing, a figure appeared where they had been.
Shisui's eyes widened. "Reverse Summoning…"
Itachi stood before him, his own Sharingan glinting in the moonlight.
"Itachi… You…" Shisui murmured in disbelief.
Itachi's gaze swept over the four enemies, noting the uniformity of their eyes. His mind raced, connecting the dots.
"These are like the ones who ambushed you before," Itachi said, his tone calm. "They're puppets, aren't they?"
Shisui nodded, shame flickering in his expression. "I'm sorry, Itachi… I dragged you into this."
"You don't need to apologize," Itachi replied firmly. "I came of my own will."
Itachi glanced at the crow Shisui had summoned earlier, the one he'd prepared specifically for reverse summoning. By leaving his chakra in the bird, Itachi had ensured he could teleport directly to Shisui's side.
Shisui looked at the young man before him. Itachi wasn't even a Chūnin yet, barely out of the Academy. And yet, here he was, standing unshaken in the face of overwhelming odds.
What convinced Shisui to involve Itachi wasn't just his skill—it was the power Itachi demonstrated by imbuing his Sharingan's essence into the crow.
That level of ocular ability rivaled Shisui's Mangekyō Sharingan.
"Itachi… He's more than capable," Shisui thought, though the realization stung.
Itachi's gaze flickered to the ANBU ninja slumped over Shisui's back. A shadow of sadness crossed his face.
"Your companion…" Itachi began softly.
Shisui's heart sank. The body he carried felt unnaturally stiff, and the chill of death pressed against his back.
"He's gone…" Itachi confirmed.
For a moment, Shisui stood frozen.
The weight of his team's loss hit him like a tidal wave. Tears spilled from his bloodied face, streaking his cheeks.
But his voice was steady when he spoke.
"I'm fine," Shisui said, forcing himself upright.
He lowered his companion's body gently to the ground. There was no time to grieve—not now.
"If I care about them, I must live," Shisui told himself. "I have to make it back to the village. I have to bring the truth with me."
Itachi stood silently beside him, understanding Shisui's resolve. Together, they turned to face the four Rinnegan-wielding enemies surrounding them.
The battle wasn't over yet.
---