Uchiha Shisui's sudden rampage came far too abruptly. Coupled with his incredible speed and his close proximity to Fugaku, the cold-glinting blade flashed forward and reached Fugaku's throat in almost an instant.
Fugaku had never imagined that Shisui would suddenly turn on him, so he had no guard up at all.
By the time he tried to dodge, it was already too late.
Clang!
Just as Fugaku was about to have his head severed by Shisui's short blade, a long sword rose from below and knocked the dagger away.
Fugaku immediately used Body Flicker to retreat backward, staring at Shisui with lingering fear.
He could clearly feel the almost tangible killing intent radiating from Shisui.
If Yuzuru hadn't intervened just now, he would already be dead.
After his attack was blocked, Shisui turned his icy gaze aside.
But in the very next second, the surging killing intent around him abruptly dissipated.
He stared blankly at Yuzuru for a moment before speaking in disbelief, "Y-Yuzuru Clan Head?"
"Shisui, it's me."
After hearing Yuzuru's voice, Shisui lifted his head and looked around at his surroundings.
"This is… the shrine!"
Memories from before he was trapped in the genjutsu resurfaced in his mind, and only then did Shisui realize that he had returned to the real world.
"I… I'm back, hahahahaha…"
Seeing Shisui's deranged state, Fugaku said in a deep voice, "Shisui, snap out of it!"
"Everything you just experienced was nothing but a genjutsu."
Shisui froze for a moment, then laughed—and as he laughed, tears began to fall.
He suddenly dropped to his knees before Yuzuru, tightly hugging Yuzuru's legs.
"Clan Head Yuzuru, it's so good to see you… wuuuu…"
Shisui burst into loud sobs, as if he were pouring out all the grievances bottled up in his heart.
In the genjutsu world, he had been bearing enormous pressure every single day, torn between his clan and the village.
No one understood him, and no one supported him.
He had thought that, with the experience of following Clan Head Yuzuru, uniting the Uchiha clan to stand against Konoha's higher-ups would be an easy task.
But to his shock, no matter what he did, the other side always effortlessly neutralized his moves.
In the end, all he could do was watch helplessly as his clansmen died one by one before his eyes.
That sense of despair and powerlessness was so suffocating that even recalling it now made his chest tighten.
Yuzuru did not move. He simply waited quietly for Shisui to vent his emotions.
After a long while, once Shisui finally stopped crying, Yuzuru gently pulled him up.
"Shisui, you've suffered."
Those simple words made Shisui's eyes redden once again.
He pursed his lips and said, "Lord Yuzuru, why did you make me go through something so terrifying?"
"Everything was for the sake of the Uchiha." After saying this, Yuzuru nodded toward Fugaku.
Fugaku immediately took out the mirror he had prepared. "Shisui, take a look at your eyes."
Shisui froze, then his eyes widened in disbelief.
"Lord Yuzuru, I—I awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan?!"
Yuzuru smiled and nodded. "Fugaku's Mangekyō Sharingan can create a genjutsu world that is almost indistinguishable from reality."
"And for an Uchiha to awaken their eyes, they must undergo intense mental stimulation."
"So I thought of using Fugaku's dōjutsu to help talented clan members awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan."
"Shisui, you are the most talented among them, so I chose you as the first experimental subject."
"And you didn't disappoint me."
After explaining everything from beginning to end, Yuzuru looked at Shisui and asked, "Shisui, you don't blame me, do you?"
Shisui immediately dropped to one knee, lowered his head, and said solemnly, "Clan Head Yuzuru, you will forever be the person I respect the most. I am willing to give my life for you—how could I possibly blame you over something like this?"
After experiencing the events of the genjutsu world, Shisui now understood more deeply than ever how important Uchiha Yuzuru truly was.
Without Clan Head Yuzuru, the fate that befell the Uchiha clan in that illusionary world might very well play out in reality.
"Alright. Tell me about the dōjutsu you awakened."
Uchiha Yuzuru looked at Shisui with curiosity.
The Mangekyō Sharingan was known as the eye that reflects the heart, and the abilities it awakened were closely tied to the thoughts held at the moment of awakening.
He was very curious to see what kind of dōjutsu Uchiha Shisui had obtained.
"Clan Head Yuzuru, may I speak with you alone?"
Shisui glanced at Fugaku and spoke in a low voice.
What he had experienced in the genjutsu world was far too real, leaving him with no goodwill toward Uchiha Fugaku at all.
Only after Fugaku left did Shisui speak again. "Clan Head Yuzuru, the dōjutsu I awakened is called Kotoamatsukami."
"The ability of my left eye allows me to invade another person's mind without them noticing, permanently and completely rewriting their will, turning them into my puppet."
"The ability of my right eye is a large-scale genjutsu. It can place marks on multiple enemies, then suppress them mentally, allowing those marked to become my puppets for a short time and follow my commands."
"The drawback of the left eye is its long cooldown—it can only be used once every ten years. Its advantage is that once it succeeds, the effect persists permanently, without the need for further interference."
"The drawback of the right eye is that it requires continuous mental suppression of the targets. Once that suppression loosens, they immediately regain their consciousness. The more people controlled, the higher the demand on mental strength. Its advantage is that, aside from obeying the caster absolutely, the controlled individuals suffer no other impairment and can still fully exert one hundred percent of their combat power."
After listening to Shisui's explanation, Uchiha Yuzuru couldn't help but nod.
There was no need to comment on the left eye's Kotoamatsukami—it matched the original records exactly.
But the right eye's ability was truly distinctive.
Not only was it mass control, it also allowed the controlled individuals to wield their full strength—an excellent ability.
Although the mental strain was high, the Uchiha clan already possessed stronger mental power than most, not to mention the added boost from their clan entry draws.
With that thought, Yuzuru patted Shisui on the shoulder.
"Shisui, study your eyes carefully and master both dōjutsu as quickly as possible."
"Then, go and do something for me."
Shisui asked respectfully, "Clan Head Yuzuru, what is it?"
Yuzuru spoke slowly, "Hit Orochimaru with a Kotoamatsukami and make him loyal to me forever."