Chapter 113: One-eyed Shisui
Outer Perimeter of Konoha Village, Konoha Military Police Force.
Uchiha Fugaku was methodically donning the dark red armor piece by piece.
This set of armor, modified from Uchiha Madara’s, bore a striking Konoha symbol, symbolizing the bond between the family and the village.
“Head Captain! The clansmen from the three squads have assembled!” Uchiha Yashiro, wearing a jonin vest, narrowed his eyes as he came before Fugaku to report the situation.
“Let’s go.” Fugaku slung his ninja sword at his waist and strode out of the Konoha Military Police Force.
On the open ground outside the main gate, more than thirty members of the Konoha Military Police Force had already assembled; some wore the Uchiha Clan’s clan ornaments, others wore Konoha jonin vests.
Assembled here were a total of three squads, nine teams, totaling thirty-six ninjas—the lowest being two-tomoe Sharingan chunin, with each team’s team leader at minimum a special jonin, and squad leaders like Yashiro and Tekka possessing the strength of elite jonin.
Including Fugaku, this gathered five special jonin and five jonin—a force capable of annihilating any small country!
Even among the Five Great Shinobi Villages, in non-war times, it was rare to deploy five jonin for a single mission at once.
Not to mention that among them was an Uchiha like Shisui Uchiha, who possessed the Mangekyo Sharingan.
When Fugaku emerged, Shisui in the crowd raised his head and looked gravely at the armored Fugaku with his one eye.
Ever since the last reconnaissance of the drastic changes in the Land of Bears and Hoshigakure, where he was defeated by that mysterious girl calling herself Nameless and lost one eye, Shisui had covered his missing left eye with an eyepatch.
But even after losing one Sharingan, Shisui’s combat power could still easily crush the other three-tomoe Sharingan wielders among his clansmen, earning the awe of the other clan members.
Among the entire Konoha Uchiha Clan, only Fugaku, who also possessed the Mangekyo Sharingan, had strength surpassing Shisui’s, even with one Mangekyo Sharingan missing.
“The missions have been assigned!” Fugaku stood before the clansmen and said passionately: “The enemy could infiltrate the village from any corner at any time! As members of the Konoha Military Police Force, we Uchiha Clan must swear to protect the village’s safety to the death!”
“But the enemy is no ordinary strong practitioner! Once you spot him! Encounter him! Do not hesitate—immediately fire the signal flare!”
Fugaku had no way to explain in detail to the clansmen what that guy called Shura had done in Konoha and the Cloud Village, so he could only warn the clansmen in this way to never be arrogant or underestimate the enemy!
“Go!” After the speech, Fugaku waved his hand grandly.
The Uchiha clansmen flickered away one after another, following their respective captains along the predetermined patrol routes to conduct patrols.
Fugaku personally led a few Uchiha ninjas to hold position at the Konoha Military Police Force, rushing to provide support the moment any signal flare rose into the sky.
Shisui Uchiha was kept at Fugaku’s side by Fugaku.
Ever since escaping defeat from Nameless last time, Fugaku had learned that Shisui’s eyes had already awakened to Mangekyo.
Though missing one eye, Shisui had earned Fugaku’s high regard.
If not for Shisui’s lack of ambition and disinterest in the Konoha Military Police Force deputy captain position, plus considerations for young adult Uchiha like Tekka and Yashiro, Fugaku might have already promoted Shisui to deputy captain of the Konoha Military Police Force.
At such a critical moment now, Fugaku naturally assigned Shisui to act by his side.
Fugaku was confident that with the two of them and their three Mangekyo Sharingan, even if the enemy was Uchiha Madara, they would have the power to fight!
On the steps in front of the Konoha Military Police Force, Fugaku gazed at the bright moon in the night sky, the armor gleaming coldly under the moonlight.
He suddenly said to Shisui: “I’ve read that forewarning letter from Shura; the target is the Hyuga Clan’s Byakugan.”
Shisui turned his one eye, his three-tomoe Sharingan looking at Fugaku with puzzlement.
“Given how freely Shura came and went in Konoha last time, he either has intimate knowledge of Konoha’s village protection barrier and village layout, or he possesses some ninjutsu for long-distance movement, so the focus should be on the Hyuga Clan Territory,” Fugaku stated his speculation.
Shisui was somewhat puzzled: “Then why did you still send the clansmen out to patrol?”
Fugaku crossed his arms over his chest, the metal plates on his arm guards clinking with the motion.
“Because it’s the Third Hokage’s command,” Fugaku said gravely: “The Uchiha Clan must also contribute to the village.”
These words carried both loyalty to the village and a hint of helplessness.
‘Contribute to the village?’ Shisui could sense the clan head’s feelings for the village, but the rising discontent within the clan was spreading like a tide.
The current Uchiha Clan was like a powder keg, liable to explode at any external stimulus.
As Shisui pondered the discontentful voices within the clan, Fugaku beside him suddenly changed the subject: “The Kaguya Clan of Kirigakure—how much do you know about them?”
“The Kaguya Clan?” Shisui didn’t understand why Fugaku suddenly shifted topics, but after thinking for a moment, he evaluated: “A very mad clan; their combat power is very strong. During the last great war, I clashed with their clan, and even though I had already awakened three-tomoe Sharingan at the time, I was in peril multiple times.”
Listening to Shisui’s evaluation, Fugaku said flatly: “The Kaguya Clan has been exterminated.”
!!!
Shisui’s one eye widened in shock, his three-tomoe Sharingan trembling slightly.
The Kaguya Clan’s status in Kirigakure was like the Uchiha Clan’s in Konoha—both the foremost ninja clans in their respective ninja villages.
Moreover, the Kaguya Clan ninjas’ combat power was renowned throughout the ninja world, one of the few ninja clans that could rival Uchiha ninjas in one-on-one combat.
Yet such a great ninja clan had been exterminated just like that!
“Although Kirigakure has adopted a policy of sealing off the village, the extermination of a great ninja clan still leaked some scattered news,” Fugaku narrated gravely: “Apparently, the Kaguya Clan sought to overthrow the rule of the Fourth Mizukage Kagura Yagura, launched a rebellion, and was then crushed by the Fourth Mizukage mobilizing all the ninjas in the village.”
These few short sentences struck Shisui’s heart like heavy hammers with each word.
He naturally understood what Fugaku meant.
Even the Kaguya Clan’s rebellion had been crushed by Kirigakure; if the Uchiha Clan fell under radical control and took the path of rebellion…
“So, Shisui.” Fugaku turned to gaze at the boy who, despite losing one Mangekyo Sharingan, still maintained an optimistic and cheerful mindset: “I hope you can become the bridge linking the Uchiha Clan and the village.”
“A bridge…” Shisui came to a realization, recalling how the Third Hokage had also placed great hopes on him.
Fugaku nodded: “Yes, and additionally, I’ve also proposed to the Third Hokage to transfer Itachi into Anbu, to become an Anbu ninja serving the village.”
In Fugaku’s view, Itachi and Shisui were friends; both were among the rare calm faction in the clan, unlike others who were quick to think of rebellion.
The young Uchiha of Itachi and Shisui’s generation should be able to change the tense relationship between the Uchiha Clan and the village.
And avoid ending up like the Kaguya Clan.
