Chapter 79: Accomplices
In the woods surrounding the Uchiha compound, two figures stood motionless in shadows untouched by moonlight.
One wore the distinctive fox mask, robes stirring slightly in the wind—the Ember organization's leader, Menma.
Standing beside him was a man completely wrapped in a black cloak, also wearing a fox mask, though his face behind the mask showed an obvious depression where the right eye should be, creating a jarring asymmetry.
Beneath his mask, Shisui's left eye moved uneasily, peripheral vision occasionally glancing at Menma beside him, his gaze mixing awe with wariness.
'What method did this man use...'
His left eye—that eye which should have been forever lost to darkness—could now clearly see every leaf in the moonlight. But Shisui knew this wasn't his original Mangekyō Sharingan, merely an ordinary eye without special abilities.
This was the power Menma had gained—Gold Experience's ability to create life. But Menma had only restored Shisui's left eye, leaving the right socket hollow. Tonight, that hollow would serve a great purpose.
Recalling the "treatment" scene still made Shisui shudder. Having lost his sight, he'd only felt a strange energy flow through his entire body, followed by...
Pain.
No, that couldn't even be described as "pain." In that instant, he seemed to experience "death" itself—his body completely shattered.
But just as the agony was about to explode, everything returned to normal. When his vision cleared, he saw Menma tucking a glass jar into his sleeve, dark insects writhing within—the poison bugs the Aburame clan had implanted in his body.
That medical technique...
Shisui's Adam's apple bobbed slightly. Even the legendary Sannin Tsunade probably couldn't shatter and reconstruct a human body in mere moments.
After some time, a figure appeared silently among the trees.
ANBU attire, long black hair, and those profound eyes—Uchiha Itachi. Her gaze immediately locked onto the two figures in the forest.
"...The Ember organization?" Itachi's voice came low and cold. "What's your purpose here?"
Menma tilted his head slightly, the corners of his mouth beneath the fox mask seeming to curve in a barely perceptible arc. "When I appear in a village..."
"If there's nothing inside that interests me, then there's only one purpose—?"
Before the words finished, Itachi's eyes had already changed—crimson Sharingan spinning instantly, tomoe twisting and reforming into complex patterns rotating like shuriken.
Mangekyō Sharingan.
'Itachi... you've awakened the Mangekyō?!' Shisui's emotions mixed shock with joy. He'd been worried whether Itachi's strength would be sufficient to bear the darkness alone, but now that concern could finally ease somewhat.
Yet the next second, complex emotions surged—he knew the price of Mangekyō Sharingan.
"I advise against rash actions." Menma's tone remained calm, and in that instant—
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh—!
Nine black shadows suddenly materialized around them, surrounding them like phantoms. Various postures—some crouched on branches, others standing on ground, still others floating mid-air.
The Nine Masks.
This was a warning. If Itachi dared act rashly, these creatures wouldn't stand idle.
Itachi's Mangekyō flickered slightly before slowly fading back to ordinary three-tomoe form. She understood these creatures' strength—they'd once held off all of Konoha's ANBU, even including the Third Hokage.
"No, you misunderstood." Itachi spoke again. "What I must do now is completely stop this civil war."
Her gaze fixed directly on Menma. "—Ember, since your goal is ending war, then I need you to help me with something."
'Completely stop civil war?'
Shisui was utterly confused. Now? At this time? What method had Itachi conceived?
Menma fell silent for a moment. He certainly understood Itachi's intent—Tobi had already been driven away by him, and now Itachi's attention had turned to him.
"To completely end civil war, and... all its seedlings."
"—I will annihilate everyone in the Uchiha clan."
Her tone showed no wavering. "Some troublesome individuals require your handling. As payment, dead people's eyes... you can take freely."
'...What?' Shisui's thoughts froze in that instant. 'Itachi... what did she just say?'
Annihilate the Uchiha? Genocide?
His body reacted before his mind—muscles tensing, feet pushing off, almost rushing forward to demand answers. However, the next second—
Snap.
Menma's hand steadily blocked his path. Only then did Shisui suddenly realize—he'd unconsciously wanted to charge forward.
"Sorry, this subordinate of mine is rather emotional." Menma's tone carried a subtle chill.
"However... your choice is quite unexpected. Genocide? Simply eliminating the Uchiha hawks should also prevent civil war."
Itachi's gaze showed no wavering. "...No. The current Uchiha clan is beyond saving. My expectations for this family... have been completely shattered."
"This is the only way to completely sever the chain of hatred."
'Completely sever?'
Menma forcibly suppressed the irritation churning within.
This extreme, nearly twisted logic made his worldview tremble just hearing it.
"So... you want to completely destroy the Uchiha's future?"
Itachi shook her head.
"No. During the massacre, I'll spare one person—my sister, Satsuki."
Her expression softened slightly at this moment, but it passed instantly, returning to ice. "Therefore, aside from Satsuki... you may freely take anyone's Sharingan."
But immediately after, Itachi's voice rang out again, this time carrying undeniable killing intent— "However, if you dare touch Satsuki... even if your summoned beasts would attack Konoha—"
"I absolutely won't forgive you."
Menma's fingertips trembled slightly, chakra flowing quietly through his body. He wanted to subdue Itachi directly, but a more troublesome problem surfaced—how could Satsuki awaken her Sharingan?
Should he completely overturn fate, forever protecting her in a greenhouse, making her a canary that could never spread its wings?
'Satsuki is the only genius in this world whose talent could reach Six Paths level... forget it! I'll just atone to her later!'
"I agree." Menma's voice finally broke the silence. "Leave the entire Uchiha clan to me—I'll handle it cleanly."
Itachi's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.
'Everyone?' Her original plan was only having Menma deal with those Uchiha jōnin...
"Don't misunderstand." Menma seemed to see through her thoughts, his mouth curving in a cold smile beneath the mask. "It seems you don't realize—I don't want to face a pair of Mangekyō Sharingan right now."
"While I'm cleaning up... please handle blocking the Uchiha clan head's Mangekyō."