After fleeing for over ten kilometers, Shisui finally found a moment to rest.
An hour of high-intensity combat had drained him of nearly all his stamina and chakra. If he pushed himself any further, he risked passing out before even reaching the Konoha camp.
He ate a few soldier pills, took a sip of water to regain some strength, and then glanced back in the direction he had come from.
Several minutes passed, and he still hadn't heard any signs of pursuit. It seemed that he had successfully escaped from Yugito's chase.
Reflecting on the earlier battle, Shisui couldn't help but feel the stark difference in strength between an ordinary Jonin and a Jinchuriki.
Had Yugito used the Tailed Beast Bomb earlier, he probably wouldn't have even had the chance to flee. No wonder the Nine-Tails attack on the village had caused such massive chaos.
However, thoughts of his teammates, Tekka and Yakumo, whose fates were uncertain, left Shisui feeling uneasy.
The decision for the three of them to scatter and run had been communicated with just a glance. Yet deep down, Shisui knew that he had harbored selfish thoughts. Tekka and Yakumo weren't as fast as he was.
During the pursuit by the Kumo ninja, Yugito would surely go after the slower targets, leaving Shisui a better chance to survive.
With this realization, Shisui sighed softly, his heart heavy with guilt.
He had always claimed to uphold the Will of Fire, willing to sacrifice his life to protect his comrades. But when it truly came down to a life-or-death situation, he had chosen to run.
Even his aspirations to become Hokage and resolve the tensions between the village and the Uchiha clan were the same. He lacked the courage to shoulder that responsibility, instead pushing it onto the clan leader, or even the younger Uchiha, without confronting the problem himself.
In this sense, how was he any different from his apathetic clansmen? It was all just empty talk.
Leaning against a tree, Shisui pondered for a long time. Then, he glanced again in the direction he had fled from. If he returned now, could he possibly use his life to buy time for his comrades to escape?
This thought left him feeling conflicted once more, but eventually, he stood up and began heading back.
If he survived today by abandoning his comrades, he would regret it for the rest of his life.
Swallowing the remaining soldier pills, Shisui drank a large gulp of water and, while moving swiftly through the forest, began absorbing the energy to replenish his chakra.
After several minutes of running at full speed, he followed the lingering chakra traces to a deep canyon.
From within the depths of the canyon, sounds of intense battle echoed. A large-scale fight was clearly underway.
By sensing the chakra signatures, Shisui could confirm that it was Yakumo battling Yugito, the Two-Tails Jinchuriki. Taking a deep breath, he used his body-flicker technique to arrive above the canyon.
Holding his breath, Shisui looked down into the canyon, and in the next moment, his eyes widened in shock.
Yugito had already driven a kunai through Yakumo's chest, her face showing a hint of satisfaction. Yet, there was a trace of disappointment in her expression, as if the battle hadn't been quite as exciting as she had hoped.
At that moment, Yugito seemed to sense something. She turned her head and looked toward the top of the canyon.
Seeing that Shisui had returned, Yugito smiled and mockingly said, "Shisui Uchiha, I wasn't planning to come after you, but you've returned of your own accord. Are you that eager to die?"
Before her words even finished, Yugito used the body-flicker technique, appearing right in front of Shisui and walking toward him step by step.
Shisui glanced at his comrade's lifeless body, then back at Yugito in the distance. His face shifted between various emotions, and his heart was overwhelmed with turmoil.
If he hadn't fled earlier, would Yakumo still be alive?
If he had successfully persuaded the clan leader, the mission to capture the Two-Tails Jinchuriki would never have happened.
Or, if he had been a bit more decisive and established an unquestionable presence, Yakumo wouldn't have taken matters into his own hands, and one life could have been saved.
Countless past scenes flashed before Shisui's eyes, causing a sharp pain in his head.
Then, a few drops of blood tears streamed from his eyes. When he opened them again, the spinning three-tomoe Sharingan was revealed, ultimately solidifying into the shape of a shuriken.
Yugito didn't understand what was happening, but Shisui's unusual state made her feel uneasy.
Taking a deep breath, she resumed her disdainful expression. Even if Shisui had hidden some of his power, he could not be her opponent.
There was an insurmountable chasm between a Jinchuriki and an ordinary ninja.
This Uchiha before her was no different; he could never hope to reach the level of a Jinchuriki.
However, unlike the previous weakling, Uchiha Shisui still held some value as a captive. Should she take him directly, or remove his Sharingan first before taking him away?
As she contemplated how to deal with Shisui, she stepped closer to him.
Just as Yugito extended her right hand, preparing to pluck Shisui's eyes out, he suddenly lifted his head. The shuriken-shaped Sharingan sparked her alertness.
In the next moment, a chakra skeletal structure projected around Shisui, and the Susanoo formed in an instant.
Shisui wasn't entirely aware of what had happened to his eyes, but instinct compelled him to attack Yugito. The Susanoo's arm extended, and it punched Yugito squarely.
Hit by such a heavy blow, Yugito was sent flying over ten meters, crashing into the ground.
As she got back to her feet, Yugito looked at Shisui, and instead of fear, excitement lit up her expression.
The stronger Shisui was the greater the value of this prize.
And that peculiar-looking Sharingan of his—could it be the legendary Mangekyō Sharingan? If it truly was, it could resolve a significant threat to the village.
At that moment, Shisui fixed his gaze on Yugito and activated his Sharingan genjutsu.
Locked onto by the Mangekyō Sharingan, a chill ran down Yugito's spine as she lost control of her body and found herself in a mysterious space.
"I've been caught in a genjutsu?!"
Yugito's face grew serious. Ever since she became a Jinchuriki, she had never been controlled by genjutsu.
The Two-Tails cat within Yugito noticed her expression and said calmly, "Yugito, you're indeed trapped in a genjutsu, but I'm here, so you don't need to worry. I'll break the genjutsu for you."
With that, a wave of deep blue chakra surged in, shattering the genjutsu space like a mirror.
Upon escaping the illusion, Yugito looked at Shisui, now protected by the Susanoo, and her demeanor shifted. No longer did she see him as a mere obstacle; he was a true enemy.
At this moment, Shisui also realized something was different. Seeing the shuriken-shaped Sharingan reflecting off the sword blades, a bitter smile crept onto his face.
His long-desired Mangekyō Sharingan had awakened, but the comrades he wanted to protect were already in peril. It was a cruel irony.
Suppressing the complicated thoughts in his heart, Shisui turned his gaze to Yugito and commanded the Susanoo to launch an attack.