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"Recently, there have been frequent cases of missing villagers. At first, we just thought there was some kind of murderer in Konoha," Uchiha Shisui said seriously, frowning.
"But when we caught the murderer, he said that the villagers weren't missing during the day—they were eaten by him."
His voice was low and powerful, carrying an unspeakable heaviness.
"We were shocked when we heard this, but what we didn't expect was that even after we arrested him, the disappearances continued."
There was a hint of surprise in his eyes, but worry dominated.
"We realized then that there was definitely more than one person behind these demonic acts," Uchiha Shisui said, taking a deep breath.
"Finally, Lord Danzo named this man-eating demon a ghoul." His tone became serious, as if something terrifying and dangerous lay behind the name.
After hearing this, Itachi had doubts.
"Then why did I become a ghoul?" Itachi's eyes were fixed on Uchiha Shisui, trying to find the answer in his expression.
"I don't know either," Uchiha Shisui said, shaking his head, a hint of helplessness and confusion in his eyes. "However, I think Danzo-sama might know something."
"Why don't you and I go see Danzo-sama? Maybe we'll get some answers," he suggested, looking at Itachi with anticipation in his eyes.
"That's all we can do for now," Itachi agreed, nodding slightly.
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There was a depressing atmosphere in the Root base, and the faint light on the walls gave the place a gloomy feeling. Uchiha Itachi and Uchiha Shisui knelt on one knee, their eyes locked on the figure sitting in front of them—Danzo.
Danzo's face was partially covered by shadows, with only one eye exposed, revealing a mysterious and cold aura. Uchiha Itachi felt an ominous premonition in his heart, sensing that something serious was about to happen.
Uchiha Shisui knelt on one knee and explained to Danzo in a sincere tone: "Danzo-sama, this is what happened. Itachi doesn't know how he became like this. I hope Lord Danzo can spare his life." His voice was pleading yet firm.
However, Danzo's expression did not change at all, like a cold statue, making it difficult to grasp his inner thoughts. Uchiha Shisui couldn't help but call out again: "Danzo-sama!" Anxiety and uneasiness filled his voice.
Finally, Danzo spoke, interrupting Uchiha Shisui. His voice was low and serious: "I understand. We are currently studying a special method to deal with ghouls."
"As long as Itachi cooperates with our research, I can decide to spare his life," Danzo continued, his eyes falling on Uchiha Itachi with a special meaning hidden in them.
Uchiha Itachi lowered his head and remained silent. He understood that he was now in a passive position and could not refuse Danzo's request. He sighed secretly, wondering how the future would unfold. At the same time, Uchiha Shisui's eyes flashed with worry. He was very concerned about what Danzo might do to Itachi, but there was nothing he could do in the face of Danzo's orders.
At this moment, Danzo's attention was completely focused on Uchiha Itachi; a strange brilliance flickered in his eyes, as if he were looking at a miracle. Unexpectedly, it actually succeeded! However, since both of them had their heads lowered, neither noticed this scene.
After Uchiha Shisui left, Danzo immediately ordered someone to take Uchiha Itachi to a secret room. Uchiha Itachi frowned when he saw this, but he still chose to trust that Danzo wouldn't harm him. After all, the man was a high-ranking official in Konoha Village and shouldn't do something so despicable.
Upon arriving in the secret room, Danzo ordered someone to tie Uchiha Itachi to a chair to prevent him from moving. Danzo then approached Uchiha Itachi and asked, "Uchiha Itachi, how did you become a ghoul?"
After hearing this, Uchiha Itachi was silent for a moment, then responded in a deep voice: "As I said before, I don't know how I became a ghoul." He thought it might have something to do with Izumi, but he wasn't sure.
Suddenly, Danzo took out a kunai and pointed it at Uchiha Itachi's fingers. Severe pain instantly swept through Uchiha Itachi's mind, and he couldn't help but let out a scream.
"Danzo-sama, what are you doing? Why are you attacking me?" Uchiha Itachi looked at Danzo in astonishment, not understanding why the other man was treating him like this.
"Didn't I say that I need you to cooperate with me in an experiment? This is part of the experiment," Danzo explained expressionlessly.
Although Danzo said this, no one knew what he was truly thinking.
Danzo continued: "According to my understanding of ghouls, these creatures have an extremely strong recovery ability, so I want to see if you have inherited this power."
"If you really changed from a human to a ghoul, this should be a matter of course, so I'm asking you to cooperate."
"If I can master this ability, then I, Danzo, will definitely become Hokage and eventually control the entire ninja world!"
At this time, Danzo's face was full of madness, and Uchiha Itachi couldn't help but shudder.
After saying this, Danzo turned around and left, leaving a stunned Uchiha Itachi behind.
After hearing Danzo's words, Uchiha Itachi also wondered: "Does this mean that mastering the power of a ghoul is truly that difficult?"
Unfortunately, before Uchiha Itachi could think about it further, a figure walked in. The person wore a mask and pushed a trolley filled with execution equipment.
The man approached Uchiha Itachi and said in a hoarse voice: "Call me Gecko, and I will be responsible for your experiments from now on."
Uchiha Itachi felt a chill in his heart as he looked at the person before him. For some reason, he sensed an ominous premonition from this man.
Gecko continued to introduce himself: "I used to be a ghoul, but Danzo-sama does not dislike my identity and appointed me as a ninja belonging exclusively to the Root. I'm a ghoul ninja, so I'm very grateful for his appreciation."
"Therefore, I will make sure to complete the task assigned to me by Danzo-sama!"
Without waiting for Uchiha Itachi's reaction, Gecko directly grabbed his hand and began to cut. The pain made Uchiha Itachi cry out in agony.
"What is 1000-7?" Gecko asked, continuing to cut off Uchiha Itachi's hands and feet.
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