Swish——
All of Uchiha Shisui's clones moved simultaneously, slashing at Uchiha Obito with their swords from different directions.
Puff, puff, puff!
Obito repeatedly countered with the branches in his hand, striking down clone after clone of Shisui. However, every time he landed a blow, it was only a clone that dissipated.
Even though he could sense the sharpness of Shisui's blade cutting through the air moments before, the attack would vanish as a clone just before contact.
Despite eliminating many clones, new ones continued to appear, making it impossible for Obito to finish the job.
He was at a disadvantage!
"Hmph, you've pissed me off, boy!" Obito snarled.
He activated Kamui, becoming intangible, and distanced himself from the clones. A swirling vortex appeared in front of him.
Swish, swish, swish!
A barrage of kunai shot out from the vortex, each carrying an explosive tag. Using Kamui, Obito had stored them in another dimension, allowing him to release them at will.
Boom, boom, boom!
The detonating tags ignited and exploded in quick succession, and the force of the explosions leveled the entire house. Smoke and debris filled the air as the building collapsed into ruins.
Among the rubble, Uchiha Obito stood unscathed, protected by Kamui's intangibility.
Suddenly, a massive green skeleton emerged from the debris.
Shisui, unharmed, stood within the green skeletal figure, blood tears streaming from his eyes. The colossal form was Susanoo, the ultimate defense granted by the Mangekyō Sharingan.
"Susanoo," Obito remarked coldly. He was unfazed. It was no surprise that a Mangekyō Sharingan user like Shisui could summon such power.
Still, Obito felt a pang of envy. He couldn't use Susanoo without both of his Sharingan. To achieve that, he'd need to retrieve the Sharingan from Kakashi.
"Who's fighting?"
"It's Shisui! Shisui is battling someone!"
"That man with the spiral mask—he's the enemy!"
"What is that enormous green skeleton around Shisui?"
The commotion had drawn the attention of nearby Uchiha clan members, who began to gather.
"Stay back!" Shisui warned. "That masked man's techniques are strange. He can't be hurt by ordinary ninjas, but he can easily kill you."
But it was too late.
Wood Release: Grafting Technique!
With a sneer, Obito extended wooden branches from his hands. He struck two nearby Uchiha members without hesitation.
Puff!
The branches pierced through their bodies, then grew outwards, bursting through their torsos in several directions. The two Uchiha members fell lifeless to the ground.
Obito let go of the branches and produced new ones, aiming at other approaching Uchiha members.
"Stop!" Shisui roared.
The giant hand of his Susanoo reached out to grab Obito, but Obito phased through the attack using Kamui, once again striking down two more Uchiha members with ease.
"Keep your distance and use ninjutsu!" Shisui shouted.
The remaining Uchiha clan members heeded his warning. They backed away and began launching fire-style jutsu from a distance.
Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!
Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!
Fire Style: Dragon Fire Technique!
A volley of fire-style jutsu rained down on Obito's location.
"It's enough for tonight," Obito muttered. He glanced at the surrounding Uchiha members who continued to increase in number. Though they posed little threat, taking down Shisui amidst the growing crowd was unlikely.
"You'll regret rejecting me."
With that final statement, a swirling vortex appeared, and Obito vanished into it, disappearing without a trace.
After confirming that Obito had left, Shisui dispelled his Susanoo. His eyes ached, and his vision was noticeably weaker.
The masked man's words were true—if this continued, he would eventually go blind.
"Shisui, who was that man?" a group of Uchiha members gathered around.
"That was the user of the Wood Style Bloodline, a threat to Konoha," Shisui answered. He didn't reveal that the man claimed to be Uchiha Madara, as he still had doubts. Such vital information needed to be reported to the Hokage first.
"Was he the one who killed Uchiha Chi?"
"He just killed four more of our people!"
The clan was filled with anger, but some were more intrigued by something else.
"Shisui, what technique did you just use?"
"Did you awaken…?"
These were the Uchiha elites, familiar with their clan's secret techniques. Though most Uchiha members didn't know about the Mangekyō Sharingan, these higher-ups recognized the power of Susanoo.
"I have indeed awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan," Shisui admitted.
The news sent a wave of excitement through the group.
"Mangekyō Sharingan? Shisui awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan!"
"This is incredible!"
Uchiha Fugaku watched silently. While he appeared pleased on the surface, inside he was troubled.
Shisui's Mangekyō Sharingan would likely stir talk of rebellion within the clan. If Shisui was loyal to the Uchiha, it would bolster their chances of a successful coup.
But Shisui's allegiance didn't lie with the Uchiha—it lay with the village.
(End of the chapter).