Taking advantage of the commotion caused by Tenten and Shion engaging in their second bill-paying war, Uchiha Shinji quietly slipped out of the barbecue restaurant.
Walking down the bustling streets of the Hidden Leaf, his expression was solemn.
The last message from his shadow clone indicated that it had sacrificed itself to destroy the trap hidden in Danzo's secret vault in order to protect Coalball.
So even as the mastermind, Shinji wasn't sure if Coalball had succeeded.
But no matter how curious he was, he couldn't summon Coalball right away to confirm the situation.
Though the operation seemed successful, it had been incredibly risky.
With only three suspects—Sasuke, himself, and the mysterious attacker—it was easy for the village to investigate them all at once.
At the moment, it appeared Sasuke was the prime suspect, but Shinji knew that he, too, had likely fallen under the scrutiny of the village's higher-ups.
"Will the village subject Sasuke to a mind interrogation?"
Shinji wasn't sure.
Mind interrogations involved probing into mental realms, and any slight mistake could damage the subject's brain. Without conclusive evidence, the village likely wouldn't resort to such aggressive measures on Sasuke.
But there was always the risk.
If the village decided to overlook its reputation and disregard Uchiha Itachi's influence, they could have the Yamanaka Clan use their secret jutsu to probe Sasuke's mind.
If that happened, Sasuke would be exonerated instantly.
And at that point, the only suspects left would be himself and the mysterious figure.
"If Sasuke undergoes a mind interrogation, the village definitely won't spare me."
Shinji was aware that if it came to that, he wouldn't be able to avoid the same fate.
At that moment, he'd have two choices: either defect from the village or use his Mangekyō Sharingan to resist the Yamanaka Clan's mental jutsu.
He wondered whether their secret techniques could penetrate his mind, or if the dreamscape he created would be able to deceive them.
In short, this was a dangerous gamble!
Of course, if Coalball succeeded, it would all be worth it!
Shinji understood better than anyone what it meant to bridge the gap between the Mangekyō Sharingan and the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan.
Only by obtaining the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan would his power truly belong to him.
Otherwise, everything would just be a temporary "trial."
Just then, he spotted Sasuke with a grim expression walking through the crowd.
Sasuke also noticed him and, with a change of expression, hurried over. "Shinji, are you okay?"
"I'm fine!" Shinji shook his head, looking Sasuke up and down. "Are you alright?"
He was surprised. He hadn't expected the village to release Sasuke so quickly.
Sasuke smirked. "What could possibly happen to me? The village still needs me to deal with the Nine-Tails!"
Shinji was taken aback.
In all his calculations, he had overlooked this fact.
But upon reflection, it made sense.
The Hidden Leaf no longer had the power to fully suppress the Nine-Tails. Even though Yamato could use Wood Release, his abilities were far inferior to the First Hokage's.
Naruto, the Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki, was still young and prone to losing control. From a strategic standpoint, the village had no choice but to treat Sasuke well, if only to counter the threat of the Tailed Beast.
I never imagined that a misunderstanding from back then would end up solving a huge problem for me.
Shinji felt a sense of relief and gratitude.
The two of them continued walking side by side in silence.
Though Sasuke was deeply moved by Shinji's help that day, Shinji's strength also made him uneasy, fueling a growing sense of urgency.
In the end, Sasuke didn't need friends—he needed revenge!
Without exchanging a word, they soon left the bustling streets and arrived at a quiet riverside.
"Huh?"
Suddenly, Sasuke let out a soft exclamation.
Shinji looked up and saw a lone figure standing by the river. It was none other than Neji, who had abruptly left the barbecue restaurant earlier.
"Hey, Neji!"
Sasuke waved.
Neji turned and, seeing it was Shinji and Sasuke, curiously asked, "What are you two doing together?"
"We ran into each other," Sasuke replied.
"You said you had something important to do earlier." Pointing to the river, Shinji teased, "Was this it?"
Neji chuckled and shook his head.
It was undeniable that after facing the mysterious figure together earlier, the three of them had formed a special bond. They felt like both rivals and teammates, their relationship growing closer.
The trio sat down by the river, silently watching the flowing water.
After a while, Sasuke finally broke the silence. "Who was that guy today?"
Neji shook his head. "I asked the Anbu in the village, but they don't have a clue either. What's certain is that he's incredibly strong."
"Yeah, even Iruka-sensei and the others were taken down so easily."
Sasuke's mood darkened as he spoke.
Neji sighed. "Yeah."
Both of them, who had always prided themselves as geniuses, had their confidence shattered by the mysterious figure. Even now, recalling that man filled them with dread.
Shinji didn't join in their lamenting.
Having already deduced the identity of the mysterious attacker, his own humiliating experience didn't bother him much.
His mind was preoccupied with Coalball's success. If all went well, he could soon be looking forward to awakening the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan.
With that, his Susanoo Tomoshibi might reach an even greater level.
Perhaps he would even gain the ability to wield multiple, stronger eyes.
Looking at Sasuke and Neji beside him, Shinji's thoughts wandered.
He had Fugaku's Mangekyō Sharingan in his possession. If Sasuke could one day awaken his own Mangekyō, Shinji could help him fuse them into an Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan.
If Coalball had managed to secure another pair of Mangekyō, Shinji could even trade Mangekyō for Mangekyō, taking Sasuke's eyes for himself and fusing them into his own Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan.
That way, he would have two pairs of Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan.
As for Sasuke, he could simply rely on the ability of Susanoo Tomoshibi to periodically replenish his Mangekyō's power, making it just as effective as the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan.
It would be a win-win!
His thoughts spiraling even further, Shinji's gaze shifted to Neji.
Possessing a pair of Byakugan didn't hold much significance for Shinji at the moment, but if he could gain the Tenseigan, that would be a whole different story.
In terms of offensive capabilities, the Tenseigan was the deadliest!
Once the Tenseigan Chakra Mode was activated, it allowed the user to wield the Truth-Seeking Orbs, devastating weapons capable of neutralizing any opponent below the Six Paths level.
It was a god-slaying power!
However, the conditions to awaken the Tenseigan were far stricter than those for the Mangekyō Sharingan. Shinji suspected that finding the key to the Tenseigan would likely require a trip to the moon.
"The Hyuga Clan's main family might have some means of contacting the Ōtsutsuki Clan on the moon. Perhaps I could start with Neji..."
Just as Shinji's thoughts were drifting further, he suddenly sensed a wave of killing intent behind him.
"Who's there!?"
He quickly turned, only to see the mysterious figure from before standing on a tree not far away, staring at him coldly.
Sasuke and Neji also saw the man, their expressions twisting with discomfort. "Again?!"