In Orochimaru and Kagetsu's line of sight, the scene unfolding between the two figures was quite different. Countless snakes coiled around Anko, binding her in place, her expression a mix of terror and pain.
Shisui stood opposite her, his hand signs fading.
But the fluttering crows in the air were clearly visible to both Orochimaru and Kagetsu.
Orochimaru keenly sensed something unusual, licking his lips and squinting as he spoke. Though his words sounded like a question, his tone and expression suggested certainty.
He knew Shisui had a habit of keeping crows, and that he had adapted several jutsu specifically using them. Yet, the distinct feeling radiating from the Yin chakra below was unmistakable.
Standing beside Orochimaru, Kagetsu could feel the dense, almost tangible power of the Yin Release. He was even more certain that this was no simple summoning technique involving a crow ninja beast.
This was Yin Release Creation!
A power achieved by mastering Yin chakra to an advanced level.
It was an illusion, and yet, not quite an illusion. Real, yet somehow unreal.
Kagetsu recalled a technique Shisui had once demonstrated—a jutsu he had developed.
The Phantom Body Flicker Technique.
It was a remarkable jutsu, harnessing the illusion-reality duality to an astonishing degree. It was powerful enough for a shinobi to earn renown across the ninja world and establish a reputation.
And in the future, Kagetsu knew that Shisui could even use Yin Release-created crows as vessels for his Mangekyou Sharingan, sealing its power within.
A summoning beast?
What kind of crow could carry the strength of the Mangekyou Sharingan and release it?
And what crow could be swallowed, merge with the body, and lie dormant as a technique ready to activate upon command?
It could only be said that in the future, Shisui would master the power of Yin Release to an almost God level, achieving effects that blurred illusion and reality.
With a series of popping sounds, the snakes turned into clouds of white smoke and disappeared. Anko collapsed powerlessly to the ground, unconscious. However, the people around didn't seem alarmed.
This had become routine by now.
Every time she sparred with Shisui, Anko would end up fainting. Although Shisui tried to control his strength, following Kagetsu's guidance, Anko's mental state would inevitably fall into a brief period of quiet after each match.
In short, it was a form of self-protection.
Thanks to Kagetsu's quick methods for recovery and treating mental strain, Anko's mind wouldn't fall into turmoil after extended training sessions.
This intense, sometimes harsh sparring gave Anko invaluable experience in resisting illusions. Her mental fortitude and resistance to genjutsu grew rapidly as well.
Now, ordinary genjutsu would hardly affect her when she was fully focused. After all, the genjutsu of the Kurama clan affecting all five senses and the Sharingan genjutsu of the Uchiha clan were far more powerful than what typical genjutsu users could achieve.
"Orochimaru-sama," Shisui greeted respectfully as Orochimaru entered the training field.
"Your growth is truly remarkable, Shisui-kun! Even among Jonin, you can now be considered quite a formidable force," Orochimaru said, watching Uchiha Shisui with admiration.
As a genius himself, Orochimaru held high standards when evaluating others, and there was no doubt that Shisui was one of the rare few who met those standards.
Though he bore the Uchiha's bloodline, Shisui didn't rely solely on the power of his eyes. Instead, he had merged his Sharingan abilities seamlessly with his own strength, carving out his unique path.
Back when Shisui was first assigned here, he was only a Chunin. Over the years, however, his strength had grown at an astounding pace.
Now that Shisui had unlocked the Mangekyo Sharingan, even Orochimaru could sense a hint of danger from him.
Originally, Orochimaru had little regard for the Sharingan, but Shisui's Mangekyo stirred his intense curiosity.
The eyes of Uchiha Madara, who once stood alongside the First Hokage Hashirama Senju, held immense research value from every perspective.
Orochimaru was especially keen to understand the true power of the Mangekyo Sharingan, a power said to rival Hashirama's Wood Release.
In the past—and still to this day—Orochimaru remained deeply fascinated by the First Hokage's Wood Release Kekkei Genkai. The impact and promise of Hashirama's cells were like an endless treasure trove in his mind.
Shisui's Mangekyo Sharingan represented a force that opposed the First Hokage's strength.
Orochimaru had once sparred with Shisui to test his strength and witnessed the power of the Mangekyo Sharingan firsthand. Whether it was the mind-bending illusions or the awe-inspiring skeletal giant, he felt the weight of that immense power.
The Wood Release of the Senju and the Sharingan of the Uchiha represented the dual forces of yang and yin. Orochimaru's urge to study both exploded within him, driven by the desire to see what combining these powers might ultimately achieve.
"You're too kind," Shisui replied shyly. He'd heard similar praise from his clan members during sparring sessions, but to receive such words from one of the legendary Sannin and the frontrunner for the title of Fourth Hokage was especially thrilling.
Shisui didn't care much about the praise directed his way, but he could clearly sense from these compliments that Orochimaru held no ill will or dislike toward the Uchiha clan.
To Orochimaru, the Uchiha clan was no different from any other shinobi clan.
For Shisui, that was enough. A Hokage without bias against the Uchiha could at least ease the conflict between the village and the clan.
With Clan Head Fugaku's influence, Shisui believed they could suppress some of the more extreme voices within the Uchiha and work cooperatively with Lord Orochimaru.
Shisui also took a quick glance at Nara Kagetsu, standing beside Orochimaru. If Orochimaru became the Fourth Hokage, it was almost certain that the Fifth would be chosen between Kagetsu and Anko.
Between the two, Shisui felt Kagetsu had a higher chance of success. And Kagetsu, too, showed no prejudice against the Uchiha.
With two generations of unbiased Hokage, the Uchiha clan could finally be integrated into the village, no longer feeling out of place.
If—if he could have Itachi become Kagetsu's student, then both Fugaku and some of the clan's elders might wholeheartedly support Orochimaru and Kagetsu.
Having spent much time with Itachi, training him personally, Shisui was well aware of Itachi's talent—on par with his own. In the future, Itachi would undoubtedly awaken the same eyes as he had.
Shisui believed Itachi shouldn't limit his vision to the clan alone; he should consider the entire village.
If Itachi could truly become Kagetsu's student, the possibility of him becoming the Sixth Hokage someday might help to ease the clan's resentment and anger toward the village.
And Fugaku, who held Itachi in high regard, would likely welcome such a development.
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