The sudden attack on Konoha's defensive line at the Fire Country border had one true purpose: eliminating Shisui Uchiha and crippling one of Konoha's strongest pillars.
Despite his young age, Shisui's name had already gained legendary renown. Given time, as his body matured, he was certain to become one of the most formidable shinobi of his era.
On the night of the Nine-Tails' rampage, Uchiha Fugaku and Uchiha Akira had left a deep impression on Nagato. The two of them alone managed to hold off the Nine-Tails, even dealing it significant damage. Such strength was rare, even among the Kage.
In preparation for future plans to capture the Tailed Beasts, Nagato decided it was necessary to eliminate Konoha's top-tier combatants one by one. This served a dual purpose: paving the way for his grand scheme and avenging Uchiha Madara.
"If Konoha's forces have mastered Madara's dojutsu, future attacks will need to be swift and decisive," Nagato muttered to himself.
He took some solace in the knowledge that Shisui Uchiha was already at death's door.
"Even if Tsunade herself were to treat him, his chances of recovery are slim. Calling him as good as dead wouldn't be an exaggeration," he thought, his mood lifting slightly.
This ambush had achieved its purpose.
"It's time to lie low for a while. Konoha will surely heighten its vigilance now. Another move like this might not work and could even backfire," Nagato mused.
Meanwhile, far from the battlefield, on a remote coastline, Akira appeared with Shisui in tow.
Without hesitation, Akira began using medical ninjutsu to stabilize Shisui's condition.
After half an hour of effort, Akira frowned deeply, staring at the unconscious Shisui.
His injuries were severe—overuse of chakra and his Mangekyō Sharingan had drained an immense amount of his life force. This was beyond the realm of what conventional medical ninjutsu could heal.
His condition reminded Akira of Nagato's state after forcibly summoning the Gedo Statue, his life force drastically sapped.
But Shisui wasn't like Nagato, he didn't have the same immense reserves of life energy. What little remained could only barely keep him alive.
"This is bad…" Akira sighed.
The loss of life force was one thing, but what truly endangered Shisui was the strain on his Mangekyō Sharingan, which had pushed his mind to the brink of collapse. If his psyche shattered, Shisui's death would be inevitable.
After a thorough examination, Akira concluded that Shisui's Sharingan was already close to blindness. Even if he did wake up, he would no longer be able to fight. He was… effectively crippled.
"This is troublesome," Akira muttered, shaking his head. He hoisted Shisui onto his back and began sprinting toward Konoha.
In his current state, there was likely no one in the shinobi world capable of saving him. Maintaining this precarious half-alive condition was feasible, but fully reviving him and restoring his strength?
That was a near-impossible task.
After stabilizing Shisui's condition and deliberately delaying for two days, Akira finally returned to Konoha.
He handed Shisui over to the Konoha Hospital, instructing the Uchiha clan to guard him vigilantly, before heading to the Hokage's office to report.
Upon learning of Shisui's condition, Hiruzen Sarutobi wasted no time and went to the hospital to see him personally.
In the sterile hospital room, Fugaku stood by Shisui's bedside, conversing with the attending physician.
Seeing the Hokage enter, Fugaku greeted him with little enthusiasm. "Lord Hokage."
"Don't mind me." Hiruzen's gaze fell on Shisui, whose face was pale as a sheet. A trace of sorrow flashed across his eyes.
In Hiruzen's mind, Shisui was a true embodiment of the Will of Fire—an Uchiha who wholeheartedly dedicated himself to the village. He had inherited the spirit of Hiruzen's late friend, Kagami Uchiha. Given time, Shisui would have become a pillar of strength for the village.
"How is Shisui's condition?" Hiruzen asked the attending physician quietly.
The doctor responded calmly, "Shisui's condition is dire. The overuse of his chakra has resulted in significant loss of life force. Thanks to Akira's immediate treatment, his life was barely stabilized."
Hiruzen frowned, his voice heavy. "When will he wake up? Is there any way to restore his life force?"
The doctor shook his head. "Whether or not Shisui regains consciousness depends on his ability to recover from severe mental trauma. As for restoring his life force… there's no known method."
"Mental trauma?" Hiruzen's face darkened further. "What do you mean by that?"
The doctor glanced at Fugaku and Akira. "This matter is better explained by them—they understand it more thoroughly than I do."
Hiruzen turned to the two men.
"I'll explain," Akira offered. "Shisui fought Nagato to cover the retreat of the border forces. He overextended his Mangekyō Sharingan, causing significant strain on his psyche. Whether or not he regains consciousness is uncertain."
"Is there truly no way to save him?" Hiruzen pressed.
Akira gave a bitter smile. "Unless we can restore his lost life force, allowing his body to heal his mind, there's little hope."
Hiruzen sighed deeply. It was a vicious cycle—there was no way to restore life force, and without it, recovery was impossible.
If such a method existed, shinobi would no longer have a concept of a prime. Their lives would extend far beyond a few short decades.
"Is there absolutely no way to restore life force?" Hiruzen asked again, unwilling to give up.
The doctor shook his head once more. "Perhaps somewhere in the shinobi world, there are mystical techniques that can achieve this, but Konoha has no such resources."
Faced with this grim reality, Hiruzen's spirits sank. The loss of Shisui felt like another heavy blow, coming so soon after the deaths of Minato and Kushina—a devastating loss for Konoha's strength.
News of Shisui's condition spread quickly, casting a heavy shadow over the Uchiha clan. Tensions simmered, unspoken but palpable.
In the clan leader's study, Fugaku and Akira sat across from each other.
"Shisui's situation is truly regrettable…" Fugaku sighed, then looked at Akira. "I heard you went to the research lab today. Was there any progress there?"
The ShinTen Biotech Lab had always been Akira's responsibility, and Fugaku seldom involved himself in its affairs. However, given Shisui's critical condition, Fugaku couldn't help but pin his hopes on the lab's potential breakthroughs.
Shisui was a wielder of the Mangekyō Sharingan—someone the clan couldn't afford to lose. If there was even a sliver of hope, Fugaku wasn't ready to give up.
----------------
Pls Drop some Power Stones
Read more than +70 chapters and support me on Patreon
Patreon(.)com/Jixo