"Land of Fire?"
Shisui's heart skipped a beat. He instantly picked up on the most crucial part of Kaze's words.
No matter how you looked at it, the Hidden Leaf Village was just one part of the Land of Fire.
The Hokage was merely the leader of the nation's military forces.
The true ruler of the Land of Fire—the one who controlled its politics and economy—was the Daimyō.
And when Shisui recalled the plan Kaze had brought up during the clan meeting…
He understood everything in that moment.
Kaze's ambition was never about becoming Hokage.
What he really wanted—
Was to replace the Daimyō of the Land of Fire, and take control over the nation's finances and military.
This guy… he's even more insane than Danzō!
"You've lost your mind, Kaze," Shisui said, his voice trembling.
From his perspective, Kaze's delusional plan could only drag the Uchiha clan into utter ruin!
With that thought, Shisui pressed a hand against the rock beside him and used it for leverage to rise from the grass. He clutched the small tantō tightly in his other hand.
Although blinded, Shisui could still pinpoint Kaze's general position using his sharpened sense of hearing.
At the same time…
A firm resolve formed in his heart.
He absolutely could not let Kaze have his left eye.
Especially not the secret hidden within his Sharingan.
If Kaze ever learned about Kotoamatsukami…
With his madness, there was no telling what kind of catastrophe he'd bring about.
But Kaze hadn't expected to change Shisui's mind through conversation anyway.
He had only spoken so much on a whim.
Now that Shisui had staggered to his feet and taken a combat stance, Kaze no longer had the desire to keep talking.
"Guess I'm not very good at talking people down after all," Kaze muttered to himself, tucking Shisui's Sharingan safely into his ninja pouch.
The approaching Root shinobi were getting closer—this had to end quickly.
In the next instant, Kaze once again activated Shave.
Boom!
With a loud crack, the ground beneath his feet collapsed, webbing out into a massive spider-like fracture.
And Kaze's real body—vanished.
He reappeared directly in front of Shisui.
"Konoha: Dance of the Sun and Moon!"
In an instant, Shisui swung his tantō with one hand, using Konoha-style kenjutsu to try and push Kaze back.
But his movements were a shadow of his former self—weak and sluggish.
To Kaze's Sharingan-enhanced dynamic vision, Shisui's swordplay looked as slow as a slideshow.
Full of openings.
"Rest in peace, Shisui."
Kaze whispered softly, shifting his body in midair at a forty-five-degree angle to dodge the tantō's edge. At the same time, he pulled out a kunai with his left hand and slashed viciously at Shisui's carotid artery.
After all, Kaze was already known in the clan as a lightning-style prodigy.
If he used the Goro Goro no Mi's powers, it would leave too many clues.
To eliminate any suspicion, he relied solely on the Six Powers and a simple kunai this time.
Schlick!
The kunai sank a third of the way into Shisui's neck, tearing through the artery.
Blood sprayed upward like a crimson geyser.
Using the momentum of his technique, Kaze dashed past Shisui's body, coming to a smooth stop only after his toes touched the ground.
Unlike the world of pirates, the shinobi of the Hidden Leaf didn't have superhuman bodies.
Though they wielded terrifying jutsu, most ninja had physical bodies no different from ordinary people.
It was a world of high offense, low defense.
In such a place, even a simple kunai—
Was more than enough to deliver a fatal blow.
Shisui instinctively clutched at his neck, trying to stop the bleeding.
But ever since Danzō gouged out his eye, his sockets had been bleeding constantly.
And now, after running so far, his heart rate and blood pressure had spiked.
The artery Kaze had slashed was now gushing like a burst pipe. No matter how tightly he pressed, it was useless.
His shirt was quickly soaked red.
His once-pale arms now dyed a deep, bloody crimson.
And gradually…
A wave of overwhelming fatigue crashed through Shisui's mind.
He could feel the cold creeping into his consciousness, his body instinctively shivering.
Even his fingers, numb from massive blood loss, had started losing sensation.
Thud.
His lower legs gave out first—he collapsed to his knees.
But even then, his final resolve fought back against the oncoming darkness.
He couldn't let Kaze's ambition succeed…
If he did, not only would the Uchiha clan be doomed…
The entire village might be dragged into a new war.
"Itachi…"
Shisui suddenly whispered his name.
In the whole Uchiha clan, Itachi was the only one he truly trusted—his younger brother in all but blood.
He had to tell Uchiha Itachi the truth.
Let him find a way to stop Kaze.
With that thought, Shisui stopped trying to stem the bleeding.
While his hands were still just numb, not yet paralyzed, he began weaving hand seals again.
His fingers, soaked in blood, meant there was no need to bite his thumb.
Once the seals were formed…
The flesh on his shoulder began to wriggle.
As if something buried under his skin had suddenly awakened and was struggling to break free.
Splurt!
In just a few breaths, a gaping bloody hole tore open on Shisui's shoulder.
A jet-black crow emerged, flapping its wings as it pulled itself out of his body.
Even Kaze, who had already turned to leave, frowned at the sight.
He hadn't expected Shisui to have a move like this still hidden.
"Trying to send information with a crow?"
Kaze narrowed his eyes and quickly flicked his wrist.
The kunai in his hand shot out like a bullet.
"Crow Clone Jutsu…"
Just as the words left Shisui's lips, he used the very last of his strength to activate the technique.
The crow that had emerged from him suddenly split into multiple real duplicates.
Shunk!
Kaze's kunai struck one of them dead-on, piercing clean through its tiny body.
But in the next instant, that crow popped into a puff of white smoke—a decoy.
The rest of the crows beat their wings furiously, scattering into the sky in every direction.
And with his final breath escaping him, Shisui collapsed forward, crashing face-first into the ground.
"…Even in death, you still choose to defy me," Kaze muttered, shaking his head as he looked down at Shisui's motionless body.
"But in the end, they're just a few crows."
As he spoke, Kaze's hands flew into a series of seals.
Aside from the abilities granted by the Thunder Fruit, Kaze was a capable shinobi in his own right.
And fire-style techniques—the Uchiha clan's specialty—of course he could use them too.
Chakra surged into his throat, his abdomen puffed up—and then violently contracted.
From Kaze's mouth, a torrent of searing flame erupted skyward, engulfing the escaping crows in a blazing inferno.
"Fire Style: Majestic Destroyer Flame!"
As for whether the real crow managed to escape—that, Kaze didn't know.
(T/N: There, All fixed up. Anyway hope you enjoyed the chapter.)
50 Stones = One Extra Chapter
100 Stones = Two Extra Chapters
200 Stones = Three Extra Chapters
Keep the power stones coming.