"Susanoo?"
No—"It's actually Susanoo!"
Uchiha Kai hadn't expected it. When Yuchi Uchiha opened his eyes—it was already there. The familiar, fearsome aura of the clan's guardian deity cloaked him in golden light.
Kai narrowed his eyes as the chakra spread outward in violent waves.
Can he really activate Susanoo just by opening his eyes?
The Mangekyō Sharingan's abilities varied from user to user. Kai had no idea what kind of power Yuchi had awakened. And if it weren't for Kai's prior data and precautions, he might've been overwhelmed.
But something about Yuchi's Susanoo unsettled him.
He accessed it too easily. Is that his ability? Direct invocation? Or perhaps some enhancement to Susanoo itself...?
Regardless, Kai had to remain cautious.
Kai's plan was straightforward: probe Yuchi's abilities, identify his Mangekyō's powers, and decide whether he—or his brother—would serve as the vessel for creating an Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan.
His gaze sharpened as Yuchi's chakra surged and Susanoo's ribcage expanded into its armored form. If this went on, the underground lab would collapse—and Kai couldn't risk that. The sensory division might pick up the disturbance.
"You've got impressive power," Kai said coldly. "But that just means I have no reason to let you live. Still…"
He smirked.
"…this is an unexpected bonus. I was worried the subject I prepared wouldn't be enough. But now? One woman might be all I need. You've outdone yourself, Yuchi."
Yuchi's Mangekyō rotated, his face twisted with rage.
"You bastard!"
His golden Susanoo's fist rocketed forward like a cannon blast. Debris fell from the ceiling as the force of the punch shook the entire base. Susanoo's raw power was immense—even if it wasn't yet complete.
But Yuchi was still slower than Kai.
With a swift Body Flicker, Kai dodged and reappeared right before him. His ninjatō glowed with crackling chakra as he drove it into Susanoo's chest—just past the unformed armor.
His own Mangekyō spun. He sneered.
"I overestimated you, Yuchi Uchiha. Susanoo's strong—but you've barely scratched the surface. I gave you a chance. You blew it. Good night."
Just as Kai turned away, a flicker of motion caught his eye.
One of Yuchi's eyes spun again—and Kai's chest seared with heat.
Amaterasu!
Kai gritted his teeth as jet-black flames erupted from his chestplate. The consuming fire of the gods—the Mangekyō's highest-grade offensive jutsu—had activated. But Kai was prepared.
Without hesitation, Kai unleashed his trump card.
"Time Freeze."
His Mangekyō flared violently, pouring out chakra as the world ground to a halt.
Yuchi froze mid-expression, his face contorted in fury. Blood-tears traced down his cheeks, paused mid-drip. Even the falling rocks now hung weightless in the air. The very battlefield had been caught in stasis.
So it's not just individuals… Kai realized. This jutsu affects a whole localized space…
But there was no time to dwell on it. The cost of this ability was extreme.
Stepping forward into the paused world, Kai slipped a hand through a vulnerable gap in Susanoo's form. With surgical efficiency, he extracted both of Yuchi's eyes.
By the time he retreated with another Body Flicker, time resumed—and the backlash hit. Kai's breath caught in his throat. Chakra drained, vision blurred. The toll was worse than expected.
Still, it was done.
"AAAAAARGH!"
Yuchi's agonized scream echoed through the collapsing lab. His eyes—gone. His chakra—wildly flaring, uncontrolled. His Susanoo trembled and began to fade.
Kai examined the severed eyes, sealing them in a preservation vial.
"One ability strengthens Susanoo—direct activation, maybe chakra modulation." He muttered aloud. "The other… Amaterasu. The black flames of destruction."
Yuchi, blind and bleeding, howled.
"You coward! Fight me properly, you snake!"
Kai stared him down.
"I already gave you your chance. A shinobi only needs one. You lost yours."
Yuchi roared again, a dying beast refusing to accept defeat.
Kai said nothing. He pocketed the eyes and studied his victim with mild curiosity. Yuchi's body was broken, but he wasn't dead. That was important.
His eyes are gone. Now I just need to crush his will. If I can break him…
He could be another "sleeper agent"—a puppet in Kai's growing collection, like the rogue Kiri-nin he'd previously converted.
Just as Kai approached with a sedative, Yuchi raised his ruined face.
"Let them go…" His voice cracked, hoarse and trembling. "Please… let them go. You got what you wanted. Don't let them suffer the way I did…"
Kai paused.
He let out a long breath and pulled out a small bottle.
"Drink this. You'll sleep soon." He hesitated, then added, "Before that, I'll tell you something. A secret."
Yuchi didn't speak. He simply opened his mouth.
He drank.
Kai waited until Yuchi had swallowed it all.
"Your girlfriend isn't dead."
Yuchi froze.
"She's alive. What you saw was a body double—just a trick. I used a prisoner, altered her appearance. You know what kind of things are possible with Konoha's resources. Genjutsu, transformation, flesh grafts…"
Yuchi trembled.
"That woman you just killed? A spy from the Hidden Mist. Another disposable tool. None of the people you saw were who you thought. All just actors—criminals. I didn't kill your loved ones."
He paused.
"…Though I wanted to. I still do, sometimes. But Uchiha Fugaku wouldn't allow it. And maybe he was right."
Kai looked down at his hands.
"I want power. Control. To survive and rise. But not at the cost of becoming a monster. I have to stay human."
A long silence.
Then—
"…Thank you."
Yuchi's voice was nearly gone, a dry whisper.
"Thank you… even if I still hope you die with me someday…"