Chapter 64: Fugaku vs Shisui
At this moment, the battle between the Root operatives and the Uchiha clan had reached a fever pitch.
Outnumbered several times over, the Uchiha were clearly at a disadvantage.
"Damn it! We're taking too many losses. Where is that masked man Lord Danzō promised us?"
Danzō himself was absent. The one commanding Root's assault tonight was his trusted confidant—Ryōma Aburame.
Root had already lost nearly one-third of its forces.
Even for someone as close to Danzō as Ryōma, this level of failure would be hard to explain afterward.
"Sir," one of Ryōma's subordinates asked cautiously,
"Do you think something happened to the reinforcements Lord Danzō mentioned?"
"Maybe," Ryōma replied with a grim face.
"But no matter what's changed, our orders haven't. Stick to the plan. Reinforcements or not, we press the attack."
He then commanded his forces to intensify the offensive, before walking forward toward the front lines where the two sides were locked in a stalemate.
Looking at the Uchiha being pushed back step by step, Ryōma shouted arrogantly:
"Tonight is the night the Uchiha clan is erased from the ninja world!"
"You're surrounded. Surrender now, and maybe you'll get to keep your lives!"
Of course, his words were meant to crush their morale.
Even if an Uchiha did surrender, there would be no chance of survival.
But just as his voice fell, another voice—low, cold, and full of contempt—cut through the night:
"Erased from the ninja world? I, Uchiha Yusuke, would love to see who dares speak so boldly."
His words were not loud, but somehow, everyone heard them clearly.
All heads turned toward the source of the voice.
Atop a tall tower stood a lone, upright figure.
Behind him hung the full moon, casting him in stark silhouette.
The angle of the moonlight made it hard to see his face, but even in the shadows, one thing shone unmistakably—
—his golden-red Sharingan, each iris marked with a unique tomoe pattern.
For years, it had been a curious rumor across Konoha and even the entire shinobi world:
"The strongest Uchiha, Yusuke, has never activated the Sharingan."
No one knew whether he truly lacked it—or had simply never shown it.
But now, in the moonlight, the unmistakable glow of his never-before-seen Sharingan pattern left everyone stunned.
Not a soul doubted:
These eyes held power beyond imagination.
The battlefield fell into a moment of eerie stillness.
Even those locked in combat seemed to pause, caught off guard by the shift in the air.
For the Root operatives, Yusuke's arrival was a crushing blow to morale.
For the Uchiha, it was as though salvation itself had descended.
"He's here! Lord Yusuke—he came back!"
"We're saved! Lord Yusuke, please help us wipe out Root!"
While the Root operatives remained silent, the Uchiha erupted into cheers at the sight of Yusuke.
Among them, Uchiha Souichiro was visibly elated. He quickly leapt across the battlefield to Yusuke's side.
Though he was clearly curious about Yusuke's unusual Sharingan pattern, this wasn't the time for questions. He gave Yusuke a quick rundown of the situation.
From Souichiro's words, Yusuke finally understood why he hadn't seen Danzō, Shisui, Fugaku, or Itachi up until now.
Just then, with his formidable spiritual perception, Yusuke sensed a powerful surge of chakra far in the distance—Fugaku and Shisui were clashing head-on.
"That chakra... Susanoo?" Yusuke's heart skipped a beat.
From what he could sense, Shisui was fighting Fugaku. That could only mean one thing—Shisui had taken over Itachi's role in carrying out the clan's extermination.
Turning to Souichiro, Yusuke said sharply:
"I've located the clan head. I'll end things here quickly and move to support him."
Without waiting for a response, he unsheathed his long blade and charged straight into the enemy ranks.
"Don't panic! He's just one man!" shouted Ryōma Aburame.
"He's bluffing—nothing to fear!"
Despite the edge of unease in his heart, Ryōma had no choice. The battle was already in motion—there was no turning back.
Rallying his remaining elite, he personally stepped forward to intercept Yusuke.
---
Meanwhile, the battle between Fugaku and Shisui had reached its climax.
Danzō stood within the barrier with them, quietly observing the fight unfold, making no move to intervene.
He had no intention of helping Shisui defeat Fugaku. Instead, he was waiting to swoop in after they both collapsed.
Danzō had long coveted Shisui's Mangekyō Sharingan, and he knew its most prized technique—Kotoamatsukami—could tilt the balance of power in the village.
His plan was simple: let them weaken each other, then seize Shisui's eye, eliminate both, and wash his hands of the matter.
Once Shisui was dead, he'd pin the blame on Fugaku. No one would question it. Danzō could walk away without a trace of guilt or responsibility.
Watching the clash of two Susanoo, Danzō allowed himself the faintest smile.
"Shisui Uchiha!" Fugaku roared.
"Are you still blind to the truth? Will you really stand by and watch your clan be slaughtered by outsiders?!"
His crimson Susanoo clashed furiously with Shisui's. Its appearance was similar to Itachi's version—though lacking the Sword of Totsuka and Yata Mirror—it wielded a massive red katana.
Fugaku was clearly gaining the upper hand. At thirty, he was in his prime, his chakra and ocular power both surpassing Shisui's.
"It's you who's blind, Lord Fugaku!" Shisui countered.
"It's your narrow focus on the clan alone that led us here. If we don't act now, something far worse will follow!"
With another surge of chakra, Shisui's green Susanoo lunged forward.
As an idealist, Shisui had fully embraced the Will of Fire and was prepared to follow the orders of the Konoha leadership—even at the cost of his own life or vision.
He fought with reckless resolve, trading blow for blow, uncaring of the damage he sustained.
Faced with such relentless aggression, Fugaku found himself at a disadvantage.
Even if he managed to defeat Shisui, he'd be too drained to face Danzō, who loomed on the sidelines like a vulture.
"Shisui," Danzō called coldly,
"What are you waiting for? Use your strongest technique and finish him."
"Once Fugaku is dead, the rest is no longer your concern. I'll have Root handle the cleanup."
Upon hearing this, Shisui no longer held back.
With a roar, he unleashed the ultimate attack of his Susanoo.
The chestplate of his emerald Susanoo suddenly cracked open, revealing a massive glowing green tomoe embedded within.
"Susanoo: Kujuukyuu!"
(Susanoo: Ninety-Nine)