"Uncle Shūichi!"
Young Naruto dashed over on his tiny legs.
Shūichi immediately crouched down to pick him up. Shortly after, Tenten appeared, and he hoisted one child onto each shoulder.
Tenten, who was over three years old and slightly older than Naruto, grabbed Shūichi's hair and asked, "Uncle Shūichi, can we play with Shiro?"
Naruto's eyes lit up at her words. He bit his finger and nodded enthusiastically, drooling a little.
"Of course, no problem."
Shūichi brought the two children to the yard and summoned his summoned beast, Shiro—though it was more fitting to call it Big Snow Ball now. After several experiments, its size had grown significantly.
Both Tenten and Naruto loved climbing all over the large beast, which had become a favorite thanks to Shizune summoning it to play with them in the past.
After playing with the two little ones for a while, Shūichi let Shiro take over supervising them and headed over to Sarutobi Shinnosuke. "Captain, Chihiro, congratulations!"
"Thank you!"
Chihiro, whose belly was visibly showing, smiled and said, "Shūichi, don't forget you promised to teach Konohamaru in the future."
Shūichi nodded. "Have you already decided on a name?"
Shinnosuke replied, "Yes, considering the tense situation right now, we decided to settle on a name in advance."
Shūichi sighed lightly. "There's no need to be so nervous."
Shinnosuke shook his head. "It's better to be prepared."
After all, it's Uchiha Madara.
While Chihiro could stay behind, Shinnosuke, as the son of the Third Hokage, would undoubtedly head to the battlefield.
He couldn't even be sure if he'd live to see his son's birth.
Chihiro chided softly, "Today is Shūichi's coming-of-age birthday. Don't talk about these things."
Shinnosuke scratched his head in embarrassment and quickly apologized.
Shūichi didn't mind. Glancing at Chihiro's belly, he smiled and said, "Don't worry. Leave Konohamaru to me. I'll make sure he becomes an outstanding ninja!"
Chihiro quickly responded, "Then I'll be counting on you!"
Once Konohamaru learns the Sexy Jutsu, it's going to be spectacular. Shūichi couldn't help but harbor mischievous thoughts.
---
After chatting with the Sarutobi couple, Shūichi approached Uchiha Shisui.
Itachi, who had come along, politely bowed and greeted, "Lord Shūichi!"
Shūichi nodded warmly. "Itachi, do you have confidence in awakening your Sharingan?"
Itachi nodded earnestly. "Lord Shūichi, I can do it!"
Shūichi smiled. "Having confidence is good. Shisui tells me you have exceptional talent in genjutsu and Fire Release. Shisui can guide you with genjutsu, but I have a Fire Release technique that would suit you well."
"It's not my own creation, but I believe it's perfect for you."
Itachi's eyes lit up. A technique worthy of praise from the God of Ninja himself? It must be extraordinary. He quickly expressed his gratitude. "Lord Shūichi, I won't let you down!"
Shūichi chuckled lightly. "I'll look forward to it."
In the original timeline, Uchiha Itachi had many flaws, but Shūichi didn't judge the present Itachi based on his future.
On the contrary, with proper training, Itachi could become an incredibly sharp and reliable weapon in the future.
If Itachi awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan and transplanted Hashirama cells, he would essentially gain the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, making the Perfect Susanoo well within reach.
Adding his Star Cursed Mark, Itachi could potentially grow to a pseudo-Six Paths level, capable of standing against Rinnegan users.
Yes, even though Shūichi hadn't awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan himself, he firmly believed that the Mangekyō Sharingan wasn't inherently inferior to the Rinnegan.
Additionally, the Rinnegan wasn't an evolved form of the Sharingan.
Both were Kekkei Genkai, with their power depending entirely on the user.
While the Rinnegan seemed all-encompassing, the Mangekyō Sharingan's power—including the mighty Susanoo—was equally formidable.
If there were a higher form of the Mangekyō Sharingan, it would be the Rinne Sharingan, not the Rinnegan alone.
This form would simultaneously possess the abilities of both the Sharingan and the Rinnegan, without needing to switch between them.
Tracing back to the source, both the Rinnegan and the Sharingan originated from the Otsutsuki Kaguya's Nine-Tomoe Rinne Sharingan—or perhaps the Ten-Tails Divine Tree's version of it.
For these reasons, Shūichi held high hopes for Itachi.
If Itachi awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan and transplanted Hashirama cells, he'd essentially gain the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, enabling him to wield the Perfect Susanoo with ease.
Amaterasu might fail to incinerate its target, but Tsukuyomi could easily incapacitate Kakashi. Even Obito and Nagato had shown caution toward it in the original timeline.
The Perfect Susanoo was undeniably powerful.
---
After chatting with Shisui, Shūichi mingled with Guy, Kurenai, and the others.
Time flew by, and before long, it was 9 PM. The guests began taking their leave.
By 10 PM, Shūichi had seen everyone off.
Returning home, he found Nono Yakushi and the others cleaning up, with even Tsunade helping out. Without hesitation, he created multiple Shadow Clones to assist.
Using Wind Release and Water Release, the cleaning was done in no time.
Once finished, Tsunade waved her hand. "I'm heading out!"
With that, she disappeared without even calling for Shizune.
Yakushi Nono held Shizune back.
"Shizune, why don't you stay here tonight? The room is already cleaned and ready for you."
Shizune blushed and nodded. "Thank you, Nono-san!"
Tenka also stayed, smiling as she turned to Asuka. "How about I stay with Asuka tonight?"
Taking on the role of the matriarch, Yakushi Nono smiled warmly. "Then hurry and wash up so you can rest early. We have work tomorrow, and the Five Kage Summit is the day after."
The group of women all nodded in agreement. Before leaving, Tenka gave Shūichi a playful wink.
After Asuka and the others had left, Yakushi Nono approached Shūichi, looking up at him with a mix of tenderness and pride.
"Shūichi, you've finally grown into an adult!"
"From now on, you'll have to shoulder the responsibilities of being the head of the household."
Shūichi felt a sense of foreboding but maintained a smile as he nodded.
"Yes, I can fully protect everyone now. I'll always be here to watch over you, Director."
Yakushi Nono chuckled softly. "You've already become the strongest in the ninja world. No one can harm me anymore."
"That's why… I think it's time for me to return to the orphanage."
Just as I feared!
Shūichi quickly responded, "Director, the orphanage doesn't really need you there. In fact, your work at the Konoha Hospital helps the orphanage much more by securing resources."
"If you return, you'll just have to rely on others there."
Yakushi Nono smiled faintly. "But isn't there still you, Shūichi?"
Shūichi immediately changed tactics. "But I'll have a lot of children in the future, and they'll need you too! Asuka and the others don't have any experience taking care of kids."
"I've made it my goal to establish a new ninja clan."
It was blatantly selfish—an attempt to keep Nono by his side.
But his argument wasn't entirely without merit. Nono's presence at the Konoha Hospital was indeed more impactful than being physically at the orphanage.
And then there was the emotional angle.
Hearing this, Nono hesitated. "Well… Asuka and the others should be able to learn quickly, don't you think?"
Shūichi pressed on, "But they'll still need your guidance, Director. Besides, could you really bear to leave us behind?"
Nono laughed softly in defeat. "I didn't expect you to still act spoiled, even as an adult."
Shūichi smiled. "It's because you're my family, Director."
In the end, Yakushi Nono agreed to stay.
She had initially considered leaving because she sensed Shūichi's unusual feelings for her.
But truthfully, she didn't want to leave this family either.
Her decision to stay made Shūichi breathe a sigh of relief.
Now that she had chosen to stay, she likely wouldn't leave again—the bonds would only grow stronger.
---
By 10 PM, Asuka and the others had finished washing up, and Shūichi was the last to enter the bathroom.
Just as he was about to close the door, a figure slipped in—it was Mei Terumi.
This time, Shūichi's bath took a little longer. An hour later, he finally returned to his room, only to find two people waiting for him.
"Shūichi."
It was Tenka and Asuka. They stepped forward together.
This was destined to be a sleepless night.
Building a new ninja clan from scratch was no small task—it required dedication and effort.
For the sake of future generations, Shūichi found himself earnestly passing down knowledge and strength to Shizune and the others, ensuring their children would inherit powerful bloodlines.
---
The night passed in the blink of an eye.
Even Asuka, who was usually an early riser, overslept.
When Shūichi woke up at his usual time, he found only Yakushi Nono busy in the kitchen.
Leaning against the doorway, he watched her for a moment before heading to freshen up and then going out to train as usual.
Enhancing his physical training with Ultra AddedWeight Rock Technique, Shūichi later meditated under a waterfall.
The roar of the rushing water filled his ears, while the torrent cascaded over him.
Yet, within his heart, another force was stirring.
To be precise, his mental energy, accumulated from the events of the previous night, had reached a critical threshold.
As he focused and began to channel this energy, a unique form of Yin Release chakra emerged within his mind.
This chakra coursed through his visual nerves, merging with the Yang Release energy in his body. Together, they created a new form of elemental transformation, causing his eyes to undergo a profound change.
Unlike the sharp sting he felt when awakening the Three Tomoe Sharingan, this transformation brought a warm, soothing sensation, like sunlight on a winter's day.
When Shūichi opened his eyes beneath the waterfall, golden light radiated from his gaze.
The scarlet of his Sharingan was now overlaid with gold, and the three black tomoe spun rapidly, forming a new, intricate pattern.
The Mangekyō Sharingan had finally awakened!
Boom!
The waterfall exploded, and Shūichi leaped out. Before him, a water mirror condensed, reflecting his new eyes.
A black background with a hollow, golden, four-bladed shuriken design.
Shūichi stared at his Mangekyō pattern, momentarily stunned. It bore a striking resemblance to Shisui's.
Or rather, aside from the difference in base and pattern colors, they were completely identical.
Shisui's Mangekyō Sharingan had a crimson base with a black hollow four-bladed shuriken pattern.
"Well, since my Sharingan was learned from Shisui, it's not too surprising that the pattern is the same," Shūichi mused.
"However, the golden pattern completely represents my own strength."
Shūichi smiled, deactivating his Mangekyō and reverting it to the Three Tomoe state.
Sure enough, even his Three Tomoe Sharingan had changed.
Previously, it had a red base with black tomoe.
Now, it had a black base with golden tomoe.
Shūichi thought to himself, "It seems that although I learned this from Shisui, the strength of my own chakra caused it to evolve differently."
"Excellent."
Satisfied, Shūichi reactivated his Mangekyō and began to sense the powers contained within his left and right eyes.
The Mangekyō's unique abilities were what he had been looking forward to the most.
"Hmm?"
Moments later, Shūichi opened his eyes, his brow furrowing in surprise.
"A genjutsu?"
And not just any genjutsu—it was one he recognized.
"Izanagi!"
Shūichi was genuinely astonished.
Both his left and right eyes held the power of Izanagi.
- The left eye could turn any unfavorable circumstances for himself into illusions.
- The right eye could turn any unfavorable circumstances for others into illusions.
This...
"Am I really that afraid of dying?"
Shūichi couldn't help but rub his chin in thought.
The Sharingan is often described as a reflection of the user's soul, embodying both their strengths and their deepest desires.
But was it a useless ability?
Not at all.
Shūichi knew very well that even if he perfected his immortality, not all injuries could be healed.
For people like Asuka and the others, sudden accidents could arise that he might not be able to prevent or remedy in time.
The ninja world was full of forbidden jutsu, and even a seemingly insignificant shinobi could possess techniques capable of delivering a fatal blow.
Not to mention the dōjutsu jutsu of the Ōtsutsuki Clan.
Izanagi could fill these gaps perfectly.
Using transcription seals, he could preemptively embed Izanagi into the eyes of Asuka and the others. If they suffered an irreparable injury, the seal would automatically activate, deploying Izanagi to nullify the harm.
This ultimate genjutsu could transform any adverse event into an illusion.
In other words, even sealing jutsu could be nullified—techniques that extract souls or the Yin-Yang Release capable of obliterating them would become ineffective.
Previously, Shūichi could only use Izanagi at the cost of going blind.
But now, with his Mangekyō Sharingan, his unique constitution ensured that his eyes were eternally sustained in the Eternal Mangekyō state, negating the risk of blindness even with excessive usage.
Using Izanagi now only consumed more chakra, nothing more.
Chakra?
Right now, Shūichi had an abundance of chakra to spare!
"Perfect."
Thinking it through, Shūichi was quite satisfied with his Mangekyō's abilities.
Survival was paramount!
After exploring the powers of his Mangekyō Sharingan, Shūichi turned his attention to its third divine abilitySusanoo.
Golden chakra surged around him, forming a massive skeletal frame. Muscles soon wrapped around the bones, and a colossal golden Susanoo rose skyward.
More!
Feeling no burden, Shūichi continued constructing the Susanoo.
Armor resembling a black crow tengu and wings took shape.
Finally, Shūichi and the Susanoo completed a hand seal together.
"Stabilize!"
The swirling chakra settled, and the golden Susanoo solidified like never before.
The Parfect Susanoo!
Using his formidable body and spirit, Shūichi had activated a Complete-Body Susanoo upon unlocking his Mangekyō Sharingan.
Furthermore, he clearly felt that due to the potency of his chakra, his Complete-Body Susanoo was far stronger than Shisui's.
"Still, it's not as powerful as my Star God."
Shūichi silently compared the two powers in his mind.
(End of Chapter)
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