"You probably don't realize it yet—but Zetsu saw it happen."
"When your Mangekyō Sharingan awakened, Kakashi's eye evolved too. Even though it was in another person's body, both eyes responded to the same pain—the same loss."
Uchiha Madara's voice was low and heavy as he looked at Obito, whose expression had gone rigid the moment Kakashi's name was mentioned.
"When chakra, dōjutsu power, and emotional resonance surge at the same time, the Sharingan—even when split between two people—can evolve in sync. That phenomenon is known as resonance."
"Uchiha Shisui likely awakened his own Mangekyō Sharingan. And through that resonance, the eye now in Yuki Yoru's possession inherited the same fearsome dōjutsu power."
"But didn't you just say he only has a three-tomoe Sharingan?"
Obito frowned, puzzled.
"That's because he's missing one crucial requirement. The eye is still stuck in its three-tomoe stage."
Madara sat back into the throne-like seat atop the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path.
"The Mangekyō Sharingan is born from the depths of negative emotion—grief, pain, despair. Yoru may have inherited a portion of the Mangekyō's chakra and power through resonance, but his rise since acquiring that eye has been nothing short of triumphant. His victories have only fed his confidence—there's no anguish, no trauma strong enough to trigger the true awakening. Not yet."
"So, right now… his Sharingan has Mangekyō-level power, but it's still physically a three-tomoe eye?"
Madara scoffed, "You sound almost relieved."
"Don't forget—your left eye, your real Mangekyō Sharingan—is still in Yoru's hands."
Obito's expression froze. Shame flickered in his single eye.
He hadn't expected the eye he entrusted to Kakashi—his literal gift of trust and brotherhood—to end up like this. First Kakashi dies, and now the eye… had become one of the enemy's trophies.
If he could go back to the Kannabi Bridge… he never would've done it.
But what could he do now? He was helpless, and he knew it.
"So… the genjutsu you placed on the Third Mizukage was broken. What happens to the original plan now?"
"A troublesome brat," Madara muttered. "We'll have to abandon the groundwork I laid in Kirigakure. That base of operations is no longer viable."
Madara no longer believed Obito could beat Yoru. Not as he was now.
That boy's rate of growth was absurd. In the short span of this war, he'd consumed the souls of countless dead and risen to the very peak of the shinobi world.
Obito may have a Mangekyō Sharingan, but with only one functioning eye, he couldn't fully wield its potential. Against someone like Yoru, he stood no chance.
Still, Kirigakure was already in shambles—torn apart from the inside. Even if Yoru took over as the Fourth Mizukage now, he'd be left cleaning up a broken system. He'd need time to stabilize things.
Madara didn't say it aloud, but deep down… he was starting to worry.
If Yoru continued growing unchecked—by the time the Eye of the Moon Plan reached its final stage—he might become strong enough to pose a real threat.
"I never thought I'd hear you say 'give up'," Obito said with a half-laugh.
"So what now? Do I go to Nagato?"
"You'll go to him eventually. But without a base of operations, you'll struggle. Go to Sunagakure first," Madara said calmly, unfazed by Obito's sarcasm.
"They were just defeated and are in disarray. Their new Fourth Kazekage is weak—your eye should be more than enough to manipulate him. Plus, his kekkei genkai might make a useful resource."
"Magnet Release, huh?"
Obito's expression twitched. Even holed up underground, he'd heard the stories of the "Mining Kazekage."
"And what about the Mist?"
"Don't worry. My influence runs deep. That village is rotten to its core. You don't wash out decay like that—not without razing everything first."
"AAAGHHHH!!"
A scream tore through the Mizukage's office.
"The Third Mizukage writhed in agony, caught between two colliding dōjutsu forces. The pain—visceral and unrelenting—felt like it was tearing his mind apart."
A man once revered as the shadow of an entire nation now squirmed like a rabid dog. Even Yoru, watching the scene, felt a flicker of pity.
"Yuki Yoru, what the hell are you doing?!"
Yagura's voice rang out as he landed outside the office, chakra flaring. His eyes narrowed in fury as he saw what was happening.
"Are you trying to start a coup?!"
BOOM!
The office doors exploded open.
Several of the Mizukage's personal ANBU stormed in, weapons drawn and alert. Among them, an elderly man slowly approached, leaning on a cane—his name was Gensui.
"Using the power of the Sharingan to manipulate the Mizukage's mind… attempting to bend his will to control the entire village? I never thought someone with your record—a war hero—would stoop to this."
Gensui's voice was heavy with disappointment. The surrounding ANBU, once respectful of Yoru, now looked at him with cold, guarded suspicion.
"I know you've been vying for the position of Fourth Mizukage. And I've said before—based on your strength and wartime achievements, that seat is rightfully yours in time. All you had to do was wait."
"But I didn't expect you to be so impatient… or to commit treason."
Yoru didn't flinch. His gaze fell not on the ANBU or the crippled Mizukage—but on Gensui himself.
In his eyes: not anger, not panic—just sorrow.
"I suppose I'm the one who's disappointed, sensei."
The air in the room grew heavy, suffocating with killing intent. The temperature dropped, a subtle frost creeping in as Yoru spoke again — his voice colder than ever.
"Has power and greed blinded you that much? Even your judgment has withered."
Gensui's face remained still. "No one rises to the top overnight, Yoru."
Nearby, the Third Mizukage fell silent at last. His body was still. His eyes, empty. A hollow puppet.
Yoru let out a long, quiet breath. One hand moved to the hilt of Hyōrinmaru.
"You should remember what I told you once, sensei."
"A thousand have already died on the frontlines in this war. If a few more fall here in the village, no one will even notice"
"If you're all so determined to bury this village for the sake of your ambition, if you truly think sacrificing everything—even the future of Kirigakure—is worth your personal gain…"
"Then I'll respond the only way the First Mizukage would have."
"Through force."
PS: Read Advance Chapters at https://www.patreon.com/c/ReadJin