NOVEL NEXT Chapter 14: CHAPTER 11.
It was the last time Ryuga had spoken to Shisui; after that, Shisui stopped coming to the training grounds, and they only saw each other occasionally in passing. Two months had passed since then.
Altogether, nearly nine months had gone by since Ryuga began training with the Uchiha brothers. In this time, he'd mastered every fire-style jutsu that Itachi and Shisui had shown him, though he hid his progress, preferring to practice discreetly. The only visible effort he allowed was his routine training, concealing just how far he'd advanced.
School, however, felt stagnant; Ryuga already knew everything they taught and maintained a top-twenty ranking without effort. His interactions with Sasuke remained minimal, limited to their training sessions with Itachi. When Ryuga asked Itachi about Shisui's absence, Itachi had only replied that Shisui was on an important mission outside the Land of Fire. Ryuga didn't pry further, accepting Itachi's explanation, and instead asked for new techniques to learn.
Ryuga's progress was immense, owing much to Wiz's insights. First, Ryuga's chakra reserves had grown beyond any Hokage's or tailed beast's. This was because Wiz had analyzed mana and found a way to help Ryuga passively absorb chakra from the surroundings. His chakra not only grew in quantity but also in quality, steadily building over time.
In addition, his Sharingan had evolved to the three-tomoe stage. Wiz discovered that the Uchiha's Sharingan evolution tied closely to the absorption of mana. Typically, when Uchiha clan members experienced intense emotions, their eyes absorbed mana from their surroundings, causing their Sharingan to awaken or evolve. Testing this, Ryuga poured a significant amount of mana into his own two-tomoe Sharingan. At first, nothing happened, but eventually, his Sharingan evolved to three tomoe. Attempting to advance to the Mangekyo Sharingan, however, was unsuccessful. Wiz explained the reason clearly:
'ANSWER: INSUFFICIENT MANA. WITHOUT STRONG EMOTIONS, YOU NEED A LARGE AMOUNT OF MANA.'
Ryuga decided to let it go for now, knowing that trying to force this evolution could lead to complications. He also tried a similar approach with his Byakugan, but the dojutsu remained unchanged, confirming his suspicion that it would require a different method of evolution.
As part of his long-term goals, Ryuga and Wiz formulated a plan for creating a "Mana Arc Reactor." According to Wiz, even if he switched solely to mana usage, the world around him contained limited mana reserves. A continuous drain could cause unintended effects on the environment, even damage it over time. The reactor, therefore, would allow him to produce and maintain his mana without relying on the environment.
As Ryuga lay on his bed, reflecting on the past year and his progress, Wiz's voice cut through his thoughts abruptly.
'NOTICE: INDIVIDUAL NAMED SHISUI IS IN LIFE-THREATENING DANGER.'
Ryuga, lying around in his home, calmly sat up upon hearing this alert. He had known for some time that Shisui's death was approaching. Shisui's sudden absence from training signaled the likelihood of his demise, something Ryuga understood but chose not to interfere with. It wasn't that he couldn't help; he had simply decided not to intervene in Shisui's choices. From the moment he arrived in this world, Ryuga resolved not to alter others' destinies. Perhaps, he thought, Shisui, like Kushina, might make a different decision than in the story he knew, as this timeline had already diverged. In this case, Shisui had prolonged the Uchiha's planned coup, even though the outcome hadn't changed.
Ryuga materialized high above the battlefield, suspended within the sky's invisible layers, where he watched the brutal clash unfolding below. Shisui was locked in combat with Danzo and a group of masked Root operatives, each one moving in perfect unison as they encircled him, weapons gleaming in the low light. When Ryuga had asked Shisui to show him his straight katana during one of their past training sessions, it had been more than a simple request to admire its craftsmanship. In that moment, he had secretly connected a thin thread of his chakra to the blade, concealed through layers of spatial manipulation. This subtle link allowed Ryuga to teleport close to Shisui without the other noticing the tether or accidentally severing it.
Hovering silently, Ryuga observed, his presence undetectable in this hidden dimension. Below him, Shisui fought with an intense focus, moving at dizzying speeds as Danzo's repeated attacks targeted his eyes. Each strike aimed to disable the Sharingan that Shisui protected so fiercely. With every feint, every dodge, Shisui preserved his vision, but Danzo's persistence began to reveal a disturbing pattern.
After several failed attempts at his eyes, Danzo adjusted his attack. Feigning another strike at Shisui's face, he abruptly altered his trajectory at the last second, thrusting a kunai directly toward Shisui's heart. The maneuver was flawless, catching Shisui mid-dodge. The blade pierced through his chest with a sickening sound, and Shisui staggered, clutching at the wound as blood spurted between his fingers, staining the ground below. A sharp cough forced blood from his lips, and he stumbled back, barely holding himself upright with the remnants of his strength.
Danzo's expression morphed into a cold, triumphant smirk as he began to close the distance. "It's over, Shisui," he taunted, his voice dripping with mockery. "You've lost. Your treacherous clan is beyond saving—give up and embrace death."
But Shisui, despite the agony consuming him, didn't waver. He glanced down at his bloody chest, determination burning in his gaze. Summoning the strength of his Mangekyo Sharingan, he activated Susanoo, a towering figure that materialized around him with a fierce green glow. The ethereal armor enveloped him, forming a gigantic warrior with menacing intensity, emanating pure, unbridled power. In a fluid, desperate motion, Shisui directed his Susanoo to strike, its massive fist hurtling toward Danzo with an unstoppable force.
Caught off-guard, Danzo was too close to evade the attack. The powerful blow from Susanoo's fist sent him hurtling across the field, his body hitting the ground with a thunderous impact, skidding and tumbling before coming to a stop, utterly motionless. His five Root operatives froze, staring at their leader's crumpled form, fear overtaking their disciplined facades.
Realizing the danger, the Root ninjas abandoned their offensive, hastily moving to retrieve Danzo's barely breathing body. They lifted him and fled the scene, their retreat a frantic scramble, the threat of Shisui's Susanoo looming large behind them.
From above, Ryuga observed everything. His Sharingan bled, and in that moment, it evolved into the Mangekyo Sharingan. He hadn't intended it—he didn't even feel any strong emotions, or so he thought. Yet, here he was, his eyes transforming as he witnessed Shisui's struggle. As Shisui canceled his Susanoo and sank to the ground, Ryuga felt something warm on his face. Reaching up, he found blood on his hands. Wiz's voice broke through his confusion.
'NOTICE: YOU HAVE AWAKENED THE MANGEKYO SHARINGAN THROUGH STRONG EMOTIONS.'
Ryuga frowned, his mind reeling. "Wiz, what are you talking about? I don't understand. I'm not feeling any strong emotions."
He genuinely couldn't comprehend what was happening. His connection to Shisui was close, closer than to Itachi, yet he didn't consider it profound enough to cause such a reaction. As someone reincarnated, Ryuga had long since accepted Shisui's fate, fully prepared for it as a fact of this world. To him, every person he encountered here was real, not just fictional characters he'd once seen on a screen. Because of this perspective, he chose not to disrupt others' paths or influence their lives.
Ryuga's philosophy was straightforward: he would treat the people of this world as he had those from his previous one, respecting their choices and experiences. Changing someone's life, or their core identity, for his own comfort would mean robbing them of the journey they were meant to have. He understood that altering someone's destiny might bring a short-lived happy ending but could have unpredictable consequences down the line. His decision was to live alongside others, making his own choices as situations arose, rather than controlling the outcome of others' lives. He wanted to experience this world as it was, not as he could make it.
Watching Shisui now, Ryuga couldn't help but feel a surge of emotions he couldn't explain. He might have kept his distance emotionally, but some part of him had resonated with Shisui's final stand. He wiped away the blood from his new Mangekyo Sharingan and took a deep breath, accepting that perhaps he couldn't always remain unaffected.
Standing in the silence after Shisui's final stand, Ryuga's Mangekyo Sharingan throbbed, an echo of the emotions he had yet to fully grasp. He still couldn't explain the sorrow or the significance of Shisui's passing within his own heart. The silent battle of logic and feeling lingered, a reminder that in this life, perhaps he was more connected to those around him than he ever realized.