On another battlefield in Konoha, the clash of genjutsu did not cause much commotion. Thus, no Konoha ninjas had arrived yet, their attention all captured by Minato Namikaze.
Itachi, held captive by Shisui, was shocked. How could this black-robed figure know his combat style so well? Every move he made seemed to be foreseen, truly terrifying!
Just as Itachi prepared to break free, he saw Fugaku's eyes nearby, the strange pattern within them shifting slightly. Then, the kunai at his neck trembled, as if frozen, ceasing all movement.
Genjutsu!
Itachi glanced at their dazed expressions and knew they had both entered a genjutsu space. This was his chance to escape!
As Itachi broke free and lunged to strike the black-robed man before him, their pupils regained consciousness. Itachi had no choice but to retract his kunai and retreat for now.
Itachi understood the gap between him and the black-robed figure could not be bridged by mere tricks. The best course of action was to wait for an opportunity.
In reality, only a second had passed, but within the genjutsu space, the two had dueled for countless hours. They simultaneously knelt on one knee, gasping for air.
Large beads of sweat trickled down from beneath Shisui's mask, his face pale. After all, it was Fugaku's genjutsu space. Shisui's expended chakra was significantly greater, almost double that of Fugaku's.
Fortunately, Shisui could feel his Mangekyo Sharingan's power slowly recovering. It should replenish over time. However, the mental damage was not so easily healed. Shisui exhaled and slowly stood up.
In contrast, Fugaku's appearance was pathetic. His deathly pale face bore two streaks of blood tears, a sign of excessive chakra expenditure. The intense pain in his eyes made him almost convulse.
But compared to the physical pain, Fugaku found the mental exhaustion more unbearable. He felt utterly drained, believing he would need at least six months of rest at home to recover!
Yet, he couldn't collapse now. The black-robed figure opposite him couldn't be in much better shape!
As soon as Fugaku thought this, he saw the black-robed figure stand up, seemingly unfazed. He cried out in disbelief, "How can you recover so quickly!"
Shisui felt the Yang Release within him gently nourishing his body, causing him to tremble slightly. It felt truly wonderful!
This slight tremor gave Fugaku boundless confidence. He laughed heartily, "Hahaha! Stop pretending! To fight me to a draw in my genjutsu space, you should be proud!"
Shisui said coldly, "You overestimate yourself."
Fugaku struggled to his feet, wiping the blood tears from his face, and said with a smile, "I don't believe you're completely unharmed. Besides, this is Konoha, you can't escape!"
A faint whistling sound reached Shisui's ears. Estimating the time, Lin Yu-sensei should have completed his mission, and it was time for him to withdraw. However, before that...
Shing!
Shisui instantly appeared before Itachi, grabbing his neck with one hand and lifting him into the air. The pupils in his mask glinted with a playful expression.
Itachi's heart pounded: Such a fast Shunshin! It's no weaker than Shisui-bro's! How is this possible!
"Foolish Uchiha, if you want to defeat me, then hate, resent, and live on ugly and cowardly. Then, one day, you will possess eyes like mine!"
The four-bladed pinwheel Mangekyo Sharingan met Itachi's gaze. However, Itachi's face showed no fear or unease, only calmness. He was thinking, "With such lame words, how could he say them?"
Seeing that Itachi did not show any signs of anger, Shisui's atmosphere grew awkward. Didn't Lin Yu-sensei say that Uchiha awaken stronger Sharingan when stimulated by strong emotions?
Why isn't this working on my little brother Itachi!
Shisui asked coldly, "Why aren't you angry?"
Itachi's expression remained unchanged, and he said coldly, "I almost want to laugh!"
"You!"
Shisui, while feeling relieved, also gained a new understanding of Lin Yu-sensei's unreliability.
What kind of lousy idea was this!
Shisui snorted, flung Itachi to the ground, and turned to face Fugaku from above, saying, "Foolish Uchiha, your short-sightedness will eventually lead to your destruction. On that day, I will personally act!"
Fugaku, lying on the ground enduring the backlash of his Mangekyo, struggled to lift his head. But Shisui was already gone. The immense mental fatigue swept over him, his vision darkened, and he passed out.
...
Hokage Building.
Konoha's high-ranking officials had all gathered in the Hokage's office. There was no choice; the village had been attacked by the Eternal Organization. Only Minato Namikaze had the strength to resist them, and it was much safer here than at home!
They decided not to go home today! At least not today!
"Lord Hokage, why would the Eternal Organization attack our Konoha without reason? Do you know the inside story?"
Minato Namikaze, seated in the Hokage's chair, said in a deep voice, "This matter is still under investigation. Please rest assured, the barrier division has re-established the barrier. If any suspicious individuals are detected entering or exiting, I will rush over immediately!"
"Fortunately, Konoha has a powerful ninja like Lord Hokage!"
"Lord Hokage is truly Konoha's savior!"
"I've decided, I'm going to be Lord Hokage's fan!"
"Fan? I'm still alive! Go home and sleep!"
Minato Namikaze merely smiled at their praise. He did not become complacent. He knew his own strength; he could handle ordinary Kage-level threats, but against beings like Tsukuyomi, who were not human, he was helpless.
However, unity was what he wanted, and what Minato Namikaze needed right now!
With the Eternal Organization as an unknown enemy, Minato Namikaze believed that Konoha ninjas would abandon their post-war lethargic lives and their unity would greatly improve. He could then better fulfill his role as Hokage and lead Konoha to become the number one ninja village!
"Has anyone seen Lin Yu Uzumaki?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi asked his question. Such a major incident had occurred in the village, yet Lin Yu was nowhere to be seen. This was very strange! Moreover, for some reason, that masked figure with the crescent moon gave him a very unpleasant feeling.
It wasn't the tone of his voice, but the moment Hiruzen Sarutobi first saw him, he felt a surge of anger!
Minato Namikaze explained, "I sent Lin Yu Uzumaki to stop another suspected member of the Eternal Organization. Oh, right! He was with Shisui at the time, so I sent them together. They should be back soon."
"What! There's another member of the Eternal Organization!"
This made the members of Konoha's major clans even more unwilling to go home and sleep! Who knew if there was a fourth, a fifth!
They had to sleep in the Hokage's office today! They wouldn't leave even if beaten to death!
Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded. So, he was stopping another member of the Eternal Organization, no wonder Lin Yu wasn't seen on the battlefield.
As for Minato Namikaze's words, Hiruzen Sarutobi had no doubts. Let alone Hiruzen Sarutobi, even Shikaku Nara at the scene didn't doubt him!
Who spoke these words? It was their Fourth Hokage, the one who had just repelled Tsukuyomi!
How could he lie? How could he falsify Lin Yu Uzumaki's whereabouts!
This was an absolute alibi!
Even Conan would be useless! I, Minato Namikaze, said it!