Chapter 501: As Expected, I’m the Strongest

Chapter 501: Chapter 501: As Expected, I’m the Strongest

"Why are you telling me this?"

Fugaku frowned. Within the black-and-white genjutsu world, the blurring that had been steadily spreading suddenly came to a halt.

Shinichi smiled and shook his head without answering.

He could only pass on information inside a genjutsu. Otherwise, the White Zetsu clone monitoring him would notice.

As for why he had chosen to pass this information to Fugaku, it was simply because he couldn’t find any other safe channel through which to deliver it to Kagami.

Giving it to Fugaku was basically the same as giving it to Shisui. And given Shisui’s relationship with Kagami, that was essentially the same as delivering it directly to Kagami himself.

Although there was a certain amount of risk involved, he had no choice but to pass the intelligence along.

Because through this transmission, he also wanted to subtly inform Kagami of his current situation.

Seeing Shinichi shake his head and remain silent, Fugaku continued trying to persuade him. "It seems you aren’t completely loyal to the Akatsuki either. If that’s the case, then come back. The clan will help you deal with the crimes you committed in the past!"

Shinichi replied coldly, "Clan Head, let’s end this subject here."

Until he received instructions from Kagami, he would not leave the Akatsuki so easily.

The more he learned about the Akatsuki, the more he understood the significance of remaining undercover within the organization.

Being able to observe the movements of this group of madmen from close range held profound significance—not only for Konoha, but for the entire shinobi world.

That was also why he had never risked contacting Kagami directly.

"Hmph. It seems you don’t understand the situation you’re in!"

Fugaku snorted.

Within the black-and-white genjutsu world, the blurring that had previously come to a halt began spreading once again.

Looking around, Shinichi discovered that everything around him—whether the grass and trees or even the sky and earth—seemed to be melting away. Their colors were gradually becoming mottled and fading, slowly converging into monotonous shades of black and white.

At that moment, Fugaku’s voice once again came from the sky.

"Don’t worry, I won’t kill you. When it comes to your defection, the clan also bears a certain amount of responsib—"

Before Fugaku could finish speaking, Shinichi, wearing a teasing smile, suddenly vanished from the black-and-white genjutsu world.

Fugaku was stunned.

"This...!?"

There had been no clash of ocular power, nor had Shinichi broken the genjutsu.

Fugaku realized that Shinichi had merely activated his Mangekyo Sharingan and, somehow, inexplicably escaped from his dojutsu.

He hadn’t even had time to stop him.

No—it would be more accurate to say that he hadn’t even had time to realize what was happening before Shinichi had already disappeared from his genjutsu world.

Staggering back a step, Fugaku finally recovered from his shock and asked, "How did you do that?"

The corner of Shinichi’s mouth curled into a grin.

"Don’t waste your precious ocular power. Your genjutsu is useless against me!"

With that, Shinichi’s figure flickered, and without the slightest hesitation, he disappeared from the spot.

At once, all of the Uchiha elites turned toward Fugaku, waiting for their Clan Head to give the order to pursue.

However, Fugaku merely stood where he was with his brows tightly furrowed, remaining completely silent.

Even now, he still couldn’t understand how Shinichi had broken free from the genjutsu of his Mangekyo Sharingan.

And if he couldn’t figure that out, then there was clearly no way he could capture Shinichi, who likewise possessed the Mangekyo Sharingan.

......

Meanwhile, on Shinichi’s side.

After shaking off the pursuing Uchiha clansmen, the scarlet eyes in his sockets immediately returned to their ordinary black color.

After learning that every use of a Mangekyo Sharingan’s dojutsu would consume a portion of its ocular power, Shinichi had begun taking care to preserve his Mangekyo Sharingan. Unless absolutely necessary, he generally wouldn’t activate it lightly.

"As expected of the Clan Head. I can’t believe he managed to hide it from me for so long..."

Thinking back on their brief confrontation, Shinichi sighed with admiration as he sped through the forest.

"If I count the Clan Head, then there should be five Uchiha in the shinobi world who possess the Mangekyo Sharingan now, right?"

Shinichi counted himself, Shisui, Fugaku, Obito—who was masquerading as ’Uchiha Madara’—and Uchiha En, arriving at the conclusion that there were currently five pairs of Mangekyo Sharingan in the shinobi world.

As for how he knew that Uchiha En also possessed the Mangekyo Sharingan, it was entirely because, after returning from Kirigakure last time, Obito had announced to the Akatsuki members that the Kamigami member ’Homura’ was a woman.

At the time, Shinichi had immediately guessed that Kamigami’s ’Homura’ had to be Uchiha En.

After all, when it came to a female Uchiha who was also connected to Kagami’s Kamigami, Uchiha En was the only person he could think of.

"Heh, I really am the strongest!"

As his thoughts wandered, a faint smile appeared on Shinichi’s face.

That was because he realized that, among all the Mangekyo Sharingan currently in existence, his dojutsu seemed to be the most extraordinary.

This was especially true of his right eye, which contained the ocular ability ’Tokiya.’

Within a limited range, Tokiya could turn back time. As long as Shinichi realized that he had fallen under a genjutsu, he could activate Tokiya and instantly reverse time, allowing him to escape from virtually any genjutsu.

Just now, that was exactly what he had done.

He had turned back time and escaped Fugaku’s Mangekyo Sharingan-level genjutsu directly on the level of time itself.

This was also why Obito was so wary of Shinichi that he had assigned a White Zetsu clone to monitor him twenty-four hours a day.

Because Shinichi’s Tokiya could easily counter Kamui.

Even if Obito successfully removed Shinichi from the current space-time and threw him into the Kamui dimension, Shinichi could simply use Tokiya to reverse time and return to the shinobi world.

The reason Shinichi still didn’t dare openly turn against Obito was because his ocular power was limited.

Without the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan, if he were dragged into a prolonged battle, Shinichi would inevitably be the one to lose.

Before long, Shinichi arrived at the Akatsuki’s rendezvous point.

At the moment, Kakuzu was the only one there. He sat quietly atop a large boulder with his eyes closed, resting. Beside him were two children who had been tightly bound.

"Sasuke?"

Recognizing one of the children, Shinichi frowned. He then deliberately teased Kakuzu, "What, is this the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki you captured?"

Kakuzu replied, "Konoha’s Nine-Tails Jinchuriki was taken by Orochimaru. But what Orochimaru really wants should be this Uchiha brat, so once everything is over, we can trade with him!"

After withdrawing from Konoha, Kakuzu had also had time to think things through and had vaguely guessed that Orochimaru’s true target was probably Uchiha Sasuke, whom he currently had in his possession.

Shinichi said nothing more. Instead, he looked over the two bound children before his gaze eventually settled on Neji.

"A child from the Hyuga Clan...?"

......

On the battlefield.

Shisui’s expression was incomparably grave.

The defeat of the Five Kage felt as though the sky itself had collapsed upon him. As he desperately searched for the Third Hokage, he silently resolved himself to fight to the death.

He could not allow Nagato to kill Yagura and Killer B right before his eyes.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Just then, two figures arrived on the battlefield.

Shisui turned his head to look.

The moment he saw them, the enormous weight hanging over his heart finally lifted.

Across from him, however, Nagato’s gaze sharpened.

For once, a solemn expression appeared on his usually cold and indifferent face.

Konan, standing beside him, looked even more wary...