I, Uchiha, will not be whitewashed!

On the third day after returning to Konoha, Sakugo finished dealing with all the aftermath.

The bodies of the two ANBU were handed over to their families, the envoy was safely delivered to his destination, and the mission report was submitted. Minato didn't ask any more questions, only saying, "Thank you for your hard work."

He walked out of the Hokage Building, not returning to the Uchiha compound, but heading towards the memorial monument.

The night was deep, and the moonlight was bright, shining on the memorial stone, making the names on it gleam with a cold light.

Shuoge stood in front of the monument, his knife beside him, his hands hanging at his sides.

He stared at it for a long time.

The monument bears the names of Jing, Zhonglin, and Tiema, as well as those he remembers and those he doesn't.

He recalled his own experience during the battle with Kakuzu—entangled by tentacles, unable to move, unable to cut with his sword, his ninjutsu suppressed, and unable to dodge even though his Sharingan could see him.

He knew perfectly well about Kakuzu's abilities.

I know he has five hearts, I know he can harden his skin, and I know he is proficient in multiple elemental ninjutsu.

Knowing is one thing.

When faced with the real challenge, that knowledge is utterly useless.

His sword couldn't cut through it, his ninjutsu couldn't match it, and his speed couldn't keep up.

All skills, tactics, and experience are a joke in the face of absolute power.

He practiced swordsmanship for ten years.

From the day he started wielding his knife by the river, he has hardly stopped for a single day.

He killed Danzo, killed the Third Hokage, changed the fate of the Uchiha clan, and allowed Minato to live.

He thought he was strong enough, that he could control his own destiny.

But Kakuzu told him with just one tentacle—you're still far from good enough.

What kind of name is "Blade's Edge"? What kind of "Uchiha's Number One Genius"? What kind of "Konoha's Strongest Young Generation"? Before a true monster, they are still so utterly vulnerable.

He looked down at his hands. Calluses clung to his forefinger, and scars marked his knuckles—the marks of gripping knives. These hands had killed many, but also saved some.

But it couldn't even cut through Horned King's skin.

Not reconciled.

It wasn't anger, it wasn't sadness, it was resentment.

I'm not resigned to the fact that after ten years of training, I'm still so weak.

He was unwilling to let his life and death be in someone else's hands. He was unwilling to accept the deaths of those he couldn't save, and the things he had changed but still couldn't undo.

His eyes began to burn.

Just like in the battle with Kakuzu, the fire started behind his eyeball, spread to his eye socket, and then to his temple.

The three tomoe spun violently in his pupils, faster and faster, until they merged into one.

The kaleidoscope pattern reappeared—clearer and more stable than during the battle. Three crescent-shaped blades, as black as ink, slowly rotated in the moonlight.

This time, there were no enemies, no battles, and no life-or-death situations.

He stood alone before the memorial monument, facing his own resentment.

The burning sensation gradually subsided, but the pattern did not disappear.

It stabilized. Shuoge knew that from now on, it would always be there.

He closed his eyes, then opened them again. The Mangekyou Sharingan was still there. He hadn't deliberately retracted it, nor had he deliberately maintained it. It was just there, as natural as breathing.

He bent down, picked up the knife from the ground, and hung it on his back. He turned and walked towards the Uchiha compound. His pace was neither fast nor slow, just as he had come.

The moonlight shone on him, casting a long shadow.

The names on the memorial stone gleamed coldly in the moonlight, just as before. As if nothing had ever happened.

But his eyes are different now.

he knows.

Behind me, the wind blew past the memorial stone, making a faint sobbing sound, like someone was crying, or like someone was laughing.

-

Back home, Shuoge did not light a lamp.

Moonlight streamed in through the window, casting a pale white glow on the floor.

He sat on the tatami mat, a sword beside him, a small mirror in front of him. He looked down at his reflection—black eyes, just like always.

He closed his eyes, then opened them again.

The pupils changed.

Three crescent-shaped blades, as black as ink, were arranged in a triangle in the pupil, each independent, slowly rotating.

It's not the sharp, piercing shape of the three-comma jade pendant; it's a crescent moon, curved and soft, but the three rotate independently, like three knives poised to strike.

He stared at it for a long time. The Mangekyou Sharingan in the mirror was also staring at him.

He closed his eyes, then opened them again, and his eyes had turned black again.

The kaleidoscope is still there, but he doesn't need to keep it running all the time.

He leaned against the wall and closed his eyes.

The images of the battle at the corner are still vivid in my mind.

Tentacles, hardened skin, lightning release, fire release. His sword couldn't cut through it, his ninjutsu couldn't match it, and his speed couldn't keep up.

What good is opening a kaleidoscope?

He could predict Kakuzu's movements, but even if he did, he couldn't dodge them. He knew Kakuzu would use an earth spear to harden his skin, but even knowing that, he couldn't break through it.

He needed a stronger blade, greater speed, and sharper eyes. The kaleidoscope had given him new eyes, but he didn't yet know what they could do.

He needs to try.

……

……

……

The training ground for the secret service is located on the third basement level.

Kakashi stood in the center of the field, holding a kunai in his hand, his Sharingan eye already showing in his left eye.

He pushed up his headband, revealing Obito's eye, the three tomoe slowly rotating in the dim light. He had received a message from Sakugo—"Come and practice."

There was no further explanation, and Kakashi didn't ask any questions.

he came.

Shuoge stood opposite him, knife behind his back, hands hanging at his sides. His eyes were black, as usual.

"Your eyes..." Kakashi's voice trembled slightly, a mixture of surprise, curiosity, and bewilderment.

"The true power of the Uchiha clan."

"What ability?"

Shuoge did not answer. He closed his eyes, then opened them again.

—He's not called Uchiha Shisui, and he'd be so stupid as to tell people about his eye techniques.

Three crescent-shaped blades, as black as ink, appeared in the red pupils, arranged in a triangle, and slowly rotated.

Kakashi stared into those eyes with his Sharingan, trying to read something from them, but he couldn't read anything. The Mangekyou Sharingan's abilities aren't gained by looking, but by trying.

"Come on." Shuoge was ready for battle.

Kakashi moved. He was fast, his kunai slashing down from above at a tricky angle.

Shuoge dodged to the side, without drawing his sword.

Kakashi's second strike was already upon him, and Sakugo parried with his scabbard, the sound of metal clashing crisply.

The two exchanged blows, the glint of their swords and the shadows of their kunai dancing on the wall.

……

……

……

Shadow's missions are infrequent, but each one is challenging enough.

Although Sakugo was an Anbu member, he also participated in many Kage-related missions as a bridge between the village and the Uchiha clan.

In just one year, Shuoge participated in four assassinations, three intelligence interceptions, and two infiltrations.

Feng was responsible for the frontal breakthrough, Yan for the flank cover, and Shuoge for the cleanup.

His Mangekyou Sharingan was used in actual combat for the first time during his third mission—the target was a rogue ANBU member who had defected from the Land of Fire's border. This person was proficient in earth-escape techniques and hid in an underground bunker, with only a part of his shadow showing.

Shuoge drew his sword and slashed at the shadow.

The defector's body was split in two, the bunker intact. Feng glanced at the corpse, then at Shuoge, but asked no questions. Shuoge sheathed his sword, offering no explanation.

That's the power of the kaleidoscope!

It is Shuoge's secret.

The fourth mission targets a spy chief from Iwagakure, who is hiding in a bustling city and has several guards around him.

Shuoge observed from the rooftop that as dusk fell, the sunlight stretched people's shadows extremely long.

He jumped down, and with a flash of light, severed the leader's shadow.

A line of blood appeared on the leader's neck. Before the guards could react, Shuoge had already disappeared at the end of the alley.

Although Feng Hou was curious, she still didn't ask any more questions.

He was also happy for Shuoge.

The cost of the kaleidoscope soon became apparent.

After the fifth mission, Shuoge noticed that his left eye vision was becoming blurry—not in darkness, but as if seeing through a thin mist. He closed his left eye and looked with his right eye, where everything was clear.

When I opened my left eye again, the fog was still there.

He examined himself in the mirror. The kaleidoscope pattern remained unchanged, but a layer of grayish-white seemed to have appeared deep within his pupils.

He knew this was the price. In the original story, both Itachi Uchiha and Sasuke suffered vision loss due to overuse of the Mangekyou Sharingan.

He needs eternal light, but now is not the time.