Uchiha Fugaku not only pushed Shisui toward the Hokage faction, but he also pushed his own gifted son into Konoha's hands.
As the saying goes, the weaker you are, the more others will take advantage of you. If Uchiha Fugaku had revealed his Mangekyō Sharingan, and if he, Shisui, and Itachi—all wielding Mangekyō—had united, how could Konoha have possibly wiped out the Uchiha clan?
Itachi had been sent to serve under the Third Hokage in the Anbu at too young an age.
The old fox saw through his heart early on and seduced him, subtly instilling the ideology of village supremacy into him. Over time, Itachi began viewing things from a broader perspective and saw the Uchiha clan's ideals as narrow-minded. In truth, not all Uchiha were extremists. Many were civilians within the clan—yet they were slaughtered all the same.
All that can be said is: Itachi, Shisui, and the Uchiha clan as a whole were too naïve when facing the Third Hokage and Danzo—especially in politics, where they were utterly manipulated.
Shisui, in particular, was too trusting. He revealed Kotoamatsukami to Danzo. Did Danzo truly care about the village's peace? No—he merely desired the Uchiha's Sharingan to integrate with Hashirama's cells and seize the position of Hokage.
If Shisui had known that the clan he cherished would eventually be exterminated by Itachi himself, how would he have felt?
Compared to the radical Itachi, Shisui leaned more toward peaceful coexistence between the Uchiha and Konoha. Even if war had broken out between the two sides, Shisui likely would have preferred defection over slaughter.
...
Naruto didn't know all of this, or rather, he had no time to care about it yet. He was currently thrilled—because he had finally developed the jutsu he'd been longing for. Or rather, it wasn't entirely ninjutsu.
Aware that he was being constantly monitored, Naruto had been trying to devise a way to escape surveillance. Eventually, he came up with an idea: use a technique similar to genjutsu to hypnotize or control the Anbu agents watching him.
After thoroughly studying genjutsu principles, Naruto began experimenting. With his naturally massive spiritual energy, he finally developed a technique—barely considered a genjutsu.
He named it Soul Stealing.
The principle was simple: use overwhelming spiritual energy and a small amount of chakra. Once eye contact is made with the target, the user can forcefully influence the opponent's mind. Control must be maintained and reinforced regularly by replenishing spiritual energy.
In truth, Naruto modeled it after how Uchiha Obito controlled the Fourth Mizukage using Sharingan genjutsu. The key difference: Obito used the Sharingan, while Naruto relied purely on spiritual force—amplified by his God Rewards Diligence ability.
Naruto didn't need to control a Kage-level ninja. He only needed to subdue the Elite Chūnin monitoring him. Once successful, he could finally begin training in areas he had previously avoided—allowing for explosive growth in his strength.
All he needed was for that Anbu to report false information back to the Third Hokage.
Naruto also knew that the Third Hokage wouldn't rely solely on the Anbu for intelligence. The old man had once used the Telescope Technique to secretly spy on Naruto during class.
If not for Naruto's keen sensory abilities, he never would've noticed the jutsu.
Now, finally on the verge of some freedom, Naruto couldn't help but smile.
"Naruto! What's going on?"
Lee noticed Naruto grinning and asked curiously.
"Lee! This is something worth celebrating!"
Naruto laughed aloud. After years of enduring this suffocating environment, if not for his hatred and purpose, he might have lost his mind.
After all, he wasn't the same Naruto from the original timeline—who could still remain cheerful despite everything.
Naruto casually walked to the edge of the forest. Lee looked puzzled.
"Come out!"
Naruto suddenly shouted into the trees. Lee was startled. Is someone hiding there?
The Anbu concealed in the branches was also stunned. Did Uzumaki Naruto actually detect me?
"Fire Style: Chain Fireball Technique!"
Naruto launched the Fire Style technique he had been refining. With just two hand seals, it was nearly instantaneous. However, Naruto held back his power to avoid accidentally killing the hidden ninja.
The prerequisite for Soul Stealing was eye contact. If the Anbu remained hidden, the technique would be useless. He had to force them out.
The stunned Anbu leapt from the tree and used the Body Replacement Technique to escape the fireballs—but the goal had already been achieved.
The moment they locked eyes, Soul Stealing activated.
She felt like her mind had been struck by a hammer. Her consciousness blurred, and her thoughts became sluggish.
"What's happening?"
Lee grew alarmed.
"I'll explain later," Naruto replied calmly.
The Anbu stood dazed, wearing a cat-faced mask and long purple hair down to her waist. Naruto found her oddly familiar.
He reached out and removed the mask. What greeted him was a stunningly beautiful face: violet hair like polished silk, pale skin, and striking features that exuded charm.
Naruto recognized her immediately.
Uzuki Yugao, a lesser-known Anbu in the original timeline—now likely at the Elite Chūnin level, and with her kenjutsu, possibly nearing Special Jōnin.
"What's your name?"
Naruto asked slowly.
"My name is Uzuki Yugao. Codename: Cat."
"What is your mission?"
"My mission is to monitor Nine Tails Jinchūriki Uzumaki Naruto under the Third Hokage's orders."
Lee's body trembled when he heard this. He didn't understand what a Jinchūriki was—but realizing that Naruto had been under surveillance filled him with anger.
"What are the names and codenames of those who rotate shifts with you?"
"There are two others who alternate shifts with me. I don't know their real names—we use codenames in the Anbu. They're called Rat and Black Tiger…"
Piece by piece, Yugao revealed information about the monitoring squad. She had begun her mission two years ago. As for who watched Naruto before that, only the Third Hokage would know.
Naruto was very pleased with the effectiveness of Soul Stealing, though it wasn't perfect. He longed to possess a genjutsu as powerful as Kotoamatsukami, but this was his current limit.
If he tried to force Yugao to perform something against her deepest beliefs, she might break free. But for now, simply using her to erase surveillance would be more than enough.
End of the Chapter.
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