Fugaku laughed loudly for quite some time before suddenly remembering that Kitazawa was still standing nearby.

His laughter abruptly stopped, and a trace of embarrassment flickered across his face.

After all, in front of outsiders he had always maintained the image of a calm and dignified clan leader.

"Kitazawa."

Suppressing his excitement, Fugaku spoke in a deep, composed voice.

"Thank you for your help."

In truth, he still didn’t fully understand how Sasuke had awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan.

Throughout the history of the Uchiha clan, every Mangekyō had awakened only after the user experienced extreme emotional trauma—usually after witnessing something unbearably tragic.

Yet Sasuke had awakened his Mangekyō simply by fighting Uzumaki Naruto.

Such a method had never been recorded before.

And the most unbelievable part—

It had actually worked.

The one who proposed this training method, Kitazawa, was undoubtedly the greatest contributor.

If Fugaku had relied on his own understanding, he likely would never have discovered such a possibility.

"It’s nothing."

Kitazawa chuckled lightly.

"After all, Sasuke is my student."

"The Mangekyō Sharingan carries great significance for the Uchiha clan."

After thinking for a moment, Fugaku made a solemn promise.

"If you ever require assistance, you may come to the Uchiha clan."

"I’ll keep that in mind."

Kitazawa accepted the offer without hesitation.

Although, at this point, he no longer truly needed the clan’s help.

"Has Itachi returned yet?" Kitazawa asked.

At the mention of his brother, Sasuke immediately looked hopeful.

"He hasn’t returned yet," Fugaku replied. "I’ll have someone inform him right away."

Even as he spoke, Fugaku couldn’t suppress another smile.

In his mind, if Sasuke had awakened the Mangekyō at eleven, then by the next generation he might very well become Hokage.

If that day came, it would fulfill the greatest aspiration the Uchiha clan had held since joining Konoha.

"Please, come inside."

Fugaku gestured toward the house.

Kitazawa nodded and followed him into the living room.

"Kitazawa, please have some tea."

Mikoto soon appeared, placing a steaming cup of tea before him.

"Thank you."

Kitazawa accepted it politely.

"Sasuke, what were you shouting about earlier?" Mikoto asked curiously.

"Mom!"

Sasuke puffed out his chest proudly.

"I awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan!"

"The Mangekyō Sharingan?"

Mikoto instinctively looked skeptical.

Though she was only a jōnin, as the wife of the clan head she naturally knew how rare the Mangekyō was.

"It’s true," Fugaku confirmed with a smile.

"Incredible!"

Mikoto couldn’t help exclaiming.

Seeing her reaction only made Sasuke beam with pride.

If not for the humiliating defeat he had just suffered at Kitazawa’s hands, his arrogance might have already reached the sky.

"I’m back!"

A voice suddenly called from the entrance.

Itachi had returned.

Having rushed straight from the Hokage Building, he arrived in less than ten minutes.

"Big brother!"

Sasuke immediately ran to the doorway.

"Sasuke?"

Itachi looked puzzled.

"Aren’t you supposed to be at the academy right now?"

"I awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan!"

Sasuke announced eagerly.

"...What?"

Itachi’s pupils shrank.

His first thought was simple—

’Could fighting Naruto really awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan?’

It sounded absurd.

Was it because the two of them were close friends?

The thought made Itachi fall silent for a moment.

For Uchiha, strong bonds could indeed trigger the Mangekyō.

But historically, such awakenings came only through loss and death.

Itachi himself had awakened his Mangekyō after witnessing Shisui’s death.

As far as he knew, Shisui had experienced something similar.

"Congratulations, Sasuke."

Itachi gently ruffled Sasuke’s hair and smiled.

"You’ve already surpassed me."

"Not quite," Sasuke replied with a wide grin.

"Come inside."

Mikoto stepped forward and reminded them.

"We have a guest."

"It’s Kitazawa-sensei," Sasuke added quickly.

"You should have said so earlier."

Itachi’s expression changed slightly as he hurried inside with Sasuke.

"Itachi."

Kitazawa stood up.

"I have something I’d like to discuss with you."

"In that case, we’ll leave you two to talk."

Fugaku rose from his seat.

"I’ll take Sasuke to the courtyard and teach him a few things about the Mangekyō Sharingan."

"I’ll go as well," Mikoto added.

Soon, the living room was left with only Kitazawa and Itachi.

"Lord Kitazawa," Itachi said first.

"Thank you for helping Sasuke awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan so early."

"Sasuke is still young," Kitazawa replied.

"His ocular power isn’t fully developed yet, so he should avoid using Mangekyō techniques whenever possible."

"I understand."

Itachi naturally knew the consequences of excessive Mangekyō usage.

In the original timeline, he had abused those abilities only because he had already given up on living.

"But you know Sasuke’s personality."

Kitazawa changed the topic slightly.

"With his temperament, he won’t be able to resist using those powers."

Itachi sighed inwardly.

He could restrain himself.

But Sasuke...

Just as Kitazawa said, Sasuke would struggle to control himself.

He might even use his Mangekyō frequently during Genius Class combat examinations.

"I’ll try my best to explain the seriousness of the situation to him," Itachi said after some thought.

After all, it would be tragic if an eleven-year-old Mangekyō user ruined his own future through reckless use.

"That only treats the symptoms, not the root cause."

Kitazawa finally revealed his true intention.

"To solve the problem at its root... Sasuke will need the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan."

Itachi froze.

Very few people even knew about the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan.

Yet Kitazawa spoke of it so casually.

But now clearly wasn’t the time to question how he knew.

Nor did it really matter.

"The Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan requires transplanting another Mangekyō Sharingan..."

Itachi stopped mid-sentence.

Because by now—

He had already guessed what Kitazawa was planning.

At present, Konoha possessed only four pairs of Mangekyō Sharingan.

One belonged to Uchiha Sasuke, others to Itachi himself and Fugaku, and the last pair had once belonged to Uchiha Shisui.

Kitazawa clearly wasn’t suggesting that Itachi give up his own Mangekyō to Sasuke. Itachi’s eyes were supposed to be used for Fugaku so as to get two eternal mangekyo users. Now by using Shisui’s for Sasuke, there would be three mangekyo...

Itachi possessed one of Shisui’s eyes, while the other had once been held by Danzō.

And after Danzō’s death, that eye had almost certainly fallen into Kitazawa’s hands.

After a brief moment of hesitation, Itachi reached into his cloak and produced a small glass vial.

Inside it rested Shisui’s Mangekyō Sharingan.

In truth, this eye had originally been intended for Sasuke.

In the original plan, it was meant to prevent Sasuke from defecting from Konoha—or, if he ever did, to compel him to continue protecting the village.

But now...

Sasuke had never defected.

That contingency was no longer necessary.

Kitazawa looked at the vial resting in Itachi’s palm, surprise flickering briefly across his face.

After all, he hadn’t even spoken yet.

Then again, considering Itachi’s intelligence, it wasn’t surprising that he had already guessed Kitazawa’s intentions.

"Once Sasuke has completely mastered his Mangekyō Sharingan," Kitazawa said, accepting the vial,

"I’ll perform the transplant for him."

"Thank you for your trouble, Lord Kitazawa."

A faint weight lifted from Itachi’s heart.

With those words, the fate of Shisui’s Mangekyō Sharingan had been settled.

He no longer needed to worry about anyone else attempting to claim it.

After all, transplanting a Mangekyō Sharingan could dramatically increase a person’s strength.

Few people could resist such temptation.

Especially when the eye in question possessed Shisui’s ultimate genjutsu—Kotoamatsukami.

"Once Sasuke has stabilized his Mangekyō Sharingan, he can return to the Academy," Kitazawa said.

He paused briefly.

"I won’t disturb you any longer. We’ll speak again another time."

"Won’t you stay for dinner, Lord Kitazawa?"

Itachi asked quickly.

"The Ninja Academy hasn’t dismissed yet."

Kitazawa shook his head and turned to leave.

Itachi escorted him to the entrance before returning to the courtyard.

There he saw Fugaku and Mikoto, both wearing stunned expressions.

"What’s wrong?" Itachi asked.

"Sasuke’s dōjutsu... is extraordinary," Fugaku said slowly, still processing what he had witnessed.

"What kind of dōjutsu?" Itachi asked, curiosity rising.

"It’s like this..."

Sasuke excitedly explained the effects of his two Mangekyō abilities.

When he finished, even Itachi couldn’t hide his admiration.

"That... is a terrifying pair of abilities."

Just the Amenotejikara technique alone—so similar to the Flying Thunder God —made Sasuke nearly untouchable in combat.

And Amanoiwato compensated for Sasuke’s greatest weakness: his chakra reserves.

At eleven years old, Sasuke could already wield chakra comparable to an elite jōnin.

As his ocular power matured, the amplification would only grow stronger.

By comparison, Itachi’s own Amaterasu and Tsukuyomi suddenly felt rather ordinary.

After a moment, Itachi noticed something else.

Both techniques had likely awakened because of Uzumaki Naruto.

"I think we should invite Naruto over for dinner tonight," Itachi suggested.

"Indeed," Fugaku agreed immediately.

Sasuke, however, pursed his lips.

For nearly a year, he had been repeatedly defeated by Naruto.

Even now, the memory stung.

Still...

Since Naruto had indirectly helped him awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan, Sasuke kept his complaints to himself.

Meanwhile, Kitazawa did not return to the Ninja Academy.

Instead, he appeared inside the ANBU base. 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

In his hand were Shisui’s Mangekyō Sharingan.

At that moment, a line of text appeared before his eyes.

[Absorb ocular technique?]

Kitazawa silently confirmed.

The two Mangekyō eyes trembled slightly.

Streams of Yin Release power flowed from them and sank directly into Kitazawa’s eyes.

Immediately, new information surfaced in his mind.

Shisui’s Mangekyō technique is Kotoamatsukami.

Both eyes possessed the same technique, though their effects and cooldown periods differed.

The left eye, which Itachi had originally taken, possessed an extremely long cooldown.

In the original history, it required over ten years before it could be used again.

The right eye, however, clearly did not require such a long recovery.

In the original timeline, Danzō had used it on Mifune, then soon afterward considered using it again on Sasuke.

Although circumstances prevented him from doing so, the implication was clear—the cooldown was far shorter.

Now that Kitazawa possessed the technique himself, he could confirm both details.

The left-eye Kotoamatsukami had a ten-year cooldown.

But its power was terrifying.

It could silently rewrite a person’s will, and even another Mangekyō Sharingan user would be unable to detect it.

Not even the Byakugan could perceive it.

The right-eye version, however, could be detected by the Byakugan.

Its advantage was a much shorter cooldown—normally six months.

However, Kitazawa’s situation was different.

In the original timeline, Hashirama cells allowed users to employ Mangekyō techniques far more frequently.

For example, Uchiha Obito.

Kitazawa didn’t possess Hashirama cells, but he did carry Senju blood.

While it wasn’t comparable to Hashirama’s, it still allowed him to use Mangekyō techniques several extra times without consequence.

And in the future, once he acquired Ōtsutsuki lineage, the burden would likely disappear entirely.

Kitazawa rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

Kotoamatsukami wasn’t ideal for direct combat.

Its greatest strength lay in subtle manipulation—turning allies against each other without anyone realizing it.

But Konoha no longer had a second Danzō to target.

If he wanted to create chaos, he would have to look toward the other great villages.

Between the two versions, the left eye’s Kotoamatsukami was undoubtedly safer.

Still...

Did he actually need it right now?

Kitazawa considered the question for a moment.

In truth, his own strength was already overwhelming.

Perhaps he would find a use for it someday.

For now, there was no urgency.

He lowered his gaze to the Mangekyō Sharingan still in his hand.

The ocular power remained intact.

Kitazawa nodded.

Just as he had suspected.

He had absorbed only the technique, not the eye itself.

The Mangekyō Sharingan still existed and could be transplanted into another Uchiha.

With that thought settled, Kitazawa stored Shisui’s Mangekyō Sharingan and headed back toward the Ninja Academy.

Without Sasuke, the Genius Class training continued normally.

After observing the students for a while, Kitazawa found a quiet place to practice.

Aside from its ocular techniques, the Mangekyō Sharingan possessed another terrifying ability—

Susanoo.

This chakra avatar had multiple forms and applications, making it extraordinarily versatile.

By the time the sun began to set, Kitazawa prepared to leave the academy.

But suddenly—

He stopped.

"Kitazawa."

A calm voice called out.

He looked up.

Standing before him was Konan, her expression as composed as ever.

"Welcome back," Kitazawa said with a light chuckle.

"Mm."

Konan nodded.

Then she simply stood there, staring at him without blinking.

"Something wrong?" Kitazawa asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No."

Her voice was cool and even.

"School’s about to end. Since you just returned, you should go rest first."

Kitazawa reached out and gently pinched her cheek.

Konan pressed her lips together.

It seemed as though she wanted to say something—

But the words never came.

"...Mm."

She responded softly before turning to leave.

Kitazawa watched her go, a thoughtful look crossing his face.

Something about Konan felt... slightly off.

But for now, he couldn’t pinpoint what had changed.

He would simply have to keep an eye on her.

Kitazawa shook his head and activated the Flying Thunder God, returning home in an instant.

When he appeared in the living room, he found Kurenai lying on the sofa, exhaustion clearly written across her face.

"Did the recruitment go badly?" he asked.

Walking over, he gently placed a hand on her forehead.

A stream of chakra flowed into her body, soothing her fatigue.

"It actually went pretty smoothly," Kurenai replied, looking up at him. "I just didn’t expect setting up a film division to be this complicated."

"Well, it’s an entire department," Kitazawa said as he withdrew his hand and sat beside her. "It can’t possibly be settled in just a few words."

"That’s true."

Kurenai stretched slightly before continuing, "At this rate, I’ll probably need about half a month to finish everything. After that, I’ll head to the Land of Snow."

"Mm."

Kitazawa nodded.

"Just let me know when you’re ready."

Kurenai suddenly sat up, swung a leg over, and straddled his lap.

"Tsunade-sensei and the others will be back any minute," Kitazawa reminded her.

"What are you thinking about?" Kurenai rolled her eyes at him. "I would never do that in the living room."

"Then what exactly are you doing?" Kitazawa asked, genuinely puzzled.

"Nothing."

Kurenai leaned down, gave him a quick kiss, and stood up.

"Alright, I’m going to start cooking."

She headed into the kitchen.

Moments later, the front door opened.

Tsunade, Shizune, and Rina walked in together.

Since they all worked in the Hokage Building, they often returned home at the same time.

"Where’s Kurenai?" Tsunade asked as she reached the sofa and casually flopped down onto it.

Her hips bouncing slightly with the motion, outlining a graceful curve.

The fabric of her clothes pressed tightly against her figure.

"She’s in the kitchen," Kitazawa replied.

His eyelid twitched slightly, though his expression remained perfectly calm.

"Then we’ll go help."

Shizune spoke up, heading to the kitchen with Rina.

Most evenings, the cooking was handled by those three.

"Tsunade-sensei."

After a brief pause, Kitazawa walked toward her.

Tsunade sat up and casually stretched out her arms.

Seeing this, Kitazawa didn’t hesitate.

He leaned forward and buried his head directly against her chest.

The soft warmth immediately made him relax.

"I meant for you to hug me," Tsunade said helplessly, though she still cradled his head.

"Sasuke awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan today," Kitazawa said while looking at the pale skin before him.

"That’s impossible."

Tsunade looked genuinely surprised.

"He’s only eleven."

"Naruto is eleven too," Kitazawa replied with a faint smile.

"That’s truly terrifying talent."

Tsunade sighed in admiration.

"Either way, it’s a good thing."

Kitazawa shifted slightly, pressing his cheek more comfortably against her.

"Mm."

Tsunade suddenly smiled as another thought crossed her mind.

"When you become Hokage, choosing a successor is going to be a real headache."

After all, in terms of talent and strength, Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke, Hyūga Hinata, Kurama Yakumo, and several others were all qualified.

Yet there could only be one Hokage.

And they all belonged to the same generation.

"It’s too early to worry about that," Kitazawa replied. "I’m not even Hokage yet."

"If you want the position, you could take it tomorrow," Tsunade said casually.

Kitazawa didn’t bother arguing.

Instead, he lightly bit down.

Tsunade’s body instantly stiffened.

She instinctively glanced left and right.

Fortunately, the living room was empty except for the two of them.

"Sit properly!"

Tsunade pushed him away.

Kitazawa chuckled and sat beside her.

Tsunade looked down to check.

After confirming there were no bite marks, she finally relaxed.

Then she glared at him with feigned anger.

"I’ll deal with you tonight."

—

Meanwhile, in the Kazekage Building of Sunagakure.

Rasa glanced at the clock on the wall and stood up, preparing to leave.

He had already worked nearly three hours of overtime.

There was no helping it—Sunagakure had been extremely busy lately.

First, the water trade needed to generate profit.

Second, they had to maintain a delicate wartime balance with Amegakure.

Rasa had now come to understand what people meant by "war profits."

That was precisely why he hadn’t expanded the conflict further.

Just then—

Urgent knocking sounded on the door.

"Come in."

Rasa sat back down.

"Kazekage-sama!"

Baki rushed in.

"All the ninja from Amegakure have withdrawn!"

"Withdrawn?"

Rasa immediately stood up again.

"What do you mean withdrawn?"

"They’ve completely retreated to the Land of Rain," Baki replied.

The conflict between Sunagakure and Amegakure had begun over the water trade.

As a result, most of the fighting had taken place in the deserts of the Land of Wind.

Now that Amegakure had retreated beyond the border, it essentially meant they had abandoned the water business entirely.

"Why?"

Rasa frowned deeply.

From his perspective, Amegakure had absolutely no reason to give up such profits.

"I don’t know," Baki admitted.

Rasa rubbed his temples and paced back and forth.

No matter how he analyzed the situation, the withdrawal made no sense.

Finally, he stopped.

"To be safe, take a unit and station them at the border of the Land of Wind."

"Yes, Kazekage-sama."

Baki bowed and left.

The next day.

Two figures arrived quietly at the main gate of Sunagakure.

Sasori.

And Uchiha Obito, currently using the alias Tobi.

Originally, Sasori’s partner had been Deidara, but Deidara had returned to Iwagakure, so Obito temporarily took his place.

In the original timeline, Obito had joined the Akatsuki only after Sasori’s death.

But due to Kitazawa’s influence, events had shifted.

Obito had joined much earlier.

His plan was simple.

Capture the first eight Tailed Beasts as quickly as possible.

Then return to Konoha and settle his score with Kitazawa.

After all—

Kitazawa and Kakashi had once cut off one of his arms.

Just like in the original timeline, Sasori used the Cerebral Puppetry Technique to control Yura, allowing them to infiltrate Sunagakure smoothly.

It didn’t take long before they located Gaara.

A fierce battle erupted.

At this point, Gaara was not nearly as powerful as he would later become.

Rasa arrived quickly to assist—

But it made little difference.

He was severely injured during the fight.

If not for the desperate efforts of Sunagakure’s ninja, he might have died on the spot.

By that very afternoon, news spread throughout the shinobi world.

Gaara had been captured.

Rasa had been gravely wounded.

And with that—

The Akatsuki Organization officially stepped onto the stage of the world.

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