Inside the hidden experimental base, an Anbu ninja fresh from Konoha handed over research materials on the Uchiha clan's Sharingan, along with three three-tomoe Sharingan eyes preserved in nutrient-filled test tubes.
"It's from the old man…" the Anbu inside the base murmured as he accepted the documents and the eerie, glowing eyes.
Sarutobi Shinnosuke's eyes flickered with curiosity. "Where did the old man get these Sharingan?"
The Konoha Anbu considered for a moment. This man before him was the Hokage's eldest son, a senior Anbu, and one of the Hokage's closest aides. So the information he shared was likely reliable.
"From Root's Shimura Danzo," the Anbu answered quietly.
"Danzo, huh…" Shinnosuke nodded in understanding. "I figured as much. The old man is conflicted—interested in many things but feels the Hokage shouldn't cross certain lines. He probably wouldn't outright steal Uchiha Sharingan."
"Who else in the village could pull off something like this but Danzo, the shadow of Konoha and leader of Root?"
Shinnosuke shook his head, unafraid to speak plainly: "Still… he's just the old man's half-black glove. The dirty work the old man won't do himself, he lets Danzo handle."
The Konoha Anbu said nothing.
"Tell him we'll study these Sharingan research materials thoroughly," Shinnosuke instructed.
"Yes, senpai."
…
The Konoha Anbu left the secret base, glancing back at the unremarkable forest behind him. He waved his hand lightly in the air, and a ripple shimmered in the atmosphere.
"Truly a brilliant genjutsu—no wonder he's the Hokage's eldest son," he mused, shaking his head to clear his thoughts as he prepared to return to Konoha.
Suddenly, a sharp cat's meow cut through the night.
"Meow~"
The Anbu frowned, quickly turning his gaze toward the source.
—What a fat cat!
That was his first thought.
The next moment—
A sharp slicing sound tore through the air from the side. Startled, the Anbu ducked low as three shuriken whistled past his face. One sliced through the string holding his mask, revealing a young face beneath.
"Enemy!?"
As he drew his ninja blade in a flash, two crimson three-tomoe Sharingan locked onto his vision.
"Uchiha…"
His pupils constricted, and instinctively he tried to look away, avoiding eye contact with the Sharingan.
Thwack!
A sharp pain exploded in his chest as he realized he hadn't drawn his blade—the sound he heard was his opponent's draw.
A kunai had pierced his chest.
It was a genjutsu!
[Ding! You have successfully killed a 'red-named' villain! Your chakra has been slightly enhanced! Congratulations, you have obtained: 'Konoha Style Kenjutsu' experience scroll ×10!]
"The fourth," Uchiha Ikeizumi said softly, drawing his blade. "Rookie, you've missed four chances in a row. Your shuriken throwing needs serious retraining."
"S-sorry, senpai…" Izumi stepped out from behind, guilt-ridden and trembling as she looked at the fallen Anbu.
This was the fourth Anbu Ikeizumi had killed tonight.
The first three were sentries outside.
Watching the blood gush from the Anbu's chest, the young man's face pale and lifeless, Izumi felt lost.
"Senpai… are they really all evil?"
"Yes."
Ikeizumi flicked the blood from his blade, staring into a dense forest ahead. Before his three-tomoe Sharingan, even the most sophisticated genjutsu seemed amateurish.
Summoning courage from somewhere, Izumi asked, "Senpai… how do you judge someone's evil?"
Ikeizumi answered, "A heart as clear as a mirror."
Izumi was taken aback.
Ikeizumi stepped toward a large tree, his half-form blending into its bark. His voice whispered into Izumi's ear:
"I have a special ability—my eyes can see through the 'evil' in all living things. This ability to distinguish good and evil is rooted in a heart and conduct as clear as a mirror, based on my moral worldview."
Izumi's eyes widened. Could this be the power of the Sharingan?
"Rookie. Do you think a ninja who takes up arms to protect family, even killing many, is evil in my eyes?"
As Ikeizumi posed the question, he vanished into the forest genjutsu.
Izumi hurried after him, pressing her lips together, softly replying, "Senpai, I don't think so."
"Indeed, you're right," Ikeizumi said calmly. "The standard is the same as before I awakened this ability. People should let abilities arise from themselves, not let themselves be ruled by abilities. Otherwise, [Justice] becomes evil in sheep's clothing."
As his words fell, the scene before them transformed dramatically.
A sizable secret base appeared, suffused with the scent of strange chemicals.
Faintly, there was a hint of blood.
"Who are you?!" a sudden shout came from ahead.
A Konoha ninja stared in shock, especially when he saw Ikeizumi's crimson Sharingan. He was so stunned his breath caught.
[Inuzuka Maki—Anbu secret research base scientist, participant in seventeen human experiments, former assistant to Orochimaru, directly or indirectly responsible for the deaths of eleven war orphans. Crime rating: Red name!]
"I remember you."
Ikeizumi's voice was cold as a reaper from the underworld, stepping forward.
"A few years ago, when the Third Hokage raided Orochimaru's human experimentation lab, I was there. Coincidentally, I saw you then."
"It seems the Third Hokage did not keep his promise to secretly execute you. Instead, he sheltered you here, using you as tools."
"...You? The Molten Release ninja?!" Maki's long-buried memories exploded like bombs in his mind.
His eyes widened in horror.