"Shisui, your eyes?"
At the Uchiha Clan Leader's residence, Itachi looked at Shisui in shock. His gaze was fixed on the pair of eyes reflecting his own face. While he felt immense joy, he also found it hard to believe.
"Kagetsu-kun helped restore my vision."
Shisui didn't hide the truth in front of Itachi and the other clan members. He spoke honestly about the reason.
His words immediately caused a wave of suppressed gasps.
Restoring sight to a blinded Mangekyō Sharingan—throughout Uchiha history, only Uchiha Madara had ever achieved this.
However, the specifics of Madara's blindness and how he regained his sight were secrets known only to a few high-ranking Uchihas.
In other words, Shisui's method of regaining his vision was completely different from Madara's.
If this method could be replicated or even made widely available, then future Uchiha who awakened the Mangekyō wouldn't have to fear blindness anymore.
The Clan Leader's decision to ignore opposition and invest heavily in Orochimaru and Kagetsu's research division had truly been a wise one!
Who said the Clan Leader was weak-willed or indecisive?
Just this one achievement alone was enough to earn him unparalleled prestige!
"Shisui, later, take Itachi and the elders to meet Kagetsu," Uchiha Akihiko suggested, seizing the opportunity. He hadn't forgotten the task assigned to him by the Clan Leader.
Though he respected Kagetsu, his Uchiha pride made it difficult to attach an honorific after his name.
"This is about Itachi becoming his apprentice, right?" Shisui immediately understood what Akihiko meant.
Back then, he had been a witness to the agreement between the Clan Leader, Orochimaru, and Kagetsu. He was well aware of the promises made to the Uchiha.
Even if Itachi's apprenticeship was part of a transaction, Shisui didn't see it as a bad thing. He believed Kagetsu would be a good teacher.
Even if Kagetsu didn't have the time to personally teach Itachi ninjutsu, Shisui himself could take on that role.
After all, a few years ago, the Clan Leader had entrusted him with Itachi's foundational training.
Uchiha wanted to become Hokage, and the best way to do that was to follow a Hokage successor closely, learning from their words and actions.
"No problem. He also asked me to bring a gift for Itachi."
In front of the clan members and Itachi, Shisui took out a scroll from his robe, along with a strange fruit covered in intricate patterns.
"What is this?"
As soon as Shisui placed the two items in Itachi's hands, the surrounding Uchiha members eagerly gathered around.
As one of Konoha's noble clans and a thousand-year-old shinobi clan, the Uchiha had high standards. However, they couldn't deny that Kagetsu always seemed to have things that made them envious.
Over the years, they had come to accept that anything Kagetsu offered was bound to be valuable.
Now that Shisui had presented two gifts, the clan members were immediately intrigued, especially the elders, who wanted to assess their worth and prepare a suitable return gift.
"This scroll contains Kagetsu's insights on Fire Release, Yin Release, and the Blaze Release Kekkei Genkai."
Shisui pointed to the scroll in Itachi's hands.
Worried that the clan members wouldn't fully grasp its significance, he added, "Kagetsu's knowledge and mastery of Fire Release, Yin Release, and Blaze Release are on par with ours. The scroll also records an A-rank Fire Release jutsu he created, as well as an S-rank jutsu called 'Armor Mode.'"
For a moment, the surrounding Uchiha were completely stunned by the gifts Kagetsu had provided.
The insights on Fire Release and Yin Release didn't concern them too much, even if they acknowledged Kagetsu's unique understanding of these techniques.
After all, when it came to Fire Release, there was no one in Konoha who could compare to the Uchiha.
But an original A-rank Fire Release jutsu and an S-rank ninjutsu—these are highly valuable!
Especially Blood Armor!
This technique had practically become Kagetsu's signature jutsu. So far, the only ones who had mastered it were the Legendary Sannin, the three members of Orochimaru's squad, and the Seventh Squad under Namikaze Minato.
The Uchiha elders and jonin might not care too much about the value of an S-rank ninjutsu, but what this jutsu represented still made them feel pleased.
It meant that Kagetsu acknowledged Itachi, proving his bond with the Uchiha clan!
The Uchiha had always been clear about love and hate. As long as someone earned their recognition in a certain aspect, they would view that person in a special light.
And after spending years together, Kagetsu was undoubtedly someone most of the Uchiha clan had come to accept.
"Also, this fruit is Kagetsu's latest research result. After consuming it, one can awaken the Boil Release Kekkei Genkai.
I remember your chakra attributes include fire and water, right, Itachi? In that case, if you eat this fruit, you should be able to awaken a second Kekkei Genkai very soon!"
Shisui patted Itachi's small head, lightly tapping his forehead with a finger while smiling.
For a moment, the scene fell into silence.
Even Uchiha Akihiko, who was standing next to Itachi, instinctively turned to look at the strawberry-like fruit in Itachi's hand.
If they didn't know for certain that Shisui wouldn't lie, and if they weren't aware of Kagetsu's unbelievable talent and research results in Kekkei Genkai studies, they would have found it hard to believe Shisui's words.
Eating a single fruit… could really awaken a Kekkei Genkai?
"What do you think a Kekkei Genkai is?"
"Is this true?" The one speaking was an elderly Uchiha, one of the few remaining clan elders.
"Please believe me!"
Shisui didn't know exactly what kind of power this fruit possessed, but he trusted Kagetsu. He had seen it with his own eyes—Kagetsu had personally granted others Kekkei Genkai abilities or something similar.
Both Anko and he were living proof of it.
"Eat it, Itachi!" the elder ordered. While the Uchiha prided themselves on the power of the Sharingan, they wouldn't reject an additional Kekkei Genkai ability.
If Itachi could possess two Kekkei Genkai, his future achievements might reach even greater heights!
"Also, do not reveal anything about the Kekkei Genkai Fruit!" The elder's voice turned stern as he watched Itachi consume the fruit, then turned to the surrounding clan members.
As someone from the same era as Kagami and Setsuna, he understood just how much chaos this fruit would cause in the village and the shinobi world if its existence were exposed.
He even felt a bit of resentment toward Shisui, thinking he shouldn't have revealed such important information in front of so many clan members.
The Uchihas who heard the elder's warning were momentarily stunned but quickly nodded. Everyone present was a core member of the clan, and some understood the elder's concerns.
"For now, Kagetsu is busy handling the backlog of work in the Technology Development Department. Tonight, I'll take you to meet your future teacher."
Shisui wiped the fruit juice from the corner of Itachi's lips and spoke to him softly.
****
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