"Are you afraid of your own power?"
Kagetsu noticed the panic and gloomy expression on Shisui's face and asked softly.
"Shouldn't I be afraid?" Shisui replied, somewhat surprised.
Killing with ninjutsu is one thing, but using ninjas—or rather, chakra—as food to kill is something that would inevitably cause fear and disgust in most of the ninja world.
"It is your power! It's the power given to you by Hogyoku. This means that you need this power, and Hogyoku believes your talent can handle it, so it responded to your need.
My advice is not to ignore it or despise it because of fear. Doing so could lead to serious problems in the future.
You need to try to control it, train it, and use it as your own power!"
"But..."
"If you can truly master it, then you can choose whether to use it to drain your enemy's power or to absorb both their body and soul."
Kagetsu interrupted Shisui's words.
"Your thinking is wrong. This power doesn't automatically consume life once it's used. In fact, if you can't control it well, it's more likely to bring about the very scene you most want to avoid."
Although Shisui still hadn't fully resolved his inner conflict, after Kagetsu's explanation and guidance, he began to reassess and face his Hogyoku mode.
"Then, what about Lord Orochimaru?" Shisui suddenly turned pale, thinking of another bad possibility.
Since Kagetsu had already guessed that his Hogyoku mode was more than just this, what about Lord Orochimaru?
Had he figured it out?
If Orochimaru thought he was deliberately hiding it, would he be unhappy with him or with the Uchiha clan?
"Don't worry about Lord Orochimaru. Although he knows the most about Hogyoku and its data, his understanding of Hogyoku and its power probably hasn't reached the sensitive level that I have. Even if he discovers it, there's no need to worry. Everyone has their secrets, right? If needed, I'll explain it for you."
Kagetsu sighed, silently reflecting on Orochimaru's reputation and image in their squad.
But he was still very pleased with Shisui's awakened ability. At least this ability, when researched and observed, would lead to even better results.
When they returned to the camp, they saw Anko angrily crossing her arms, confronting several Anbu ninjas wearing patterned masks, who had a cold, lifeless aura about them.
Seeing Kagetsu and Shisui return, Anko immediately ran over, pointing at the cold-faced Anbu ninjas who had followed them and started complaining.
"Uchiha Shisui!"
The Anbu ninjas who had followed them ignored Anko's complaints and didn't even acknowledge Kagetsu, instead locking onto Shisui and calling out his name.
"This is your order! You need to return to the village for questioning and investigation!" The leader of the Anbu spoke.
"Me?" Hearing this, Shisui froze in place. He looked at Kagetsu beside him in surprise, feeling a sense of panic.
He had done a lot of private business with Kagetsu over the years, secretly acting against the village. Had the village discovered it?
"Wait, I need to see your mission proof." Kagetsu stepped forward, placing himself between Anbu and Shisui. "Also, you're not directly under the Hokage, are you? You're from Root, right?"
"Step aside, Chūnin Nara Kagetsu! If you interfere with our mission, it's the same as betraying the village!" The leader of the Anbu didn't show any mission proof. Instead, he sharply retorted at Kagetsu.
"Has Danzo decided to issue orders in place of Lord Hokage again? Looks like the price you paid for the years of favor from Orochimaru wasn't enough."
After confirming they weren't directly under the Hokage's orders, Kagetsu didn't feel relieved. Instead, he became even more cautious.
After all, Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Third Hokage, would at least show some respect for his beloved disciple, Orochimaru.
But Danzo Shimura, he wished nothing more than for Orochimaru and all his loyal ninjas to die.
Over the years, most of the Uchiha clan had defected to Orochimaru, and Danzo had become even more hostile toward the Uchiha clan.
Danzo Shimura.
That madman, Danzo.
That dog, Danzo.
That crazy dog, Danzo.
These were the gradually changing affectionate terms used by the Uchiha Clan during the meeting.
"The honorable Danzo-sama wishes for Uchiha Shisui to return and answer some questions. This is a decision made unanimously by the Hokage-sama and the advisory council."
The leading Root ninja exchanged a brief glance with Kagetsu before carefully pulling out the mission proof from his pocket and handing it to Kagetsu for inspection.
Throughout the process, he remained tense, carefully observing Kagetsu. He knew that Danzo-sama didn't want to involve Kagetsu in this matter for now, unless something significant was uncovered from questioning Uchiha Shisui.
With the current influence of Orochimaru, Kagetsu, as his acknowledged disciple, was more than just a Chunin-level ninja.
With his status and support from the Technology Development Department, there was no one in the village who would truly regard him as just a Chunin.
"The mission proof checks out."
After Kagetsu and Shisui checked it over, Kagetsu returned it.
"Since it's an order from Hokage-sama and the Konoha Council, I will follow and return with you," Shisui said, without any intention of disobeying.
Even though he was aware that unexpected things might happen once he returned, he still chose to comply.
"I will notify Sensei and Jiraiya-san."
Kagetsu had considered following as well, but was rejected by the Root ninjas. Their orders were to only take Uchiha Shisui back for questioning.
After some thought, Kagetsu decided to speak up in front of the Root ninja.
Danzo's intentions were simply too unpredictable.
"Will Shisui be in danger?"
Watching Uchiha Shisui leave with the Root squad, Anko's face was filled with concern. She was usually carefree and easygoing, but that didn't mean she couldn't read the room.
Even after numerous modifications by Kagetsu, her ability to sense malice in others became more apparent.
From the members of the Root squad, she could clearly sense the blatant malice that they carried, without any attempt to conceal it.
Even though they appeared cold and detached, it couldn't hide the malice within them, which was as glaring and obvious as a light in the dark of night.
Anko was filled with worry about Shisui's departure. Since the core of their team had always been Kagetsu, at this moment, Anko instinctively sought an answer from him.
"Has something happened in the village?"
Kagetsu didn't respond to Anko's question. Instead, he moved to a corner of the camp and used a summoning technique to call forth a tailed beast to guard the area.
"Meow! Hmph! Why did you summon me? Is it for a fight?"
Nekomata shook its fiery fur and glanced around, a bit confused. It hadn't been summoned by Kagetsu in a while, and had expected to stretch its limbs, not get involved in any trouble.
"You often hang around the village's wild cats and the Uchiha's ninja cats. Do you know if anything major has happened in the village lately, especially involving the Uchiha clan?"
Kagetsu ignored Nekomata's question and asked.
****
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