A Twist of Fate

Suguru had realized something in Shisui's fight against Danzo. His Kaisugan was a deadly variable in a one-on-one battle. Although he didn't know how long he could hold someone's gaze in place, it was enough to disrupt them.

Unless the opponent closed their eyes or was outright blind, there was no escaping his Vampiric Gaze.

Even Guy, despite looking only at his opponent's shoulders to counter visual jutsus, would be susceptible to his attack. After all, he had free reign when placing his ethereal eyes.

Furthermore, Suguru's Vampiric Gaze could mesmerize people, wiping away their thoughts.

Thus, the situation had developed in this manner.

"You shouldn't have returned without any guards, Elder Danzo," Suguru muttered from where he stood, several kilometers away.

No one was there to disrupt Danzo's chakra, nor was any Izanagi active.

"Time to test my limits,"

Chakra began to flow out from Danzo, wrenched out from him through his eyes. Suguru began siphoning as much as he could before—

—Crack!

Danzo's gaze snapped to the side, forcing himself out of Suguru's mesmerization. Through sheer willpower alone, paired with the threat of death, Danzo was able to escape. It was an admirable display of strength.

"Duly noted," Suguru cackled. "Again."

'Vampiric Gaze,'

Before Danzo could recollect himself, Suguru used the chakra he had just stolen to reactivate his jutsu. Eyes were locked into place once more. He began siphoning even more chakra at a much faster pace.

Yet, it seemed like Danzo couldn't react as fast as he did before.

A certain amount of mental strength was probably sapped from him when he wrenched himself out of Suguru's gaze.

Suddenly, Suguru felt that he could no longer siphon chakra. The Danzo he was looking at faded out of existence, and another Danzo, this one completely fine, appeared nearby. He was glaring warily at Suguru's ethereal eyes.

Amused by Danzo's desperate use of Izanagi, Suguru decided to pull back. Just as mysteriously as he arrived, he left.

Yet Danzo couldn't be sure Suguru had done so, leaving him on edge.

***

The next day, Suguru acted as usual. There was no news of yesterday's Uchiha clash. However, an unsettling atmosphere had settled throughout Konoha. The aggressive means of the Police Force had sown the seeds of dissatisfaction and fear of the Uchiha among the people.

Now, the Uchiha were also on edge.

To the innocent Hiryu Suguru, none of these things were issues. He went on with his morning routine after coming home from the lab, consumed one of his prototype Energy Pills, and then left for the Academy without any changes in his behavior.

"Good morning, Masumi-sensei," While greeting his teacher as he walked through the Academy's hallway, Suguru relished in these moments of peace. It was the calm before the storm.

Upon entering the classroom, he sat down and opened his notebook to review his notes. Walking in shortly after him, Masumi smiled at the children.

"The end-of-the-year exams are coming. Has everyone been preparing well?"

Nods rippled throughout the class. Some were nervous, and others were confident.

That was when Suguru noticed that the seat beside him was empty. Uchiha Tatsuya was absent from class. Suguru acted confused.

"Sensei, Tatsuya isn't here." He raised his hand and expressed concern.

"Ah, well, he's probably busy with something." Masumi quickly found an excuse in Tatsuya's place.

The flash of worry in Masumi's eyes didn't escape Suguru's vision.

'Seems like the Uchiha massacre might be brought forward,' Suguru thought as he nodded and returned to his notes.

***

Suguru did not expect that 'forward,' to be that night. He had gone home and was heading to his lab when he spotted movement among the shadows through his Kaisugan. A small splatter of blood that obscured a light was all it took for Suguru to react.

The fact that he was aware that something would happen to the Uchiha had put him on high alert. He just never considered it to be this exact night. 

And he would never have imagined how it would occur.

—BOOM!

A powerful chakra emanated from what Suguru knew was in the direction of the Root HQ. Even without looking, Suguru knew what this immense chakra implied.

'A Susanoo was activated!' Shocked, Suguru hurriedly brought his gaze to the source of chaos.

There, deep underground where the darkness was deep — literally and metaphorically — a shining white spectral warrior bloomed into existence.

'Uchiha Fugaku! Don't tell me, the rebellion is happening before the massacre?!'

Suguru was appalled. However, it was instantly mixed with a sense of thrill.

'What about Itachi?'

The Uchiha clan... Suguru directed his gaze there. The massacre that Itachi alone was executing had suddenly come to a momentary pause. With the Kotoamatsukami and Tsukuyomi at his disposal, his power was unimaginable.

***

'Father...'

Itachi looked over in the direction of Root as he slashed his own clansmen left and right. Without remorse, he resumed his onslaught and drew blood wherever he went.

Two one-sided slaughters were occurring on the same night — one by the Uchiha clan's head, and the other by its heir.

The Uchiha clan was being annihilated.

Konoha's Root was being decimated.

It was a night filled with death.

***

Suguru's eyes flashed. He had to make a decision. Where should he go? Which faction should he plunder?

The eyes of the Uchiha?

Or the experimental data of Root?

'Shit,' He cursed. It was a difficult decision.

Luckily—

'Shadow Clone Jutsu,'

He could create a clone of himself.

After handing his clone a storage scroll, he sent the clone to loot the Uchiha as a snake. With the village distracted by the noise that Fugaku created, he should be able to slip in and out without getting caught.

Meanwhile, Suguru went over to visit Root.

Transforming into a snake, he kept track of Fugaku's assault through his [Clairvoyance].

***

'Bishamonten: Battlefield of Manifold Illusions!'

Fugaku's right eye flashed with a deadly light as it bled crimson. Danzo's Izanagi was layered upon a fabricated reality. Genjutsu upon Genjutsu bled into each other. Danzo's vacuum jutsus flew through the air but was not enough to damage Fugaku's Susanoo.

Danzo had already 'died' several times.

He was no match for the Wicked Eye.

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(No space.)

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