Naruto: Pay-to-Win Ninja System

Itachi stayed silent for quite a while.

He simply stood there, wondering whether his father Fugaku and the others back home were growing anxious waiting for him.

After a long silence that was starting to get to him, Shimoku finally broke the quiet first:

"Aren't you afraid I'll make a move?"

"You won't."

"Why not?"

"Because I'm still useful. Otherwise, our whole family wouldn't have made it alive into the Homura Hidden Village."

Itachi stated firmly.

In his eyes, this cousin Shimoku was practical to the extreme.

You could even call him the Tobirama of the Uchiha clan.

If he hadn't been useful, there was no way he would've come specifically to rescue them.

Shimoku nodded.

Sure enough, talking with someone smart really was comfortable.

Unlike that idiot Gin—who wouldn't grasp the deeper meaning unless you spelled things out for him, splitting every sentence into bite-sized bits!

"Fine then, since we're being so straightforward."

"Let's get straight to the point."

"Itachi, I wonder what you're thinking now—and whether you still choose to stand on Konoha's side?"

"But I'm certain about one thing—the one you care about most is your younger brother, Sasuke."

"You'd do anything for him, right?"

Itachi didn't reply verbally, just gave a slight nod.

But that steely gaze said more than words ever could.

Shimoku: "How about this? My offer is: as long as I'm around, as long as the Homura Hidden Village stands, I guarantee that Sasuke will grow up happily in the village until adulthood!"

Upon hearing this, Itachi's eyes lit up.

Itachi couldn't help but feel drawn to the offer.

Judging by this cousin's strength,

there were practically few beings in the entire ninja world capable of threatening him.

Plus, even if we ignore the safety part,

raising Sasuke in a happy, free environment was definitely better than letting him live under discrimination in Konoha.

"What are the conditions?"

Shimoku: "Very simple—just do things for me..."

Itachi: "I won't raise my hand against Konoha! That's my bottom line..."

Even though he had already begun hesitating inside and had felt the warmth of the Homura Hidden Village,

Itachi still refused to raise a hand against Konoha!

Refused to destroy the very village Shisui had sacrificed his life to protect!

After all, Shisui wasn't only his closest friend; he was also the older brother who guided his growth!

Shimoku: "No one's asking you to fight. Honestly, why does your mind always jump straight to violence?"

Itachi: "Then what do you mean?"

Shimoku: "Become a 'Special Instructor' at the ninja academy of the Homura Hidden Village!"

Itachi: ??? 

Shimoku: "That Mangekyō ability in your left eye—it should be the legendary [Tsukuyomi], right?"

Itachi: !!!∑(?Д?ノ)ノ

This time, Itachi was even more shocked.

If having received Shisui's eyes might possibly be discovered through espionage,

then how did this kid Shimoku know about his left eye's unique ability?

How had it been exposed?

Was he a tapeworm in his gut or something?

How did he know everything anyway?

Itachi had only just unlocked the unique power of his left eye himself—hadn't even used it in front of anyone yet!

This can't be possible!

Itachi: "You..."

Shimoku: "Let's not waste time on how I found out. Your [Tsukuyomi] genjutsu—it's exactly what I need!"

"Once Tsukuyomi is activated, it pulls the enemy's consciousness into your Tsukuyomi realm. And within that world, you control every element, able to fabricate any scenario or plot you desire, right?"

"Correct!"

"And for our Uchiha clan, awakening or evolving a Sharingan usually requires strong emotional stimulation, doesn't it?"

"That's right!"

Itachi gave a slow nod, his eyes narrowing thoughtfully.

Based on his personal experiences and observations of how his clansmen awakened their Sharingan, guessing this condition wasn't difficult at all.

Shimoku continued:

"But then again, has anyone ever said this emotional stimulation must come from reality?"

"What if—you used Tsukuyomi to pull our clansmen into your illusionary space, and then created vivid, realistic stimulating experiences for them? Experiences so convincing they'd believe them to be real, triggering intense emotional shocks inside the illusion itself."

"Now tell me, would they awaken the Sharingan? Would their Sharingan evolve?"

That—was the true reason Shimoku couldn't bring himself to harm Itachi!

Ordinary genjutsu can only create illusions of limited realism.

Even a slightly perceptive ninja—without necessarily breaking free—could still easily sense whether they were trapped in one.

But Tsukuyomi had no such weakness.

Assuming Shimoku's theory was correct...

Then there'd be absolutely no need to depend on sacrificing loved ones just to stimulate the clan members into awakening their eyes!

Just rely on Itachi's Tsukuyomi alone,

and batches upon batches of clan members could awaken their Sharingan like an assembly line!

Progressing step by step—from one tomoe to two tomoe, three tomoe, and finally Mangekyō...

Combined with Orochimaru's Hashirama's cell transplantation technique, the side effects of Mangekyō could also be effectively mitigated.

At that point, their Homura Hidden Village wouldn't just have one or two Susanoo Demigods.

There would be group after group, three groups, four groups...

At that time, dozens or even hundreds of Susanoo rising simultaneously from the ground.

Forget the Five Great Hidden Villages—

even if the Otsutsuki Clan showed up, they'd be so terrified they'd panic and run for their lives...

Just imagining that scene already sent shivers down his spine with excitement!

...

Likewise, the intelligent Itachi immediately deduced Shimoku's plan.

His heart trembled, his scalp tingled!

Yet—he couldn't deny either,

this idea indeed held immense potential for success.

And should it succeed?

The resulting benefits would be beyond imagination!

If this truly worked—if countless Mangekyō could be awakened like exploiting a game glitch—

then who even needs Konoha? Who even cares about the Tailed Beasts...

they'd all know their place!

Our Uchiha Clan shall be peace! The very embodiment of peace!

What? You got a problem with that?

Then let's talk it over—with a few 'armored Susanoo units' first?

"I..."

Under such a wildly audacious proposal, Itachi too hesitated unusually.

Rationality and emotion raged against each other inside him.

Pushing him toward an irresistible urge to say yes.

Shimoku: "Don't rush. This is merely a suggestion. No need to decide now. Take your time to weigh things carefully."

"I believe you'll make the right choice!"

Itachi: "Okay, let me think about it..."

Shimoku: "Oh, there's one more thing you need to promise."

"Huh?"

"During this time, you must not reveal any intelligence to Konoha, nor do anything that would harm the Homura Hidden Village."

"All right! I understand. Do we need to sign any kind of contract?"

"No need."

"I've already warned you, so you won't be foolish enough to go that far."

"And if you really dare to do it... I truly won't hesitate to strike your entire family down."

"Tell me, if I go all out, is there any village in this world that can protect your little brother's life?"

Shimoku bared his white teeth, threatening him without hesitation or warmth.

At this moment, speaking a few harsher words was better than waiting until something happened and having to become a true villain!

Moreover, just as Shimoku said, across the Ninja World, at present there was indeed no one he couldn't kill — no matter how much effort it took.

...

"Little Brother Shimoku!"

"That's... Itachi!"

From afar, a crisp and bright female voice pierced through the cold tension between Shimoku and Itachi.

Spotting Itachi — someone she'd missed so dearly — along with Shimoku, Izumi immediately ran over.

"Itachi! It's really you!"

"Izumi... Hello..."

Itachi gave a slight nod, his response clipped but polite.

"Big Sister Izumi, why are you here?"

"The store ran out of seasonings, so I came to bring some from home for Mom."

Izumi pointed at the large bag of seasonings in her hands with a cheerful smile.

However, her eyes were locked intently on Itachi.

Witnessing this, Shimoku sighed helplessly.

Clearly, if he stayed any longer, he'd end up watching another mushy scene again!

He'd rather head home early, enjoy the company of his shrine maiden maid, and interrogate the captives he'd captured.

"Big Sister Izumi, Itachi hasn't had breakfast yet. Take him to grab something to eat."

"Wait! Little Brother Shimoku, why don't you eat with us too?"

"No, I'm heading back first. I still have things to do."

"Alright then."

Blushing, Izumi hugged the seasonings and stole a glance at Itachi beside her.

"Itachi, when you've made up your mind, remember to come find me!"

Shimoku waved his hand and left together with Riyō behind him.

<><><><><><><><>

Thank you for reading! Your support will keep me updating!

~ Every 50 Powerstones = **4 Bonus Chapters** this weekend!

<><><><><><><><>

~ 100+ Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon!

~ More *Free* Chapters and Books Available on Patreon!

patreon.com/Tansnovel

<><><><><><><><>