Although what felt like ages had passed in Kaze's genjutsu world, in reality, less than thirty seconds had gone by since Uchiha Itachi had issued his challenge.
And yet in that short time, Itachi was left utterly drained—on one knee.
That alone was enough to shock everyone present.
But what truly left the Uchiha speechless was something else entirely—Kaze's Sharingan.
The number of tomoe swirling in his eyes was undeniable.
This wasn't someone who had just awakened his dōjutsu.
And after effortlessly breaking Itachi's momentum in the genjutsu clash, one thing became crystal clear:
Kaze's mastery over genjutsu was no fluke.
He hadn't just unlocked the Sharingan—he had refined it to its peak.
Coupled with his already impressive command of Lightning Release techniques, it painted a very different picture of who he was.
Not only did he possess a full three-tomoe Sharingan, but he was also an elite in genjutsu.
"A three-tomoe Sharingan and this level of genjutsu? Seriously?"
"I thought Kaze was just a lightning release specialist!"
"Don't forget—he also took down Uchiha Sei in one hit earlier. Now this?"
"So not only is he versatile, he's completely outclassing people in their own specialties…"
The crowd buzzed with disbelief.
Even the elders who had initially opposed Kaze found themselves reevaluating their stance.
One of the Uchiha elders finally spoke.
"Since Kaze has already awakened a three-tomoe Sharingan—and has demonstrated remarkable strength in both genjutsu and taijutsu—his qualifications are beyond question."
The elder's tone shifted then, taking on a more measured, almost reluctant note.
Though he made no mention of Kaze's nomination as vice-captain of the police force, his words were carefully chosen.
While Kaze was undeniably a prodigy, he wasn't aligned with the clan's hawkish faction—at least not yet.
As a key figure within that faction, the elder couldn't openly offer his support.
All he could do was acknowledge Kaze's strength and legitimacy, stopping just short of endorsing his promotion.
And as one of the faction's key figures, the elder wasn't about to lend his support to someone outside his circle.
Still, after witnessing Kaze's strength firsthand, the elder knew no one would dare raise objections anymore.
It was best to simply observe how things played out.
Kaze caught all of this without saying a word.
His sharp gaze swept over the younger generation of the clan.
Just as he'd expected—after today's showing, none of them had anything more to say.
Most avoided his eyes altogether, feigning interest in anything else.
At that moment, Shisui stood up from the floor cushion.
But he wasn't stepping forward to challenge Kaze.
Instead, under everyone's watchful gaze, he walked straight over to Itachi and gently placed a hand on his back, checking on his condition.
At the same time, a trace of doubt crept into Shisui's heart.
Earlier that evening at the training grounds, he had sparred with Kaze.
In the first phase, he tested Kaze's taijutsu with a flurry of shuriken.
The second phase had been a direct genjutsu exchange.
Without resorting to Kotoamatsukami, the two of them had fought to a draw—each dismantling the other's illusions in mere moments.
And Itachi's genjutsu? That was something Shisui had personally helped him hone.
They frequently trained together, exchanging techniques and pushing each other further.
To Shisui, Itachi's genjutsu and Kaze's should have been evenly matched.
But that assumption had just been shattered.
"I'm fine, Shisui-nii…" Itachi panted heavily, shaking his head as he slumped to the floor with Shisui's support.
"Kaze's genjutsu… really is strong," he admitted openly, not even trying to save face.
Shisui nodded, his expression darkening with thought. "Yeah. I agree."
Then, still crouched beside Itachi, he lifted his gaze toward Kaze across the room.
"It looks like there's no one else more suited for the vice-captain role than Kaze…"
He hadn't wanted to say it—hadn't wanted to believe it.
When Itachi stood to challenge Kaze earlier, part of him had hoped Itachi would win.
That victory would've kept Kaze's ambitions in check.
Because when Fugaku had first announced the nomination, Kaze's calm, unaffected demeanor had made one thing painfully clear:
He already knew.
That kind of foreknowledge suggested backroom deals—connections with the Uchiha hawks.
And after crossing fists with Kaze, Shisui knew exactly how dangerous it would be if someone like him started aligning with that faction.
In Shisui's eyes, Itachi stopping Kaze would've been the best outcome.
But not only had Itachi failed…
He'd become Kaze's stepping stone.
Kaze had proven his strength in front of the entire clan.
And in a clan that revered power above all else, that meant something.
No doubt, many had already begun to accept him.
Shisui narrowed his eyes.
But despite the storm brewing in his mind, he wasn't about to challenge Kaze.
Not without using Kotoamatsukami or Susanoo.
And without them… defeating Kaze was nothing short of a fantasy.
(T/N: So is the OG author misunderstanding Kotoamatsukami as a combat type genjutsu or something?)
But if he were to reveal Kotoamatsukami or even Susanoo in front of the clan…
It would only further fuel their desire for rebellion.
Precisely because of all these complicated factors, Shisui knew—he was the one person who absolutely could not make a move.
And just like that, without anyone realizing it, the momentum of this entire clan assembly had quietly shifted—falling squarely into Kaze's hands.
"…It seems," Kaze finally spoke up, only after the murmurs in the hall had died down, "there are no further objections to me serving as vice-captain of the Konoha Police Force."
His tone was slow and unhurried, yet resolute.
With that, the matter was settled.
Everything was proceeding exactly as he had anticipated.
"Kaze…" muttered Fugaku, who stood not far away, arms crossed as he studied the young man intently.
He'd always known Kaze was strong.
After all, this was the same youth who had taken down Aburame Torune in an instant.
But even in his wildest dreams, he hadn't expected Kaze to be this strong.
If someone had told him three minutes ago that Kaze's genjutsu could defeat Itachi…
He would've dismissed it outright.
Because as Itachi's father, in the entire Uchiha compound—
No, in all of Konoha. No, in the entire shinobi world—
There was no one who understood Itachi's talent better than Uchiha Fugaku.
Even if Shisui was currently the most celebrated prodigy of their generation…
Given enough time, Itachi would surpass him.
He would even—
—surpass Uchiha Madara!
"It's only a matter of time before Itachi awakens the Mangekyō Sharingan."
"In the future, he'll succeed me as head of the Uchiha clan."
"He'll restore the clan's prestige and lead us to greatness."
A storm churned in Fugaku's heart. No matter how he tried, he couldn't bring himself to accept the idea that Kaze might be more gifted than his own son.
"…No."
Then, as if a switch had flipped in his mind, Fugaku's eyes sharpened with realization.
"I see it now."
"Kaze's genjutsu isn't necessarily stronger than Itachi's."
"This was a battle of information."
"Neither I nor Itachi knew he had mastered the Sharingan to such a level."
"Let alone that he was skilled in genjutsu."
"That's what gave Kaze the upper hand—he caught Itachi off guard and pulled him into his illusion first."
Fugaku's mind raced, piecing the scenario together.
"Yes. That has to be it."
"If Itachi had gone into this knowing Kaze was a genjutsu expert…"
"He wouldn't have been caught so easily."
And if they were to fight again…
The outcome might be very different.
Victory might not belong to Kaze.
(T/N: Boy is Fugaku going to be face slapped some day in the future. But until then let him believe that he has a chance. Anyway hope you all enjoyed the chapter. Lets go, 52 power stones. This is the highest power stone count this book has ever gotten. So, thank you all.)
100 Stones = Two Extra Chapters
200 Stones = Three Extra Chapters.
Keep the power stones coming.