"You..."
Although the mask concealed Obito's expression, Toshiro could easily imagine the reaction beneath it. The expression on his face at this moment had to be priceless.
"I am... Uchiha Madara, not some brat!"
Obito's voice wavered, betraying a hint of panic and frustration. The word "brat" had struck a nerve, and his attempt to assert his identity was unconvincing, tinged with nervousness.
For a brief moment, an unsettling thought crept into his mind. 'Could he... have recognized me?'
But he quickly dismissed the idea. He had only encountered Toshiro twice, for no more than a few minutes in total. There was no way the other man could have figured out who he truly was.
"Uchiha Madara? Then should I start calling you 'ancestor'?" Toshiro scoffed, his voice dripping with sarcasm. The absurdity of Obito's insistence was almost comical.
"It seems..." Toshiro's tone sharpened, his smirk fading. "Unless someone knocks some sense into that thick head of yours, you'll never learn to accept reality—or even acknowledge who you really are!"
Those who awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan often struggle with varying degrees of psychological instability—some mild, others severe. When dealing with such individuals, brute force is often more effective than reasoning.
Words rarely resonate with the Uchiha. They only seem to listen after being thoroughly defeated.
"I'm... not the same brat I used to be!"
Obito's voice trembled with a mix of anger and defiance as he glared at Toshiro, who was steadily approaching. Something in Toshiro's calm demeanor seemed to provoke him, and his emotions erupted into an impulsive attack.
"You're just a clone! Stop acting like you're in control here!" Obito spat, lashing out furiously.
—
Meanwhile, in the real world, Toshiro stood firmly, holding Uchiha Itachi in one hand, his chakra sealed. He glanced at his companions and asked with calm precision, "What's the status at the prison? Have all our clansmen been safely evacuated?"
In the chaotic rush, most of the Uchiha clan had been focused on escorting their people to safety within the prison. Only a handful of them remained behind, desperately trying to hold the line.
"Almost there!" came the response from one of the few who stayed.
The one who answered Toshiro was Asuka. After responding to his question, she turned to gaze in the direction of the clan's residence.
At that very moment, three flares shot up from deep within the base.
"Everything is ready over there," Asuka said, her expression shifting uneasily as she turned back to Toshiro. There was a note of hesitation in her voice. "Are you sure about this? Isn't it... a bit too much?"
"When the time comes, there's no room for hesitation," Toshiro replied with a faint, humorless laugh, his eyes glinting.
"You want to challenge the entire village with just one clan? Even with my power, you remain the weak link. How can we achieve victory without some unconventional tactics?"
Though he possessed formidable strength, Toshiro was painfully aware of his limits. He was but one man, while the Uchiha numbered in the thousands. If a direct conflict broke out, even if he succeeded in eliminating Konoha's high-ranking officials, the cost to his own people would be catastrophic, leaving only a handful of survivors.
"Alright, stop worrying about those things—they're already here," Toshiro said, his tone calm yet resolute.
As he spoke, he turned his gaze toward the edge of the outer barrier, where figures were steadily approaching.
"Uchiha... Toshiro!"
Shimura Danzo's voice echoed as he stepped into the Uchiha base, flanked by a large contingent of Root ninjas. The moment his eyes landed on Toshiro, his expression darkened.
"I didn't expect you to return to the village!"
Before launching the operation, Danzo had instructed Konoha's intelligence network to track Toshiro's whereabouts, yet their search yielded nothing.
"This is problematic," Danzo muttered under his breath, his unease evident. He hadn't anticipated facing Toshiro here.
"Ah, it's you, old man!" Toshiro quipped, his voice tinged with mockery. "Leading the team in person this time? That's a rare sight!"
It was obvious to Toshiro that this mess was orchestrated by Danzo, and likely with the tacit approval of the Third Hokage.
"Your right eye… Could it be a Sharingan…?"
Toshiro narrowed his eyes, focusing intently. Despite the bandages wrapped around Danzo's head concealing the eye's aura, Toshiro could still sense a distinct, familiar fluctuation emanating from it. It was the feeling of a powerful doujutsu like the Mangekyo. There was no mistaking it.
Shisui had been the candidate Toshiro supported as the ideal choice for the Fifth or Sixth Hokage. His timely assistance had saved Shisui from certain death from the attack of Danzo.
This time, Toshiro resolved, Danzo wouldn't escape retribution.
"Toshiro, what are you implying..?"
At that moment, a group of forty or fifty Uchiha clan members emerged from the base. Among them was a white-haired elder, his sharp hearing catching Toshiro's accusation. He turned toward Toshiro, his voice urgent with disbelief and anger.
The group was small because the majority of the clan members had taken refuge in Konoha Prison, protecting the elderly, the weak, women, and children.
"Asuka, I'll leave Itachi in your care!"
With the same indifference as tossing an object, Toshiro hurled Itachi to the ground at Asuka's feet.
'This kid should be grateful to his father for possessing the Mangekyo Sharingan,' Toshiro thought grimly. 'If I hadn't needed his abilities for tonight's battle, I would have ended him on the spot.'
"I am deeply ashamed," Fugaku said, his voice heavy with sorrow as he looked at his eldest son lying motionless at Asuka's feet. The weight of Itachi's actions seemed to age him further.
Even as a father, Fugaku could not hide his regret. Bowing deeply to the surrounding clansmen, he silently conveyed his apology.
"Let it go for now. He's just a 13-year-old child," Toshiro interjected coldly. "Let's focus on dealing with the situation at hand. We can decide his fate later."
Toshiro dismissed Fugaku's apology without a second thought. To him, the fallen bodies of the clan members strewn around them were the ones truly deserving of repentance.
Toshiro's gaze shifted to Danzo, his eyes cold and unyielding.
"Shimura Danzo, it seems the time has come to settle all the grudges we've carried for so many years!"
Danzo sneered, his tone laced with disdain. "Hmph, everything I've done has been for the stability of Konoha. You Uchiha never understood that. Enough talk—eliminate them all! Leave no one alive!"
Danzo's command was met with the resolute cries of the Uchiha, their voices unified in hatred and defiance.
"Kill!"
The battle erupted in an instant, the two sides splitting into opposing camps. At the forefront stood Toshiro and Shimura Danzo, leading their respective forces into a chaotic clash at the gates of the Uchiha compound.
Yet, it quickly became apparent that the Uchiha were at a disadvantage.
Their smaller numbers were a significant hindrance, but the real issue lay in their lack of preparation. The hastily rearmed clan members found themselves struggling against the seasoned Root operatives, who were far better equipped for this kind of conflict.
"Kill them! Eliminate all these mindless lackeys!"
The battlefield was filled with chaos as shurikens, kunai, and powerful ninjutsu tore through the air. Former comrades who had once fought side by side now turned their weapons against one another.
Amidst the fray, Uchiha Fugaku fought with exceptional valor. Witnessing the betrayal of his eldest son seemed to ignite a newfound sense of responsibility as the head of the Uchiha clan. Without hesitation, he joined the frontlines, leading by example.
Fugaku wasn't alone in his efforts. Toshiro's shadow clones also played a critical role, dominating the Root members with overwhelming force. Their sheer effectiveness ensured the clan had a significant advantage.
With Fugaku and Toshiro spearheading the attack and the other clan members working together to contain the Root forces, victory was within sight. The so-called Root elites were being systematically dismantled.
"We can't let this continue!"
As the bodies of Root members fell one after another around him, and with Toshiro's true form standing before him amidst the growing pile of corpses, Danzo's face turned visibly pale.
"What's this? Thinking of using the Mangekyo?"
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