"Fugaku, you need to act fast. It's best if you contact the village right away. Ki... he's gone mad. That kind of plan could never work—even if he managed to obtain those eyes…"
Uchiha Kei was visibly distraught.
After returning home and thinking it over for a long time, he ultimately decided to secretly meet with Fugaku and lay bare Uchiha Ki's entire plan—hoping Fugaku would step in and put a stop to it.
Upon hearing the elder's words, Fugaku couldn't help but feel a pang of regret deep inside.
If only…
If only he had listened to Shisui back then and dealt with those elders outright—especially Uchiha Ki, who had already been driven out. If he'd done that, things wouldn't have spiraled to this point.
But now…
There was no use regretting.
Fugaku stood up and said, "Elder, go back for now. I'll summon the members of the Police Force immediately. You head back and see if you can gather more details about their plan. If things get dangerous, head straight to the Police Force HQ—they'll protect you."
"…Fine."
Uchiha Kei's mouth twitched. He wasn't exactly thrilled.
At a time like this—
You're sending me back?
Are you just hoping I drop dead?
Still…
He understood what Fugaku was thinking—he probably suspected that Kei was one of Uchiha Ki's spies, trying to earn trust by leaking intel, only to later take Itachi away.
But come on…
It hadn't come to that.
Forget it…
He sighed and once again reminded, "Fugaku, if you're going to act, you have to be decisive. Take them down quickly. Otherwise, the Uchiha might face yet another catastrophe. And as for the village…"
"I understand,"
Fugaku said solemnly, nodding with conviction.
Back then, the reason the Uchiha couldn't win the full trust of the other Konoha clans and the leadership wasn't just due to the influence of Tobirama Senju—it was because they had just staged a rebellion.
Otherwise…
Given the state of the other clans, it wasn't impossible to win over some supporters.
But now…
Just as relations between the Uchiha and Konoha were finally beginning to ease—on the verge of entering a honeymoon phase—another uprising at this critical moment would completely strip the Police Force of what little voice it had left.
Fugaku could allow members from other clans to join the Police Force, but no matter what, he was unwilling to give up his command—at least…
Not yet.
He stood up to leave, but after a moment's hesitation, he went upstairs and opened the door to Itachi's room.
Itachi had just fallen asleep.
"Fugaku, what's going on? I thought I heard—"
"It's nothing. The elders might have caused a bit of trouble. I'm taking Itachi to the Police Force."
As Fugaku spoke, he moved to open the door. Then he turned to Mikoto and said, "You're coming too. It's not safe at home right now."
"…Is it really that serious?" Mikoto was surprised.
He called it "a bit of trouble," but it didn't sound like that at all—it felt more like an outright rebellion.
Still, she knew better than to ask too much at a time like this. She instinctively asked, then immediately turned and started packing.
There wasn't much to take.
Money and such didn't matter as much; it was the ninjutsu scrolls and certain clan documents that were more important. Fugaku didn't stop her—he entered and woke Itachi.
Then, he led them out toward the Police Force.
However…
They hadn't gotten far before they sensed a group of ninja heading their way.
"Damn!"
Fugaku's face changed. He immediately picked up the pace.
Itachi had no idea what was happening.
He looked completely confused. Mikoto ran behind him, whispering reassurances, while Fugaku's face remained grim and silent.
Uchiha Ki had acted this quickly?
Impossible!
Fugaku was shaken. This situation was nowhere near what he had anticipated.
In his mind…
Even if Uchiha Ki realized Kei had betrayed him, he would at least take some time to regroup. But in reality, it had been less than a minute since Kei left the house.
That guy's intel network was that good?
Was there a spy?
Fugaku's thoughts were a mess, but now wasn't the time to worry about that. He had only one goal—
Get to the Police Force—fast!
—
"Compared to Fugaku, Uchiha Ki is far more decisive now—and strangely, he doesn't act like his usual self. I recall the ANBU files describing Uchiha Ki as someone with little initiative, always going along with the crowd."
Mukai sounded puzzled.
Sure, getting thrown out of the council by Fugaku had spread across ANBU and the major clans—but that shouldn't be enough to completely change someone's personality, right?
Kyoichi chuckled. "Good. That kind of observation means you're developing the first quality necessary to become an ANBU captain."
"Uh, you flatter me, sir. I was just saying what seemed strange."
Mukai scratched his head awkwardly.
"No, you're right. This Uchiha Ki isn't ordinary."
"You mean… someone's really behind him?"
"Not necessarily. The Sharingan is an incredibly mysterious power. You mentioned earlier his eye area had an abnormally strong chakra signature—maybe an extreme emotional shift triggered some kind of change."
Kyoichi said.
Mukai recalled the ANBU records he had read, thinking back to everything known about the Uchiha. But there wasn't much documentation.
Only—
"Could it be the legendary Mangekyō Sharingan—said to have belonged only to Uchiha Madara?"
Mukai gasped, then quickly lowered his voice.
"Unclear."
Intense emotion could indeed awaken the Mangekyō, but based on what he'd seen, Kyoichi doubted that Uchiha Ki had achieved it.
If he had, Madara wouldn't need to manipulate anyone else—he could've just taken Ki directly.
He might be old, but the Mangekyō was a legacy that could always be passed down. With it, any Uchiha could be molded into a weapon.
So…
Most likely, Ki was just weak. He hadn't awakened it yet—his ocular power had only grown a bit. With Madara and Black Zetsu helping, his strength had probably improved somewhat.
Still—
Not enough to be feared.
Unless someone had the complete form of Susanoo, Kyoichi wasn't particularly worried—and even Madara couldn't do that right now.
His original eyes were with Nagato. The ones he had now were likely looted three-tomoe Sharingan from the war.
And three tomoe weren't enough to use Susanoo.
Uchiha Ki…
Probably wasn't worthy of reaching that level.
"Sir, it's chaos now. Fugaku fled with his wife and kid. They're heading to the Police Force. When should we intervene?"
"I know. Owl hasn't returned yet. Let them suffer a bit first."
Kyoichi sneered coldly.
A bunch of fair-weather traitors, betting everything on Fugaku strengthening the Uchiha—well, this time they'd learn exactly how unreliable he was.
As for Itachi…
Though Shisui didn't train him for long, he'd said Itachi understood most things now.
Even if Madara's target was Itachi, there was still hope of turning him.
And as for Obito…
Still a fool. Even if he got taken away, he wasn't a threat.
From Kyoichi's sensory perspective, Fugaku, Mikoto, and Itachi were fleeing in desperation—paying the price for Fugaku's indecisiveness.
He had ignored both Shisui's and Kei's warnings.
And perfectly avoided the right choice.
—
"They're catching up. Take Itachi and run to the Police Force. I'll hold them off."
Fugaku glanced behind.
Uchiha Ki's men had already appeared.
He felt a pang of regret.
If he'd left the moment the elder spoke, they'd probably have made it to safety by now.
A moment's hesitation, a mile of consequence.
Now…
He had no choice but to stay behind and buy time for Mikoto and Itachi.
"Hmph, Uchiha Fugaku. You're not my target. Get out of the way."
"As long as I'm here, you won't get past."
The three tomoe glowed in Fugaku's eyes.
But—
Uchiha Ki burst into manic laughter, madness etched across his face. "Since you're so eager to die—don't blame me!"
As soon as the words left his mouth—
His tomoe spun.
Fugaku dared not match gazes. Kei had said Ki's ocular power had surged—dangerously close to Mangekyō.
In a genjutsu duel, he would lose.
So—
He avoided eye contact and unleashed a Great Fireball Jutsu.
He wasn't aiming to kill—only to create a signal. Hopefully, someone at the Police Force would see it and come early.
But—
In a flash, Ki appeared at his side.
Fugaku's eyes widened.
Impossible!
That speed…
He quickly swapped with a substitution jutsu—but more Uchiha clan members rushed in.
"You're really going to follow Ki into madness?!"
"…"
No one answered. All wore masks, attacking silently and viciously.
Fugaku felt a wave of despair.
Ki's strength had somehow surged. Even one-on-one, he wasn't sure he could win—let alone against this group.
But then—
He saw Ki vanish from the front line—then reappear far away.
He's going after Itachi?
That…
Much obsession?
"At least the Police Force must've seen the commotion by now. They're probably coming. Mikoto and Itachi should be safe… No, they don't know how strong Ki is now."
Fugaku's heart dropped.
He tried to chase after them—but masked attackers swarmed around him. These clan members fought without fear of death, their strikes ruthless. Even he couldn't break through.
And up ahead—
The Police Force had noticed and was rushing over, but Ki's speed outpaced them.
He reached Mikoto and Itachi first.
"Mikoto, don't struggle. Give me Itachi. I'll raise him into a great shinobi—a new leader of the Uchiha!"
Ki smiled.
"Never!"
Mikoto pulled out a kunai and readied herself, shielding Itachi behind her.
"I don't want to kill you, so… go to sleep."
Ki said calmly.
The next moment—
Genjutsu activated.
Itachi watched as his mother collapsed. His eyes filled with panic and confusion—he still couldn't mold chakra or break illusions.
But then—
A figure appeared.
"I don't know exactly what's happening here, but Uchiha Ki—if you dare lay a hand on Uchiha Mikoto, shall I consider you a traitor?"
***************************
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