Chapter 180: An Uneasy Day
"What kind of eyes are those?" Hyūga Ayaka steadied her emotions before finally asking.
She stared at the vacant figure of Uchiha Yuu, floating inside the life-support chamber.
Although his gaze was hollow and lifeless, the aura emanating from him felt like that of a primordial beast, making Ayaka's heart tighten involuntarily.
Almost by reflex, she activated her Byakugan.
In her sight, Yuu's body had become translucent, leaving only the network of tenketsu and a terrifying sea of chakra.
The sheer volume of that chakra nearly made her gasp. How could someone with such monstrous reserves end up in this pitiful state?
"Mangekyō Sharingan," Uchiha Kei said calmly as he lowered his hand. At the same time, Yuu's eyes slowly closed again.
To make this woman more obedient—and more willing to cooperate in his future plans—Kei did not mind showing her a glimpse of what lay beyond the ordinary.
Besides, she needed the right kind of shock to understand the scale of what he was pursuing. If she was going to be useful, she had to believe.
Ayaka had never even heard of the Mangekyō Sharingan; it was a secret locked away from her generation of Hyūga. This allowed Kei plenty of freedom to "educate" her as he pleased.
"Mangekyō Sharingan…" Ayaka muttered under her breath. "So terrifying… those eyes…"
"Of course," Kei nodded slightly. "They are a higher evolution of the Sharingan. But to awaken them, one must pay an unbearable price. With them, even a cripple could possess the power to assassinate a Hokage—provided it was a sneak attack, of course."
"Then… does that mean the Byakugan also has a higher form?" Ayaka caught onto his implication instantly. "And if so… could that higher form be the key to breaking free of the Caged Bird?"
"Exactly," Kei said firmly, his tone filled with conviction. "Otherwise, tell me—how could the Hyūga have stood alongside the Uchiha and the Senju during the Warring States era? Reconnaissance alone could never have been enough."
The branch family seal, he argued, likely existed to prevent such higher forms from appearing among the lesser bloodlines. But now…
Now, even the so-called main family had lost that kind of power. What justification did they still have to suppress the branch house?
Kei didn't need to say more. Ayaka understood his meaning clearly.
For the first time, she felt her heart stir. His reasoning was plausible, and the living proof he had shown her—Yuu's eyes—was undeniable.
If the Uchiha could achieve such evolution, then why couldn't the Hyūga, who had always been their equals?
And yet…
"You just said," Ayaka's eyes narrowed slightly, "that even a cripple could kill a Hokage with those eyes. Then why are you still fine? And more importantly… if you already have such eyes, how can you resist using them?"
Kei only smiled faintly and did not answer. Instead, he closed his eyes.
When they opened again, the three tomoe of his Sharingan had fused together, transforming into an eerie, rotating pattern of triangular blades.
---
Meanwhile, in Uchiha Fugaku's chamber…
"Itachi, I hear you went to see Kei today?" Fugaku asked, his voice steady though his heart was not.
Father and son sat across from one another, but Fugaku could not shake his unease.
Earlier, he had received word that his son had gone to the Police Force to meet Kei—the boy who unsettled even him. Worse, Kei had taken Itachi into the forest, and they had been alone for over five minutes.
Five minutes. For someone who wielded the Mangekyō Sharingan, that was more than enough time to alter everything.
Fugaku still remembered, with a chill, the day Kei had dispelled his genjutsu. Even if it had been partly his own carelessness, Kei had still managed it. That was no small feat.
"Yes, Father," Itachi admitted honestly, his voice calm despite a flicker of fear. "You arranged Kei-sensei as my teacher. I had many doubts weighing on me… so I went to him for answers."
"Ah…" Fugaku exhaled heavily. He regretted speaking too freely before his son. He knew well Itachi's stubborn curiosity.
But regret would not undo what had already happened. He needed to know exactly what Kei had told his son—and whether Kei had done something more.
"What did he say to you?" Fugaku asked, suppressing the storm in his chest. "Did he… open his Sharingan?"
"His Sharingan? No. Why would you ask that?" Itachi tilted his head slightly, confused.
"Actually," he continued after a pause, "I asked Kei-sensei how a war hero like him views war itself."
Fugaku froze. That was not the question he had expected at all.
It was a question even most adults—let alone children—could not truly grasp.
"And… what was his answer?" Fugaku asked at last, his curiosity sharpening.
Itachi hesitated, then repeated the words exactly as he had heard them:
"Kei-sensei said: War is never an isolated event. It is always an extension of politics."
Fugaku listened silently, but inside, his heart surged like a storm.
That boy Kei… had he truly grasped the essence of war itself?
He could see beyond hatred, beyond grudges and tangled feuds—piercing through the narrowness of his own position to recognize the true face of war.
Was this really a child born from a "marginal branch family"?
Was this truly just a boy of thirteen or fourteen?
Suddenly, Fugaku recalled the words Uchiha Kei had once spoken to his son:
"Your position and your vision determine what you can—or cannot—see."
It was true. His son wasn't yet qualified to grasp such things. But then again—how many in the whole of Konoha could break through those limits of perspective?
Could it be… that this boy had placed himself on a higher plane from the very beginning?
"What an ambitious little brat…" Fugaku let out a quiet sigh before turning to Itachi. "And what about you? How do you see it?"
"I don't know, Father." Itachi lowered his head. "It's difficult for me to truly understand Teacher Kei's words. And besides, he said… he does not yet acknowledge me."
"You're too young. It's natural he wouldn't recognize you." Fugaku nodded. "But remember Kei's words well—and tell no one of them. No one. Not even Shisui. Do you understand?"
"I…" Itachi hesitated, but finally bowed his head. "I understand, Father."
Fugaku knew well how close his son was to Shisui, that talented youth said to be the descendant of Uchiha Kagami. His ability was undeniable, but Shisui had been nurtured by the clan's three elders—elders who consistently advocated peaceful coexistence with Konoha.
That was the only reason Fugaku had allowed their closeness. But he could guess all too clearly the kinds of ideals that boy had been taught.
Knock, knock, knock.
The sound of the door being struck drew Fugaku from his thoughts. He gave a wry smile. As clan head and commander of the Police Force, his time was never truly his own—affairs and burdens were endless.
Glancing at his son, he decided their conversation had gone far enough for today.
Though he disliked how early Kei had exposed Itachi to such dark truths, perhaps it was not all bad. Better to understand the shadows sooner, even if it cast an early pall over the child's innocence.
"Go now. And remember what I've told you." Fugaku paused, then added: "For now, Kei will never acknowledge you. So do not seek him out again. Grow stronger. Earn his recognition through your own power."
"Yes, Father." Itachi bowed deeply. "I will work hard to gain Teacher Kei's acknowledgment."
With that, he rose and opened the door—only to find a black-clad Uchiha ninja standing outside, a man he didn't recognize.
The stranger gave Itachi a respectful bow, then silently moved past him into the room.
Itachi watched him go, unsettled by the cold aura clinging to the man. He shook his head. Perhaps he was imagining things. Closing the door behind him, Itachi walked toward his own room. He needed time to reflect on everything he'd heard today.
Inside, Fugaku looked at the man who had entered, surprised.
"Why are you here? Shouldn't you be watching over the laboratory?"
It was Uchiha Sō, his most loyal shadow—a man assigned to him when Fugaku was still young, trained and raised as his personal retainer. There were sixteen such men in total, each trusted above all others, each his unseen hand.
And right now, they were meant to be carrying out a crucial mission. None of them should be here.
"Clan Head."
Uchiha Sō walked forward, then abruptly dropped to his knees. Drawing a blade, he pressed it against his abdomen.
"Clan Head, I have committed a grave mistake. I beg you—grant me death, so that your plan will not be compromised."
"Mistake?" Fugaku's brow furrowed sharply. An ominous weight settled over him.
Today… was anything but a peaceful day.