Chapter 53: Uchiha Akira and Fugaku's Brief Confrontation
The stone path leading to the Clan Head's residence was one Uchiha Akira had walked not long ago, but this time, his purpose was completely different. He came for the final negotiation, or rather, the final ultimatum. If he could persuade Uchiha Fugaku to hand over power smoothly, it would save a lot of trouble.
Inside the study, Uchiha Fugaku sat upright in the main seat. A delicate tea set steamed gently in front of him. "Sit," Fugaku gestured.
Akira sat opposite him, their gazes meeting. "Clan Head Fugaku, you should understand why I'm here." Akira went straight to the point without any pretense.
Fugaku was silent for a moment, then picked up his teacup and took a slow sip. "Akira, you've done very well. The efficiency of the Police Force, the family's assets, and those children who have awakened their Sharingan... I've seen all of it. The changes you've brought to the family far exceed my expectations."
Akira didn't speak, just waited quietly for him to continue.
"However, the position of Clan Head is different," Fugaku's voice deepened. "I cannot hand it over to you."
"Reason." Akira only asked two words, simple and direct.
"Because this is the glory of my Uchiha Fugaku's lineage, a responsibility passed down by our ancestors. I can tolerate you usurping my power; I can let you implement your reforms, but this position symbolizes the legitimacy of the Uchiha. I cannot abandon this glory while it is in my hands."
After Fugaku finished, his black eyes calmly looked at Akira, and a certain pressure seemed to condense within them. Akira merely chuckled softly, his laughter exceptionally clear in the silent study. "Glory? A Clan Head who is manipulated by the Konoha higher-ups and can't even protect his own clansmen, what glory is there to speak of? Fugaku, your era is over."
Uchiha Fugaku slowly shook his head, his eyes becoming deep and complex. "Do you truly understand the burden behind the words 'Clan Head'? Do you think my concessions all these years were truly just because of weakness?"
A flicker of extremely complex and hard-to-understand light flashed in Fugaku's eyes. "To protect the family, some powers cannot be easily used. Some sacrifices are beyond your imagination. Akira, you are too radical. You only see the changes brought by power, but you don't see the abyss behind it that could swallow the entire family. Stop now. Before you push the Uchiha into an irreversible situation."
These words were Uchiha Fugaku's final admonition as Clan Head. Fugaku's aura surged with his words, and an invisible pressure began to envelop the entire study. "Akira, as Clan Head, I am not without trump cards! Therefore, maintaining the current state is good for both you and me."
The moment his voice fell, Fugaku's eyes underwent a shocking transformation. Within his dark pupils, 3 tomoe spun rapidly, finally merging into a brand new Mangekyō Sharingan. The air in the entire study seemed to solidify.
"Akira, you are too young." The moment his voice fell, the world in Akira's perception suddenly twisted and collapsed. The study disappeared. The scent of tea and wood vanished without a trace.
Akira found himself in a grand, almost oppressive, enormous hall. Under his feet were cold, smooth black flagstones, and giant stone statues stood all around, each carved with an ancestor from Uchiha history. Countless pairs of scarlet eyes opened in the shadows of the hall. This was Uchiha Fugaku's genjutsu world, an absolute domain constructed by his will.
"Here, I am the rule. Kneel. Kneel to the Uchiha's bloodline and glory."
Pressure descended from all directions, attempting to break Akira's spine. However, he simply stood quietly. His body didn't tremble in the slightest, and his expression remained unchanged.
Akira raised his head and scoffed. "Is that all? Fugaku, your capacity, your vision, it's only limited to this. Is this the trump card you, as Clan Head, have hidden for decades? Truly… pathetic."
In Akira's eyes, 3 dark tomoe spun wildly, finally converging into a Mangekyō Sharingan.
[Buzz!]
"This is impossible!"
[Crack... crack…]
Cracks rapidly spread across the illusionary world, and finally, it shattered with a crash. Immediately after, flames soared into the sky, ruins and broken walls were everywhere, and the terrified screams and dying wails of clansmen filled the air.
Uchiha Fugaku was horrified to find that he was no longer the high and mighty judge, but stood in the center of this living hell. His wife, Uchiha Mikoto, lay at his feet, a cold short sword plunged into her chest. Her eyes stared blankly at the sky. His clansmen, those Police Force members who had sworn allegiance to him, those women and children who had greeted him on the streets, were now cold corpses.
"No! No—!" Fugaku let out a scream of extreme pain, more despairing than any torture. He tried to reach out and touch his wife's face but found his hands covered in the blood of his clansmen.
"See clearly, Fugaku." Uchiha Akira's voice echoed faintly in his ear. Unbeknownst to him, Akira was already standing in front of him. "This is the future I see in your eyes. Your so-called forbearance, your so-called protection, will ultimately lead to this outcome. Your weakness, your compromise, your naivety, will ultimately drag the entire family into an abyss of no return."
The Akira in the illusion slowly extended his hand and gently placed it on Fugaku's shoulder. "Your Mangekyō sees a past that has long since decayed. But my eyes see a future that is bound to unfold. Now, are you still going to use your trump card to stop me?"
[Boom!]
The entire genjutsu world completely collapsed. Light and shadows twisted, sounds rewound. The study was still the same. The tea on the table was still warm, emitting wisps of steam. It was as if the thrilling genjutsu battle just now was merely a dream.
[Pfft.]
Uchiha Fugaku suddenly spat out a large mouthful of blood, staining the wooden tea table. He clutched his eyes tightly, and trickles of blood seeped uncontrollably from between his fingers, dripping onto the expensive tatami mat. Fugaku was horrified; the genjutsu he had cast was so vulnerable in front of this young man. It was even easily seized, invaded, rewritten, and then used to backfire on him by the opponent.
"You…"
Akira slowly stood up, looking down at the man who had completely lost all pride and strength. "3 days from now, the clan meeting. Make a dignified choice, and voluntarily cede the position of Clan Head. Otherwise…" Akira's voice paused. "I don't mind giving you a dignified exit in front of many clansmen."
After speaking, he no longer looked at Fugaku, turned, and left.
After a long while, "Dignified?" Uchiha Fugaku slowly stood up, carefully wiping the bloodstains and tea stains from his hands with a white silk cloth. "I, Uchiha Fugaku, as Clan Head, have governed the clan for over a decade. I don't need you to grant me dignity."
An invisible aura of majesty rose again from the man. This was the last pride of an Uchiha who possessed the Mangekyō Sharingan.