Chapter 46: Uchiha Fugaku's Mangekyō
Inside Uchiha Fugaku's study, the tea on the table was already cold, without a trace of warmth—just like his state of mind at this moment.
As the head of the Uchiha Clan and the captain of the Konoha Guard Team, he should have been the most authoritative presence in this clan land. However, now, Uchiha Fugaku felt an unprecedented sense of powerlessness. His authority was slipping away.
Shisui's death shattered the Dove Faction's last illusion and also broke the tacit understanding between Fugaku and the Village's higher-ups. What made Fugaku feel even more helpless were Uchiha Akira's subsequent actions—swift and unstoppable.
Akira's domineering nature caught Fugaku by surprise. Akira, using methods Fugaku had never thought of and even dared not think of, forcefully unified the long-standing Hawk and Dove Factions within just a few days. Currently, the Uchiha outwardly still honored him as their head, but Fugaku knew in his heart that the true voice now belonged to the Elder named Uchiha Akira.
His position as clan head was being hollowed out. No, it should be said that, apart from a few trusted aides, his position as the Uchiha Clan head had already been removed from the Uchiha's center of power.
It was laughable that, even now, Fugaku still held illusions about the Village and the Third Hokage deep down. Is it ridiculous? But Uchiha Fugaku thought exactly that. He always felt that things hadn't reached the point where they had to break ties, and there was still room for a turnaround. Perhaps the Third Hokage would offer the Uchiha a way out, and both sides could mend their relationship.
But Uchiha Akira's displayed strength and his increasingly fervent, almost fanatical influence within the clan shattered Fugaku's illusions. Because in this situation, the relationship between the Uchiha and the Village would only become more tense.
Uchiha Fugaku summoned the Elders and trusted aides loyal to the clan head's lineage to discuss countermeasures.
"Lord Fugaku… we…" An Elder wanted to say something, but it ultimately turned into a long sigh, his cloudy eyes filled with dejection. The other Elders and trusted aides bowed their heads, not daring to meet Fugaku's gaze.
"Most of the young people in the clan now look up to Elder Akira as a role model!"
"Even Elder Yashiro… has chosen Elder Akira."
Finally, the few Elders could only sigh helplessly. Morale had long since vanished. Fugaku understood that these old comrades were not disloyal, but rather, they dared not resist. Most of the clan's power was controlled by Akira, making resistance impossible. Furthermore, Akira's strength was immense; in the face of absolute power, any persistence seemed pale and ridiculous.
His position as clan head was already precarious. No, he couldn't sit idly by any longer.
Fugaku took a deep breath, forcing himself to regain his composure. As the clan head, he did not wish to see the Uchiha completely break with Konoha and descend into the abyss of war. To hand the family's destiny to such a radical, domineering young man felt like personally handing an incredibly sharp knife to a child whose actions were unpredictable.
Just then, a Guard Team confidant delivered a scroll. It was the Guard Team's recent mission report and a brief financial summary of the clan. The scroll clearly stated: Since Uchiha Akira's "Efficiency Optimization Pilot Program" was implemented, the completion rate of D-rank and C-rank missions undertaken by the clan increased by 20%. The efficiency of conflict resolution in the Guard Team's patrol areas increased by 35%. The monthly profit of the clan's affiliated shops also showed significant growth compared to the previous month. Most importantly, the casualty rate of clan members on missions dropped to its lowest point in the last five years.
These concrete numbers proved that Akira's leadership was correct, and the clan had indeed benefited. Uchiha Fugaku wanted to deny it but could find no reason to. He found that all he could do was wait. Wait for the final showdown to arrive.
Night fell.
Uchiha Fugaku looked at the Uchiha fan crest on the wall, a symbol of Uchiha glory. Deep within his eyes, three black tomoe slowly rotated.
To resist, or to concede.
Uchiha Fugaku was in a dilemma. Resistance meant he had to use his deepest hidden trump card—to forcefully suppress the tide Akira had stirred up in the name of the clan head. The cost of doing so? The family would inevitably split, kin would fight kin, and blood would flow like rivers. A clan consumed by internal strife would only appear weaker and more easily manipulated in the eyes of Konoha's higher-ups. Ultimately, he might regain authority, but what he would gain would only be a shattered, severely weakened family. He, Uchiha Fugaku, would become a sinner of the Uchiha.
What about abdicating and letting a worthy successor take over? Completely entrusting the Uchiha's future to that young man he couldn't see through. This could avoid civil war and preserve the family's strength. But Akira's radical and domineering nature almost certainly meant he would lead the clan into the most brutal clash with Konoha. That too was war, and that too was an abyss. The tragedy Fugaku had spent half his life trying to avoid seemed inescapable, no matter what.
Fugaku's thoughts involuntarily drifted back to many years ago. The Third Ninja World War. Cold rain mixed with warm blood, and beneath his feet were countless corpses and severed limbs.
"Fugaku! Go!" A close friend, also a teammate from Fugaku's squad, shielded him with his body, taking a fatal blow for him.
"Why… why for me…"
"Because… you are the captain… you are the future of the Uchiha…"
Blood gushed from his friend's mouth, and the breath of life rapidly faded. "Live… take our… Uchiha's… hope…" Those eyes, once shining, completely lost their luster.
At that moment, endless sorrow and hatred transformed into the most extreme emotional torrent, washing over Fugaku's eyes. Excruciating pain struck. The three tomoe in his vision spun wildly, elongated, and merged.
The awakening of the Mangekyō Sharingan came at a heavy price. It was born from the death of his close friend, proof of Uchiha Fugaku's powerlessness. From that day on, Fugaku detested war, feared war. He deeply hid these eyes, never mentioning them to anyone.
The candlelight in the study flickered. Uchiha Fugaku slowly closed his eyes. Using these eyes to oppose Akira would be tantamount to personally pushing the family into the quagmire of civil war, replaying the tragedy he hated most. Fugaku couldn't do it.
But doing nothing, watching Akira lead the family into a war with all of Konoha, what difference would that make from him personally pushing them down? This thought lingered in Uchiha Fugaku's mind, refusing to leave.