The Uchiha's Fury

Inside the Uchiha Clan Compound.

Having just returned from a meeting at the Hokage Building, where they had been thoroughly angered, the Uchiha immediately convened another emergency Clan Meeting upon returning to the compound.

"Clan Head, Shisui can't be found anywhere in the village!"

"Something may have already happened to Shisui."

"This definitely has something to do with Shimura Danzō."

"Not just Shimura Danzō. The Konoha Higher-ups must be involved too. Otherwise, they wouldn't have let Shimura Danzō throw this filth at us Uchiha."

"Clan Head, we can't wait any longer. It's Shisui now. Next time, it'll be all of us Uchiha."

Those qualified to speak at the Clan Meeting were no ordinary clansmen. Most were Uchiha elites who had awakened the Three-Tomoe Sharingan. With their opinions now unified, even Uchiha Fugaku, the clan head, had to take them seriously.

Moreover, what had happened today had truly touched the Uchiha's reverse scale. Shisui had vanished, Danzo had been attacked, and while Shimura Danzō kept insisting that foreign enemies had infiltrated Konoha, he had pointed the spearhead at the Uchiha, claiming that someone among them had colluded with the enemy and betrayed the village, intending rebellion. He demanded a thorough investigation of the Uchiha Clan Compound.

If it had merely been Shimura Danzō making trouble without reason, that would have been one thing. The key was that Sarutobi Hiruzen and several other Konoha Higher-ups had actually tacitly approved of Shimura Danzō's claims. Tomorrow, they would send Anbu into the Uchiha compound to investigate.

This was no longer just ostracizing the Uchiha. They were openly slapping the Uchiha in the face.

The Konoha Military Police Force's main duty had always been to maintain public security and stability within Konoha, formulate the village's rules, reinforce and preserve order and security in the Hidden Leaf Village, and arrest people and shinobi with criminal intentions. Yet now they were suspected of colluding with enemies and betraying the village. It was utterly absurd.

This time, it was not only the Radical Faction. Even many members of the Conservative Faction could no longer endure it.

"Clan Head, are we really going to let those people enter the compound?"

"They're humiliating us Uchiha!"

The clansmen were so agitated that the Sharingan in their eyes lit up one after another, radiating cold killing intent.

Under the gaze of so many red eyes, Uchiha Fugaku's mood grew heavy as well. His normally stern face had gained traces of gloom and irritation.

He was furious over what had happened today too. The Konoha Higher-ups had completely treated the Uchiha as outsiders. Yet instinctively, he felt cold all over, as though he had fallen into an ice pit.

When Shimura Danzō accused the Uchiha of plotting rebellion, his eyes had been utterly certain, as though it were already an established fact. And Sarutobi Hiruzen's expression had shown little surprise.

Thinking back to the Clan Meeting more than a month ago, he understood.

Someone had leaked the clan's intelligence!

Someone had secretly informed the Konoha Higher-ups that the clan's Radical Faction intended to stage a coup. That was why Sarutobi Hiruzen, as Hokage, wanted to use this opportunity to suppress the Uchiha once more.

Uchiha Fugaku immediately thought of Uchiha Shisui.

Shisui had always been a representative figure of the Conservative Faction and its backbone. He had always been close to Sarutobi Hiruzen. At the Clan Meeting, Uchiha Shisui's stance on the coup had been extremely firm. It was also because Uchiha Shisui existed that the Conservative Faction had opposed the coup, believing that reconciliation between the Uchiha and the village was still possible.

Once, Fugaku had thought so too.

But...

Uchiha Fugaku looked at the clansmen who had once stood with the Conservative Faction and opposed the coup. Now, every one of them looked fierce and murderous.

Shisui's disappearance at such a critical moment had far too great an impact on the Uchiha.

At the same time, he glanced at Uchiha Itachi, his eldest son and currently the only member of the Uchiha Clan to have joined the Konoha Anbu.

He was also one of the suspects in betraying the clan!

Though the other party wore an equally grim expression, Uchiha Fugaku could not see any anger in his eldest son.

Itachi, what exactly are you thinking?

Even after the clan has suffered such humiliation, you still feel no anger?

Uchiha Fugaku suddenly felt exhausted. Whether as clan head or as a father, he had failed at both.

"Quiet!"

Uchiha Fugaku stopped the clansmen's clamor. If this continued, they would not come up with anything useful even after discussing it all night.

"Shisui's situation is still unclear. Before we uncover the truth, no one is to act rashly!"

As soon as Uchiha Fugaku spoke, all the Uchiha clansmen present turned to look at him, their expressions varied.

There was disappointment, humiliation, anger...

Naturally, he saw every expression on their faces. But what else could he do? As an Uchiha, he was naturally furious that the clan had been treated this way. Yet as clan head, he had to remain rational.

The Uchiha were already under suspicion from the Konoha Higher-ups. At a time like this, they absolutely could not act rashly again. Otherwise, the Konoha Higher-ups would surely seize the chance to move against the Uchiha Clan.

A coup also required sufficient strength. With Shisui gone, the odds of success were slim.

Uchiha Fugaku looked at Uchiha Itachi and asked, "Itachi, you've been operating in the Anbu. Have you heard anything about Shisui?"

Feeling the gathered gazes upon him, Uchiha Itachi shook his head.

"Then have you heard anything about the Konoha Higher-ups targeting the Uchiha?"

This time, Uchiha Itachi hesitated for a moment. He thought of the task recently assigned by the Third Hokage: closely monitor the movements within the Uchiha Clan and report the contents of every Clan Meeting to the Konoha Higher-ups.

Although he was also deeply worried about Uchiha Shisui, and suspected that Shimura Danzō might have secretly set his sights on Shisui's eyes, because he knew about Shisui's Mangekyō Sharingan and knew that the Konoha Higher-ups knew Shisui possessed the Mangekyō Sharingan.

But he also remembered Shisui's warning and Konoha's Will of Fire. He could not harm the village because of the clan.

"No."

"..."

Uchiha Fugaku fell silent, looking complicatedly at the son in whom he had placed such high hopes.

He had originally arranged for Itachi to join the Anbu in hopes that Itachi could use his position to provide the clan with intelligence on the Konoha Higher-ups. Yet now, it seemed the outcome had been reversed.

"Itachi! Do you still have the clan in your eyes at all?"

Everyone present was an elite of the Uchiha Clan. Though Uchiha Itachi had hesitated for only an instant, several clansmen had seen through it and glared at him furiously.

Uchiha Itachi remained silent. Even Shisui could not make these arrogant people change their minds. How could he possibly persuade them?

Conflict could not solve anything. An Uchiha coup would only leave Konoha even weaker and breed more hatred.

"Uchiha Itachi, you..."

"Enough!"

Several Uchiha clansmen wanted to say more, but Fugaku barked angrily. The Three-Tomoe Sharingan in his eyes spun, and a powerful aura erupted from him. The pressure of his Sharingan instantly suppressed the other clansmen present. His Sharingan was far more powerful than a Three-Tomoe Sharingan.

This was the bearing of "Fierce Eye Fugaku."

The Uchiha differed from the Hyuga. As a clan that revered the strong and pursued power, bloodline alone could never secure the position of clan head. Every head of the Uchiha Clan had to possess the strength to crush their own kin and a formidable reputation.

Uchiha Fugaku was exactly such a man.

No one spoke again. They merely continued to glare at Uchiha Itachi.

Uchiha Itachi's brow furrowed as well. He did not care about what the clansmen thought of him. He was thinking about something else.

The pressure that had just come from his father felt very similar to Shisui's.