After the Uchiha Clan moved to the outskirts of Konoha, they were farther from the village center, but their territory had grown considerably.
As the Uchiha Clan's leader, Uchiha Fugaku didn't live extravagantly, but even he had a fairly large house, if only to maintain the dignity of his position.
The rooms were spacious, but the place felt cold and empty. There were no servants. Ordinary people wouldn't come to the Uchiha compound, and the Uchiha Clan wouldn't make servants of their own.
At least when it came to internal unity, the Uchiha Clan did fairly well. They weren't like the Hyuga Clan, with its so-called main and branch families.
"Is that you, Shūichi? I'm truly sorry to trouble you so late at night."
A gentle voice reached his ears. Uchiha Shūichi looked up at the room in the courtyard, where the lights were still on, and strode over. He pushed open the door.
"Leader, you're too kind. May I ask what you wanted to see me about so late at night?"
As soon as he opened the door, Uchiha Shūichi saw Uchiha Fugaku sitting on the tatami. To his surprise, Fugaku looked several years older, even though they'd last seen each other only half a day ago.
His face, usually marked by a few hard lines, was now full of exhaustion. Even without activating his Sharingan, his eyes had a reddish tinge—the result of countless blood vessels streaking across them.
Fugaku looked up at Shūichi as he entered. A bitter smile touched his lips, and he gritted his teeth.
"Shūichi, I want to ask you something. You're closer to Uchiha Shisui than anyone else. Do you know if he ever awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan?"
Shūichi's gaze sharpened slightly as his thoughts raced, but he kept his expression calm.
"Shisui...