I Confess!

"Is this what you want—the clan head's position? To change Konoha? Are you planning to stage a Coup? Forget it. I'll never hand the position of clan head over to you!"

Uchiha Fugaku lowered his head and shook it.

"No, Fugaku. You've already lost your chance. Danzo is dead, and now you're the ambitious schemer who teamed up with him. No matter how you explain yourself, it's meaningless. No one will believe you!"

Uchiha Kazuto lowered his head, his scarlet Sharingan fixed on Uchiha Fugaku.

"Confess, Fugaku. Don't make me use force. Think about it—you have children. Sasuke is a good boy, and there's Itachi, too. Oh, right, Fugaku, do you know about Konoha's Red Light District?"

Uchiha Kazuto spoke slowly, trying to reason with Uchiha Fugaku and get him to confess of his own accord.

"What exactly are you trying to do?!"

At Uchiha Kazuto's words, Uchiha Fugaku suddenly raised his head, revealing his Sharingan. Six Tomoe rotated slowly, giving off an eerie glow.

"What am I trying to do? Heh. Of course I'm going to become the new clan head and improve relations between the clan and the village. Everything you did before was terrible—you were practically begging for disaster. I'm the only one who can lead the Uchiha Clan to greatness. Besides, Fugaku, we need you right now. I've already killed Danzo. If you don't admit to the evidence against you, then... the clan and the village will be in a difficult position. Fugaku, deep down, you don't actually want to stage a Coup, do you?"

"Clan head, someone always has to make a sacrifice. Think of it as being for the clan, for Sasuke, and for your wife. Clan head, think it over."

Uchiha Kazuto patted Uchiha Fugaku on the shoulder, then stopped. He knew Uchiha Fugaku would understand. What was done was done; there was no hope left for Uchiha Fugaku.

As things stood, Uchiha Fugaku was damned either way.

Uchiha Kazuto didn't really know much about politics. Before he'd crossed over, he'd just been an ordinary person—utterly unremarkable. In all his life, he'd never even been a team leader.

Still, even as an ordinary person, he understood framing someone, fabricating evidence, twisting the truth, and pinning the blame on someone else.

He knew better than anyone that Uchiha Fugaku was being framed—and that he was the one framing him. But so what? It was all for the sake of his goal. No one cared about the truth. They only cared about what they wanted to care about. And he had a Mangekyō Sharingan now, along with the Hawk Faction's support. On top of that, the Uchiha in the Dove Faction didn't actually want a Coup. That was how he could pin the Coup accusation on Uchiha Fugaku.

In truth, whether Uchiha Fugaku lived or died didn't matter. Danzo was already dead, and whether he and Uchiha Fugaku had conspired together was for Uchiha Kazuto to say. Admittedly, there was absolutely no evidence that Uchiha Fugaku had colluded with Shimura Danzō or plotted anything with him.

But Uchiha Kazuto didn't care whether anyone else believed him. He had a Mangekyō Sharingan now. As long as he didn't make a move, and the conflict hadn't yet come out into the open, he could invoke the threat Uchiha Madara had once posed. With the Coup still a possibility, Hiruzen Sarutobi would have to believe his story for the sake of stability in the village.

If Uchiha Fugaku died, there'd be no one left to speak for him, and everything would be up to Uchiha Kazuto. He wouldn't have to worry about Uchiha Fugaku's opinion anymore. After all, the living were the ones who decided the merits and faults of the dead.

Unfortunately, Uchiha Fugaku couldn't die just yet.

"Consider yourself lucky, Uchiha Fugaku. You have a good son!"

Uchiha Kazuto looked coldly at Uchiha Fugaku. If it weren't for Uchiha Itachi, he would already have found a way to kill Uchiha Fugaku. Since Uchiha Shisui hadn't died in front of Uchiha Itachi, Uchiha Itachi hadn't awakened his Mangekyō Sharingan yet. Uchiha Kazuto didn't know whether he'd ever get the chance, but he thought Uchiha Itachi might awaken it if Uchiha Fugaku died.

Until he had taken control of the Uchiha Clan, become Captain of the Military Police Force, passed laws, and secured a source of power, Uchiha Kazuto didn't want to take that risk.

Uchiha Fugaku lowered his head and thought it over. Then he realized miserably that he had no choice but to confess. The Uchiha in the Dove Faction already suspected him. Anything he said now would sound to them like an excuse, a lie, or an attempt to deny the evidence against him.

Even if he killed himself now, they would interpret it as a suicide born of guilt.

If only the Hawk Faction still wanted to stage a Coup. If only Uchiha Kazuto didn't have a Mangekyō Sharingan. Then he wouldn't have been cornered like this. But there were no ifs in life.

As things stood, he was damned either way. Especially now that Shimura Danzō was dead—the only person who could have proved his innocence was gone. As for looking for evidence, Uchiha Kazuto could simply say that he and Shimura Danzō had only ever discussed their conspiracy verbally. Wouldn't that settle it?

Sasuke... Itachi... Mikoto...

Uchiha Fugaku recalled Uchiha Kazuto's words, seething with anger. He understood exactly what they meant: a threat, a brazen threat. Damn it! If only Uchiha Kazuto didn't have a Mangekyō Sharingan...

His grief deepened, but there was nothing he could do. This wasn't some scheme where the weak used the rules to their advantage. It was an open-handed move by someone powerful—a move he couldn't counter even though he saw it coming. Unless, of course, he had a Mangekyō Sharingan too.

"Have you made up your mind, clan head?"

Uchiha Kazuto looked down at Uchiha Fugaku.

"I... confess..."

Uchiha Fugaku met Uchiha Kazuto's gaze, then finally lowered his head in defeat. He knew there was no way to resist Uchiha Kazuto.

"Heh! That's more like it! Fugaku, you made the right choice!"

Seeing Uchiha Fugaku's expression, Uchiha Kazuto broke into a smile. Then his expression changed.

"Uchiha Fugaku, did you deliberately stir up conflict between the village and the clan with Shimura Danzō?"

"I... did... Yes. The conflict and disputes between the village and the clan were all part of my scheme with Shimura Danzō..."

Uchiha Fugaku said, his face deathly pale.

"Did you and Shimura Danzō intend to stage a Coup and harm Lord Hokage?"

Uchiha Kazuto shouted sternly.