"What!? What did you say!?..."
"Byakuya defeated Fugaku!?..."
"Fugaku was locked up in the prison by Byakuya..."
Hearing the Uchiha ninja's report, Uchiha Gen, the clan head, was shocked.
"Clan Head, as hard as it is to believe, it's all true..."
"We saw it with our own eyes..."
"Byakuya is incredibly strong..."
The Uchiha ninjas spoke with absolute certainty.
"Damn it! How could this happen!?..."
"Cough, cough, cough..."
His agitation sent him into a violent coughing fit.
Uchiha Fugaku was the successor he had chosen as the next clan head. He had placed great hopes in him.
That was precisely why he had sent Fugaku to deal with the Hokage's son.
As for Byakuya, he had never paid him any mind.
In Uchiha Gen's eyes, even if Byakuya had great prestige within the Uchiha Clan and was incredibly powerful,
Uchiha Fugaku was older than Byakuya, and he was also a firm believer in the Will of Fire.
Was Uchiha Fugaku really incapable of dealing with Byakuya!?
But he had never expected this.
Uchiha Fugaku had actually been defeated by Byakuya.
And Fugaku himself had been locked up in the prison.
"Clan Head, what should we do now!?..."
"Captain Fugaku is still being held in the prison!..."
The Uchiha ninjas looked to their clan head.
"Take me to the interrogation room!..."
"I want to see what Byakuya is up to!..."
Uchiha Gen stood and headed toward the interrogation room.
Whatever the reason, Uchiha Fugaku was someone he valued.
Now that Byakuya had locked Fugaku up, he had to save him as clan head.
Inside the interrogation room.
Uchiha Fugaku had already regained consciousness.
"Uchiha Fugaku... You attacked a fellow villager. I suspect you intend to become a rogue ninja..."
Byakuya looked at Uchiha Fugaku and asked coldly.
"Damn it, Uchiha Byakuya, you're framing me!..."
"Let me go at once!..."
"Lord Hokage won't let you get away with this..."
Uchiha Fugaku roared at Byakuya, his face contorted with rage.
[ Ding, Uchiha Fugaku's anger detected, +300 Negative Energy, Genjutsu +20...]
Excellent. Uchiha Fugaku really was a great source of Negative Energy.
Seeing Uchiha Fugaku glare at him in fury, Byakuya wasn't afraid in the slightest. On the contrary, he was thrilled.
Be angry! Hate me!
The angrier you get, the more Negative Energy I'll gain.
"Not talking, huh!..."
"En, he's yours... Give him a good beating..."
Byakuya spoke to Uchiha En beside him.
"Don't worry, Lord Byakuya!... I'll make sure he gets a proper welcome..."
At Byakuya's words, Uchiha En didn't hesitate. He began pummeling Uchiha Fugaku.
"Stop!"
Just then, Uchiha Gen walked in.
Seeing Uchiha En beating Uchiha Fugaku, he immediately shouted at him to stop.
"What are you doing!?..."
"How dare you attack one of your own!..."
Uchiha Gen rebuked them sharply.
But perhaps because he was in poor health, his words had little force. Instead, he sounded frail.
"Well, if it isn't the clan head..."
"Clan Head, what brings you to the interrogation room?..."
"You're in poor health. You should leave..."
"If you die in the interrogation room, it'll be hard to explain..."
Byakuya looked at Uchiha Gen and spoke dismissively.
Another fool who'd been taken in by that so-called Will of Fire.
And the old man had often suppressed Byakuya to pave the way for Uchiha Fugaku to become clan head.
"Hmph, Uchiha Byakuya, you still know I'm the clan head..."
"Do you have any idea what you've done!? You captured the Hokage's son, and now you're abusing one of your own..."
Uchiha Gen questioned Byakuya loudly.
"Of course I know what I'm doing!..."
"According to my investigation, Shin'nosuke Sarutobi intended to betray Konoha..."
"Uchiha Fugaku attacked a fellow villager, which is also an act of betrayal against Konoha..."
"I'm conducting a routine interrogation..."
Byakuya retorted without holding back.
"This is absurd..."
"Release them at once!..."
"How could the Hokage's son betray Konoha..."
"If word of this gets out, what will the Hokage think of the Uchiha Clan..."
Uchiha Gen ordered Byakuya.
"And what if I refuse?..."
Byakuya replied, unfazed.
"Uchiha Byakuya, what are you doing!?..."
"Don't forget, I'm the Uchiha Clan Head. Are you really going to disobey me!?..."
Uchiha Gen's voice turned sharp again as he activated his Sharingan.
His three-Tomoe Sharingan unleashed immense pressure, directing it at Byakuya.
As clan head of the Uchiha Clan, Uchiha Gen was no weakling. He had once possessed the strength of a quasi-Kage.
Unfortunately, he had been seriously injured during a mission.
Now, he wasn't even as strong as an elite jōnin.
Byakuya remained unmoved by Uchiha Gen's imposing aura.
Forget Uchiha Gen's current strength—even at his peak, Byakuya wouldn't have feared him, not with his Mangekyō Sharingan awakened.
"Shin'nosuke Sarutobi has already confessed..."
"Uchiha Fugaku attacked a fellow villager..."
"Their actions were clear acts of treason against the village..."
"And the clan head wants me to let them both go..."
"Has the clan head also betrayed Konoha?..."
"..."
Byakuya looked at Uchiha Gen and spoke coldly.
"What did you say!?... Cough, cough..."
Hearing Byakuya accuse him outright of being a rogue ninja, Uchiha Gen became furious.
Fighting through his discomfort, Uchiha Gen activated his Sharingan and cast a genjutsu directly at Byakuya.
Today, he would take Byakuya down. He couldn't let him keep acting so recklessly.
"Genjutsu? Too bad it won't work on me..."
"Genjutsu Reversal..."
Sensing Uchiha Gen's genjutsu attack, Byakuya reflected it back at him.
The genjutsu was easily reflected, and Uchiha Gen felt as though a heavy hammer had struck his head.
Dizzy, he collapsed to the floor.
"Looks like you really do intend to become a rogue ninja, Clan Head..."
"Guards, lock up the clan head for now..."
Looking down at Uchiha Gen lying on the floor, Byakuya spoke.
Before you continue