Thud! Thud! Thud!
It was as if a giant were pounding a drum in the void. But upon closer inspection, the sound came from his own heartbeat.
Fugaku felt as though every tiny blood vessel in his body had hardened like a lion's sinews. As the blood rushed back to his head, his temples throbbed wildly, and it felt as if a boulder had clogged his brain!
The sensation came from anger, hatred, and fear...
Uchiha Tekka was several years younger than him. Though exceptionally talented and already in possession of the Three-Tomoe Sharingan at a young age, he was a rather simple, earnest man and a deeply loyal subordinate.
No matter how dangerous the missions Fugaku undertook, Tekka always wore that faintly bashful smile and followed after him without hesitation...
Shisui Uchiha was the most remarkably gifted ninja in the clan. He was gentle and kind, without any of the arrogance so common among his kin. He was also close friends with Itachi, who practically treated him like an older brother.
When Shisui sparred with him, Fugaku had seen his manners, progress, and talent for himself. He had been grooming Shisui as his successor as Clan Head.
If the Uchiha Clan were in Shisui's hands, it would surely flourish with a whole new vitality!
But...
It had all been utterly destroyed, like a dream dissolving into bubbles.
His teeth ground together with a grating sound. Was he angry?
He had thought it had been a long time since he'd felt anger. After his Sharingan evolved into the Three-Tomoe Sharingan, he'd believed he was strong enough to protect his companions.
But that proud belief had been shattered to pieces in front of Souya...
A rage he couldn't control, mixed with resentment, churned in his heart like a mortally wounded beast