Jet Black Magatama

"Since she has already been executed by Kaede, I trust Lord Orochimaru has no objection to leaving this corpse with the Uchiha?" Fugaku's heavy voice carried a calm authority, the bearing of a clan leader long accustomed to a position of power.

Orochimaru's slit pupils narrowed under that stern gaze. Should he insist on taking an excellent experimental subject, or grant the Uchiha this favor?

"Clan Leader Fugaku, this is a mission. There is no room for negotiation."

"But what you were after was a living person, not a corpse. Now that she is a corpse, can we say your mission has already failed?" Fugaku refused to yield.

Whether this clansman was a spy no longer mattered. What intelligence value could a corpse hold? This was a matter of saving face. If he allowed Orochimaru to take a clansman's corpse right in front of him, the clan leader, and in front of so many clansmen, how much prestige would the Uchiha have left?

If they could take an ordinary clansman's corpse today, could they demand the corpse of a Sharingan-wielding Uchiha tomorrow?

"Clan Leader Fugaku, this is the Third Hokage's order. Can the Uchiha now defy the Hokage's command?" Orochimaru was equally unwilling to give up the corpse. It suddenly occurred to him—though the woman's corpse lacked Uchiha bloodline, what if he found an Uchiha child inside her belly?

He had observed carefully; this woman showed clear signs of pregnancy. This was a surprise not to be missed.

"I believe the Hokage-sama will understand the Uchiha's reverence for our clansmen's remains. I ask Lord Orochimaru to leave her with the Uchiha." No one was a fool. As a seasoned ninja, Fugaku was equally sharp-eyed.

Even if she were alive, let alone dead, he could not let Orochimaru take her tonight. Once taken, the Sharingan bloodline could be lost. No ninja clan would ever allow their bloodline to fall into outside hands.

The smile on Orochimaru's face deepened. "Troublesome. The Uchiha are both likable and detestable," he thought to himself.

"Then shall we settle it this way, Lord Orochimaru?" Fugaku turned and signaled the Military Police behind him to carry the corpse back to the clan grounds.

"Clan Leader Fugaku, are you planning to take it by force?"

"Orochimaru, are you planning to spark conflict between the Uchiha and the village over a single corpse? I have reason to suspect you covet the Uchiha bloodline." As he spoke, Fugaku activated his Sharingan, staring directly at Orochimaru. Those crimson eyes, with their three tomoe, were utterly mesmerizing.

Behind him, every member of the Military Police activated their Sharingan in unison, facing off against Orochimaru and the Anbu.

In the pitch-black night, the streetlights had gone out. A group of red-eyed men lit up like searchlights, their bloodshot eyes like demons in the darkness. Jet-black magatama spun rapidly in their eyes, like bottomless abysses.

This was not just one Sharingan, but dozens activated at once. The Military Police were the elite of the Uchiha Clan—those who could not awaken the Sharingan were not worthy of joining.

Even the Third Hokage had likely seen such a sight only a few times, for it had been a long while since so many Uchiha had taken the field. Even the cold-hearted Orochimaru was stunned for a moment.

This scene would be etched in his memory for life.

"Lord Orochimaru, may I take my clansman's corpse now?"

Orochimaru said nothing more, silently watching as the Uchiha collected the corpse and carried it back into the Uchiha Clan Grounds.

Kaede stood at the very back, watching this unfold. It changed his view of the Uchiha. So Fugaku wasn't entirely useless after all? At least in this matter, he had displayed the authority a clan leader should have.

"It seems I was too narrow-minded before. The Uchiha do have their merits," Kaede thought.

Orochimaru's face turned cold. "Take the rest to Root. And don't let them die again. Kaede-kun, I will remember you."

"Thank you for your concern, Lord Orochimaru. I am honored," Kaede replied without a trace of fear.

Threatening me? If I didn't want to avoid becoming a rogue ninja and wandering the shinobi world, if I didn't want to keep drawing nourishment from Konoha's warm bed, I'd kill even the Hokage for you. Who do you think you are?

On the other side, Kabuto was already numb. Tonight, he had truly witnessed the Uchiha's lawlessness. This was the clan even the Hokage had to guard against. Even a child dared to stand against a renowned ninja like Orochimaru. He had nothing to say.

Fugaku, followed by the Military Police carrying the corpse, entered the gates of the Uchiha Clan Grounds. There he saw Kaede, Shisui, and a young girl standing as if waiting for something.

Seeing him return with the corpse, they looked at him with some surprise.

"Was that your Shadow Clone just now? I didn't even notice," Fugaku spoke first, a rare smile on his face as he addressed Kaede.

"Heh!" Kaede turned his head. He had almost no goodwill toward Fugaku. At this moment, his Shadow Clone had not yet transmitted the memory of the earlier scene, so his main body still held his old views.

Fugaku had no way to deal with this clan youth. He was a candidate elder selected by another branch. Even as clan leader, he had no right to punish him.

"Then what are you waiting here for? Don't tell me it's to welcome this clan leader home?" At least he could needle him with words.

"Clan Leader, don't flatter yourself. I came here only to save her." Kaede pointed at the corpse being carried by the Military Police.

"Save her? Is she not dead?"

"Dead or not, you'll know soon enough. You all, set up a perimeter!" Kaede ordered the Military Police beside him.

They glanced at Fugaku, who nodded. Dozens of men formed a circle, neatly weaving hand seals to erect a barrier, enclosing everyone inside.

"My Thunder Flash passed through her heart. First, it released lightning, paralyzing her heart and stopping its beat. Then it pierced a small hole through the heart and exited. It looks like a fatal wound, but in truth, she was only in a state of suspended animation.

However, with a damaged heart and having stopped beating for so long, she is still in grave danger. That's why I had Tong wait here early. Her medical ninjutsu can heal her." Kaede explained to Fugaku, who was full of questions.

Tong was already using the Mystical Palm Technique to repair the damage to her heart. Repairing a heart was delicate work, and she had never done it before. Her small face was covered in sweat from tension.

Kaede leaned down and gently wiped the sweat from her forehead.

Fugaku and Shisui watched silently, their eyes mostly on Kaede. They wondered just how bold this youth was—not only daring to plan a corpse snatch but also faking a death.

Did he truly hold no fear of the Hokage? Fugaku wanted to pry open his heart and see how it was made. This kid was definitely someone who could cause a lot of trouble.

And such meticulous planning—he had probably even calculated the timing of his return.

"Cough, cough~" A soft cough sounded. The woman slowly opened her eyes.

"From today on, you are not to leave the house. Understood?" Fugaku said sternly to the woman.

"Yes, Clan Leader."