Uchiha Fugaku's Confusion

As his wounds healed, Uchiha Fugaku's body had almost recovered to the point where he could fight.

Fugaku even felt that after surviving a life-or-death struggle, the power of his Sharingan had grown noticeably.

Normally, that would have been something to celebrate.

But over the past two days, he had suddenly sensed a strange atmosphere among the Uchiha around him.

Everyone seemed to respect him more, yet the closeness they had shared before was gone.

Instead, they seemed to keep their distance out of respect.

Even his personal guards, Uchiha Qingming and Uchiha Huoying, were acting strangely.

Uchiha Qingming had even slipped out of camp mysteriously during the night.

Confused, Fugaku specifically called Uchiha Kaen over to ask him about it.

"I haven't seen Fucheng these past two days. How is he doing? Before I passed out, I thought I saw his Sharingan change."

When Uchiha Kaen heard Fugaku say that, he looked somewhat excited.

He glanced around to make sure no one was nearby, then nodded emphatically.

Kaen replied in a low voice, "That's right. Lord Fucheng awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan. He saved you with a special Mangekyo Eye Technique!

"According to Lady Tsunade, it's a high-level medical technique. The timely treatment from that Mangekyo Eye Technique saved your life. Even with Lady Tsunade's skill, she wouldn't have had time to counter the poison otherwise."

"Mangekyō?! The Mangekyō Sharingan?"

Fugaku's eyes widened in shock.

"Doesn't that mean a lot of people know? They know Fucheng awakened the Mangekyō?!"

Uchiha Kaen didn't understand what was wrong.

He stared blankly at Uchiha Fugaku and nodded. "Yes. A lot of people saw it on the battlefield.

"Lord Fucheng was enraged when you collapsed with serious injuries, and awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan. He used just one technique, and the bleeding stopped immediately from the dozens of wounds on your body.

"The reason you ended up with so many wounds was that Lady Tsunade had to reopen them to drain out the poison while treating you."

"Oh no. This is bad!"

Uchiha Fugaku, who had been relatively calm just moments ago, was now alarmed.

"Fucheng must have drawn someone's attention. Once the village learns that the Uchiha Clan has another Mangekyō Sharingan, they'll surely target us. Someone will definitely frame Fucheng."

Kaen didn't quite understand.

Why would the village target and frame Lord Fucheng now that he had become a Mangekyō master, a match for the Hokage?

But seeing Fugaku's terrified expression, all he could do was take him to find Fucheng in the middle of the night.

Neither Uchiha Fugaku nor Uchiha Kaen knew about the counterattack against Root that was underway.

They could only search for Fucheng by asking around the Uchiha Clan's compound.

By then, Fugaku had already sensed that something was off from the way the clan members were acting.

Even if Uchiha Fucheng had awakened the Mangekyō and gained the highest level of Sharingan in the Uchiha Clan, the clan members were treating him with far too much deference.

Even some of the ninjas from the Elder's faction, who usually kept their distance from him, were showing Fucheng an extraordinary degree of respect.

As for tonight's special operation and Uchiha Fucheng's exact whereabouts, the two of them learned almost nothing.

The three Uchiha jonin guarding the compound kept saying that the information was confidential and required Lord Fucheng's personal authorization.

They wouldn't tell Fugaku, the "heir apparent" to the clan leadership, anything useful about Uchiha Fucheng.

"What are they up to? Why have most of the Uchiha jonin left camp?" Fugaku asked anxiously.

Inside the Uchiha camp's meeting tent, Fugaku paced back and forth. His restless circling made Uchiha Huoying nervous too.

Huoying tried to reassure him.

"Lord Fugaku, you don't need to worry about Lord Fucheng. He has thirty Uchiha jonin with him. That's enough to fight a limited battle against a hidden village. Nothing will happen to him."

But hearing that only made Fugaku more anxious.

"That's exactly why I'm worried!

"If more than thirty Uchiha jonin cause trouble now, the people who want to frame Fucheng will pin all the blame on the Uchiha Clan.

"Then we'll have even less room to live in the village."

Huoying hadn't expected Uchiha Fugaku to make it sound so serious. He was so surprised he didn't know how to reassure him.

The flap of the meeting tent lifted, and Uchiha Fucheng, the very man they had been talking about, walked in calmly, guarded by several jonin.

"Big brother, are you feeling better?"

He took off his jacket and handed it to Uchiha Yashiro, then smiled. "We shouldn't let people who want to frame me and drive the Uchiha Clan out of the village have their way.

"We should fight back when we need to and compromise when we need to. We don't have to see them as a blade hanging over the Uchiha Clan's head.

"If we spend every day worrying that someone will harm us, how are we supposed to live?"

Seeing Fugaku's astonished expression, Uchiha Fucheng pulled over a chair and sat down across from him.

"Big brother, you don't need to worry. We haven't caused any trouble, and of course, we won't let anyone cause trouble for us."

Fucheng's defiant air left Fugaku staring at him in shock.

Fucheng smiled. "As for the people who want to frame us, they won't lose their heads while this Shinobi World war is still raging.

"With the war in full swing, they think they can drive the Uchiha Clan out?

"Ha. Konoha isn't full of fools, and its people aren't so politically inept."

Fugaku looked at him as if he were some kind of alien.

In his eyes, his once "foolish little brother" seemed to have changed along with his Mangekyō awakening.

He seemed to have become a sly old fox like Uchiha Setsuna.

Fugaku was worried. "Shimura Danzō, Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Senju Clan—none of them will want to see the Uchiha Clan gain another Mangekyō Sharingan."

Fugaku looked at Fucheng with deep concern. "I'm afraid you'll be in danger."

Looking at Fugaku, who seemed timid and uncertain, Fucheng felt a warmth in his heart. Even now, his brother's greatest concern was still for him.

Uchiha Fugaku might not be an exceptionally capable clan leader.

But as family went, Fugaku was a good man.

Uchiha Fucheng gave Fugaku's shoulder a gentle pat.

"Don't worry, big brother. I won't clash with the village for now.

"Lady Tsunade, Lord Orochimaru, and White Fang are all on good terms with me. Besides, I'm not the reckless type.

"But the Uchiha Clan can't keep hesitating forever.

"Now that everyone knows I have the Mangekyō, hiding it won't solve anything.

"A tiger has to bare its teeth and claws to make more hunters think twice.

"Sometimes, one punch is enough to stop a hundred more from coming."

Fugaku fell into thought after hearing that.

Only after a long while did he look up, still somewhat bewildered.

"So what should we do next?"

Fucheng smiled meaningfully and pointed toward Hatake Sakumo's tent.

"Don't worry. The Sand Ninja from the Land of Wind sent someone over tonight!"