Two Mangekyo?

"Don't be so tense." Yue spoke in a leisurely tone, as if he hadn't noticed the murderous intent in Fugaku's eyes.

"I have come to tell you that someone has set their sights on the Nine-Tails sealed within Kushina Uzumaki. On the night of her delivery one month from now, an Uchiha clansman possessing the Sharingan will summon the Nine-Tails to attack Konoha."

The moment these words left his lips, Fugaku's complexion turned ashen.

"Nonsense!"

Fugaku laughed in extreme anger. "The Uchiha Clan has long since signed a peace treaty with the village; how could we possibly commit such an act of self-destruction? And controlling the Nine-Tails... do you think the Nine-Tails is a mere summoning beast? It is a natural disaster!"

"Furthermore, you, a rogue ninja, return at such a critical juncture to spread these rumors—is it to sow discord between the Uchiha and the village so that you may reap the benefits?"

In Fugaku's eyes, this was an incredibly clumsy attempt at alienation.

Once the Nine-Tails incident occurred, regardless of whether the Uchiha were responsible, the clan possessing the Sharingan would become the target of public criticism. As the clan head, he understood this truth better than anyone.

"Sowing discord?"

Yue shook his head, the smile in his eyes gradually fading, replaced by a condescending indifference. "I am merely here to offer a reminder to you fools. Whether you believe it or not is up to you."

"Shut up!"

Fugaku was thoroughly provoked.

"Fire Style: Phoenix Sage Jutsu!"

Without a shred of wasted breath, Fugaku's hands moved through the seals with lightning speed.

However, faster than his jutsu could be released were the Sharingan of Yue and Hikari.

"Hummm—!!!"

Two massive, chillingly cold surges of chakra erupted within the courtyard without reservation!

The three tomoe in the eyes of Yue Uchiha and Hikari Uchiha spun wildly, stretching and intertwining at the same time.

In Yue's eyes, a deep and mysterious star-shaped dice pattern emerged.

In Hikari's eyes, a strange and complex Yachihoko flower pattern bloomed.

The two pairs of Mangekyō Sharingan radiated a hellish, terrifying pressure in the morning light!

"This... this is..."

Fugaku Uchiha's previously furious expression froze completely on his face.

"Mangekyō... Sharingan?!"

Fugaku's voice was dry and hoarse, filled with disbelief. "And... two pairs of them?!"

"Damn it, how could this be?"

There was no way to end this simply now.

Fugaku possessed the Mangekyō himself, but he had essentially never used it, fearing the village's suspicion.

Now, if a battle were to break out with them, setting aside whether he could win, the subsequent interrogation by the village would be more than enough to ruin him.

"Now, can you calm down and listen to me for a moment? Clan Head."

Yue's voice remained flat, but to Fugaku, it sounded like a thunderclap.

Fugaku took a deep breath, cold sweat sliding down his temples.

He slowly dispersed the chakra in his hands, and the three tomoe in his eyes faded back to black.

As the clan head, he had to be responsible for the lives of the entire clan and the honor of the Uchiha.

"Put away your ocular power... don't attract the village's attention."

Fugaku's voice seemed to age several years in an instant, and he waved his hand with a sense of defeat. "Come inside."

Hikari turned to look at Yue, and seeing his nod, she slowly deactivated her Mangekyō, obediently retreating half a step behind him, returning to the quiet girl in red and white robes.

Yue straightened his collar, a satisfied curve touching the corner of his mouth.

Indeed, in the Ninja World, only by demonstrating the power to flip the chessboard will others calmly invite you to the table for tea.

"Pardon the intrusion, Clan Head Fugaku."

Yue stepped into the Japanese-style room, as if the tension from moments ago had been nothing more than an illusion.

Inside the room, the atmosphere was completely different from the scorched-earth tension of the courtyard.

A faint scent of incense permeated the air, mixed with the milky fragrance unique to infants—the scent of "home."

"Fugaku, do we have guests? There seemed to be quite a commotion in the courtyard just now..."

A gentle, soft voice drifted from the inner room.

Following this, a woman with long, flowing hair, a beautiful face, and a dignified air walked out.

She held an infant in swaddling clothes in her arms, while her other hand held a young boy of about four or five years old.

It was Mikoto Uchiha, along with a young Itachi Uchiha and the newborn Sasuke Uchiha.

Seeing the two strangers following her husband, especially the girl in red and white robes with a cold, elegant short sword at her waist, Mikoto's gaze narrowed slightly.

Driven by a ninja's instinct, she subconsciously tightened her hold on the infant in her arms.

The little boy she was holding by the hand, Itachi Uchiha, reacted with even more startling keenness.

Although he was only four or five years old, the moment he saw Yue and Hikari, a flash of maturity and vigilance far beyond his years crossed his pitch-black eyes.

It's that rogue ninja.

He stepped forward without a sound, his small body shielding his mother and younger brother, his hand already quietly reaching toward his ninja tool pouch.

"Is this the legendary... Itachi Uchiha?"

Yue stopped in his tracks with great interest, his gaze falling upon the genius who would one day bear the darkness of the entire clan.

The current Itachi did not yet have those iconic tear troughs, and his cheeks still held a hint of baby fat, but the firm intent to protect in his eyes was already beginning to take shape.

"Not a bad look in your eyes."

Ignoring Fugaku's murderous glare, Yue crouched down on his own accord, bringing his line of sight level with Itachi's.

"Little one, you should greet your elders when you see them. Reaching for a kunai is quite impolite, you know."

Itachi pressed his lips into a thin line, his body taut like a drawn bow.

He felt an unprecedented pressure from this man, a sense of unfathomable depth, as if staring into an abyss.

"Itachi, do not be rude."

Fugaku barked a command to stop his son, his face grim.

He knew full well the strength of the two monsters before him; if Itachi were to strike rashly and displease them, the consequences... would be beyond his ability to prevent.

"These two are... distant relatives of the clan," Fugaku said through gritted teeth, struggling to fabricate an excuse.

"Distant relatives?"

Mikoto rolled her eyes as she watched Fugaku tell such a blatant lie.

Yue's S-rank rogue ninja wanted poster was still hanging in the most prominent place within the clan compound. Distant relatives? Who was he trying to fool?

But as the clan leader's wife, she possessed a high degree of composure.

She quickly adjusted her expression, revealing a proper smile. "So, distant relatives. A pleasure to meet you; I am Mikoto. Please excuse my rudeness just now."

"No matter. Lady Mikoto has raised her son well; this child will surely achieve great things in the future."

Yue stood up, his gaze shifting to the infant in Mikoto's arms.

That was Sasuke Uchiha.

At this moment, little Sasuke was sleeping soundly, completely unaware of what was happening in the outside world. Half of his chubby, pink face was exposed from the swaddling clothes, looking entirely defenseless.

"So this is the little one who was just born? Sasuke, right? Named after the Third Hokage's father, Sasuke Sarutobi... Clan Leader Fugaku, you really went to great lengths to show your loyalty to the village."

Yue's words carried a grating, mocking tone, causing Fugaku's face to darken even further.

"May I hold him?"