Uchiha: My Word is Law

However, time was running out for Du Yang.

The Uchiha Clan would revolt in three days; Uchiha Fugaku was simply unwilling to wait even a moment longer.

Once he sensed that no one was around, Du Yang left the area.

As he stepped back onto the streets of the Uchiha Compound, the night had deepened, and moonlight spilled over the orderly houses and stone paths.

The moon remained full and bright, yet it had not transformed into a blood moon.

Most windows were dark, though one could faintly hear the sound of laughter from a certain home, clearly a family of three chatting in harmony.

Patrolling clansmen walked by in twos and threes. Upon seeing Du Yang, they merely nodded slightly or offered a low greeting. There was nothing unusual in their gazes as they continued their day-to-day security duties, appearing well-trained.

Du Yang continued walking, feeling the air was exceptionally fresh; he could even smell the faint scent emanating from the surrounding flowers and trees.

This feeling of peace and tranquility was truly intoxicating.

The Night of the Massacre had not yet occurred, and the Uchiha Compound, flowing with blood and filled with deathly silence, had not yet come to pass.

Looking at it this way, it was so peaceful and beautiful.

However, Du Yang knew very well how fragile this peace was—it could be shattered with a single poke.

The Uchiha Clan would revolt, and the result would inevitably be failure.

The Third Hokage might be manageable, but Danzo would certainly seize the opportunity to purge every single Uchiha, leaving not even a three-year-old child behind.

For one person to change such an outcome was too difficult.

One person, after all, was only one person.

No one wanted a river of blood, yet a river of blood would come.

He quickened his pace, passing through several familiar alleys, and finally stopped in front of a small but neatly maintained courtyard.

Honeysuckle vines climbed the low wall at the gate, casting sparse shadows under the moonlight.

The light filtering from the windows gave him an exceptionally warm feeling.

Pushing open the ajar gate, his father, Uchiha Tenchi, was sitting under the veranda, pretending to read an old mission scroll by a small lamp, though in reality, he was waiting for his son, Du Yang, to return.

Hearing the movement, he looked up. Seeing it was Du Yang, a gentle smile appeared on his stern face: "Where have you been, coming back so late? You aren't usually like this; your mother has been fretting."

In Uchiha Tenchi's eyes, although his son had some aspects he couldn't quite understand—and had clearly been living in anxiety previously—he had always returned home on time at night.

Now, although that anxiety had eased somewhat, it still remained.

"Mm, I was delayed by some matters."

Du Yang replied, seemingly not intending to mention that he had witnessed the Uchiha conspiracy.

Among the personnel summoned by the clan head, Uchiha Fugaku, his father was not included.

This was enough to indicate his father's stance.

Not everyone in the Uchiha Clan wanted to overthrow the rule of Hiruzen Sarutobi.

After all, his father also possessed the strength of an elite jonin.

"Always pay attention to your health; don't push yourself too hard." Tenchi nodded, his gaze returning to the scroll as he added, "There is food left for you in the kitchen; it should still be warm."

Just then, the sliding door was pulled open with a rattle, and Uchiha Kurenai poked her head out, an apron still tied around her waist.

Seeing Du Yang, her eyes lit up: "Have you eaten? If not, there's still some hot food. Should I bring it out for you?"

Du Yang replied as he took off his shoes and stepped onto the veranda, "Mother, no need for the trouble. I can do it myself."

"What trouble? It's just a few steps."

Kurenai insisted, turning back into the kitchen without further ado.

A small, fuzzy head poked out from behind Mieko; it was Uchiha Izumi.

He blinked his large eyes, looking at Du Yang curiously: "Big brother, where did you go tonight? I heard there were ghost fires near the Naka River. Did you go to catch ghosts?"

Du Yang couldn't help but laugh, ruffling his younger brother's soft black hair: "There are no ghost fires; those were just fireflies. Big brother was just out training."

"Training? Big brother is so amazing! When I awaken my Sharingan, I want to be as strong as you," Izumi said, waving his small fists, his face full of longing.

"Then you must eat well so you can grow up strong," Du Yang said, playing along.

Just like that, the family sat together in the small living room, keeping Du Yang company as he ate again.

His father briefly asked about Du Yang's recent training, to which he simply replied that it was going well.

His mother chattered about the trivial matters of the clan—who had married a new bride, whose child had shown good talent as a ninja—and urged Du Yang not to focus only on high-difficulty missions and to be sure to look after his health.

Izumi chirped away on the side, talking about interesting things that happened at the Ninja Academy, even mentioning Naruto and Sasuke. Occasionally, he was quizzed by his father on basic ninjutsu, and he would look smug whenever he answered correctly.

After finishing the simple late-night snack, Du Yang helped his mother clear the dishes, played half a game of shogi with his father, and finally washed up.

The night in the compound remained quiet.

He returned to his room and gently closed the door.

Outside the window, the moonlight was bright and clear.

Inside the room, there was absolute tranquility.

But deep within the eyes he slowly opened, amidst the pitch-black pupils, complex and icy patterns seemed to flicker and vanish.

"This won't do... this really won't do... is this even possible?" he whispered to himself, his voice barely audible. "The Uchiha Clan must be under my command."

"The Uchiha Clan, it truly must be under my command."

If any other Uchiha were to hear Du Yang saying these things, they would certainly think he had gone mad.

First, in the eyes of outsiders, although Du Yang was a genius who had awakened his Three-Tomoe Sharingan at a young age, he was at best a mere stripling with absolutely no seniority within the clan.

Second, Du Yang's family had very limited influence within the clan and had accumulated no prestige whatsoever; they didn't even have a single person with a say in clan affairs.

Finally, Uchiha Fugaku was serving as the clan head perfectly well; who exactly did Du Yang think he was?

Therefore, in the eyes of others, it was impossible for Du Yang to become the clan head.

Even if he were to become the clan head, because his seniority was too shallow, no one would submit to him, and he would be completely unable to control the Uchiha Clan.

But these people did not know that, lately, Du Yang had lost his appetite for beef.

The night was like ink, pressing heavily over the Uchiha Compound.

Three days passed in the blink of an eye.

Tonight, there was a feeling as if a storm were about to break.

Uchiha Fugaku's residence had become unprecedentedly lively.

Around the perimeter of the estate, shadows flickered—all elite sentries.

Inside the residence, the originally spacious halls, side rooms, and even the corridors were packed with people, either sitting or standing.

These people were all Uchiha elites.

Last time, they were all Three-Tomoe users.

This time, it seemed that everyone who had awakened the Sharingan had come.

Most of them were silent, polishing their ninja tools, adjusting their gear, or resting with their eyes closed, yet all of them felt exceptionally excited.

Clearly, they could no longer wait.

Clan Head Fugaku had used the pretext of a clan meeting to gather all available combat power of the Uchiha Clan at his private residence; he was no longer even pretending.

Fugaku himself was currently confirming the final details with several clan elders, meticulously scrutinizing every link and every possible contingency.

His expression was colder and harder than usual, and his gaze was even sharper.