Seizing Power from Fugaku

After the discussion concluded, he walked alone toward his bedroom deep within the inner residence, preparing to change into his gear.

He pushed open the door. Because no lamps had been lit inside, only the cold moonlight filtered through the lattice windows, casting pale, grid-like shadows across the floor.

In the bedroom that should have been empty, a figure sat quietly on a chair against the wall, their posture even bordering on respectful, as if they had been waiting for a long time.

Uchiha Fugaku's expression froze instantly. His chakra surged instinctively, and the three tomoe in his eyes began to spin rapidly, locking onto the uninvited guest.

Who is it?

How could someone infiltrate this place without making a sound?

Are the guards outside just for show?!

The moonlight shifted, slightly illuminating the person's profile.

It was Uchiha Du Yang.

Uchiha Fugaku smiled.

He had not expected Uchiha Du Yang to be so bold.

He hadn't sought the other out yet, but the other had already come knocking at his door.

Yet at this moment, Du Yang sat there quietly, head slightly bowed as if paying respects to the clan head, showing deference without a hint of panic.

It was as if he were not trespassing in the clan head's bedroom, but rather paying a polite visit.

"...Uchiha Du Yang."

Fugaku's voice dropped low.

He reached back and gently closed the bedroom door, as if intentionally cutting himself off from those outside.

Inside the room, only the two of them remained in a standoff.

Uchiha Fugaku asked, "What are you doing here? Who gave you permission to enter? Go outside and wait."

Du Yang slowly raised his head. The moonlight finally fully illuminated his face, which remained calm and unruffled.

Then, he looked at Fugaku and spoke: "Lord Clan Head, apologies for the late-night intrusion. As a junior, this is quite rude."

"However, I believe that before the midnight bell tolls, there are some things I must discuss with you in private."

Fugaku's gaze turned cold as he demanded:

"What is it you wish to discuss with me?"

Du Yang replied: "Lord Clan Head, don't you want to know where your eldest son, Itachi Uchiha, is?"

Uchiha Fugaku was stunned for a moment, then snapped harshly: "I knew it... Where have you hidden my son? If you lay a single finger on him, I will kill you without hesitation."

"My family is my bottom line. They are more important than my own life, and I will protect them at any cost. You must understand this."

Du Yang continued to ask: "I see. Then, Lord Clan Head, what is your view on the Uchiha Clan?"

Uchiha Fugaku said earnestly:

"The Uchiha Clan is my everything. For the sake of the Uchiha, I can sacrifice my own life."

Du Yang asked his final question:

"I see. Lord Clan Head, abandon tonight's operation, or I will have Itachi Uchiha killed."

"Tonight, you only have two choices."

Uchiha Fugaku took a long, deep look at Du Yang.

Openly threatening the clan head—the man had truly become lawless.

But he could see in the other's eyes that Du Yang was being serious.

If anyone else had said these words, Uchiha Fugaku would have dismissed them as madness and killed the person on the spot.

However, Du Yang was the last person to see Itachi Uchiha.

And after that, Itachi Uchiha had vanished that very night.

Therefore, he had no choice but to believe.

Du Yang gave Fugaku ten minutes to consider.

Fugaku pondered deeply before finally saying: "I agree."

Du Yang smiled.

He could confirm it now: this guy was truly ill-suited to be the leader of the Uchiha Clan.

In Uchiha Fugaku's eyes, family was far more important than the Uchiha Clan.

In truth, Du Yang didn't even need to test him like this; one could have analyzed what kind of person he was based on his previous actions.

If he hadn't stepped in to deal with Itachi Uchiha, the result would have been that on the night of the clan's annihilation, he would have obediently let his eldest son kill him.

A clan head of the Uchiha, a man who had awakened the Mangekyou Sharingan, just letting himself be killed without a fight, not even offering any resistance.

Furthermore, this indirectly proved that Uchiha Fugaku had long known his son had betrayed the Uchiha Clan.

He had already made his choice between the two.

If Uchiha Fugaku had chosen the Uchiha Clan, he should have seized the opportunity to kill his son the moment he learned that his son had sold out the Uchiha Clan.

Because his son, Itachi Uchiha, had already become a traitor standing on the side of Konoha.

Although this is cruel, it was the binary choice laid out before Uchiha Fugaku.

Clearly, he did not do so, which led to the occurrence of the night of the clan annihilation.

Because Uchiha Fugaku chose his family.

He could not bear to part with his son.

His reasoning was also very simple.

If his son Itachi Uchiha killed the entire clan, there was still a possibility that his two sons could live on together.

As for the other clansmen, well, my apologies, but for the sake of his two sons, they had to die.

As a member of a ninja clan, there is actually no major issue with someone who values family over the clan.

This is quite normal.

Du Yang is that kind of person.

However, a person who values family over the clan, who as clan head can only lead everyone in rebellion... while his son stands on the side of Konoha... resulting in a choice between family and clansmen, must absolutely not be allowed to serve as the head of a clan.

What's more, this clan is the Uchiha Clan.

He doesn't care about other clans, but his family members are all Uchiha clansmen; Uchiha Fugaku must die.

It is not only because he killed Itachi Uchiha—Uchiha Fugaku would definitely kill him—but also because he is the mastermind currently planning the rebellion of the Uchiha Clan.

Therefore, Du Yang completely extinguished his hope as a father:

"Clan Head, my apologies, I lied to you; I have already killed your eldest son, Itachi Uchiha."

"You are a failure through and through, neither wanting to kill your son with your own hands nor wanting to bear the consequences of a failed rebellion."

"Previously, dying by your son's blade would have been your greatest release, but now that your son has gone missing, you've decided to just let it all go to ruin, haven't you?"

"You never wanted the Uchiha to seize power at all; you just wanted to take revenge on Konoha."

Uchiha Fugaku was rendered speechless, even trembling as he took two steps back.

Du Yang had pointed out exactly what was in his heart, as well as the point where he was most conflicted.

He, Uchiha Fugaku, never wanted to rebel from the very beginning.

But there was no other way; he had already been pushed into it.

He had thought that being killed by his son was the best ending, yet his son was about to be killed.

Uchiha Fugaku suddenly burst into loud laughter and explained:

"You are right; the Uchiha Clan could never succeed in a rebellion, but we could make Konoha bleed, or even fall apart."

"I want to take revenge on Konoha!"

"It is Konoha that brought all the pain to us Uchiha, forcing me to live my whole life in repression."

"It is Konoha that killed my son, turning my son into this ghost of a person."

"It is Konoha that stole my hope, leaving me unable to see the path ahead."

Uchiha Fugaku seemed to have fallen into a state of madness.

He had been repressed for far too long.

Regarding his son's disappearance, he already had the answer in his heart; he feared he had already died at the hands of Du Yang.

However, today, Du Yang had given him a glimmer of hope, only to completely extinguish it.

As long as his son was still alive, he could endure for as long as it took.

But with his son dead, he would exact a brutal revenge.

The next moment, the Mangekyou Sharingan immediately appeared in Uchiha Du Yang's eyes—eerie, cold, and filled with killing intent.

The power contained within his eyes was so immense that it instantly made Fugaku, a clan head who had experienced a hundred battles, feel his heart sink heavily.

Mangekyou!

It was just as he thought; he had actually awakened these eyes as well.

Uchiha Fugaku said angrily:

"Are you trying to kill me, betray the clan, and stage a coup to seize power?"

"Rest assured, since you killed my son, I will definitely kill you too."

Du Yang responded indifferently:

"If it fails, it's called betraying the clan; if it succeeds, it's a revolution."

"I am going to carry out a thorough, top-to-bottom reform of the Uchiha Clan."