The Mangekyō's Awe

The incident at the Police Force intersection was like a pebble dropped into a still lake, sending ripples through the Uchiha Clan.

With an intelligence and methods unlike those of a traditional Uchiha, Uchiha Ling had not only deftly resolved a potential crisis of authority, but also made the highly anticipated Uchiha Fugaku seem helpless by comparison.

Though the clan maintained an outward appearance of calm, talk of which of the two young talents was superior inevitably began to spread in private.

Uchiha Ling knew that the brief attention and goodwill stirred up by the incident were fragile. He needed to turn that momentum into a more solid base of support.

The clan's power structure was deeply entrenched. Beyond the faction led by clan head Uchiha Chishin, the attitudes of several elders who wielded real power were crucial.

Among them, Elder Uchiha Setsuna—stubborn, radical in his beliefs, and deeply distrustful of the village leadership—was an important representative of the clan's conservative and hardline factions.

Winning his support—or at least keeping him neutral—was vital to Uchiha Ling's plans.

Under the deep night sky, Uchiha Ling appeared soundlessly outside the courtyard of Elder Uchiha Setsuna's residence.

Without announcing himself, he slipped past the guards like a specter and appeared directly at the door of Setsuna's study. He knocked lightly.

"Who is it?" came Elder Setsuna's low, wary voice from inside.

"Uchiha Ling. I've come to pay you a visit, Elder Setsuna." Uchiha Ling's voice was calm and even.

The door opened a crack, revealing Uchiha Setsuna's wrinkled face and sharp, hawk-like eyes.

When he saw Uchiha Ling outside, a flicker of obvious surprise and displeasure crossed his eyes.

Uchiha Ling's conduct in recent years, as well as his ties to the Hokage faction, had earned him little favor with this hardline elder.

"Uchiha Ling? What brings you here so late?" Elder Setsuna made no move to step aside. His tone was cool and distant. "If this is Police Force business, come to headquarters tomorrow."

"It isn't official business." Uchiha Ling bowed slightly, though he remained neither servile nor presumptuous. "It concerns the future of the Uchiha Clan. I'd like to discuss it with you in private."

Uchiha Setsuna narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing the young man before him.

He keenly sensed that Uchiha Ling seemed different tonight. There was an indescribable, restrained, and dangerous aura about him.

After a moment's hesitation, he finally stepped aside. "Come in."

The study was furnished in a simple, antique style, filled with the grim atmosphere unique to shinobi clans.

Ancient scrolls and weapons hung on the walls, and the air was faintly scented with ink and smoke.

Uchiha Setsuna walked straight to the seat of honor and sat down without offering Uchiha Ling a seat. He spoke directly. "Go on. What is this matter concerning the clan's future? I'm all ears."

Standing in the middle of the study, Uchiha Ling showed no sign of displeasure at the slight. He got straight to the point.

"Elder Setsuna, another Ninja World War is approaching, and undercurrents are stirring within Konoha as well.

"Our Uchiha Clan stands at the heart of the storm. The path we choose will determine the survival of the entire clan.

"In your view, should we keep clinging to our little corner of the Police Force, growing ever more distant from the village leadership, even coming into conflict with them? Or should we seek change, integrate ourselves into the village, and gain a greater say in its affairs, so that our clan can reclaim its former glory?"

Uchiha Setsuna let out a cold snort.

"Hmph! Pretty words! Integrate with the village? Easier said than done! Tobirama Senju's policy of segregation has put down deep roots, and the leadership already distrusts our clan!

"Trying to integrate is just offering them a warm face to slap. It's asking for humiliation! The right path is to preserve the Uchiha's purity and strength, and make them think twice before looking down on us!

"You're close to Namikaze Minato, Tsunade, and the others. Are you hoping to win their favor in exchange for this so-called 'integration'? How naïve!"

Uchiha Ling had expected this reaction from Uchiha Setsuna.

Uchiha Ling didn't rush to argue. Instead, he continued calmly, "Purity and strength are certainly important. But how long can strength without allies endure when faced with a real storm?

"Have the lessons of the Second Shinobi World War still not sunk in? We need a leader who can preserve the Uchiha's strength and pride while adapting to the changing times and securing the greatest possible benefit for the clan."

"Leader?" Uchiha Setsuna seized on the word. He leaned forward slightly, his gaze fixed on Uchiha Ling.

"Uchiha Ling, are you hinting at something? Do you think the current clan head—or Fugaku—is unfit for the role?" His tone held a note of mockery and probing suspicion.

Uchiha Ling met his gaze without flinching. "Clan head Chishin is highly respected, and Fugaku is exceptionally capable. Both are pillars of the clan.

"However, times are changing, and our way of facing crises must change as well. I believe the Uchiha need a leader who can break with convention and guide the clan out of its present predicament."

"Oh?" A cold smile tugged at Uchiha Setsuna's lips.

He replied ambiguously, "It's good for a young man to have ambition. But a few ideas aren't enough to qualify you for leadership. You need overwhelming strength that commands respect, and absolute loyalty to the clan. What makes you think you have either?"

They had reached the heart of the matter. The truth was out.

Uchiha Setsuna's stance was clear: he didn't think much of Uchiha Ling. Unless he saw a bargaining chip with enough weight, he wouldn't commit.

Uchiha Ling knew that words alone couldn't persuade this stubborn elder. It was time to reveal his real trump card.

Uchiha Ling slowly raised his head. There was no longer any trace of concealment in his dark eyes as he calmly looked at Uchiha Setsuna. His voice was low and clear. "Then, Elder, what kind of strength do you think would command respect?"

Before the words had even left his mouth, a cold, immense, oppressive surge of Yin Release Chakra spread without warning from Uchiha Ling's body!

At the same time, his pupils turned blood red in an instant!

Uchiha Setsuna froze for a moment, then his pupils contracted sharply! He saw that against the crimson backdrop was not the familiar three-tomoe pattern, but two never-before-seen designs of unimaginable complexity, infused with an inexplicable power over natural law! The left eye resembled a tree of life entwined with runes; the right, a divine eye of thunder, radiating boundless authority!

"This... This is... Impossible!"

Uchiha Setsuna shot to his feet, his body trembling violently with shock and excitement.

He stared fixedly into Uchiha Ling's eyes, as though trying to burn the patterns into the depths of his soul.

As an elder of the Uchiha Clan, he knew better than anyone what those eyes meant!

"Man... the Mangekyō Sharingan?!" His voice was hoarse and dry, filled with disbelieving joy and awe. "You... you've awakened the legendary Mangekyō Sharingan?!"