The So-Called Necessary Evil

"What a rude little brat."

"I didn't call you here for anything else, so I'll be blunt: join us, Uchiha Genmei!"

Hearing this, Uchiha Genmei

could only feel how thick-skinned this old scoundrel truly was.

"It's one thing to arrange for your subordinates to ambush and kill me, and I'm still alive and well."

"But what about those clansmen who died, and what of their families?"

Uchiha Setsuna sneered, his voice ringing out: "Naive brat. For the sake of the Uchiha, for the sake of the Hokage seat."

"Sacrifice is inevitable. This is a necessary evil!"

With a cold and desolate expression, having finished listening to Uchiha Setsuna's words, Uchiha Genmei took a sheet of white paper from his robe and held it up.

His indifferent voice sounded:

"I have no desire to listen to your grandiloquent nonsense any longer."

"Please write down the names of all your subordinates."

Without waiting for the old man Uchiha Setsuna to react, he placed the paper on the tabletop.

He took out a ceramic jar from the side.

Calm words continued to spill from his lips:

"This is a small token of my sincerity."

Uchiha Setsuna let out a cold laugh.

"What is the meaning of this, brat? You think you can make me betray my subordinates with this? Do you think that's even possible?"

Uchiha Genmei did not care about the old man's mockery, continuing to place the ceramic jar on the table.

"This is not a gift."

"Inside here are the... of everyone present."

"The fathers, mothers, grandmothers, grandfathers, siblings, and lovers..."

"Eyes... that is."

The calm words were devoid of any mercy.

Like the cruel and venomous breath of an Asura, they stripped away the warmth of everyone in the room.

This ominous yet flat voice, resembling the whisper of an evil god, made everyone present break out in a cold sweat.

With his eyes lowered, Uchiha Setsuna's expression was unreadable.

His hand, reaching for the ceramic jar, trembled slightly as he pried open the lid.

Clang!

Having opened the jar, Uchiha Setsuna was horrified by the pile of eyes soaking in saline solution inside.

The jar slipped from his hands onto the table, and he slumped backward, as if his energy had been drained away; the figure that was always on guard now let go of everything.

A middle-aged Uchiha ninja present could not hold back any longer.

He paced forward, grabbing Uchiha Genmei by the shoulder.

He roared: "You bastard—"

Before the last word could escape his lips, Uchiha Genmei, having been spun around by him, looked at him coldly.

In his eye sockets were eyes with complex patterns.

Surging ocular power suppressed the entire room.

A terrifying pressure was transmitted to everyone present.

The Uchiha's eyes went dull, and blood began to flow from his nostrils.

Thud!

His knees went weak, and he collapsed to the ground.

Uchiha Genmei brushed off his shoulder and stood up.

The divine eyes within his sockets looked down upon Uchiha Setsuna with the calm detachment of a god or Buddha.

The merciless tone continued, "Your so-called necessary evil, in my eyes, is nothing more than an excuse you've concocted for your own wicked deeds."

He raised a hand.

"Naka, let us go."

With Uchiha Naka taking the lead, over a dozen Uchiha members moved in unison to stand behind Genmei.

The Uchiha present were shaken to their cores by Genmei's brutal, overwhelming pressure and a ocular power that existed on an entirely different dimension.

They didn't even dare to utter a word, despite seeing traitors in their midst.

They could only watch helplessly as Uchiha Genmei and his group strode toward the door with swaggering confidence.

At the final moment before the door closed, he turned his head.

He looked at Uchiha Setsuna, who was trembling all over yet remained deathly silent.

The cruel breath of his words lingered.

"Old man, if you want them to return safely, I'll give you half a month to think it over."

"If you still wish to struggle, I look forward to it."

Bang!

The room fell into silence.

I do not know how much time passed.

A series of furious, maddened roars erupted from within.

Uchiha Genmei led the way, followed by a group of elites clad in traditional black Uchiha robes.

They stepped out of the residence.

They marched brazenly all the way to the entrance of the Police Force.

Personnel changing shifts along the way were shocked beyond measure at the sight.

"Is that Lord Naka?"

"Isn't he one of Lord Setsuna's right-hand men, just like Lord Rai? Why is he following behind Genmei?"

"Genmei just came out of Lord Setsuna's residence, didn't he? And those people—they're all Lord Setsuna's men, aren't they?!"

"It seems they are all taking their cues from him."

"It looks like something earth-shattering has happened."

"I recall that Lord Naka is a wielder of the Mangekyo Sharingan. If he is following Genmei, does that mean Genmei has also awakened the power of the gods?!"

"The sky over the Uchiha is changing. Two Mangekyo users and a group of elite ninja have formed a new faction."

Ignoring the shock of the clansmen around them, Uchiha Genmei led his subordinates into the massive conference room within the Police Force.

Uchiha Genmei nodded.

He was quite satisfied that no one else was present.

He formed hand seals.

[Silent Boundary]

He was not proficient in barrier ninjutsu, but he knew a thing or two about this kind, intended for stealing information.

He turned his head.

Looking at his silent subordinates, he spoke calmly:

"I know you think I am cruel, especially you, Naka."

"But I have told you that I have a foolproof plan to handle the aftermath."

He beckoned to Uchiha Naka.

"Come here, Naka."

Uchiha Naka stepped forward.

Silence.

Seeing this, Uchiha Genmei sighed helplessly.

"Naka, as you continue to use your Mangekyo, is your vision gradually blurring?"

"Yes, Lord Genmei."

Hum!

Uchiha Genmei unfolded his Eternal Mangekyo.

His left eye trembled slightly.

"Do not resist my ocular power, Naka-kun. Just feel that miraculous strength; it has even more wondrous applications."

[Dojutsu: Amaterasu-Omikami]

A divine light enveloped Uchiha Naka.

He raised his hands in astonishment.

"The lines on my palms have become clearer? No, it's as if they've been restored!"

He was inexplicably moved. Having awakened his Mangekyo long ago, his vision had gradually blurred with the continued use of his ocular power.

He had been deeply anxious about what he would do once he lost his sight entirely.

"Lord Genmei, I understand now!"

"This healing power is truly miraculous!"

Hearing this, Uchiha Genmei nodded.

"You should have more faith in me. You have already experienced the resurrection of the dead, so do not worry about what comes next."

Yet, he sighed inwardly.

After he had arranged for Uchiha Naka to carry out that task, he had already considered how to handle the aftermath.

With his eyes having ascended to the Eternal state, the activation requirements for Amaterasu-Omikami had decreased.

Not only had the resurrection cooldown dropped from ten years to one week, but it now only consumed half of his chakra.

Do not think that "half" is a small amount; this was based on his chakra reserves after awakening the Eternal Mangekyo.

Looking at how Uchiha Madara could battle Senju Hashirama for days after awakening his own Eternal eyes, one could see that once an Uchiha reached the realm of the Eternal Mangekyo, their chakra reserves were certainly not to be underestimated.

Considering that Uchiha Kagami had awakened his Mangekyo Sharingan during the battle against Uchiha Rai that night to save him, and that he now had subordinates who were also Mangekyo wielders who would need to utilize this power in the future, he had spent 50 points of Aura Epiphany to strengthen the Amaterasu-Omikami dojutsu.

Now, Amaterasu-Omikami had no cooldown and could be activated at will by consuming two-thirds of his chakra.

It even carried the ability to heal everything, including the blurred vision caused by the Mangekyo.

This power would allow him to continue winning over hearts and minds after displaying his thunderous methods, while also providing a safety net for this entire incident.

"As long as Uchiha Setsuna behaves and listens, I will spare those people."

"If he does not listen, rest assured, I will only use thunderous measures against those who refuse to surrender and the primary instigators."

Hearing their leader's words, the Uchiha present felt relieved.

They bowed.

"Hai! We shall obey your command."

Uchiha Kagami held the intelligence report in his hand.

He glanced at the subordinate who had brought it, his tone complex: "Has he grown to such a degree already?"

"Lead the way. I shall go and meet Genmei-kun."