The Beginning

A few days later, at the Naka Shrine in the Uchiha Clan Compound.

The dusk turned the stone paths of the Uchiha Clan Compound amber. Uchiha Ao's small hand was clasped tightly in his older sister Uchiha Izumi's.

The warmth of her palm seeped through their joined fingers. Sister Izumi's long hair fluttered in the evening breeze, its ends occasionally brushing Ao's cheek and tickling him.

The passing clansmen kicked up dust as they walked. Uchiha Ao followed a few of them, holding Sister Izumi's hand.

As they entered the shrine's corridor, the wooden steps creaked softly beneath their feet.

He and Sister Izumi weren't qualified to attend a clan meeting like this, but Shisui had a great deal of influence within the clan. No one would object if he brought a few clansmen along.

Inside the shrine, nearly a hundred Uchiha clansmen had gathered, sitting in groups of two or three on cushions.

On the raised platform, several white-haired elders sat around a purple-copper brazier. The authority of their years showed in every wrinkle, while Fugaku sat upright in the seat of honor.

"Over here, over here." A relatively young Uchiha clansman saw the two enter and quickly got up to pull them over.

Uchiha Ao had been thinking that he didn't know anyone in the clan, but then he noticed that the Uchiha clansman looked somewhat familiar.

Only then did he remember that Shisui had introduced the man to him yesterday.

He thought his name was Uchiha Ning.

"Sister Izumi, we know him," Uchiha Ao whispered to her.

Everyone present was a jonin, with exceptionally sharp hearing.

Uchiha Ao's rather childish voice immediately drew the attention of some clansmen. Several appraising gazes landed on him and Sister Izumi like tangible weight.

Uchiha Izumi found their stares hard to bear. She especially disliked the way several women in the clan were looking at her little brother.

"What an adorable child. Come over here and let big sister hold you~" The teasing voice from the corner made Uchiha Izumi's expression darken. She instinctively tugged Ao behind her.

Then she shot a fierce glare at the woman who had spoken.

The woman didn't get angry under Uchiha Izumi's fierce glare. Instead, she smiled, her eyes curving into crescents. The vermilion mole at the corner of her eye trembled with her smile. "Oh my, this little girl is so cute when she's angry, too!"

Seeing this, Uchiha Ning immediately burst into hearty laughter and gave Ao a heavy pat on the back. He deliberately raised his voice to drown out the whispers. "Ling! Keep teasing them, and I'll spill all your embarrassing secrets at the clan meeting later. Just you wait!"

Uchiha Fugaku heard the commotion and struck the floor with his cane. The sound wasn't loud, but everyone could hear him. "Quiet down."

The hall fell silent at once. Only the crackling charcoal in the brazier remained clear.

"Ning, how many people are we still waiting for?" Seeing how readily everyone obeyed him, Uchiha Fugaku nodded in satisfaction before asking Uchiha Ning.

"Reporting to the clan head, only Itachi and Shisui are still missing." Uchiha Ning's manner wasn't exactly respectful, but there was nothing anyone could fault.

"Mm. Let's wait a little longer." Uchiha Fugaku was somewhat displeased that the two were late, but Shisui had become highly influential within the clan, so he said nothing.

The crowd waited for a while, but Shisui and Itachi still didn't appear.

Several elders were already growing impatient.

"Fugaku, how much longer must we wait?" The white-haired elder's thin fingers tapped the rim of the purple-copper brazier. Sparks flew onto the back of his hand, mottled with age spots.

Uchiha Fugaku sighed, then turned to face the assembled clansmen.

"Everyone, Konoha's suspicions of our clan are growing by the day," Fugaku said gravely. "The Military Police Force's authority is being chipped away, and they're watching our every move. Today's clan meeting is to discuss our clan's future."

An elderly clansman leaning on a cane spoke angrily. "Let's fight them! The Uchiha Clan has only warriors who would die on their feet, never cowards who'd bend the knee!"

His words stirred the crowd. Many young clansmen voiced their agreement, their blood boiling with fervor.

But an elder beside him immediately retorted, "How can the strength of one clan compare to that of an entire village?" The elder rested on a dragon-headed cane, worry filling his cloudy eyes. "If we rebel, the Nara and Akimichi Clans will never stand by and do nothing! Besides..." He broke into several violent coughs, his knuckles turning white as he gripped his cane.

The argument boiled through the shrine like water in a pot. Several times, Fugaku tried to quiet the dispute by striking the floor with his cane, but each attempt was drowned out by the rising din.

Uchiha Ao stepped forward with Sister Izumi, and his childish voice rang out.

Under the pressure of Uchiha Izumi's Mangekyo power, every Uchiha in the compound felt an invisible force press down on them.

The air seemed to freeze. Even breathing became difficult. Sparks about to leap from the brazier hung suspended in midair, and the dust on the rafters stopped falling.

The white-haired elder's hand trembled on his cane. The heated argument fell abruptly silent.

"This ocular power!" The white-haired elder's throat bobbed violently. His dry fingers dug into the rim of the purple-copper brazier, leaving several deep gouges.

The veins stood out on the back of his age-spotted hand. He seemed unable to believe what he was seeing—the power once awakened by that great man was now in the hands of a little girl.

As if remembering something, tears suddenly welled in the white-haired elder's cloudy eyes.

Beside him, Mangekyo appeared in Uchiha Fugaku's eyes as well, seemingly against his will.

"Clan Head Fugaku has the Mangekyo, too?" The childish voice held a hint of amusement.

A flicker of surprise crossed Uchiha Fugaku's eyes.

"Clan Head Fugaku, we met just a few days ago. Surely you haven't forgotten?"

Uchiha Fugaku hadn't forgotten.

This was...

That young clansman from the riverbank a few days ago.

But why was he here, and why was there a Mangekyo wielder at his side?

Uchiha Ao led Sister Izumi onto the platform. Below them, every clansman was held down by the Mangekyo's power, their bodies stiff as puppets.

The Mangekyo in Uchiha Fugaku's eyes spun rapidly, and two trails of blood ran down his face. After letting out a sigh, he didn't try to stop them. Instead, he stepped aside.

Ao remained unhurried. He gently patted Sister Izumi's hand to reassure her, then walked to the spot where Fugaku had stood and looked at the crowd. "Konoha wants to wipe out the entire Uchiha Clan. Can none of you see that yet? What are you going to accomplish by arguing endlessly—wait here to die?"

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the stunned clansmen below. "Everyone, I'm sure you felt that ocular power just now."

Holding Sister Izumi's hand, Uchiha Ao turned to Fugaku beside him.

"Everyone, I'm sure you didn't know that our clan head has the same kind of ocular power."