Night had fallen over Amegakure. Black Zetsu's body sank completely underground. Lin Feng sat back down on the stone chair, quickly reviewing what he knew about Fugaku Uchiha. The clan head possessed the Mangekyō Sharingan. Was his ability another advanced genjutsu besides Kotoamatsukami, or Susanoo? The original story offered little description of Fugaku's Mangekyō, but as clan head, he was certainly no ordinary man.
Every Uchiha capable of awakening the Mangekyō Sharingan was extraordinary. Well, except for young Shisui, who was a little off in the head. He believed so fervently in love and peace that he even secretly told other people about his eyes, and ended up dying a horrible death. Then there was Uchiha Itachi, another genius with a few screws loose. He killed his whole clan so his little brother could live. Maybe Fugaku's ability was to foresee the future. He was willing to die for his son's future, after all. Yes, what a brilliant man.
The Uchiha Clan was full of geniuses. Damn, now I'm an Uchiha too.
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The chaos in Konoha was unfolding just as Lin Feng had planned. Danzo had been "brought back to life" and ruined Minato's inauguration ceremony. By now, he was probably busy throwing obstacles in the way of the Konoha High Command. As for Fugaku, after receiving that scroll titled "Rinnegan Atlas," his heart was surging with excitement.
"Mm. It's time to pay him a personal visit," Lin Feng murmured.
He needed to strike while the iron was hot. This was the perfect moment, while Fugaku was conflicted and wavering. Lin Feng would show him the power of "Uchiha Madara," as well as the profound influence he wielded as the Uchiha Clan's "ancestor," and draw Fugaku completely onto his chessboard.
Space warped beside Lin Feng. He stepped into the swirling blur, and vanished in an instant.
Konohagakure, deep within the Uchiha Clan Compound, at Fugaku's residence.
Candlelight flickered, stretching and shrinking the shadows in the room. Fugaku sat on the tatami, facing the scroll spread out before him. The purple Rinnegan pattern seemed to possess a kind of magic, gleaming enticingly in the dim light.
These eyes surpassed the Mangekyō Sharingan. The clan records said little about them, but every word was filled with reverence for this supreme ocular technique. The Sage of Six Paths, Uchiha Madara—those legendary names felt so real in that moment.
Danzo's words still echoed in his ears. "Lord Madara thinks very highly of you, Fugaku. He believes you not only possess the talent for the Sharingan, but also the resolve and ambition to lead a clan. The Hokage Position should belong to someone like you."
The Hokage Position...
Fugaku's heart beat a little faster. Of course he wanted that position. He wanted to lead the Uchiha Clan back to the heart of Konoha. To make the Uchiha Clan great again! To restore its former glory. But reason told him a massive trap lay hidden beneath the offer. Would Uchiha Madara, the man said to have fought against the First, really support him out of the goodness of his heart? What would it cost?
A powerful surge of Chakra suddenly appeared in the room without warning. It hadn't seeped in or slipped inside. It had appeared out of thin air, bringing with it an imperious aura that seemed to rule the world, and the peerless might described in the clan records!
Fugaku jerked his head up. His Three-Tomoe Sharingan activated at once as he warily scanned the room. Yet the source of that Chakra seemed to be everywhere at once, as if it came from another dimension.
A tiny vortex began to form in the air, gradually growing larger. At last, a man with long black hair and ancient dark-gray armor stepped slowly out of the warped space. A heavy, ancient presence clung to him, as if he had stepped out of the Warring States Period and into the present.
He was the owner of the eyes in the scroll.
Uchiha Madara!
Fugaku's pupils shrank sharply, and his body tensed in an instant. He couldn't sense the man's emotions. All he could feel was a power that could not be challenged.
Lin Feng, now "Uchiha Madara," looked at Fugaku's stunned face, amused. This was exactly the effect he wanted. He had arrived in person, bringing the pressure of the unfathomable to its peak.
He said nothing. With those purple Rinnegan, he calmly sized up Fugaku as though inspecting a collectible.
That silent scrutiny was more oppressive than any words. Fugaku felt a chill rise up his spine, and cold sweat began to soak his back. He had seen many powerful people, but he had only heard of this sort of superiority in the legends of the First.
"Looks like you've received my 'gift.'" Lin Feng's voice was calm, roughened by the passage of time. His gaze fell on the open scroll.
Fugaku struggled to steady himself, suppressing his fear. "Lord Madara... are you really still alive?"
"Does it matter to you whether I'm alive?" Lin Feng countered, a barely concealed disdain in his tone. "What matters is what you can gain from my 'existence.'"
He slowly walked to the spot opposite Fugaku. He didn't sit, merely stood over him like an insurmountable mountain.
"The Uchiha Clan was one of Konoha's founders, yet now it's been pushed to the edge of the village, like a caged beast, while the Konoha High Command closes in on it at every turn." Lin Feng's voice was low, each word striking precisely at Fugaku's defenses. "As the Uchiha Clan's head, have you never felt even a trace of resentment?"
Fugaku's Sharingan twitched almost imperceptibly. Resentment? It was far more than that! It was humiliation and fury etched into the heart of every Uchiha.
"Konoha grew powerful because of the Uchiha. Yet now it fears the Uchiha's strength." Lin Feng gave a soft laugh, his voice dripping with scorn. "Sarutobi Hiruzen, that old monkey, treats your place in the Military Police Force as a 'favor' to the Uchiha, not an act of trust."
Fugaku's breathing grew heavy. Madara was right. Suspicion of the Uchiha had sunk deep into Konoha's bones. They wanted power, yet feared what might happen if that power slipped from their control.
"Do you want to change things, Fugaku?" Lin Feng's gaze suddenly sharpened, as though he could see into Fugaku's heart.
"I... naturally want the Uchiha to reclaim its former glory," Fugaku said, his voice a little hoarse.
"Just glory?" Lin Feng shook his head, a hint of disdain in his voice. "You're thinking too small. The Hokage Position should belong to my Uchiha Clan. That's true glory. True control."
He looked Fugaku straight in the eyes, his Rinnegan like a bottomless vortex.
"Have you ever imagined yourself sitting in the Hokage's chair? Taking command of Konoha?"
Fugaku's heart lurched. This was the most direct temptation—and the most dangerous invitation.
"Lord Madara... forgive me for speaking plainly. Minato is powerful, popular, and has the Third Hokage's support..." Fugaku tried to counter with facts, buying himself time to think.
"Popular?" Lin Feng scoffed, cutting him off. "The people are like water: they can bear a boat, or capsize it. Konoha may look prosperous on the surface, but it's long since rotted from within."
"The only real competition comes from those few students of the Hokage. You command a large force of the Uchiha Clan's elite shinobi. You represent a vital power within Konoha—the Uchiha Clan!"
"As long as Konoha's leaders aren't fools, they won't ignore the Uchiha Clan's needs. Besides, the Senju Clan has held the Hokage Position. Why shouldn't my Uchiha Clan hold it too?"
He glanced at Fugaku's Sharingan, his tone suddenly growing meaningful. "As the Uchiha Clan's head, surely... you've seen through this false facade? What do those eyes of yours see?"
Fugaku's body jolted. The secret hidden in the power of his Mangekyō Sharingan had never been shared with anyone. How did Madara know?
Seeing Fugaku's reaction, Lin Feng felt smug. As expected, Fugaku's Mangekyō was no ordinary one. The original story was vague about its abilities, but it had been powerful enough to make Itachi hesitate when he massacred the clan, and to make Itachi "alter" his memories. Its genjutsu was clearly no trifling matter.
"Your Mangekyō sees more than mere appearances," Lin Feng said, his words growing even more beguiling. "It can peer into the depths of the human heart. It can see this world... as it truly is."
"And yet you chose to keep it hidden, Fugaku. What are you afraid of? That the village will grow even more suspicious of the Uchiha? Or are you afraid of what lies deep within yourself... your desire for power and authority?"
Every word was like a blade, cutting through the disguise Fugaku had built around his innermost self. His long-suppressed, carefully concealed ambition was being exposed without mercy by Madara.
"I... I..." Fugaku opened his mouth, but no words came.
Lin Feng gave him no chance to think or argue. He continued to pile on the pressure. "I'm offering you the chance to reclaim the Uchiha's glory. The key to making Konoha—and even the entire Ninja World—submit to the Uchiha."
"If you're willing, I can give you a hand." Lin Feng held out his hand, palm up, in invitation, as if the whole world lay within his grasp. "Your Mangekyō, combined with my power, will give you ocular prowess beyond everyone else. By then, the Hokage Position will be yours for the taking."
He said nothing about the details of their cooperation or how he would "help." He only kept provoking Fugaku with the words "power" and "glory."
Fugaku looked at the outstretched hand, then at Madara's fathomless Rinnegan. He knew this might be the only chance in his life to reach the Hokage Position. But he also knew that working with Uchiha Madara was no different from making a deal with a tiger.
"What do you need me to do?" Fugaku took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. He knew nothing came for free.
Lin Feng watched with satisfaction as Fugaku finally asked the crucial question. It meant Fugaku was already tempted and had begun considering the practicalities.
"Simple." Lin Feng lowered his hand, his tone turning meaningful. "Keep Konoha's transfer of power in chaos. Let those who crave power see an opportunity. Let the Uchiha Clan's discontent... erupt completely."
"Minato is set to become Hokage. All you have to do is find a suitable reason to block him again. As for Danzo..." Lin Feng mentioned him casually. "He'll help muddy the waters. You just need to go with the flow and guide the Uchiha, turning their dissatisfaction with the village into a desire for the Hokage Position."
"I don't need you to take the Hokage Position right away." Lin Feng shook his head, dismissing whatever fantasies Fugaku might have. "I want civil strife in Konoha. I want an opportunity... one that will let the Uchiha Clan take complete control of Konoha."
Fugaku's Sharingan spun violently. The Three Tomoe quickly connected into a four-pointed pinwheel—the Mangekyō Sharingan! His secret was completely exposed before Madara.
Lin Feng's gaze settled on Fugaku's Mangekyō, a flicker of surprise passing through his mind. Its pattern didn't seem to match the familiar designs from the original story. He gave nothing away, merely raising his chin a little.
"Good. Your eyes... haven't disappointed me." Lin Feng's tone held a hint of amusement. It was both praise and a silent threat.
Fugaku lowered his head sharply, forcibly suppressing his Mangekyō. He knew he was now completely exposed before Madara.
"Do you still think the Hokage Position is an unattainable dream?" Lin Feng's voice rang out again, like a demon's whisper.
"I'll give you three days to think it over. Three days from now, I'll come back."
Lin Feng said no more. The space around him warped again, forming a deep vortex. As Fugaku watched in shock, his figure slowly faded away, as though he had never appeared at all.
Silence returned to the room. Fugaku was alone, staring at the open scroll and feeling his heart pound uncontrollably.
The Hokage Position.
The Uchiha Clan's glory.
And... Uchiha Madara's meaningful words about an "opportunity to take complete control of Konoha."
He knew he had no other choice. He had to gamble the Uchiha Clan's future, fighting for a sliver of hope for himself and his clan in this game of chess led by Uchiha Madara.
Fugaku slowly closed his eyes. The Mangekyō's pattern flickered beneath his eyelids.
A storm that would sweep through Konoha, and perhaps the entire Ninja World, was quietly brewing.
"Itachi, Sasuke... for the future of the Uchiha, your father will make his choice."
He opened his eyes abruptly. The Mangekyō Sharingan gleamed in the darkness, filled with resolve.
Meanwhile, Lin Feng had already returned to the cave through space-time transfer.
"Lord Madara, did you get it done?" Black Zetsu emerged from the ground with his usual sinister grin.
"Mm." Lin Feng answered lazily, leaning back against the stone chair. "Fugaku Uchiha has no other choice. He'll bring Konoha more 'surprises.'"
"What now?" Black Zetsu asked. "Should we keep watching Amegakure and let Nagato fully consolidate his rule as a 'god'?"
"No." Lin Feng shook his head, his gaze growing profound. "Leave Amegakure alone for now. Nagato needs time to adapt to his new role and feel the power of 'pain.'"
"Black Zetsu, I've just had a new idea." Lin Feng's voice was low, charged with inexplicable excitement. "Now that Konoha's transfer of power has been thrown into chaos and all sides are starting to stir, why don't we... add more fuel to the fire?"
"Add fuel?" Black Zetsu asked, puzzled.
"Exactly." A dangerous curve lifted the corner of Lin Feng's mouth. "Black Zetsu, gather some information for me."
"I want to know... whether the current Hokage Advisors, those two old hags—Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura—have any... dirty secrets."
Lin Feng looked at Black Zetsu, an unusual light flickering in his Rinnegan.
"After all, people don't hold on to the Hokage Advisor position for so many years by being ordinary."
For the first time, surprise crossed Black Zetsu's half-black, half-white face. He hadn't expected Lin Feng to turn his attention to those two seemingly harmless old advisors.
"Lord Madara, you're..."
"I just want to see," Lin Feng snapped his fingers, and a faint ripple of Chakra stirred the air. "If the 'secrets' they're hiding were made public, just how... interesting would Konoha's situation become?"
"Investigate. I want every weakness they have that can be exploited, from the inside out."
Black Zetsu's body slowly sank underground again. He knew Lord Madara was about to start playing his "games of manipulating people" once more.
This time, his targets were Konoha's two senior advisors.
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