Fugaku is retreating.
It's not that he wanted to retreat, he was forced to retreat.
The jounin's Kunai stabbed down from above. Fugaku raised the knife to hold it. The knife was pressed down. The blade of Kunai was only two inches away from his eyes.
He gritted his teeth and used all his strength to push the knife up, pushing the jounin a step away.
But the jounin barely paused, and turned his body in a circle in mid-air. Another Kunai was drawn from the side and went straight to Fugaku's throat.
It was too late to hide.
Fugaku's eyes reflected the shadow of Kunai. The silver-white blade glowed dark red under the setting sun, getting closer and closer to his throat, so close that he could see his own reflection on the blade.
Then a body stood in front of him.
It was a very broad figure, wearing Uchiha ethnic uniform, with the Gunbai coat of arms printed on the back.
That ethnic uniform Fugaku is very familiar. It is that person's favorite blue, dark blue, the kind of blue that resembles the night sky.
Every time he wears this dress, he will smile and say, Fugaku Look, does the color look good?
Fugaku's pupils shrank suddenly.
"Yuji Itadori!"
The Kunai penetrated the man's stomach from the front, penetrated the abdominal muscles, and came out from the back.
Blood gushed out from the wound and sprayed on Fugaku's face, making it hot and fishy.
The man's body shook, but he did not fall. He stood there, blocking Fugaku, like a stone statue that would never fall.
Uchiha Yuji.
Fugaku's friend since childhood.
They studied together at the Ninja Academy, competed together on the training ground, and went from Genin to jounin together.
Yuji Itadori is always smiling, never angry, and never complains.
Even when Uchiha Clan was in the most difficult time, when Danzo stole their eyes, Shaoyu took away most of the clan members, and the remaining people were left out in the village, Yuji Itadori was still smiling.
He said, Fugaku, it's okay, it will be fine.
Fugaku once asked him why he didn't follow Shaoyu.
Yuji Itadori said, what will you do if I leave? You stay alone at Konoha, with no one to talk to. Then I won't do it.
Fugaku laughed then. Now he wants to cry.
"Yuji Itadori! Yuji Itadori!"
Fugaku threw away the knife in his hand and reached out to hug the sliding body.
The Uchiha jonin next to him took over the attack from the Kirigakure elite jounin.
Yuji Itadori's body is very heavy, as heavy as a stone, but his body temperature is losing and getting cooler little by little.
Fugaku put his hand on Yuji Itadori's belly, trying to hold down the wound, but there was too much blood, gushing out from between his fingers, and he couldn't hold it down no matter what.
Yuji Itadori raised his head and looked at Fugaku.
There was still a smile on his face, the same smile that Fugaku had seen for decades. It was silly, but very warm.
"Fugaku." His voice was very soft, as light as the wind blowing through the grass blades, "It hurts."
Fugaku's tears fell. He hadn't cried for a long time.
The last time he cried was the day his father died.
That time he told himself, Uchiha Fugaku, you are the leader of the clan, you cannot cry, because if you cry, the clan will collapse.
He held it back. He swallowed back his tears until his throat hurt.
But this time, he couldn't help it.
"Don't talk." His voice was trembling, shaking badly, "I will take you back, Mikoto is in Konoha, she is a medical ninja, she can save you, just hold on-"
"Fugaku." Yuji Itadori interrupted him, his voice still soft but firm, "It's too late."
He slowly raised his hand, the blood-stained hand trembling slightly in the air.
His fingers touched Fugaku's face, cool and gently.
"My son..." Yuji Itadori's voice became smaller and smaller, so small that it was almost inaudible, "Help me take care of him."
Fugaku's tears fell on Yuji Itadori's face, one drop, one drop, and another, like rain.
"He's only three years old."
The corners of Yuji Itadori's mouth turned up. The smile was still there, but it no longer had the strength.
"He's very naughty. Even naughtier than when I was a kid. Watch over him for me. When he grows up, tell him that his father is not a coward."
Fugaku opened his mouth.
"Stay alive Yuji Itadori, don't you like women with big breasts and perky butts? I'll let Mikoto accompany you. Don't die!!!!!!"
Yuji Itadori's eyes slowly closed.
The bloody hand slid down from Fugaku's face and hung to the ground, with his fingers curled slightly, as if he was grabbing something, but also as if he hadn't grabbed anything.
Fugaku held the body of Yuji Itadori and knelt on the beach.
The shouts of killing continued around, the flashes of Kunai and Shuriken were still flashing, and the roar of ninjutsu explosions was still echoing.
But he heard nothing.
He could only hear his own heartbeat, thump, thump, thump, one beat heavier than the other, and one beat heavier than the next.
An image flashed in his mind.
That was the face of Shaoyu. Some time ago, Shaoyu stood in front of him and looked at him.
He said, no, I am the patriarch of Uchiha and I cannot leave.
Now he is kneeling here, holding Yuji Itadori's body. Yuji Itadori's blood has soaked into his clothes. It is hot, and then becomes cold, making him tremble.
He began to regret it.
If he had taken the remaining people and followed Shaoyu, Yuji Itadori would not have died.
If he had left Konoha with the Uchiha Clan, those children would not have died on the beach wearing uniforms that were several sizes too big.
If he had listened to Shaoyu -
His eyes began to hurt. The pain was not caused by the sand or the smoke. It was a pain that came from the depths of the eyeballs, as if someone was pricking his retina with a needle.
He put his fingers on his eyes, trying to hold back the pain, but he couldn't.
The pain was getting stronger and deeper, as if something was burning in his eye sockets, which made him want to scream, but he couldn't.
He put down his hands and opened his eyes.
Three Tomoe Sharingan slowly rotated in the pupil, and then the speed became faster and faster, as fast as three black wheels spinning.
The boundaries of Tomoe begin to blur, begin to melt, and begin to regroup.
Three Tomoe are connected together to form a new shape.
An inverted triangle looks like an upside-down eye or an upside-down sickle.
Mangekyō Sharingan.
Fugaku's eyes are no longer the ordinary Sharingan's.
In those two eyes, the inverted triangle pattern slowly rotated on the dark red irises, with an aura that did not belong to this world.
He looked at Yuji Itadori in his arms, at the pale face, and at the smile still hanging on the corner of his mouth.
He stretched out his hand and closed Yuji Itadori's eyes.
Then he raised his head.
The Kirigakure Jonin was still standing there, holding the two Kunais that were still bleeding.
We just got rid of the injured Uchiha Jonin, and he has little strength now.
He saw Fugaku's eyes, those two inverted triangles Mangekyō Sharingan.