Catalyzing Sasuke

Several Hyuga clansmen stood before him, their bearing sharp and capable.

Shien was quite satisfied. These Hyuga clansmen were clearly branch family members who had spent years carrying out missions.

"I'm Shien, acting head of the Uchiha Clan. Introduce yourselves."

"I'm Hyuga Hayato. He's Hyuga Shu, and this is Teru Hyuga..."

The leading Hyuga clansman, broad-knuckled and built like an iron tower, introduced everyone.

There were six of them in total, all Chunin or Special Jonin.

"I don't know much about the Byakugan. I only know it can observe in all directions with no blind spots."

"But I don't know how far you can see at most, or how long you can keep it up."

Without thinking, Hayato answered, "Our Byakugan's long-range vision can reach..."

Bang!

Hyuga Shu punched Hayato in the kidney, making him bare his teeth in pain.

He bowed to Shien.

"My apologies, Lord Shien. The range and duration of our Byakugan's long-range vision are clan secrets and cannot be disclosed to outsiders."

"But we can guarantee that if we stand watch, no one will be able to infiltrate the Uchiha compound."

"From any direction."

Shu spoke neither humbly nor arrogantly, getting straight to the point.

Shien did not press the matter and merely nodded.

"Then can your Byakugan see through just one layer of clothing, or one mask, to reveal a concealed face?"

Shu answered in Hayato's place, "That requires extremely precise control of the Byakugan, and time to adjust the focus."

Shien pondered this. "Then when using the Byakugan for long-distance surveillance, can you tell what someone is saying?"

Hayato grinned beside him. "Of course. Lip-reading and sketching are basic skills for observers like us."

Shien raised a brow. His body's former owner had not had much contact with the Hyuga Clan before, partly due to the Uchiha's pride.

He truly did not know much about the Byakugan. He had not expected it to be so versatile.

Shien smiled and patted Hayato on the shoulder. He had a fairly good impression of the man.

"Have Zhi Ming plan out the clan's patrol routes for you."

"If you spot anything unusual, immediately inform the combat personnel we've assigned. You don't need to participate in battle."

The six Hyuga clansmen were delighted to hear they would not have to fight.

They left with Zhi Ming.

Shien soon arrived at Fugaku Uchiha's residence. Fugaku was gone now, and only Mikoto and Sasuke lived there.

The reason they had not been driven out was that the victims' families were all busy handling the funerals and had no time for it.

Naturally, no one was guarding this place either. Mikoto had some skill, but under the current circumstances, she was far safer staying in Konoha than outside.

Sasuke had been unconscious from yesterday, when he awakened his eyes, until this afternoon. He had not even eaten dinner, and his entire body was dazed and weak.

Naturally, Mikoto had remained by his side.

All the servants who had once worked in the house were gone. Mikoto only realized Shien had come when he knocked on the inner courtyard door.

The moment she saw Shien, panic rose in her heart. She thought the clan had come to settle accounts with them.

"Clan Head Shien."

Mikoto came out of the room, bowed to Shien, and looked deeply uneasy.

Times had changed. Just one day ago, she had still been the clan head's wife, but now she was the family of a criminal.

"There's no need for that, Sister Mikoto." Shien helped her up.

He called her that because when Mikoto had been pregnant, he and his friend Natsuki had served as her bodyguards.

He had even been the squad captain and was quite familiar with Mikoto. However, Natsuki had died yesterday.

"I'm sorry about Natsuki."

Mikoto's first words were an apology.

But Shien felt nothing at all. Natsuki had only been a friend of the original owner of this body, not his.

Still, he put on a grief-stricken expression.

"It was Itachi's doing. It has nothing to do with you, Sister Mikoto. I won't take it out on you."

Mikoto's eyes reddened, and guilt filled her expression.

"It was me. I didn't teach him properly..."

Seeing that she was about to cry, Shien got straight to business. Otherwise, who knew how long this would drag on?

"Though I won't take my anger out on you and Sasuke, the other clansmen may not feel the same way."

"It will be dangerous for you to continue living in the clan compound."

"I'll arrange for you to move out in the next couple of days."

"And you'll need to hand over all your money. The clan still has compensation payments to distribute."

"Yes, I understand."

Mikoto covered her face and wept. She was gentle and kind by nature, and she had gotten along well with many clansmen.

That was precisely why her guilt was especially severe.

"No! I won't! I won't leave this place! I'm going to wait for Father and Brother to come back!"

Sasuke staggered out. Having just awakened his eyes and gone a full day without food or water, he was terribly weak.

He had no idea what had happened. All he remembered was his brother's love for him.

"Uh..."

Sasuke did not get to say another word, because Shien had already grabbed him by the throat with one hand and lifted him up.

"Do you know how many people your brother killed?"

"Three hundred and thirty-seven!"

"Izumi's mother, Sister Yiori, who loved you, and Teuchi and his wife all died at your brother's hands."

"Do you know how many people in the clan want to kill you?"

"Do you know how much danger Sister Mikoto is in by staying behind to care for you?"

"In your eyes, only Itachi and Fugaku matter, is that it?"

"You don't care whether your mother lives or dies?"

Sasuke's eyes rolled white as he was choked. His hands and feet kicked wildly in the air.

Shien's words poured into Sasuke's mind like a curse.

"Shien, please, let Sasuke go!"

Mikoto did not dare step forward to pull him away. She could only beg through her tears.

Shien flung Sasuke to the ground. Sasuke clutched his throat and coughed violently.

But he soon endured the pain and crawled to Shien's feet. "Brother Shien, tell me. Why did my brother do this?"

"Please tell me!"

The original owner of Shien's body had been friends with Shisui, so Sasuke naturally knew him.

Although he had nearly been strangled to death, all he wanted now was to understand why Itachi had killed so many clansmen.

Shien crouched down and stared at Sasuke as he rebuked him.

"Idiot! Does having a reason mean your brother had the right to take so many clansmen's lives?"

"Did Itachi have the right to take their lives?"

"You're trash who isn't even a ninja. Don't you know that the more you know, the faster you die?"

Sasuke's teeth ground loudly. His eyes were bloodshot as his One-Tomoe Sharingan spun without pause.

Just days ago, he had been playing ninja games. Today, his home had suddenly become like this. For Sasuke, everything had happened too fast, too cruelly.

But the ninja world was like this. Those without clear resolve and a clear mind died the fastest.

Shien leaned down and whispered into Sasuke's ear.

"Remember this! Every humiliation, beating, and abuse you suffer from now on is what you owe them!"

"Your brother became an executioner, your father became a coward, and you can only become their scapegoat!"

"Aahhh!"

Sasuke pounded the ground hard. The grievance and pain in his heart tormented him endlessly.

Mikoto held Sasuke tightly, her heart aching. "Sasuke, don't be like this. Don't."

Sasuke hugged Mikoto and burst into aggrieved tears.