Under the watchful gaze of pairs of Sharingan, Uchiha Kyu slowly set down his brush. When he looked up, the Mangekyō Sharingan in his eyes appeared especially sinister and terrifying in the dying light of the setting sun.
"Gentlemen, today marks the beginning of Uchiha's return to greatness."
His voice was not loud, yet it exploded in everyone's hearts like beating war drums, instantly stirring the hot blood that had never cooled within them.
Standing at the very front, Uchiha Kage placed a clenched fist over his heart, his reverent gaze fixed firmly on Uchiha Kyu.
"Your subordinate, Uchiha Kage, greets the clan head. I am willing to die for you, Clan Head."
The others were shaken by his words. Eagerly following Uchiha Kage's example, they dropped to one knee and offered their loyalty, shouting in unison.
"We greet the Clan Head. We are willing to die for the Clan Head."
"We greet the Clan Head. We are willing to die for the Clan Head."
"We greet the Clan Head. We are willing to die for the Clan Head."
"All of you, rise."
Uchiha Kyu's calm gaze swept across each of them. These were his direct forces; every one of these clansmen had been personally approached and selected by him.
"I do not need you to die for me. I need all of you to live well."
"Watch closely as I lead Uchiha back to its peak and prove that your choice was not wrong."
Burning with excitement, Uchiha Okamoto could not wait any longer and stepped out from the crowd.
"Clan Head, give the order."
"Do not rush. Haste makes waste. Just follow the plan."
Uchiha Kyu nodded slightly, telling him to remain calm.
Uchiha Okamoto was also one of the clansmen Uchiha Kyu held in high regard. He had trained him from a One-Tomoe Sharingan to a Three-Tomoe Sharingan, and his strength had risen to that of an Elite Jonin.
The fiercely loyal Uchiha Okamoto forcibly suppressed his eagerness to earn merit and obediently returned to the crowd.
"Kage, have you brought them?"
"Reporting to the Clan Head, I have brought them."
Uchiha Kage quickly made a hand gesture toward the subordinates guarding the entrance.
"Mmph!"
"Mmph!"
The group turned their heads in unison. Uchiha Itachi and Uchiha Mikoto were being shoved inside, towels stuffed in their mouths and their bodies tightly bound.
"Kage, did you kidnap them?"
Seeing the two being pushed in while tied up, Uchiha Kyu was taken aback.
If he remembered correctly, he had never issued such an order.
"My mistake."
Uchiha Kage froze, then quickly apologized after realizing he had misunderstood. He personally went over and untied Uchiha Mikoto and her son.
Uchiha Mikoto hurriedly spat out the towel and pulled Itachi into her arms protectively. Her face was full of anxiety as she watched Uchiha Kyu, afraid that he would lay a hand on Itachi.
Uchiha Kyu's calm gaze passed over mother and son. Seeing the fear in his sister-in-law Mikoto's eyes, he waved a hand and had them taken away.
He could not afford any mishaps in this operation. This mother and son were merely shackles he intended to place on Fugaku Uchiha, shackles he could not resist.
He had never cared how despicable the process was. As long as the final result was what he wanted, that was enough.
The Mangekyō Sharingan should not be wasted on internal strife if it could be avoided.
Besides, no matter how useless Fugaku Uchiha was, his Mangekyō Sharingan still counted as high-end combat power.
Uchiha Kyu looked up at the sky. The last traces of dusk lingered in the setting sun's glow, but night had already fallen. It was time to change heaven and earth.
"Gentlemen, the time has come."
Beneath the night sky, in the small courtyard, the scarlet Sharingan of more than forty Uchiha clansmen looked especially eerie. Blades that had been hidden away for far too long slowly left their sheaths, gathering the killing intent the Uchiha Clan had accumulated over many years in the darkness.
At the front stood the Mangekyō Sharingan that commanded everyone's attention.
Uchiha Kyu's deep gaze swept over the crowd. His calm face revealed not the slightest expression, yet those Mangekyō Sharingan silently exuded the pressure of his bloodline upon everyone present.
This was absolute suppression based on the rank of the Sharingan. The Uchiha Clan had always worshipped strength and placed power above all else. This was the fundamental reason Uchiha Kyu had gained the loyalty of these clansmen.
"Okamoto."
"Your subordinate is here."
Uchiha Okamoto hurriedly stepped out from the crowd, staring at Uchiha Kyu with worship in his eyes.
"Haruto."
The usually taciturn Uchiha Haruto stepped out from the crowd. His honest, dependable face was incomparably solemn as he quietly stood in place and awaited his orders.
"Kage."
"Your subordinate is here."
Uchiha Kage, standing before the other two, swung his long blade and planted it in the ground, then dropped to one knee to await his orders.
Uchiha Kyu took out three scrolls he had prepared in advance and handed one to each of them.
"Your subordinates swear to complete the mission even at the cost of our lives."
The three accepted the scrolls with the resolve to die. If they failed to complete their mission, they would fight until their final breaths.
On the dimly lit streets of the Uchiha Compound, figures with Sharingan seemed to blend into the darkness as they silently scattered in every direction.
"Senior Okamoto, what are you doing here?"
When the Uchiha Chunin guarding the compound gate saw Uchiha Okamoto and the others approaching with such force, he stepped forward in confusion to ask.
"We are taking over tonight's patrol. Your shift is over."
Uchiha Okamoto waved a hand expressionlessly. The clansmen behind him immediately attacked, catching the patrolmen completely off guard.
Thud!
The Uchiha patrolmen, who had never imagined they would be ambushed by their own people, were knocked unconscious and fell to the ground.
"You two, take over the compound gate immediately. Do not let anyone enter or leave. If anything happens that you cannot handle, send a signal at once. I will come support you immediately."
After casually picking two team members, Uchiha Okamoto led the rest swiftly toward another direction.
Fugaku Uchiha was the clan head, after all. The prestige he had accumulated over the years had won him the support of quite a few clansmen.
The task Uchiha Kyu had given Uchiha Okamoto was to make those within the compound who supported Fugaku Uchiha shut up for the time being.
At this moment, the Anbu monitoring the Uchiha Compound and Danzo's Root Organization were both lurking around its perimeter.
The surveillance had not begun only after the Fourth Hokage's death. After his death, they had simply torn off all pretense and started openly monitoring the entrance of the Uchiha Compound.
The two guards at the Uchiha Compound gate were knocked unconscious by two Uchiha Jonin with Three-Tomoe Sharingan. The two Jonin then took over their duties, guarding the gate and keeping watch on the surroundings.
"Something is wrong. Something must have happened in the Uchiha Compound that we do not know about. Hurry and report to the Third Hokage."
"Understood."
"You report to Lord Danzo as well."
"Yes, sir."
The two ninjas wearing dog masks had just received their orders and were about to leave when they saw a pair of Three-Tomoe Sharingan. Their hearts instantly lurched.
When fighting the Uchiha Clan, the moment you saw the Sharingan, your head was already no longer on your shoulders.
Two heads flew from their shoulders, blood instantly spraying from the wounds.
"Leave no one alive."
Uchiha Kage swung his blood-soaked blade. His Three-Tomoe Sharingan erupted with intense killing intent as his icy voice emerged from his lips.
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