Plunder

The long blade was about five feet three inches long, shaped like a rice stalk and pitch-black from end to end. It looked like an elongated katana, though its blade was somewhat wider than that of an ordinary katana.

Judging by its shape, it was a miaodao.

Other than the black color of its blade, the entire weapon looked utterly unremarkable.

"Actually, I never planned to kill him from the beginning. After all, he's the head of a clan and a prominent ninja in the village. Killing him wouldn't be proper."

As Shu spoke, the tip of his blade slowly pointed behind Shisui. "But since he chose to attack me, he has to leave something behind. Otherwise, anyone will dare to stomp all over me in the future. Wouldn't that make me look bad?"

"This..."

Shisui wanted to persuade him further, but Shu's Three Tomoe had already begun to spin.

It seemed that if he dared say another word, the other party would activate his Mangekyo.

Seeing this, Shisui fell silent for a moment and quietly stepped back two paces.

He had seen Shu's Mangekyo abilities before. If he had to describe them, they were incredibly troublesome.

Without space-time Ninjutsu, no one present could pose even the slightest threat to Shu. Whatever Shu wanted to do, no one could stop him.

More importantly, as someone who also possessed the Mangekyō Sharingan, he knew perfectly well that the Mangekyo's strength did not lie solely in its ocular techniques.

There was also Susanoo, known as the Third Power!

If the other party activated Susanoo within the clan grounds, it would be a devastating blow to everyone present!

When Shisui backed down, Uchiha Inabi's expression changed. Just as he was about to step forward, Shisui grabbed him.

Shisui shook his head solemnly at Inabi without saying anything more.

As the strongest of the Uchiha clan's younger generation, Shisui held great prestige within the clan and was deeply trusted by its members. There were even rumors that he had already become the strongest Uchiha.

Though he normally acted like a harmless nice guy, greeting everyone with a pleasant expression, once he became serious, no one dared step forward to question him.

Shu walked toward Fugaku with his sword in hand.

Influenced by Shisui, most people hesitated and retreated to the side. Tekka gritted his teeth and still wanted to persist, but Fugaku's voice rang out beside him.

"Tekka, stand down."

Fugaku patted Tekka on the shoulder and stepped forward.

The blurred vision caused by Shu's Seabed Descent had already cleared. He looked at Shu before him with a complicated expression.

How wonderful would it have been if this were his son?

Looking into the other party's indifferent eyes, Fugaku suddenly had that thought.

To be honest, Shu completely fulfilled every fantasy he had ever had of an ideal son.

Handsome, powerful, proud, intelligent.

He even felt that if the person before him were his child, he would willingly accept being killed by him.

Unfortunately, Shu was not.

Not only was he not, but Shu had beaten his son, and even beaten him along with him.

Swish, swish, swish...

A chaotic cluster of blade flashes suddenly swept toward him, and Fugaku's heart tightened.

The night wind brushed past him, chilling the sweat-soaked back of his clothes. In the darkness, it felt as though something was drifting away from him.

Yet several seconds passed, and the agonizing pain he had imagined still did not come. Fugaku lowered his head in confusion, only to discover that he had not suffered the slightest injury.

"What... is going on? Why am I..."

"This is my blade of kindness. It doesn't hurt people."

It just likes stealing things...

Shu silently added in his heart. His left hand supported the blade as he idly toyed with the black longsword. "After all, Sasuke and I are classmates. I can't really let him lose his father, can I?"

Hearing that, Fugaku let out a long breath of relief, though his feelings remained complicated.

Thinking of the arrogant way he had acted earlier, even using force to suppress a child like Shu, this gesture from Shu filled him with shame.

Fugaku felt that he had not only lost in strength, but had also been utterly defeated in magnanimity.

"Thank you for showing mercy."

Fugaku gave Uchiha Shu a slight bow.

Look at that—he even had to thank him!

Shu gave him a faintly amused look, his gaze full of meaning.

The long blade he had used was his second birthday gift: Usurper Marquis.

Every slash could take away a concept from its target.

He had just slashed Fugaku three times.

Those three slashes had taken away Fugaku's X desire, X fetish, and X orientation.

Shu had first taken away Fugaku's X desire, fundamentally castrating him mentally.

But considering that physical instincts were not affected by one's mind, he had simply plundered Fugaku's X fetish and X orientation as well, intending to bestow them on some stray dog by the roadside later.

With a flick of his hand, Shu made the longsword vanish into thin air. "Have someone repair the steps outside my door tomorrow."

Having said that, he ignored everyone's complicated gazes and turned to leave.

"Whew..."

Only after Shu closed the door did Shisui finally let out a long breath, his heart settling back into place. "I knew it. Shu is still kind at heart."

"Is... is that so?" Inabi glanced at the blood on Fugaku's face, the corner of his mouth twitching awkwardly.

"This conflict began because of me. I apologize for making everyone witness such an embarrassing scene."

Fugaku wiped the blood from his forehead and spoke in a deep voice. "However, the facts have proven that I do not possess the magnanimity required to bear the responsibility of clan head. Therefore, at the next clan meeting, I will resign from the position, and all of you may elect a new clan head."

"What?"

"There's no need for that, Captain," Uchiha Inabi tried to dissuade him. "This can't all be blamed on you. Everyone saw how arrogant that brat was. Even I couldn't help wanting to beat him up."

Then why didn't you go up just now?

Yakumi could not help grumbling inwardly.

Leaving aside how badly Fugaku had been beaten, merely the terrifying chakra emanating from Shu was enough to make people fear him from afar.

The clan's two acknowledged strongest members—Fugaku had been brutally beaten, while Shisui had chosen to back down. That meant Shu's strength was definitely not something they could handle simply by rushing him together.

If they really attacked, it would most likely end with—there are so many of us; before your chakra runs out, you might not be able to kill us all!

If word got out, the Uchiha's thousand-year-old reputation would probably scatter in a single day...

"Let it be. My mind is made up."

Fugaku shook his head, his figure seeming somewhat desolate.

No matter what, being pinned to the ground and beaten by a six-year-old brat had dealt him too great a blow.

Itachi and Sasuke must be disappointed in me as their father, right?

And Mikoto...

Forget it. Mikoto's thoughts don't matter.

For some reason, that thought surfaced in Fugaku's heart, making his footsteps pause slightly. Then he could not help but give a bitter smile.

It seemed he truly had been hit too hard, to have become so dejected.

At a time like this, he should clearly need the support of the person beside his pillow even more.

For some reason, Tekka's figure as he had defended him just now flashed through Fugaku's mind.

Come to think of it, Tekka really had gone through a lot of trouble for him this time...