The Might of the Mangekyō, the Third Hokage's Shock!

Fugaku's words echoed through the spacious Hokage Office.

Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes widened as he stared at Fugaku Uchiha standing before his desk, holding his breath.

The two Hokage Advisors standing nearby, Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura, stood frozen in place.

"Fugaku, do you even know what you're saying?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi braced both hands against the desk and leaned forward, his voice rising.

"How can the position of clan head be changed so casually? You're still in your prime—how could you step down and hand it over to a young man?!"

"The Uchiha Clan has always respected strength above all else."

Fugaku looked directly at the old man who had ruled Konoha for decades.

"Lu Ming's strength, vision, and courage have already earned the recognition of the entire clan."

"From tonight onward, he will represent the highest will of the Uchiha Clan."

Upon hearing that confirmation, Hiruzen Sarutobi's mind went blank.

This sudden turn of events caught the Third Hokage completely off guard. He understood the severity of the situation.

This is bad!

Cold sweat broke out on Hiruzen Sarutobi's forehead. His legs went weak, and he collapsed back into the Hokage's chair.

Now that Lu Ming had succeeded as the Uchiha clan head, he was no longer an ordinary Jonin, but one of Konoha's legitimate higher-ups.

Shimura Danzō had sent Root to forcibly detain the current head of one of Konoha's founding clans. That was a grave overreach of authority.

It was tantamount to tearing off the Konoha Leadership's dignity and trampling it beneath their feet—and an outright provocation against the entire Uchiha Clan!

Root had no right to casually detain the head of a clan!

"Fugaku!"

Mitokado Homura forcefully suppressed his shock, stepped forward, and demanded harshly.

"Even if Lu Ming has become the new clan head, what was that intelligence ANBU reported just now?"

"A large number of elite Uchiha who had activated their Sharingan left the clan grounds and headed straight for Root."

"Just what kind of shinobi did you dispatch? Wasn't the Military Police Force already forbidden from freely mobilizing large-scale forces?!"

Utatane Koharu immediately joined in the attack.

"You Uchiha are disregarding the village's discipline and mobilizing a large armed force within the village without authorization. Are you truly trying to rebel?!"

Faced with the stern questioning of the two Hokage Advisors, Fugaku did not panic. Instead, he straightened his back.

"You two have misunderstood."

Fugaku's voice was steady and powerful.

"Those mobilized tonight are not members of the Military Police Force."

"Not the Military Police Force?"

Mitokado Homura frowned.

"Then who are they?"

"They are the highest military organization newly established after Lu Ming succeeded as clan head—the Uchiha Shrine."

Fugaku's tone was proud.

"The Shrine's members are all the most exceptional young geniuses in the clan."

"They do not belong to the Military Police Force, nor are they subject to Konoha's regular ANBU command. They are the clan's personal guard, and they answer to Lu Ming alone!"

The Uchiha Shrine! A personal guard!

Those words left the three Konoha higher-ups utterly horrified.

Utatane Koharu sneered, her face filled with disdain.

"Hmph. What Shrine? They're nothing more than a pack of young people who don't know their limits!"

Relying on her status as a Hokage Advisor, Utatane Koharu mocked him.

"Fugaku, your Uchiha have acted far too rashly this time. Lu Ming is alone in Root's headquarters right now!"

"There are traps everywhere, barriers layered throughout, and Danzo has countless death warriors skilled in assassination under his command!"

Utatane Koharu crossed her arms, her tone arrogant.

"So what if he has people rushing over to rescue him?"

"By the time those so-called Shrine members break through the barriers and charge in, Lu Ming will have already suffered badly at Root headquarters."

"You know Danzo's methods. Lu Ming won't be escaping this time!"

In Utatane Koharu's eyes, no matter how talented Lu Ming was, entering such a deadly place alone and facing Root's entire encirclement meant he could only be suppressed.

Listening to Utatane Koharu's mockery, Fugaku showed not the slightest concern. Instead, he let out a cold laugh.

"Suffer badly?"

Fugaku looked at the lofty Utatane Koharu.

"Danzo and those rats skulking in the shadows under him think they're worthy of making Lu Ming suffer?"

"What do you mean?!"

Utatane Koharu was enraged by Fugaku's attitude.

Fugaku did not waste words. He closed his eyes.

Bang—!!!

Violent chakra erupted from Fugaku's body!

Fugaku opened his eyes.

Within his formerly black pupils, three tomoe spun rapidly and intertwined, eventually transforming into an intricate, eerie pinwheel pattern!

Mangekyō Sharingan, activate!

When those divine eyes, representing the Uchiha Clan's highest faith, appeared before them, the entire Hokage Office fell into terror.

"M-Mangekyō Sharingan?!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi shouted, gripping the armrests of his chair as fear filled his aged eyes.

Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura's legs went weak beneath the godlike pressure.

With two thuds, the two Hokage Advisors who normally stood so high above others collapsed directly onto the floor, their faces drained of color.

"Protect Lord Hokage!"

Four elite ANBU hidden in the shadows rushed out, drawing their ninja blades and positioning themselves before Hiruzen Sarutobi.

But the hands holding their blades trembled nonstop. They did not dare meet Fugaku's eyes.

Looking at the terrified Konoha higher-ups, Fugaku spoke frankly.

"I hid these eyes for years, believing they possessed the power to suppress everything. But in tonight's clan head duel, I lost to Lu Ming."

Fugaku's words left everyone stunned.

"Lu Ming's strength is far beyond that of me, even with the Mangekyō!"

Fugaku praised him.

"You think he was captured and brought into Root? Wrong! He walked in of his own accord!"

"Before absolute power, the Root you take such pride in are nothing but ants he can crush with a casual gesture!"

The entire room fell silent.

The only sound in the Hokage Office was everyone's heavy breathing.

The Third Hokage and the others were utterly horrified!

They were not only terrified that Fugaku had secretly possessed the Mangekyō Sharingan, but also by the despairing truth revealed in Fugaku's words!

Fugaku possessed the Mangekyō, yet he had been utterly defeated by Lu Ming! Lu Ming's strength far surpassed Fugaku's!

What did that mean?

It meant Lu Ming surely possessed the Mangekyō Sharingan as well, and perhaps his command over its power far exceeded Fugaku's!

Cold sweat poured from Hiruzen Sarutobi, soaking through his thick battle uniform.

His mind raced wildly. The more he thought about it, the more his scalp tingled, as though all the blood in his body had frozen.

The Uchiha Clan now had three Mangekyō wielders: Shisui, Fugaku, and Lu Ming!

Three Mangekyō!

What a terrifying concept!

During the Nine-Tails' Attack, a single masked man suspected of possessing the Mangekyō had nearly destroyed all of Konoha.

And now, the Uchiha Clan possessed three supreme forces comparable to gods and demons at the same time!

Such strength far surpassed any period since the Uchiha Clan helped establish the village. They could even challenge all of Konoha alone!

Hiruzen Sarutobi knew that Uchiha Shisui had always leaned toward the village and was even willing to sacrifice his own interests for Konoha's peace.

But Shisui was deeply loyal and devoted to his clan brethren.

If Lu Ming were truly driven into a desperate situation by Danzo in Root, or if anything happened to him, Shisui's bottom line would be completely shattered!

At that point,

Shisui would very likely turn fully toward the Uchiha and join forces with Lu Ming and Fugaku.

Once three Mangekyō wielders joined forces to make their move, war between Konoha and the Uchiha would erupt at any moment.

What left Hiruzen Sarutobi most desperate was that this conflict had been unjustifiably provoked by that fool Shimura Danzō.

Forcibly detaining the head of a clan meant Konoha held no ground in either law or morality.

Once war began, the Ino-Shika-Cho, Hyuga, and the other major shinobi clans would not risk their lives against three Mangekyō wielders for Danzo's stupidity. The Konoha Leadership would be left completely isolated and helpless!

"Danzo, you useless fool who ruins everything!!!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi was so furious that his eyes nearly split apart. No longer caring about the Hokage's dignity, he cursed loudly.

In his urgency, the Third Hokage grabbed the Adamantine Staff from the desk and rose to his feet.

"Gather every elite ANBU!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi roared madly at the surrounding ANBU, his voice cracking.

"Move out for Root with me! Hurry! Hurry!"

He had to leave immediately. He was determined to stop the situation from escalating at any cost.

Even if it meant completely falling out with Danzo, he could not allow Konoha to be dragged into this unwinnable war!

Hiruzen Sarutobi led a large force of ANBU out of the office in a frantic rush, his retreating figure filled with panic.

Fugaku remained where he stood, watching everything unfold.

He looked at Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura, who sat collapsed on the floor, trembling.

He looked at the door Hiruzen Sarutobi had slammed open, and his heart was filled with emotion.

Once upon a time,

he had stood here as the Uchiha clan head.

He had always bowed and scraped, always tried to trade concessions and explanations for these higher-ups' pity.

But what had he received in return?

Endless suppression and increasingly excessive bullying.

Yet tonight, Lu Ming had merely displayed immense power.

Without needing any explanation at all, he had thrown those lofty figures into panic and made the Third Hokage personally rush out to settle the matter.

Fugaku finally understood the truth Lu Ming had spoken of—peace was never something that could be begged for.

Only by displaying sufficient strength could they make the Konoha Leadership truly fear them and take the initiative to resolve conflicts. This also made him completely acknowledge Lu Ming's leadership.