Although Qiu Shan Uchiha had spoken quietly, he was certain that Uchiha Fugaku, with the basic awareness of a Kage Level Shinobi, would hear him and respond.
Qiu Shan Uchiha waited only a moment before hearing Uchiha Fugaku's reply:
"Come in."
Having heard Uchiha Fugaku's permission, Qiu Shan Uchiha dispensed with formalities and strolled into the tea room where the clan leader usually received guests.
Once inside, Qiu Shan Uchiha saw that Uchiha Fugaku had already put on a kimono and was sitting upright, clearly waiting for him.
Uchiha Fugaku took Qiu Shan Uchiha's visit quite seriously. After all, he was a prodigy of the Uchiha Clan whose reputation rivaled Shisui Uchiha's. Although he might not yet be a match for Fugaku, he was still one of the clan's strongest fighters.
Qiu Shan Uchiha sat down as well and was about to speak when a beautiful woman in a kimono entered, carrying a tea tray. She had a slender figure and lovely features.
Without speaking, the woman set hot tea before each of them and laid out some refreshments. After nodding to Qiu Shan Uchiha in greeting, she withdrew.
Qiu Shan Uchiha thanked her and waited until the clan leader's wife, Uchiha Mikoto, had left before he began speaking.
Qiu Shan Uchiha intended to use the same trick again. It did not matter how stale a scheme was, as long as it worked.
"Clan Leader, Qiushan has come to report something important. There were too many people around during the day, so I had no choice but to disturb you late at night."
Uchiha Fugaku nodded in understanding.
"If there's something urgent, just tell me. As your clan leader, dealing with it is my responsibility."
Qiu Shan Uchiha got straight to the point.
"Qiushan has come because my Sharingan seems to have undergone some sort of change. As you know, Clan Leader, my parents passed away several years ago. With something like this happening, I have no one to consult, so I'm sorry for troubling you."
Uchiha Fugaku took a sip of tea and waved a hand.
"Don't say that, Qiu Shan. I'm the leader of the Uchiha Clan, and you're one of our elite ninja. Resolving your problems is my responsibility as clan leader.
"Qiu Shan, activate your Sharingan. Let me take a look."
Qiu Shan Uchiha did not stand on ceremony. He activated his Sharingan at once, revealing his Mangekyō Sharingan to Uchiha Fugaku.
Of course, Uchiha Fugaku knew about the Mangekyō Sharingan. He simply had not expected Qiu Shan Uchiha to awaken it at such a young age. Completely unprepared for the pattern that appeared in Qiu Shan Uchiha's eyes, he froze in shock.
Afraid that any delay might lead to complications, Qiu Shan Uchiha seized the moment while Uchiha Fugaku was stunned and unguarded. He immediately activated his Mangekyō Sharingan and unleashed his Dōjutsu, Kotoamatsukami.
As a wielder of the Mangekyō Sharingan himself, Uchiha Fugaku sensed danger the instant Qiu Shan Uchiha activated his eyes and unleashed the Dōjutsu. No longer caring about concealing his own Mangekyō Sharingan, he activated it at once to resist the Dōjutsu invading his mind.
But Kotoamatsukami, hailed as the "strongest genjutsu," was not something one could resist so easily. Just as Uchiha Fugaku revealed his Mangekyō Sharingan, Kotoamatsukami swept into his mind with unstoppable force, rewriting his deepest thoughts and altering his will. From that moment on, Qiu Shan Uchiha's wishes became Uchiha Fugaku's highest commands.
Once he sensed that Kotoamatsukami had succeeded, Qiu Shan Uchiha slowly exhaled and finally relaxed.
It might have seemed as though Qiushan had easily brought Uchiha Fugaku under his control with Kotoamatsukami, but that was only because Uchiha Fugaku had been unguarded and had no idea that Qiu Shan Uchiha possessed such an outrageously powerful Dōjutsu.
Otherwise, as a fellow wielder of the Mangekyō Sharingan, Uchiha Fugaku had far more combat experience than Qiu Shan Uchiha. He was also in his prime and had virtually no weaknesses. Without exploiting that gap in their knowledge, how could Qiu Shan Uchiha possibly have succeeded so easily?
Just as Uchiha Fugaku fell under Kotoamatsukami's control, his wife, Uchiha Mikoto, came in from the inner rooms. Whether she had sensed the disturbance in the tea room or simply felt that something was wrong, Qiu Shan could not tell.
"Dear, what just happened? I thought I felt a fluctuation in chakra. Are you all right?"
By the time Uchiha Mikoto spoke, Kotoamatsukami had already finished reshaping Uchiha Fugaku's mind.
He slowly deactivated the Mangekyō Sharingan he had just awakened, picked up his cup, and took a sip of tea. Then he replied in his usual tone and manner:
"Mikoto, everything is fine. I was just examining Qiu Shan's Sharingan. Go get some rest. I still have matters to discuss with Qiushan."
The clan leader's wife, Uchiha Mikoto, would never have imagined that, in those few moments, her husband's mind had already been enslaved by Qiu Shan Uchiha.
"All right, I'll go get some rest, then. Please excuse me, Qiu Shan." Uchiha Mikoto dipped in a slight bow, then turned and left.
Qiu Shan Uchiha let out a relieved breath and wiped the nonexistent cold sweat from his forehead.
That was far too dangerous. If even the slightest thing had gone wrong, I, Qiu Shan Uchiha, would have had no choice but to consider defecting.
Still, the rewards match the risks. Now that I control Uchiha Fugaku and have the grand elder's support, that effectively means I have the final say in the Uchiha Clan.
Now, then, it's time to reap the rewards.
Qiu Shan Uchiha looked at Uchiha Fugaku. The clan leader was still sitting upright, watching him calmly.
"You know what happened, don't you?"
Uchiha Fugaku nodded.
"You enslaved me and altered my thoughts, making me completely loyal to you. My life and death now depend entirely on your whim. Whatever you order me to do, even kill myself, I will do it without hesitation, and I won't resent you in the slightest."
"What you just used must have been a Mangekyō Sharingan Dōjutsu, correct? I never expected yours to be so powerful. I had absolutely no ability to resist it. Still, I remember that your Sharingan leaned toward copying techniques. I never imagined the Mangekyō ability you awakened would be a top-tier genjutsu. I couldn't even use the contingency I'd prepared."
At that, Uchiha Fugaku shook his head regretfully, as though he found it quite a pity.
At Uchiha Fugaku's words, cold sweat immediately broke out across Qiu Shan Uchiha's back, and belated fear gripped him. He had never expected Uchiha Fugaku to have another trick up his sleeve even under those circumstances.
Uchiha Fugaku seemed to see what Qiu Shan was thinking. He smiled and reassured him:
"Don't worry. Your Dōjutsu has made me completely loyal to you. I won't do anything that harms your interests, and I've already disabled the contingency I put in place."
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