Although Shin Uchiha had spoken quietly, he was certain that Uchiha Fugaku, with the basic awareness of a Kage Level Shinobi, would hear him and respond.
Shin Uchiha waited only a moment before hearing Uchiha Fugaku's reply:
"Come in."
Having heard Uchiha Fugaku's permission, Shin Uchiha dispensed with formalities and strolled into the tea room where the clan leader usually received guests.
Once inside, Shin Uchiha saw that Uchiha Fugaku had already put on a kimono and was sitting upright, clearly waiting for him.
Uchiha Fugaku took Shin 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.
Shin 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 Shin Uchiha in greeting, she withdrew.
Shin Uchiha thanked her and waited until the clan leader's wife, Uchiha Mikoto, had left before he began speaking.
Shin Uchiha intended to use the same trick again. It did not matter how stale a scheme was, as long as it worked.
"Clan Leader, Shin 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."
Shin Uchiha got straight to the point.
"Shin 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, Shin. 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.
"Shin, activate your Sharingan. Let me take a look."
Shin 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 Shin Uchiha to awaken it at such a young age. Completely unprepared for the pattern that appeared in Shin Uchiha's eyes, he froze in shock.
Afraid that any delay might lead to complications, Shin 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 Shin 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, Shin Uchiha's wishes became Uchiha Fugaku's highest commands.
Once he sensed that Kotoamatsukami had succeeded, Shin Uchiha slowly exhaled and finally relaxed.
It might have seemed as though Shin 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 Shin Uchiha possessed such an outrageously powerful Dōjutsu.
Otherwise, as a fellow wielder of the Mangekyō Sharingan, Uchiha Fugaku had far more combat experience than Shin Uchiha. He was also in his prime and had virtually no weaknesses. Without exploiting that gap in their knowledge, how could Shin 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, Shin 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 Shin's Sharingan. Go get some rest. I still have matters to discuss with Shin."
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 Shin Uchiha.
"All right, I'll go get some rest, then. Please excuse me, Shin." Uchiha Mikoto dipped in a slight bow, then turned and left.
Shin 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, Shin 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.
Shin 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 Shin 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 Shin 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."
Before you continue