For now, Fugaku and Zongyan agreed on keeping the altar secret.
"Only you and I know about the altar right now, Father."
Zongyan nodded, first making it clear that he would keep his mouth shut.
Fugaku glanced at him, unable to hide the satisfaction in his eyes. His nod was slight, but his expression was that of a deeply reassured father.
"It's not just you who has to keep quiet. At this stage, you mustn't tell your mother, your older brother, or Sasuke."
"Especially Itachi-you two are very close, but he's in the Anbu now, surrounded by eyes and ears. Even if his heart is with the Uchiha, we can't let him know for now."
"I understand." Zongyan nodded at once, without the slightest hesitation.
Fugaku nodded in satisfaction, his gaze returning to the black stone platform on the ground, its surface crisscrossed with cracks. He fell silent for a moment, as though weighing something.
Only after a long while did he speak, his voice low.
"You said this altar could nourish bloodlines within a hundred-meter radius? Does that include all living creatures?"
"Yes."
Zongyan answered, "As long as they're within that range, it'll take care of all of them."
Fugaku's brows drew together slightly, reason dampening some of the delight that had just surfaced.
"Any living creature can be nourished..."
He repeated the words, his fingertips unconsciously rubbing his chin. "Then we'll have to put it somewhere absolutely secure."
He paused, his gaze sweeping between the courtyard and the enclosing wall.
"The Uchiha Clan Compound spans roughly five hundred meters. It's in the village's southeastern corner, far from the urban area. We've been pushed to the margins-but now that's turned out to be a good thing."
Following his train of thought, Zongyan began thinking rapidly.
The Uchiha Clan Grounds stood in Konoha's southeastern corner, surrounded by walls and far from the bustling streets and the Hokage Building. Even when Anbu members kept watch nearby, most monitored the Clan Grounds' perimeter and dared not venture deep inside.
If the altar were placed in a secret chamber deep within the Clan Grounds, its hundred-meter range would cover precisely the Clan Grounds' inner core without spilling outside.
With the walls blocking the way, outsiders would have a hard time noticing anything.
"Then let's excavate a secret chamber at the Clan Meeting Hall specifically to house it."
After some thought, Zongyan recalled that the Clan Meeting Hall stood right at the center of the Clan Grounds.
Fugaku nodded, settling the matter.
But before he could breathe a sigh of relief, Zongyan spoke again, his tone somewhat deliberate.
"By the way, Father, this altar can also help someone awaken their bloodline once a month-I just don't know how much ore it needs to consume."
A peculiar look flickered through Fugaku's eyes, and he couldn't help glancing at him.
His second son's words were usually watertight. Now he was suddenly bringing up ore in a roundabout way-how could Fugaku not know what he was plotting?
He found it a little amusing, but maintained his fatherly dignity.
"You've had a chance encounter of your own, so I won't pry into where this thing came from."
"This is an enormous contribution to our Uchiha clan. Though we can't announce it, you won't be shortchanged on anything you deserve."
He paused, then made a firm promise. "Rest assured. From now on, the clan will cover all the minerals you need for your awakenings, all the way up to the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan."
But Fugaku still had no idea what Zongyan truly had his eye on.
Above the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan lay the Rinnegan, the eyes of the Sage of Six Paths.
That was the truly good stuff, but now wasn't the time to mention it.
He suppressed his thoughts and offered another reminder. "Repeated awakenings for the same person will multiply the consumption. I'm afraid the resources needed to go higher won't be a small amount."
"I understand."
Fugaku nodded solemnly. "Gaining power is bound to come at a considerable cost. But whatever the cost, it'll be worth it as long as the clan gains another powerful shinobi!"
After saying that, he suddenly fell silent, his gaze resting on the stone platform. The spark in his eyes burned ever brighter, and he stood completely motionless, as though some image had pinned him in place.
Zongyan glanced at him, then glanced again.
Fugaku was clearly lost in thought, and his mind had wandered far away. The corners of his mouth involuntarily lifted, only to be quickly pressed down again, several times over.
...What is Father thinking about? How can he be this happy?
Zongyan silently grumbled to himself, then called softly, "Father?"
No response.
"Father!" He raised his voice a little.
Fugaku snapped back to his senses, swiftly reining in his expression and restoring his composed, reserved clan leader's face. But Zongyan still caught the lingering heat in his eyes before it had fully faded.
"Ahem." He cleared his throat. "What is it?"
"Since we've finished discussing everything, can I go back and rest?" Zongyan asked.
Fugaku froze for a moment, as though only just remembering that his second son still had school tomorrow.
"...Yes. Yes, of course. Off you go. You have to get up early tomorrow. Remember-not a single word of tonight's conversation leaves this place."
"I'll remember."
Zongyan nodded, then turned and headed toward his room, leaving Fugaku standing alone beneath the veranda, continuing to ponder the stone platform.
The door closed gently, shutting out the moonlight.
Zongyan leaned against the door and let out a long, weary breath.
His nerves, taut for so long, finally relaxed.
Tonight's move hadn't been entirely steady, but at least it had been the right one.
He had told his father about the altar, the minerals were taken care of, and if he drew anything new later, his father would be there to take the brunt of it.
That was better than a six-year-old like him fumbling around on his own.
In the original story, even when things reached the clan's massacre and Fugaku willingly faced death, he still believed Itachi wouldn't hurt Sasuke. That showed he had always trusted his children to the very end.
Zongyan knew this, which was why he had dared to reveal the altar to him.
"If he didn't even trust his own son, then being six really would leave me unable to get anywhere."
He walked to the window, lifted a sliver of the sheer curtain, and glanced into the deep darkness beyond the courtyard.
The courtyard was utterly quiet, the shadows of the red maple mingling with the moonlight. He could see nothing.
Zongyan withdrew his hand, closed his eyes, and sank his consciousness deep into his mind.
The pale blue System Panel lay quietly across his vision, its information clear at a glance:
[Host: Uchiha Zongyan] [Age: 6] [Bloodline: Uchiha (ordinary, Sharingan not yet activated)] [Rank: Lower-Rank Ninja] [Skills: Three Basic Techniques, Great Fireball Technique, Uchiha Swordsmanship] [Draws remaining: 0] [Items owned: Fragmented Bloodline Altar]
His first draw was used up, and he would have to wait a full month for the next one. Looking at that glaring "0," Zongyan sighed inwardly.
"...All right. Good things are worth waiting for. See you next month."
Before you continue