Fugaku did not answer the question about the Mangekyō for the moment. He looked at the "traitors" who had been restrained around them.
"If we don't capture these people, after tonight, every word we say here will be delivered verbatim to a desk in the Hokage Building."
"They've gone astray. In their hearts, Konoha matters more than the Uchiha, so naturally, we can't let them send word back."
He said no more and gave Zongyan and the others a meaningful look.
They immediately stepped forward and knocked out every clansman present whose stance opposed theirs, along with Kawano Shinji, completely preventing them from eavesdropping any further.
Then they found Binding Rope, tied everyone up securely one by one, and tossed them into a pile in a corner of the Stone Chamber.
Once all of that was done, Fugaku surveyed the Uchiha with Jonin-level strength who remained in the underground Stone Chamber of Naka Shrine.
"The clansmen who have strength but cannot stand united with us have all been excluded. Everyone left here is truly loyal to the Uchiha."
He paused, his tone growing heavier.
"It's time to tell you about that thing."
At these words, confusion immediately filled the faces of the clansmen around him, and scattered whispers slowly arose.
"What exactly are the clan head and the others talking about? What thing?"
"Could it be the object they mentioned just now?"
Quiet discussions rose and fell around them.
Zongyan looked at the clansmen beside him, who had taken pride in their Uchiha bloodline since birth and were willing to stand up for the clan's future.
"It really is time to let the clansmen know."
Seeing that Zongyan shared his view, Fugaku said,
"Since you brought this opportunity to the clan, you should lead the way. Let everyone see this tremendous contribution you've made to the entire Uchiha Clan."
Zongyan stepped forward, walked toward the concealed mechanism in the wall at the side of the Stone Chamber, and reached out to activate it.
The heavy stone wall slowly slid aside, revealing a Hidden Passage.
He turned sideways and raised a hand, signaling for everyone to follow.
"Everyone, please follow me."
Fugaku stepped into the passage first. Behind him, Yashiro and the other two exchanged looks before following.
Seeing this, the remaining Uchiha silently followed close behind.
Once everyone had entered the Secret Chamber, the stone door behind them slammed down, cutting off the light and sounds from the Stone Chamber of Naka Shrine outside.
At the same time, faint specks of pale purple light automatically lit up along the inner walls. A soft glow spread throughout the underground space, fully illuminating the dark Secret Chamber.
What greeted their eyes was the broken, ancient black Altar standing silently at the very center of the Secret Chamber.
Without stopping, Zongyan slowly warned them, "There are traps everywhere here. Please remember exactly where I step, and make absolutely sure you don't trigger any."
"My father set up these traps himself. They really can kill you!"
Hearing this, none of the Uchiha Jonin dared be careless. Each of them watched every spot where Zongyan set his feet, following his steps precisely as they moved forward.
Only after everyone reached the center of the Secret Chamber, where the Altar stood, did they cautiously begin examining it.
Hushed discussions immediately stirred through the crowd.
"This should be the thing the clan head and Young Master Zongyan kept mentioning, right?"
"It just looks like a badly damaged old altar. I can't sense anything special about it at all."
"Is an opportunity that can change our clan's circumstances really hidden in this broken stone platform?"
Everyone's eyes focused on the father and son before them, their gazes full of anticipation.
Fugaku turned slightly and raised a hand to quiet everyone, then looked at Zongyan, tacitly allowing him to answer their questions.
Zongyan took half a step forward, swept his gaze over the bewildered Uchiha clansmen present, and slowly began to speak.
"This is called the Bloodline Altar!"
"As for what it does-"
He deliberately drew out the last word, keeping everyone in suspense before continuing to reveal its secrets.
"It has two functions. The first is to nourish and purify the Uchiha bloodline."
"As long as we live and reproduce within the Altar's range over the long term, our bloodline will continually be purified and transformed over the generations. In the future, our newborn children might even be born with ocular power and awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan."
"What?!"
That single, brief statement instantly stunned every Uchiha Jonin present.
A chorus of sharp gasps instantly filled the Stone Chamber. Everyone's pupils contracted, and the confusion on their faces was completely replaced by utter shock.
The Mangekyō Sharingan!
For centuries upon centuries, it had been the Uchiha Clan's supreme ocular technique, a pinnacle that countless geniuses might fail to reach even after spending their entire lives burdened with blood feuds.
Yet Zongyan was now saying that Uchiha children in the future might have a chance to be born with such talent?
They exchanged looks, tremendous waves surging in every heart.
Seeing their excitement, Zongyan chuckled inwardly and dropped the second bombshell.
"As for its second function-"
Uchiha Inabi could not stand it any longer and asked anxiously, "Young Master Zongyan, stop keeping us in suspense. Hurry up and tell us!"
"Yes, exactly! Young Master Zongyan."
The Uchiha beside him practically turned into parrots, all chiming in.
"As for the second function, consuming sufficient minerals can activate the Altar fragment, allowing one bloodline ability awakening per month without side effects."
"That means as long as there are enough minerals resources, even an ordinary person with no talent can evolve to possess the Mangekyō Sharingan within a year!"
Boom-!
Those words rang out like thunder in the sealed Secret Chamber, utterly shattering everything they knew.
For a thousand years, Uchiha power had always been bound to pain and hatred, while the Mangekyō was a supreme ocular technique they could only dream of reaching.
None of them had dared imagine that one day, such supreme power could be easily obtained without paying any devastating price.
Just as everyone wavered between belief and doubt, Zongyan's gaze abruptly sharpened.
His two-tomoe Sharingan appeared.
"I'm only eight years old now, and I've never experienced any extreme emotional upheaval. All the elders in the clan have witnessed this for themselves."
At these words, the last trace of doubt among everyone present completely vanished.
No words or arguments could be more convincing than what they were seeing with their own eyes.
The last trace of doubt among everyone present completely vanished, replaced by overwhelming shock.
After a brief, deathly silence, the entire Secret Chamber erupted!
All the gravity and confusion drained from their faces, leaving only sheer elation and excitement.
Uchiha Yashiro's pupils contracted sharply as he stared fixedly at Zongyan, his chest heaving. The composure he had maintained for decades completely broke, and unbelievable joy surged in his eyes.
Even the usually taciturn Uchiha Tekka could not conceal his inner turmoil. His body tensed slightly, and his eyes shone with a light they had never held before.
Inabi let out a long breath. The tension on his face completely melted away, replaced by an utterly joyous smile.
"Within a year... even an ordinary person can attain the Mangekyō..."
He murmured under his breath, his voice brimming with excitement.
The Uchiha Jonin around them could no longer maintain their usual composure, and their irrepressible joy burst forth.
Everyone knew how precious the Mangekyō was. It was the supreme ocular power the entire Uchiha Clan dreamed of obtaining.
But now, an unprecedented shortcut lay before them.
As long as they had enough resources, the clan's ordinary people and younger generations would all have a chance to reach heights once impossibly far beyond them!
Ecstatic discussions rose and fell throughout the sealed Secret Chamber. Everyone's eyes remained fixed on the broken Altar at its center, their gazes burning.
"It really... really can be done!"
"We Uchiha... are going to rise!"
Before you continue