On the night of October 12th.
Outside the Uchiha clan compound, Fox and Golden Eagle landed using the Body Flicker Technique.
In the grass lay the corpse of an Anbu member.
The corpse's skull had been cut open, severed by a sharp wire.
The skull cap lay like a bowl, holding the Anbu shinobi's brain matter.
The killer was extremely skilled.
The current Anbu members were all quite capable. To be killed silently, without any resistance, having their skull cap removed without them even noticing...
Golden Eagle's breathing was heavy, his fists clenching intermittently.
This method of killing carried a strong warning message.
Yōkō thought to himself, I died at Lynx's hands last month. I've been waiting for the new full moon and taking care of the infant Yozora, not planning to cause trouble.
But some people had committed such a cruel act.
The arrival of several Anbu members outside the Uchiha compound quickly alerted the clan.
Uchiha Kane, Uchiha Tōka, and Uchiha Fugaku appeared using the Body Flicker Technique.
Seeing the Anbu corpse in the grass, Uchiha Fugaku's mind trembled.
The surrounding atmosphere was oppressive, cold, and heavy.
The Anbu members all wore masks, but the Uchiha could feel they were on the verge of erupting.
Fox had just been promoted to Deputy Anbu Commander, and now such a vicious murder of an Anbu member occurred within the village. Uchiha Fugaku didn't dare imagine what methods Fox would use in retaliation.
Uchiha Kane tentatively said:
"Deputy Commander Fox, which village's spy is so audacious as to kill an Anbu member right inside Konoha?"
Golden Eagle glanced at the three Uchiha. Their expressions were flawless, as if they truly knew nothing.
The deceased Anbu member's mission was to monitor the Uchiha clan.
And the Uchiha clan dared to lightly dismiss it as the work of a spy?
Yōkō said: "Oh? So Clan Leader Kane also thinks this was done by a spy from some shinobi village?
I wonder which village's spy has mastered such exquisite Wire-Guided Shuriken Technique.
A shuriken connected to a wire, the wire tightening, cutting through the skull.
The Uchiha clan is also skilled in the Wire-Guided Shuriken Technique, aren't they? I wonder if the Uchiha have any suggestions—which other village is so proficient in this technique?"
Uchiha Kane swallowed with difficulty and said:
"Sunagakure... Suna's puppet masters are also skilled with wires. They use wires to make puppet nerves, puppet mechanisms.
We can't rule out Kiri-nin either.
Some Kiri-nin imitate the Longsword Nuibari and like to attach wires to thin blades."
"Oh, as expected of the Uchiha Clan Leader, instantly thinking of two enemy village spies skilled with wires." Yōkō said:
"I will investigate thoroughly and ensure the killer's brain matter is also served in his own skull cap."
Watching the Anbu collect the body and vanish with the Body Flicker Technique, Uchiha Kane led Tōka and Fugaku back into the clan compound.
Once inside, even with his excellent composure, he could no longer maintain his facade.
"Tōka! Bring Uchiha Mahiru to see me!"
Uchiha Tōka went to the house where the brothers Uchiha Mahiru and Uchiha Kirika lived.
Uchiha Mahiru was continuously tossing and catching a kunai.
Seeing it was Uchiha Tōka, Uchiha Mahiru seemed somewhat disappointed.
The Anbu aren't much either. They didn't discover anything.
Seeing Uchiha Mahiru's attitude, Uchiha Tōka felt disappointed.
Before, Uchiha Mahiru had been reverent and respectful when he saw him. But since returning from the Land of Rain, Uchiha Mahiru's temperament had become increasingly arrogant.
"Mahiru, the Clan Leader wants to see you."
The brothers Mahiru and Kirika went to the Clan Leader's residence.
Uchiha Kane signaled for everyone to stay away from the main hall; he wanted to speak with Uchiha Mahiru alone.
Uchiha Kane lowered his voice, almost growling: "Uchiha Mahiru! What have you done! What exactly have you done!"
Uchiha Mahiru said nonchalantly, "I just found someone monitoring me and killed him casually.
One genjutsu, one Wire-Guided Shuriken Technique... that Anbu was really weak.
Someone like that can be in the Anbu? I think aside from Fox, the Anbu are all trash."
Uchiha Kane had guessed it was Uchiha Mahiru's doing, but he didn't understand why he dared to admit it so brazenly.
"Don't look at me with that unbelievable expression," Uchiha Mahiru said.
"The strong have their dignity.
I cannot accept being monitored. The village has oppressed our Uchiha clan for too long.
I admit I was somewhat impulsive. When I discovered the Anbu watching me, I couldn't control my urge to kill.
I think it's fine now. We can test the village's strength, test their reaction, and gather intelligence for seizing power in the future."
Uchiha Kane had a headache.
In the clan's history, every Uchiha who awakened the Mangekyō would undergo a drastic change in temperament.
Without extreme stimulation, one cannot awaken the Mangekyō. And extreme stimulation often leads to extreme changes in temperament.
Either extreme arrogance, extreme bloodlust, or extreme stubbornness.
The leap from Three Tomoe to Mangekyō was a qualitative improvement in power—not becoming a Kage-level shinobi through years of accumulation after hard training, but suddenly becoming Kage-level overnight.
Uchiha Kane had already tried to persuade Uchiha Mahiru once before. Now he felt weary and didn't want to waste more words on him.
"Mahiru, since you want to test the village's reaction, you can spend the next few days going to the Hokage Building and the Forest of Death, observing the village's response."
Uchiha Mahiru was taken aback and said, "I am preparing to seize power, but the Forest of Death is full of Anbu. Isn't that asking for trouble?
Clan Leader, your persuasion is really interesting. Fine, for the time being, I won't go anywhere."
Uchiha Kane waved his hand tiredly, indicating Uchiha Mahiru could leave.
Uchiha Mahiru said:
"Clan Leader, we need to be more proactive; we must strive for advantage. Otherwise, we'll end up like the Senju clan, becoming half-crippled.
The Senju clan can rely on the Konoha Hospital to preserve their strength. What about us?
Do we rely on the Police Force?
Without absolute force, the Police Force only amplifies our conflicts with the village leadership, the other clans, and the villagers of Konoha.
Clan Leader, the situation is different now. If we don't accumulate advantages while our clan has the Mangekyō, are we going to wait until the clan weakens and gets oppressed, nibbled away at, or even exterminated by the village leadership later?
Not eradicating the enemy when you hold the advantage is the greatest cruelty to future generations."
On the main beam of the hall, a face materialized.
Yōkō was greatly surprised. He hadn't expected Uchiha Mahiru to have such foresight.
The wisdom of later generations wasn't necessarily reliable.
When you have the advantage, you should strike your enemies hard. If you don't destroy other nations and wipe out other peoples, then when the advantage shifts, others will come to destroy your nation and wipe out your people.
Only by having your own hands stained with blood can you prevent future generations from shedding theirs.
Uchiha Mahiru returned home with his brother.
His brother Kirika asked, "Brother, will the Clan Leader support you? I feel you were too aggressive when speaking to him."
Uchiha Mahiru said, "Even within the clan, the one with the strongest power becomes Clan Leader. If he won't listen to me, I'll become the Clan Leader myself."
Midnight.
Uchiha Mahiru suddenly turned his head, looking towards the wooden wardrobe to the side.
A White Zetsu emerged from the wardrobe.
"It's not easy now, entering Konoha requires extreme caution, I have to wait until there's no movement in the underground organic network..."
The moment the White Zetsu appeared, its throat was seized and instantly crushed by Uchiha Mahiru.
However, another White Zetsu emerged from the same wardrobe.
After crushing three White Zetsu in a row, Uchiha Mahiru stopped.
These White Zetsu were cheap, expendable.
"Uchiha Madara's subordinate, what do you want?"
Seeing that Uchiha Mahiru had finally quieted down, the White Zetsu said, "Don't be so hostile. You should be thanking Lord Madara, not treating me as an enemy."
"Thank Uchiha Madara? Thank him for killing my teacher?"
Another White Zetsu was crushed by Uchiha Mahiru.
When a new White Zetsu appeared, it waited a few seconds, ensuring Uchiha Mahiru didn't move, before saying:
"You went to the Land of Rain to hunt Lord Madara. Couldn't Lord Madara fight back?
Your people died because someone sent you to your deaths.
You should be thinking more about who sent you to the Land of Rain to find Lord Madara.
Even now, I can't understand, where did you dozen or so people get the courage to investigate Lord Madara?
If it were Sarutobi Hiruzen bringing a dozen clan-head-level shinobi, that would be somewhat appropriate. Lord Madara might take it slightly seriously.
You were purely cannon fodder.
Your enemy is not Lord Madara, but those who sent you to your deaths."
Uchiha Mahiru initially wanted to crush this white-skinned freak again, but his movement became hesitant.
They, the younger generation, didn't know Uchiha Madara's strength, but Hiruzen Sarutobi, in his forties... hadn't he seen Uchiha Madara before? Could he not know Uchiha Madara's strength?
Hiruzen Sarutobi sending them to the Land of Rain was more about making the Uchiha clan prove their innocence, prove they had no intention of following Uchiha Madara.
How do you prove that?
Do you have to cut open your own stomach to prove you didn't steal ramen?
The Uchiha clan lost four Three Tomoe shinobi, and the village leadership never again suggested the Uchiha continue investigating Uchiha Madara.
Remembering the sight of his teacher Uchiha Michi's tragic death, an inexplicable rage rose within him, a desire to destroy something.
The White Zetsu continued: "Lord Madara is not your enemy, but your benefactor.
You don't actually think you could have awakened the Mangekyō with your own talent, do you?
It was only because Lord Madara recognized your talent and lent a helping hand when you were stimulated.
In this world, no one understands the Sharingan better than Lord Madara.
Only Lord Madara has the ability to catalyze the Mangekyō Sharingan.
Not only can Lord Madara help you awaken the Mangekyō, he can also help you enhance its power.
Do you... want to know how to enhance the Mangekyō?"
A wave of desire rose in Uchiha Mahiru's heart.
Clan Leader Kane's reason for urging him to be calm was that even if he awakened the Mangekyō, he might not be a match for the village leadership.
He admitted there were many experts in the village. But if the Mangekyō could grow even stronger, strong enough to dominate the entire village, would they still need to suffer persecution from the village leadership?
Uchiha Mahiru was tempted, but he couldn't easily trust Uchiha Madara's subordinate.
In the stories he heard as a child, Uchiha Madara was the clan's greatest villain, responsible for the deaths of many clansmen.
He hesitated, unsure whether to believe the white-skinned freak before him.
***
->Support me with power stone
->for every 100 Power Stones = 1 extra chapter
***
Dive deeper into the story with 50+ advance chapters, available now on Patreon!patreon.com/CNBLUE
If you're enjoying the novel, please consider leaving a review. Your support is crucial and helps the story grow immensely. Thank you!
(End of Chapter)