Nearby, the clan head Fugaku still maintained a composed demeanor. Unlike Shisui, who had been fighting on the front lines, Fugaku had mostly been commanding since awakening his Mangekyo Sharingan. He rarely directly joined the fray, leaving his mastery of the Mangekyo somewhat rusty; as a result, his injuries were even more severe than Shisui's.
Having temporarily taken over medical duties, Makiya performed the Mystical Palm Technique again, healing all the wounds Fugaku had sustained in the battle.
Fugaku's physical depletion was even greater than Shisui's. Chakra is a fusion of physical and spiritual energy, and neither can be lacking. Under Makiya's inspection, he found that Fugaku's meridians were blocked, his cells were sluggish, his organs were underperforming, and he even showed signs of kidney deficiency.
Even with his wounds healed, Fugaku would need to remain bedridden for a long time to truly recover.
After settling Fugaku, Makiya strolled through the other wards. Wherever he went, medical ninjas bowed and sought his guidance.
As the Vice Director of Konoha Hospital, almost all the medical ninjas sent as reinforcements had studied under him at some point. Makiya was essentially their mentor.
After showing off his medical ninjutsu and earning a round of admiring looks and flattery, Makiya picked a newly pitched tent and settled in, feeling quite pleased.
Before he could set up a barrier to sleep, the tent flap rustled, and a strange voice called out from outside.
It was a member of the Uchiha clan who had recently awakened his three-tomoe Sharingan on the battlefield and now served as the clan head's guard.
This man respected Makiya deeply, bowing low before stating his purpose.
The clan head, Fugaku, requested his presence.
"Makiya..."
Looking up at the sky, the moon was bright and the stars were sparse, silver light bathing the earth. Why did Fugaku always like meeting in the middle of the night? At this hour, shouldn't he be getting ready for bed?
It couldn't be that he was so frustrated about not being able to hold his wife that he had to find something for Makiya to do.
In the dead of night, two figures sat opposite each other inside Fugaku's tent. A small stove stood nearby, with glowing charcoal bringing tea to a boil.
Fugaku held the teapot and poured a cup for Makiya. Makiya looked at the tea spilling onto the table, lost in thought.
'Has his vision blurred to this extent? He can't even aim properly while pouring tea.'
The two had been chatting for a while. Fugaku talked about trivial family matters, avoiding the main point entirely.
Young Itachi sat in the corner, gently rocking the infant Sasuke in his arms, but his eyes frequently drifted toward Makiya and Fugaku.
"Makiya..." Fugaku took a sip of tea and suddenly sighed. "The Uchiha revere strength. You must have noticed my condition. This is the side effect of the Mangekyo. I was thinking... what if you took over as the Clan Head?"
Fugaku's words were like a sudden thunderclap. Even Itachi, who was listening intently, was stunned, looking at Fugaku in disbelief.
Makiya, however, didn't take it seriously at all. He knew Fugaku's character all too well. The name 'Wicked Eye' wasn't just for show. Although he had become more cautious after becoming the leader, he had definitely been a ruthless man before taking office.
Fugaku would never actually give up the position. His severe nearsightedness had only triggered a deep sense of insecurity, and his words were merely a probe.
Makiya laughed and shook his head. "Lord Clan Head, I have no interest in becoming the leader. I don't want to add another burden to my shoulders. If you truly wish to retire, you should consider Shisui or someone else. Leave me out of it."
Fugaku felt a surge of relief, but he maintained a puzzled expression. "Whether in terms of strength or reputation, you are the most suitable candidate. Are you sure you won't reconsider?"
As the last word left his mouth, the air in the tent seemed to vanish. Fugaku's muscles tensed, fearing an answer he didn't want to hear.
"No. Being a Hokage Advisor alone is exhausting. I'm also the Vice Director of the hospital. I simply don't have the energy." Makiya smiled and waved it off. "Besides, I really don't want to be the Clan Head. It's too much trouble."
"Haha, being the leader isn't as bad as you make it sound." Fugaku gave a kind smile, his body visibly relaxing. He had clearly breathed a sigh of relief.
The air in the tent began to flow once more, as if the previous tension had been an illusion.
Having confirmed Makiya's intentions, Fugaku quickly changed the subject, treating his proposal as a mere passing thought.
Itachi sighed silently, a flash of disappointment in his eyes. 'My father's caliber is so small. He only cares about the petty squabbles of the clan. Truly tragic.'
With that thought, Itachi turned his gaze to Makiya. He had heard of Makiya's exploits many times from his clansmen. This powerful man was now a Hokage Advisor and served as the bridge between the Uchiha and the village. Even Shisui spoke very highly of him in private.
Even the clansmen who disliked Makiya had to acknowledge his influence and power, not daring to be disrespectful in his presence. Even the radicals had stopped talking about a coup every day. Everything seemed to be heading in the right direction.
Itachi used to think Makiya was his role model. But after his recent contact with Black Zetsu, he realized how narrow-minded he had been. Compared to Konoha enjoying peace alone, pursuing peace for the entire ninja world was what a ninja should strive for.
The Eye of the Moon Plan Black Zetsu described was indeed grand. However, Itachi had his own views. He could tell Zetsu had ulterior motives, but that didn't stop him from using the creature to achieve his own goals.
'Father's caliber is too small, and Makiya Uchiha's caliber doesn't extend beyond the village. They are destined to never understand me.' Itachi looked at Sasuke in his arms and murmured, "Sasuke, I will create a beautiful world for you, one without conflict."
"So this is Itachi. I've often heard of him in the village." Makiya's sudden appearance startled Itachi, nearly making him drop Sasuke.
"Itachi, show some respect!" Fugaku's face darkened. Itachi was usually so composed; why was he failing at such a critical moment?
"My apologies, Father. I was lost in thought," Itachi quickly apologized.
"It's fine, it's fine. I just showed up too suddenly." Makiya waved his hand with a smile and crouched down to look Itachi over. "To be so young... work hard. Our generation will eventually grow old; the future of the ninja world belongs to yours."
Itachi: "???"
He looked stiffly at Fugaku, seeing his father gesturing for him to show proper etiquette.
Itachi bowed hurriedly. "Elder Makiya, you flatter me. You are the pillar of the Uchiha and the village."
"Don't sell yourself short." Makiya subtly patted Itachi on the shoulder. "I can feel it. You're definitely going to do big things in the future."
"Haha, Itachi is a sensible boy, but as for big things... that's up to him." Fugaku interjected with a laugh, clearly pleased by Makiya's praise for his son.
After some more small talk, Makiya bid them farewell and returned to his tent.
He had taken the opportunity to get close to Itachi and examine his body. There was nothing unusual. For safety, he left a Flying Thunder God mark on Itachi, hidden on his person.
Interrupted by Fugaku, Makiya's mood to go online in the God-Space had dampened. He took out the Sharingan he had taken from Madara.
The eyeball floating in the test tube looked hideous. Its pattern had reverted to a three-tomoe state, and its nerves swayed gently in the solution.
Makiya was extremely curious about the Mangekyo ability within this eye.
How can one find out the specific ability of a Mangekyo?
Answer: Try it yourself.
Makiya pursed his lips and looked at the eye. After spending ten minutes psyching himself up, he placed his palm over his left eye.
A blue glow emanated from his palm. This was the Chakra Scalpel. This technique allowed him to cut internal organs or tissues without damaging the surface of the skin.
After severing all the nerves of his left eye, Makiya popped his eyeball out and placed it in a prepared test tube. Then he took the Mangekyo and popped it into the socket.
He applied the Mystical Palm Technique to his left eye. The severed nerves and cells healed rapidly. Before long, Makiya felt the connection re-establish. He rotated his gaze without any sluggishness, as if it were the original part.
Medical ninjutsu was truly miraculous. The Uchiha Mangekyo was like a plug-and-play device—very convenient.
An experiment naturally required a laboratory. Makiya used the Flying Thunder God Technique and vanished, reappearing in a dense forest quite a distance from the Konoha camp.
The outbreak of war always led to banditry. Large numbers of displaced civilians turned to raiding, with many bandit groups emerging to prey on the weak.
The mountain ahead was a bandit stronghold. This group controlled a small path through the mountains, making their living by charging 'toll fees.' If they encountered a pretty girl, they wouldn't mind having some fun.
People like this would never go back to being farmers even after the war ended.
Makiya walked openly toward the mountain gate. The sentry was dozing off and didn't notice him.
In his dreams, the sentry was decapitated with a single strike, dying without a hint of pain.
The scent of blood began to spread. As Makiya walked along, blood sprayed from the dilapidated houses on both sides. A thick, metallic stench filled the camp.
"Who's there!" Finally, an alert bandit noticed something wrong. A sharp cry broke the silence, and the entire camp quickly came to life.
Moments later, blood flowed like rivers. The bandit leader was a burly man. It was clear that during his time as an outlaw, he had eaten well, developing quite a layer of fat.
"Ni-Ni-Ninja... Lord Ninja! I have connections with the local nobles. I'm their dog! Please, let me go..."
The bandit leader pleaded repeatedly. In his eyes, ninjas were dogs kept by nobles, and he was also a dog kept by nobles. They worked for the same kind of employer. Even if the ninja was strong, shouldn't he still respect the nobles?
"Shut up." Makiya glared at him and cast a minor genjutsu. The leader's eyes bulged, and his body went rigid.
Visual power poured into his left eye. Under the stimulation of Makiya's strength, three tomoe appeared in the eye and began to spin slowly.
As Makiya increased the input of ocular power, the tomoe patterns slowly melted, tracing a complex design onto the crimson pupil.
"This feeling... how wondrous." Makiya successfully activated the Mangekyo. Observing the world through this eye, the clarity and dynamic vision were similar to his own.
But the ocular technique residing within the eye was very real. Inspiration struck, and his ocular power transformed through his left eye into a mysterious force, projecting itself onto the bandit leader.
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