The Sharingan once brought by Uchiha Madara had been collected from countless fallen Uchiha clansmen during the Warring States Period—those who had died fighting for the clan's development and a better future amidst the chaos of war.
But the Sharingan that Obito was now replenishing were those he had personally gouged from the eye sockets of countless Uchiha clansmen.
As he gazed at the wall of Sharingan before him, Uchiha Obito's eyes showed no trace of emotion. Zetsu slowly slithered forward. "Chimera has a high chance of failure. Using Izanagi to avoid that possibility really is the best idea."
"And the Hashirama cells in your body are strong enough, so you don't have to worry about an imbalance of energy from transplanting too many Sharingan. Obito, you are indeed a genius."
"Don't waste words on meaningless flattery. Have White Zetsu prepare for the transplant."
Zetsu glanced at the wall of Sharingan, then back at Obito, looking him up and down.
"Mm… both your eyes are Mangekyō. That means we can only implant them elsewhere… How about like Danzō did—on the arm? Conveniently, half your body is made from my cells."
"Do it however you see fit."
For Obito, the risks of transplanting Sharingan were minimal. After all, he was Uchiha by blood, so there would be little backlash from ocular power, and his body could easily bear the burden.
What truly concerned him was whether the strength of the Sharingan would surpass the Yang-natured Wood Release power of the Hashirama'cells in his body—possibly causing the Chimera Technique ritual to go awry.
"That works. But since they're not going into the sockets and won't link to the optic nerves, there could be some rejection. The success rate of transplanting them elsewhere may be lower."
"It doesn't matter. There are enough Sharingan here. Even if we fail a few times, it's of no consequence."
There were over a hundred Sharingan in this place. Even if he only selected three-tomoe eyes, there were dozens to spare. He could easily endure the loss.
As long as he succeeded in transplanting even one, he could cast Izanagi to erase the consequences of the ritual failing. In other words—for every successful transplant, he gained another chance.
I, Uchiha Obito, never fight an unprepared battle.
...
Fugaku, after receiving the news, hurried back to Konoha with the village's shinobi.
The moment he returned, he rushed to the Uchiha compound to assess the damage.
The situation was far more tragic than earlier reports had indicated. Those reports had only counted Uchiha shinobi registered in the village, making rough estimates of civilian losses. But when Fugaku finally received the detailed information, he nearly blacked out on the spot.
The Uchiha clan, which had grown steadily under his leadership over the past years, had already surpassed the Sarutobi clan and become the largest clan in Konoha.
Now, it was all but destroyed.
The elite he had placed in various key posts still lived, but a clan's strength never came from a handful of top-tier shinobi.
It came from its foundation: its broad base, its steady stream of newborn children. That was the root of prosperity. And Obito had just completely slaughtered that foundation in blood. Far from being the foremost ninja clan, the Uchiha were about to fall to a level even weaker than the Ino–Shika–Chō trios—reduced to a third-rate force.
And that wasn't all.
Beyond the collapse of Uchiha's power, Fugaku's own grip over Konoha and his prestige had plummeted.
The deaths of so many clansmen left the Uchiha empty of manpower. Thankfully, the key officers still survived, or Fugaku would have been reduced to a commander with no soldiers left at all.
After confirming the clan's status, Fugaku rushed to the hospital. There, lying on the bed, his right eye still bleeding through bandages, utterly drained, numb, and exhausted, was Itachi. Fugaku's chest clenched.
"Itachi…"
"Father." Hearing his voice, Uchiha Itachi's empty, numb gaze flickered, and he instinctively tried to sit up.
Fugaku quickly stepped forward, supporting his back and shoulders, pressing him down gently against the bed. "Rest. No need for formality."
"Father, I…" Itachi's lips trembled, emotions surging. His exposed left eye suddenly flared, opening into a three-tomoe Sharingan. His ocular power surged, and a chilling, oppressive chakra spread instantly through the room.
This ocular chakra—!
Fugaku's pupils narrowed. On his way here, Tekka had already told him what he had seen.
Tekka was the first Uchiha to reach the scene that night, and the first to notice Itachi's abnormal state.
"Hokage-sama—Itachi may have awakened eyes the same as yours!"
That was how Tekka had reported it to him.
There could be no doubt. To possess chakra of such ocular power could only mean one thing—the Mangekyō Sharingan. Had Itachi awakened it after witnessing the slaughter of so many clansmen, his emotions driving him past the threshold?
No… it couldn't be that simple.
Understanding both the suffering and the conditions for Mangekyō, Fugaku held back from pressing for details. After soothing his son's emotions, he asked quietly:
"That night—what exactly happened?"
"I…"
Itachi's lips shook. He couldn't form words.
"Don't resist my ocular power." Fugaku sighed softly, then cast a genjutsu, slipping into Itachi's mind.
The room dissolved.
Under the blood-red moon, the crimson Mangekyō of a masked man dripped like blood. In the next instant, Itachi lost control of his body.
Within the genjutsu, his own short blade cut down his clansmen one by one, their lives taken by his hand. And those who fell were having their eyes dug out by Uchiha Obito.
The more Fugaku saw, the more his chest burned. And at the end, when the controlled Itachi slew Izumi with his own hands, the genjutsu finally released.
The near-collapse of Itachi's emotions was plain—driven insane with grief. Fugaku's own pain forced his eyes shut. He could perfectly imagine how shattered Itachi's soul must have been at that moment of release.
He had killed everyone with his own hands. Even the girl he loved most—dead by his blade.
And in that agony, Itachi had awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan… only to have one of those eyes gouged out immediately.
"Bastard…"
Uncontrollable rage surged like a tide through Fugaku. Now he understood why, during the battle in the Land of Rain, that masked man had not appeared.
It wasn't because Yuki Yoru had set up barriers to block space–time ninjutsu, frightening him off. It was because he had never been there at all.
Fugaku withdrew from the genjutsu and opened his eyes. Looking at his guilt-ridden son, he let out a long sigh.
"Itachi… don't blame yourself. None of this was your fault. All of it began with that man."
"But!" Itachi trembled, raising his hands, his lone eye wide with anguish. "But I killed them! So many of our clan—Izumi—I…"
"You weren't in control. You were manipulated! That masked man is the true culprit behind all of this!" Fugaku's voice snapped sharp, cutting him off. His large hands gripped Itachi's shoulders. "I know your heart is tangled—anger, grief, guilt, helplessness…"
"But no matter what emotions you feel—you must never forget one thing."
"You are my proudest son."
Itachi lifted his head, tears shimmering in his eye. "Father…"
Fugaku patted his shoulder, softening slightly. "Calm yourself. Take your time."
With that, Fugaku slowly left the ward, closing the door. The warmth drained from his face, replaced with cold fury.
"Take care of Itachi, Tekka."
"Yes, Clan Head!"
Leaving the hospital, Fugaku went straight to the Hokage's office. The Council of Elders and village leadership had already gathered there.
Facing the storming, furious Fugaku, none dared speak first. He wasted no time, and unleashed his wrath upon them.
"Homura—I ordered you long ago to replace the village's barriers with seals that prevent space–time ninjutsu. How did that masked man still infiltrate Konoha?"
"And you, Danzō! What is your Root even for? The Uchiha suffered a calamity like this, and your Root didn't respond at all—you just sat back and watched! If this had happened to another clan—if it had been the Shimura—would you still sit idly by?"
"And the rest of you…"
Faced with Fugaku's fury, the Elders wisely kept silent, enduring his rage.
Something like this happening to the Uchiha clan would be unbearable for anyone, let alone Fugaku, who was the Hokage.
Fortunately, he did not rage for long. Though the Uchiha's foundation was gone, their elites remained. Their positions within the village could not be stripped. The real problem was the empty ANBU Commander's seat, left vacant by Setsuna's death.
That position had to be filled—but no Uchiha was fit for it now.
Fugaku's gloomy gaze shifted among the elders, and finally landed on Hiashi.
Compared to the others, Hiashi—close to Yuki Yoru, with a daughter as Yoru's disciple—was the obvious choice. Even if it meant inflating the Hyūga clan's power further, the Uchiha were in no position to oppose it.
After venting his fury, Fugaku sagged back into his chair, exhaustion heavy in his face. "In the battle at Rain, we broke Akatsuki, but they retreated quickly. We failed to finish them."
"They escaped?" Danzō's brow furrowed. "With Yuki Yoru's power, Akatsuki still got away?"
Fugaku shot him a glare, resentful of his inaction at the Uchiha compound. But since he himself had barred Root from entering Uchiha lands, he had no ground to argue.
Suppressing his frustration, he recounted the events in Rain, carefully describing the power of the Shinigami. He skimmed quickly over the part where Orochimaru fought three Kage alone.
Everyone marveled at the strength of the Shinigami, though Koharu and Homura voiced discontent about Tsunade and Orochimaru joining the Seireitei.
"Unbelievable. Orochimaru is a rogue ninja—that's one thing. But Tsunade—such power, yet she won't return to the village...she truly..."
"Enough. That was her choice. Besides, we are now allied with Kirigakure. Leave it." Fugaku's gaze cut coldly to Koharu before he spoke firmly. "What matters most now is the spread of spiritual power. My next step is to select a group of shinobi from ANBU and Root, and—together with the group earlier chosen by Sage of Ryūchi Cave—carry out their conversion to spiritual power."
"Secondly, I intend to completely replace chakra training at the Academy with training in spiritual power!"
"Isn't that too hasty?" Homura adjusted his glasses. "Chakra is ingrained in the shinobi world. If we abandon it entirely, there will be great resistance."
"They'll accept it—whether they want to or not!"
Fugaku's tone was iron. "In this war, Konoha alone suffered the heaviest losses. The root cause is that Kumogakure and Sunagakure have already entered the era of universal spiritual power. Their shinobi are stronger. If we don't keep up, we will only fall further behind."
"This is not up for debate. I will issue the Hokage's decree, and it will be executed at once."
"Yes, Fifth Hokage!"
"You are the pillars of this village. This task is heavy. It can't rest on my word alone. You must also push it forward."
"Understood!"
The meeting dragged on, but in the end, Fugaku left the ANBU Commander seat unassigned. When the others had dispersed, he remained alone in his office, silent for a long time, lost in thought.
Meanwhile, after leaving the office, Danzō returned to his Root base. There, he reported everything to Sarutobi Hiruzen.
"Fugaku's patience surprises me. After such upheaval, he still concerns himself with governing Konoha." Hiruzen gave a cold snort. "Still—the spread of spiritual power is for Konoha's good. It must be done."
The strength of spiritual power was undeniable. With the whole shinobi world embracing it, they could not afford to lag behind.
"Spiritual power is strong, yes. But I will never abandon chakra." Danzō shook his head, drawing a scroll from his robes and handing it to Hiruzen.
"This is the general battle report from the Land of Rain. Take a look."
"Oh?"
Hiruzen accepted it curiously, and as he read, his expression grew more and more alarmed.
"That Hiruko—he actually had such strength? To fight three Kage alone and win?!"
"Indeed. If he had not underestimated Tsunade's Shinigami powers, even she might not have been able to bring him down." Danzō sneered. "And the reason Hiruko became so powerful… is because he succeeded in completing the Chimera Technique ritual."