As soon as Senba finished speaking, the air in the living room suddenly froze.
Shine slowly raised his eyes, and a sudden crimson surged within his originally calm black pupils. Chakra overflowed from his body like a tide, carrying the sharp aura unique to the Mangekyo—
The Three-Tomoe shattered and reorganized, finally forming a bizarre pattern of four intersecting wind blades. Dark golden light surged deep within his pupils, and as they spun, they seemed capable of slicing through the air, casting fragmented, sharp shadows upon the wall.
"Uncles," Shine's voice was a bit deeper than before, yet it carried a soul-piercing power. "My father and I invited you here because we want you to bring your respective followers and help me reorganize the Uchiha—to clean out those backstabbing parasites and truly unite the Family as one."
"Is that... the Mangekyo Sharingan?!" Hefeng's breath suddenly hitched, and the teacup slipped from his fingers, hitting the tatami with a "clatter." He didn't even notice the scalding tea splashing onto his pant legs.
He rubbed his eyes, staring at the crimson burning in the boy's sockets, his Adam's apple bobbing violently. In his thirty-plus years of life, he had only ever seen such a young Mangekyo wielder in the records of the clan's history. That was a talent even Lord Madara hadn't possessed at that age!
"Exactly." A cold, proud arc curled at the corner of Senba's mouth as his fingertip traced a sword mark on the edge of the table—an imprint he had carved in anger ten years ago when Danzo Shimura sent men to threaten him. "Danzo Shimura went back on his word. Half a month ago, he conspired with Hiruzen Sarutobi and dispatched an Elite Jōnin along with six members of the Root Organization to set an ambush on Shine's path home."
He paused, his gaze sweeping over his brothers' suddenly darkened faces. His voice carried a mix of relief from surviving a catastrophe and simmering rage. "Fortunately, Shine awakened his Mangekyo at the brink of death and killed all the assassins single-handedly. Those corpses are still buried in a mass grave at the border of the Land of Fire."
"That old son of a bitch!" Kazuha slammed his hand onto the table, his crimson Three-Tomoe yet to fade, his eyes filled with fury and lingering fear.
He recalled the rumors circulating in the clan half a month ago about "Shine being seriously injured in an attack." At the time, he had dismissed it as a battlefield miscommunication, but now he knew it was a conspiracy by the higher-ups.
He stood up abruptly, his hand resting on his ninja sword, his tone resolute. "Shine! Just tell us what to do! My twenty subordinates are at your disposal at any time!"
"Uncle Kazuha, please calm down." Shine raised a hand to signal him, the light of his Mangekyo dimming slightly. "Cleaning out traitors isn't about mindless killing; it requires precision and thoroughness.
Our wings aren't fully grown yet, and acting prematurely would only alert the enemy. We must first identify who in the Moderate Faction has taken bribes from Konoha and who is being coerced, then wipe them all out at once."
"But... they are still our kin, after all." Cang, who had been silent until now, finally spoke. His brow was furrowed, and his knuckles unconsciously rubbed the handle of his Kunai. "Some Clan Members just have different perspectives; it's not a true betrayal... Isn't it too cruel to kill them all?"
He was the most skilled in Taijutsu among the five. His hands had been stained with the blood of enemies, but he had never raised them against his own kin.
Shine turned to look at him, his gaze suddenly turning cold, yet without a hint of mockery. He simply opened his palm slowly, his five fingers spread loosely. "Uncle Cang, look at this hand."
He raised his hand toward the wooden pillar at the corner of the table, his fingers loosely curled. "Spread out like this, it can't even break a single chopstick."
Before he finished speaking, he suddenly clenched his fist, his knuckles making a sharp "crack." "But when the five fingers are brought together, it becomes a fist that can shatter rocks!"
"Konoha only dares to suppress us so brazenly because they see through our internal divisions!
Those Elders of the Moderate Faction treat the 'Jonin slots' given by Hiruzen like treasures, and then turn around to sell out the Radical Faction's operation routes;
Those Clan Members live off the Uchiha's stipend, yet they sit in taverns calling us 'extremists' and saying we 'bring disaster to the Family'!"
Shine's voice suddenly rose, the light of his Mangekyo growing more intense. "These aren't just different perspectives; they are parasites! They are traitors! I would rather use their blood to wake the clan from its stupor than let them drag down the entire Uchiha!"
Behind him, Chi and Yan both dropped to one knee, crimson Three-Tomoe burning in their eyes. They shouted in unison, "We are willing to purge the traitors for you, My Lord!" Their voices weren't loud, but they carried an unquestionable loyalty that made the window paper in the living room tremble slightly.
Kazuha's body suddenly stiffened, the rage on his face gradually fading, replaced by a deep struggle.
He raised his hand to his chest, where a small Protective Charm was kept close to his body—it was written by Shisui when he was three years old in crooked handwriting, with a clumsy uchiha clan crest drawn on the back.
That was the child his Elder brother had entrusted to him on his deathbed, the nephew he had watched grow up. And Shisui, of all people, was the "rising star" of the Moderate Faction most favored by Hiruzen.
"Shine..." Kazuha's voice carried an imperceptible tremor. He looked up, his crimson Sharingan staring fixedly at Shine. "Could you... spare Shisui's life?"
He took a deep breath, as if using all his strength. "Even if you disable his Ninjutsu and let him live as an ordinary person, get married, and have children... that would be enough."
The living room fell silent instantly; even Chi and Yan's breathing grew faint.
Shine's Mangekyo slowly stopped spinning, the crimson gradually fading, leaving only a complex look in his eyes.
He remembered ten years ago, when his five-year-old self squatted in the courtyard teaching a three-year-old Shisui how to extract Chakra. The little guy had clutched the Chakra Paper, his small face turning red with effort. For half a day, he only managed to make the corner of the paper curl slightly, yet he stubbornly refused to give up, saying in a childish voice, "Brother Shine, I want to be as strong as you."
"If he can have a change of heart, I will give him a chance." Shine's voice returned to calmness, but it carried a hint of cold resolve. "But if he insists on standing with Konoha..."
"I'll do it!" Kazuha interrupted him abruptly, a fierce look of sacrificing Family for the greater good in his eyes, yet hidden beneath was a trace of protective sorrow. "He is my brother's son. I will clean up the Family mess for my brother; I won't let it stain your hands!"
Shine looked at his bloodshot eyes and remained silent for a long time before finally letting out a soft sigh.
He thought of Shisui's eyes, which always carried a pure light, and recalled the sight of Kazuha kneeling before his father's door years ago, holding Shisui in swaddling clothes. Ultimately, his heart softened. "There's no need to take his life."
He paused, his tone leaving no room for doubt. "Gouge out his Sharingan, Seal his Chakra with the Evil Sealing Method, and leave him in the Clan Compound to be cared for by his aunt—let him live as an ordinary person and lead a peaceful life."
"Thank you!" Kazuha let out a huge sigh of relief, his tense body sagging instantly, and a shimmer of tears appeared in his eyes.
Yan, standing to the side, finally revealed a gratified smile and nodded gently;
Cang's brow also relaxed, and the look he gave Shine held more approval. This fifteen-year-old boy possessed the ruthlessness to overturn the game board, yet he hadn't lost the familial bonds that the Uchiha valued most...
Advance chapter available on pãtrêon Got1808