The expressions of the two Uchiha ninja changed drastically.
Because they realized that the attacker's assault had suddenly become even stronger than before.
Uchiha Fugaku's judgment had not been wrong.
But Uchiha Fugaku's judgment had been based on the attacker's previous performance.
Now, the attacker was displaying even greater strength.
"Fugaku-sama, careful!"
Seeing Uchiha Fugaku in danger, one Uchiha ninja immediately rushed over, using his own body to block Jiraiya's strike for him.
Bang!
In an instant, both of the Uchiha ninja's arms fractured, bending into grotesque shapes.
The other Uchiha ninja shouted loudly.
"Fugaku-sama, run!"
"Something is wrong!"
"We are no match for him. I'm afraid we won't be able to hold out until we return to Konoha."
"You go first. We'll hold him back!"
Fearing that Uchiha Fugaku would refuse to leave, that Uchiha ninja actually took the initiative to charge toward Jiraiya.
And he did so with a reckless, life-for-life style, intending to create as much trouble as possible for Jiraiya, restrain him, and buy more time for Uchiha Fugaku to escape.
The moment he made that decision, it meant the Uchiha ninja had already abandoned his own life.
Uchiha Fugaku no longer had a choice.
Especially when the other two heavily injured Uchiha ninja made the same choice.
"Fugaku-sama, hurry and go!"
Uchiha Fugaku looked at the three clansmen, his eyes bloodshot.
Jiraiya grew somewhat anxious.
His goal was to test Uchiha Fugaku's strength. He wanted to find out whether Uchiha Fugaku was the Uchiha mastermind who had caused the Nine-Tails' rampage.
But if he was tied down by these three Uchiha now and Uchiha Fugaku escaped, then he would not be able to test him.
And once he missed today's chance, finding another opportunity would be even harder.
"If I don't find out, tragedies like Orochimaru's will happen again."
"I absolutely won't allow that!"
Jiraiya no longer hesitated. He attacked at full strength with the intent to kill.
Crack!
One Uchiha ninja's throat was crushed. Blood spurted outward as his neck bent more than ninety degrees, his face covered in blood.
Uchiha Fugaku stared fixedly at Jiraiya, intense hatred emerging in his eyes.
On one hand, it was hatred toward Jiraiya.
On the other, it was hatred toward himself.
These past years had been too painful for Uchiha Fugaku.
He had watched helplessly as the Uchiha clan split apart.
Uchiha Fugaku did not understand Uchiha Sanga's decision, nor did he approve of it.
But because of their father-son relationship, when Uchiha Yashiro led the clansmen in defection, he himself had been excluded.
Those people regarded him and those around him as traitors to the clan, as Konoha's dogs.
But in Konoha's eyes, he and his followers were likewise not one of their own.
They were traitors, unstable elements, criminals to be monitored.
Konoha's targeting, his clansmen's disdain, despair toward the future…
Uchiha Fugaku had been living in pain.
And now, Uchiha Fugaku's pain deepened further.
The few clansmen who still followed him had been forced to die because of a bizarre attacker who had appeared out of nowhere, one with terrifying strength.
He could only watch them die.
Watch them die to save him.
Yet he could do nothing.
Because he was too weak.
Because he was too incompetent.
Not only this moment, but all the anger, helplessness, and hatred that had accumulated before erupted all at once, pushing Uchiha Fugaku's fury to its limit.
It was like a flame burning in his chest.
One Uchiha ninja fell.
Another severely injured Uchiha ninja charged toward Jiraiya. With no strength left to fight, he could only use both hands to tightly grab the pair of toad legs that belonged to the Iron-Armed Toad.
"Fugaku-sama, run!"
Jiraiya became even more anxious.
"Get out of my way!"
Strands of white hair emerged from behind Jiraiya's toad head. Under the effect of chakra, they extended continuously, becoming incomparably sharp before piercing straight into the Uchiha ninja's body.
Puchi!
Puchi!
Puchi!
In an instant, they ended the Uchiha ninja's life.
Blood splashed outward.
Countless wounds covered him, densely packed, staining the entire Uchiha ninja red.
Seeing this, the third Uchiha ninja also charged forward without hesitation.
"Fugaku-sama, run!"
At that moment, Uchiha Fugaku seemed to reach a certain limit.
Bang!
Uchiha Fugaku seemed to hear a special sound.
It was as though a switch inside his body had been opened.
Immediately afterward, Uchiha Fugaku felt a strange power rush toward his eyes.
Jiraiya's pupils suddenly shrank.
Because at that moment, Jiraiya saw it.
In Uchiha Fugaku's eyes, which had originally held three tomoe, the pattern suddenly began to change. The three tomoe disappeared, replaced by an extremely complex pattern.
It looked as though it were formed from three Taiji symbols.
Jiraiya's heart sank.
"Sure enough. I was right!"
"It was you, Uchiha Fugaku!"
"The legendary Mangekyo Sharingan, the existence above the three-tomoe Sharingan."
"The same eyes Uchiha Madara possessed back then."
"Only eyes like those could control the Nine-Tails!"
"You were the one who killed Minato!"
Jiraiya flew into a towering rage.
His own severe injuries. His disciple's death.
At this moment, Jiraiya placed all of that hatred onto Uchiha Fugaku.
"It was you!"
"Uchiha Fugaku, I'll kill you and avenge Minato!"
"I'll avenge Konoha!"
"I'll avenge the countless innocent people of Konoha who died during the Nine-Tails' rampage!"
After killing the third Uchiha ninja, Jiraiya moved to attack Uchiha Fugaku.
At this moment, Uchiha Fugaku felt as if he had entered a subtle state.
His condition had never been better.
His power had never been stronger.
"So this is the legendary eye above the three-tomoe Sharingan of the Uchiha clan?"
"I never thought I, Uchiha Fugaku, would have such a day."
"What a pity. It came too late!"
"If only it had come earlier."
"The Uchiha clan would not have split apart. The Uchiha clan would not have needed to defect. I could have protected the Uchiha."
"Minato's tragedy might not have happened either."
Deep regret rose in Uchiha Fugaku's heart.
Then he raised his head and looked toward Jiraiya.
Uchiha Fugaku's gaze turned sharp.
"What happened before can no longer be changed."
"But now…"
"At least from this moment onward, I will protect the Uchiha!"
"I will kill anyone who harms the Uchiha!"
"This is my responsibility as the head of the Uchiha clan!"
The instant Jiraiya met Uchiha Fugaku's eyes, a chilling, hair-raising feeling suddenly surged through him.