At that moment, Uchiha Fugaku fully realized how precarious Chiyu's situation was.
After all, Chiyu had killed the Hokage's own son—Sarutobi Hiruzen's own child!
Anyone would be driven mad by that.
Just imagine if it were his own son, Uchiha Itachi, who'd been killed… Fugaku would surely have lost his mind, too.
But then…
That boy, Itachi, had also been spending an awful lot of time lately with Uchiha Shisui and Sarutobi Hiruzen.
Could it be that…
Fugaku shook his head, driving off such suspicions. It was true that Itachi was deep and secretive, to the point that even his own father couldn't read him, but Fugaku still believed him to be a good child.
Keeping these thoughts to himself, he led a small squad toward the Anbu prison at top speed. He intended to warn the Anbu not to pull anything rash—and to keep them from harming Chiyu.
"Fugaku-sama," said Uchiha Inabi, following close behind with concern, "do you truly think Sarutobi Hiruzen will give the order to have Chiyu killed?"
Fugaku didn't answer. But everyone could guess his thoughts, and anxiety seized their hearts.
They had to hurry!
…
Suddenly, Fugaku came to an abrupt halt. The other Police Force members also stopped in surprise.
"Patriarch, what's wrong?"
They were quite near the Anbu prison, but a squad appeared in front of them. All of them wore eerie masks, clearly Anbu. And the one leading them wore a strange mask, radiating a very familiar chakra.
Fugaku was shocked.
"You—you are…"
The figure slowly removed his mask, revealing his face.
"Fugaku-sama."
All the Uchiha in the Police Force stared in utter disbelief—it was Uchiha Shisui!
Fugaku was likewise stunned, eyes wide.
"Shisui, you… joined the Anbu?!"
Shisui sighed softly.
"Not just joined. At this point, I'm the captain in command of the entire Anbu."
Fugaku's eyes bulged further.
"W-what did you say?"
Shisui replied, "It's a gift from Hokage-sama."
At that, fury ignited in Fugaku's heart. He knew exactly what Hiruzen was up to—but he couldn't fathom why Shisui would accept. Countless Uchiha had longed to join the Anbu before, yet Hiruzen would never allow it. Now, with the two sides practically on the brink of outright conflict, the Hokage let Shisui in—and right to the top.
It was a blatant move to co-opt him.
Who was Shisui? The acknowledged strongest in the Uchiha, the number-one master of the clan. Even the radical faction said that without Shisui's help, an Uchiha uprising had no chance. And now, the clan's greatest hope had become a "lapdog" of Hiruzen and the higher-ups?
It made Fugaku's blood boil.
"Shisui, have you betrayed the Uchiha?"
Shisui shook his head, face calm yet determined—he had burned his bridges and left himself no path back.
"Actually, it's the opposite, Fugaku-sama. I did this to save the Uchiha.
"You once said you wanted our clan to enter the Anbu and demonstrate our strength. The Hokage not only allowed me in but made me captain of the Anbu.
"Isn't that a favor to the Uchiha? Especially after Chiyu killed the Hokage's son, and yet Hiruzen still shows us such generosity."
Fugaku was outraged: "Do you realize what you're even saying? Are you insane?!"
Shisui's voice was cold. "I've never been more clear-headed. As of now, I'm first a shinobi of Konoha. Then I'm an Anbu captain. And lastly… just an ordinary member of the Uchiha. Patriarch, your vision is still confined to a single family. Mine has already surpassed clan lines, elevated beyond them. It's all for a greater good—
The Will of Fire."
In that instant, Fugaku felt not just anger and despair but profound sadness as well. He never imagined an Uchiha would stand on the opposite side of the clan, serving those who threatened their very existence—let alone with such righteous conviction. A deep sorrow welled up within him.
Behind him, the Police Force members felt something even stronger than sorrow—they erupted in furious curses, some hurling insults at Shisui's ancestors. But Shisui's face remained expressionless. And that sudden, rigid indifference caused Fugaku's heart to quiver.
He realized that Shisui's cool, dogged resolve mirrored Chiyu's—though they marched opposite paths. Taking a slow breath, Fugaku said:
"Shisui. Since this is your choice, I can't change it.
"But I am going to the Anbu prison to see Chiyu, and confirm the truth."
Shisui didn't budge an inch.
"Sorry, Patriarch. I can't let you do that."
"What did you say?!"
Shisui replied, "I can't let you pass."
At once, Fugaku's Police Force flared with anger, cursing Shisui even more fiercely. Fugaku himself looked grim.
"Uchiha Shisui, do you plan to fight the Uchiha clan?"
"That's the last thing I want, believe me. But if forced, I will."
Fugaku clenched his fists, chakra surging rapidly, ready to explode. The Police Force readied themselves, while Shisui and the Anbu behind him likewise prepared—everyone knew this could trigger a full-scale catastrophe in Konoha. Who would be first to strike?
"Damn Hiruzen," Fugaku thought. "Using Uchiha to fight Uchiha…." It was intolerable.
Just then, Shisui glanced at the sun dipping below the horizon.
The setting sun was nearly gone. He sighed. "Even if I let you go now, Patriarch, it may already be too late."
Fugaku's face grew taut.
"What do you mean?"
Shisui shook his head. "Too late… The sun is gone."
Realizing his meaning, Fugaku burst into rage.
"You bastard!"
At once, a blood-red flare of Sharingan light ignited in Fugaku's eyes.
…
Simultaneously, deep within the already-dim confines of Anbu's prison, with the final rays of sunlight vanishing beyond the horizon, true darkness fell. The convicts lurking there, hungry for blood, let out hideous cackles.
"All right, fellas! That guy's a Konoha jōnin, plus a Uchiha Police officer who's killed plenty of our people. Let's have our revenge—kill him and vent our wrath! An opportunity like this might never come again. Attack!"
In an instant, savage battle-lust filled the air, and a wave of ghastly figures rushed to swarm Chiyu. This was their domain—and they planned to tear him apart.
At that moment, Uchiha Chiyu opened his eyes.
The spectacular crimson glow of the Mangekyō Sharingan…
Burst forth!
The hunt had begun!
~~~
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