Chapter 97: Fugaku's Approach
Fugaku followed Nan into his home.
Nan gestured for the Uchiha clan head to take a seat on the sofa in the living room and poured him a cup of tea. Originally, there hadn't been a sofa in the house—Nan had bought one himself. He simply couldn't get used to the Japanese-style custom of kneeling on the floor and preferred more modern furniture.
"Lord Fugaku, I suppose you're here about Uchiha Han, aren't you?
To be honest, I don't know much about him. Ever since I was old enough to remember, the Shinobi World War had already broken out. From then on, he was always away on missions, rarely home.
I was never very close to him, so I'm afraid I can't tell you much."
Fugaku smiled faintly, his expression reassuring.
"It's alright. I didn't come solely because of him. I heard you returned safely from the Wind Country frontlines and wanted to see you with my own eyes.
But just now—you said others have already come asking you about Han, haven't they?"
Nan nodded.
"Yes. Lord Danzō sent men to question me about him. But I truly knew nothing, so I had nothing to tell."
Inwardly, Fugaku scoffed. That old snake Danzō… always the first to target our clan. Of course he'd want to find Han, not to rescue him, but to erase him—making sure the Uchiha could never gain such a powerful ally.
As for Nan's ignorance, Fugaku understood. He had kept an eye on Nan for years. As the clan's most gifted orphan, Nan was someone Fugaku had always paid attention to. He knew the boy's family history clearly. The brothers had barely spent any time together since childhood; it was only natural Nan knew little of Han.
Still, Fugaku hoped that speaking with Nan might reveal something—perhaps a clue about Han's thinking, if not directly, then indirectly.
"By the way, Nan. I heard that on the battlefield you developed a taijutsu that uses Lightning Release to amplify your speed. Is that why you once asked me about Konoha's famous Lightning-nature shinobi? I didn't expect you to actually create such a technique. Truly worthy of being called the number one prodigy of the Uchiha."
Nan responded modestly.
"It was only thanks to the information you provided, Lord Fugaku. I sought out Kakashi, and with his help, I was able to complete the technique."
"You needn't be so modest, Nan. I've watched you grow up. The clan has long recognized your talent.
And I've also heard that you've awakened the three-tomoe Sharingan. Do you realize? The youngest before you was Shisui, who did so at seven. But you—you've done it at six. In the entire history of the Uchiha, you are the first. You are a pride this clan has never known before."
Fugaku's words were not flattery—they were simple fact. Nan, ever humble, could not deny them. He managed only a polite smile.
"Don't worry, Lord Fugaku. I won't let this make me complacent. I'll keep working hard, for the glory of the Uchiha."
"Excellent!" Fugaku laughed heartily, then reached behind him and produced a notebook, placing it in Nan's hands.
"This belonged to Uchiha Kagami, our esteemed elder. Inside are notes on genjutsu—his techniques and insights.
I've heard that you are particularly skilled with hypnotic genjutsu. Take this—it will surely help you."
Nan hesitated, protesting politely.
"How can I accept this, Lord Fugaku? Since this was left by Elder Kagami, shouldn't it rightfully belong to Shisui? After all, he is Kagami's grandson."
"No need to worry. Shisui has already studied it thoroughly. He no longer needs it. We're all family—why draw such lines? Please, take it."
Nan's refusal had been more courtesy than conviction. Seeing Fugaku's insistence, he accepted the notebook with genuine delight.
This was no pretense. Though his genjutsu success came from his extraordinary ocular power, without the Sharingan his illusions were nothing remarkable. With these notes, he could refine his skill, overcoming the embarrassing flaw of being helpless if an enemy simply avoided eye contact.
Watching Nan's eager expression as he flipped through the notebook, Fugaku felt satisfaction stir in his chest.
His generosity had two motives:
1. Nan was Han's younger brother—if anyone could be the key to bringing Han back, it was him.
2. Nan, though close to the Hokage's circle, was still an Uchiha. If the clan treated him with enough warmth, his loyalty would naturally return to his blood.
Even if Han never returned, Fugaku believed Nan could secure the Uchiha a voice in Konoha's leadership once more.
"By the way, Nan," Fugaku asked at last, his voice careful. "You've met Han recently, haven't you? Did he say anything to you?"
Fugaku, as if in passing, finally brought up Han's name.
Nan paused, recalling the story he had prepared and fed to his shadow clone.
"When I was fighting Suna's Pakura, my chakra suddenly ran dry midway through the battle. She launched a fatal attack… and Han appeared out of nowhere to block it.
He muttered something—I think it was about not wanting his eyes to be destroyed in vain one day. I couldn't really understand what he meant."
In truth, this was a seed Nan had deliberately sown—something to be used later, if needed. Telling Fugaku now cost him nothing. In fact, it was the perfect way to test whether the clan head already knew the secret of the Eternal Mangekyō.
Sure enough, Fugaku's brows furrowed deeply at those words. His mind went back to the ancient Uchiha stone tablet.
So Han already knows… that by transplanting a blood relative's Mangekyō, one can gain eternal eyes without blindness?
But when did he see the stone tablet? I never noticed him return. And if not from the tablet… then who told him?
The mysteries surrounding Han only grew heavier—the origin of his Mangekyō, his knowledge of the Eternal Mangekyō, and his unexplained motives. Fugaku's unease sharpened. If Han truly intended to use his younger brother's eyes to achieve that power, then his ambitions were darker than anyone could imagine.
Having gained nothing more but much to ponder, Fugaku rose and politely took his leave.
Nan, exhausted after a long day, carefully set aside the notebook Fugaku had gifted him, switched off the lights, and drifted to sleep.
For now, both Konoha's leadership and the Uchiha clan had their own reasons to refrain from pursuing Uchiha Han. But outside the village, others were already on the hunt. The lure of the Mangekyō Sharingan was too great to ignore.
A massive bounty was soon issued—eighty million ryō for Han's head. For all its dread, the Sharingan's power was still just another prize. And under the weight of such a reward, mercenaries and bounty hunters began scouring the land for any trace of him.
Yet Han was a ghost. Since his disappearance on the Wind Country battlefield, not a single soul had managed to catch his shadow.
And as his name spread across the shinobi world like wildfire, it reached the ears of a figure who had been quietly collecting corpses of shinobi with special abilities.
A red-haired youth, no older than fifteen or sixteen, muttered to himself with a chilling smile:
"Uchiha Han, wielder of the Mangekyō… from Konoha's Uchiha clan, is it?
Convenient. One of my agents in Suna was captured by Konoha not long ago.
Perhaps it's time I paid the village a visit."