Thud…
The remaining Uchiha collapsed to the ground one after another.
They had resisted Senju Haruto's Sharingan genjutsu, but their bodies and minds were now utterly drained.
And this… was only the effect of Haruto's genjutsu in his normal state.
If he had entered Sage Mode, they probably wouldn't even be able to stay conscious, let alone stand.
But these Uchiha had been imprisoned for a long time, never given enough food. Their stamina was far below what it had been before.
This had been at the direct instruction of Sarutobi Hiruzen — feed them just enough to keep them alive, but never enough for them to have the strength to riot.
"What exactly do you want…?"
One Uchiha, still managing to keep his Sharingan in its three-tomoe state, couldn't hold back his question.
At this point, he no longer cared where Haruto's Sharingan had come from — he only wanted to know his true purpose.
"I'm here to give you an opportunity," Haruto said, his voice low and heavy, going straight to the point.
War between Konohagakure and Kumogakure was about to break out.
The village needed fighting strength.
And the Uchiha — they had always been one of the great clans of the village.
Some even called them the strongest.
Rather than die like this in a cell, why not go to the battlefield and protect the village once more?
"Why should we do that?"
The three-tomoe Uchiha at the front immediately shot back. "Have you forgotten? We are the rebel ninja who just staged a coup."
When he said rebel ninja, he ground his teeth.
It was obvious he hated the label.
But there was no escaping it. The Uchiha had lost. And with Haruto alone able to push them to this state, what could they do?
"That's true," Haruto nodded calmly. "You are all classified as rebel ninja. Whatever I choose to do with you is entirely justified."
"But in the end, your grievance is only with Konoha's leadership. You wanted to restore the Uchiha's standing in the village — you have no real hatred toward Konoha's shinobi or its people, do you?"
"I think you know perfectly well: it was Danzō who pushed you out, who spread rumors against your clan, who forced you to the village's outskirts."
At the name Danzō, silence fell over the Uchiha.
They were prideful, obsessed with strength — but not insane.
All they had ever wanted was to reclaim what should have been theirs.
By their original plan, only a small amount of blood would have been spilled, and the village's leadership replaced.
They had never intended to become enemies of the entire village.
"And besides…" Haruto's voice sharpened. "In the Uchiha compound, your next generation still lives."
"If Konoha loses this war… what do you think will happen to them?"
"Look at the history of the shinobi world — many great clans have risen and fallen. The Uzumaki, for example, were born with incredible vitality, immense chakra reserves, and mastery of sealing arts.
"With those gifts, they founded their own nation, Uzushiogakure. And how did they end up? You know the answer."
Haruto paused, watching the flicker of emotion cross their faces.
In the official history, the Uchiha were labeled as inherently evil — but that had been Tobirama's prejudice.
In truth, the Uchiha felt love more deeply than most.
And when they lost the ones they loved, that emotional trauma was precisely what triggered the awakening of the Sharingan.
It was this understanding that Haruto now used, striking directly at their psychological weak point.
The people in the compound — they were everything these men cared about.
"If you follow my orders and help repel Kumogakure's attack," Haruto said, raising his voice, "I can promise you this: when the war is over, I will give you your freedom."
When he finished speaking, the room went silent.
The Uchiha stared at him, weighing his offer carefully.
But they didn't believe him.
A coup alone was unforgivable. Attempting to assassinate the Hokage was a death sentence beyond appeal.
Now he suddenly claimed he would let them go?
"How can we be sure you're telling the truth?" one of them finally asked after a long pause.
Before Haruto could answer, the Uchiha leader cut in.
In his mind, the Uchiha had no bargaining position. They had no choice.
"And if we refuse?"
"Then I'll follow Root protocol — eliminate any factor that threatens the village's stability," Haruto replied instantly. "Not just you. Even the children in your compound won't be spared."
It was simple: to make people obey, you used a mix of coercion and reward.
On one side: freedom and the survival of their clan.
On the other: total annihilation.
Even a fool could see the right choice.
And the Uchiha leader knew Haruto had no need to lie.
Given their crimes, they should already be dead.
The only reason they were still breathing was because they were useful.
The Uchiha's standing in Konoha was no longer what it had been when they had co-founded the village alongside the Senju.
Even their elite Sharingan shinobi could be cut down by the leadership without hesitation — why would they care about the civilians in the compound?
If the situation were reversed, he might well make the same call.
"…I understand."
The leader braced himself on one knee and pushed to his feet again.
The coup had failed, but he could not allow the Uchiha clan to be destroyed completely.
As long as some of them survived, there could be a day of revival.
"We agree to fight in this war," he said at last. "But in exchange, you must promise that those who survive can return to the Uchiha compound."
Haruto met his eyes for a moment, then nodded as if the condition posed no problem.
He didn't even bother to ask their names.
From the start, Haruto had never intended to let them return.
But the Uchiha leader had no idea.
In his view, the decision from Haruto — and the rest of Konoha's leadership — was simply the result of war's brutality.
Even with the Sharingan, they would suffer massive casualties on the battlefield.
If he guessed right, the village planned to use them as cannon fodder.
When the war was over, of the hundreds here, only a handful would remain.
Even if those few were allowed back, they would have no power to threaten the leadership.
Still, as long as the clan's bloodline wasn't extinguished, there would always be a chance to rise again.
If not in this generation, then in the next — on and on, without end.
"When does the war begin?" the Uchiha leader asked, now fully committed.