"My... Suzu..."
Uchiha Tomitake stood frozen, stunned, as the massive Susanoo crumbled beneath him, its chakra dissipating into the air.
"Susanoo..." he whispered in disbelief.
Even Uchiha Itachi, usually unreadable, was momentarily shocked.
He hadn't expected Xu Fan to break his father's fully formed Susanoo using a combination of Wood Release and Lightning Release.
From beginning to end, Xu Fan had remained calm—gentle even—as though he wasn't fighting an enemy at all.
"When did Xu Fan master such terrifying Lightning Release techniques?" Itachi's Sharingan stared at the figure above. He remembered clearly—Xu Fan hadn't used a single Lightning jutsu during the confrontation with Danzo. Back then, the only techniques he used were basic C-rank ninjutsu, elevated by an overwhelming amount of chakra and precise control.
"How many trump cards is he still hiding?" Itachi's brows furrowed. Xu Fan was becoming more and more of an enigma.
But the battle wasn't over.
Xu Fan had used his Zanpakuto to dismantle Fugaku's Susanoo—but he wasn't finished yet.
Boom!
Lightning burst from under Xu Fan's feet. The giant wooden construct he had summoned was cracked across the shoulders by the recoil—but that didn't stop him.
His figure blurred, becoming a streak of light.
Before Fugaku could react, he felt a sudden crushing pressure around his throat.
Only then, with his Mangekyō Sharingan, could he see it—Xu Fan's hand had closed around his neck.
The Mangekyō was powerful, but not omnipotent. Against speed like this, even it struggled to keep up.
Behind them, the wooden golem collapsed into rubble.
The outcome was clear. There was no need for Xu Fan to waste chakra maintaining the jutsu.
"This is bad!" Itachi exclaimed from below. He activated his Susanoo, raising its arms to shield against the falling debris.
Xu Fan drove Fugaku into the ground.
BOOM!
The impact erupted like a bomb, sending clouds of dust and debris across the field.
The tremors shook the remains of the wooden giant, collapsing it further.
Fugaku's body slammed into the earth, creating a wide crater. Pain exploded through him—his ribs cracked, limbs numb, breath gone.
He couldn't stand. He couldn't even move.
"Hah..."
Xu Fan exhaled slowly, then released Fugaku's throat. He glanced around—everything was in ruins.
Boom. Boom.
Itachi's Susanoo cleared a path through the debris. He dashed forward and dismissed it the moment he reached his father.
"Father!"
He dropped to his knees, quickly assessing Fugaku's condition.
Fugaku gave a weak smile.
"Even you..." he said, voice strained, "You truly are... my son..."
Most of the Uchiha couldn't even awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan. To see his son freely wielding Susanoo—even now—gave Fugaku a final sense of peace.
"Promise me something..."
He turned his head slightly toward Itachi, his lips twitching into something like a smile.
"Father..."
Itachi leaned in, sensing these might be his father's final words.
"Take care of Sasuke..."
Fugaku reached up, trying to touch his son's face—but his hand dropped, limp.
Ahem.
Xu Fan cleared his throat. He had already assessed Fugaku's condition with his Byakugan.
Six ribs fractured. Right arm and left leg broken. Internal organs damaged—but not fatally.
"Don't worry. You're not going to die," Xu Fan said softly. "But you do need medical treatment—fast."
Unexpectedly, Fugaku shook his head slowly.
He stared at the darkening sky. Stars were beginning to pierce through the veil of dusk.
"This is enough..." he murmured.
He couldn't betray the Uchiha clan, even now. He had revealed his long-hidden strength. The Konoha leadership would never trust him again.
Maybe death was freedom.
"Sasuke and Mikoto... take care of them," Fugaku said to Itachi. Then to Xu Fan:
"Kill me... and this coup ends here."
"The Uchiha... may be enraged, but they are not fools. Without a leader, they will not risk civil war."
"Take my body... to the Naka Shrine. Naruto Uzumaki will be there too..."
His breathing quickened. His body trembled.
But this was the only solution he could see.
Xu Fan was silent. Then, he chuckled.
"How dramatic," he muttered.
He leaned down, joined his index and middle fingers, and jabbed a precise point on Fugaku's body.
Itachi reacted instantly—but Xu Fan raised a hand.
"Relax. He's not dead—I just sealed his chakra points."
He stood tall again, eyes sharp.
"I'll end this coup—not with blood, but by removing the village's mistrust and alienation toward the Uchiha."
"But..." he looked directly at Fugaku. "I need a list. Every Uchiha who took part in this."
His voice turned cold.
"Call it a deal. Call it an order. But know this—this village was built by both Senju and Uchiha. It shouldn't end like this."
He pulled out a kunai and tossed it beside Fugaku's left hand.
Because of the chakra point release, Fugaku could now move that hand.
He could grab the blade—if he wished.
That was all Xu Fan could do.
Keeping Fugaku alive by force was possible—but ultimately, his value lay in his choices.
If even now he chose death, Xu Fan would let him go.
"Father..."
Itachi stared at the kunai on the ground, his body tensing.
He understood.
This was a final test.
Would Fugaku choose his clan—or the future?
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