Willing to Obey
Uchiha Kyosuke, Uchiha Keiichi, and Uchiha Ryuhei knelt on the ground, heads bowed low, begging Chi Yu to spare the lives of their remaining clan members.
Chi Yu appeared before them in a blur, his presence cold and unyielding. He glanced down at the trio and said icily, "Just because you've chosen to follow me doesn't mean we share any bond. The three of you have no authority to speak for the rest of the Uchiha."
His gaze then shifted toward Uchiha Fugaku.
Fugaku stood motionless, his fists clenched as he stared at the fallen bodies of his clansmen. His breath was heavy, his eyes shadowed by grief.
Around them, a few Uchiha still shouted, swearing they would fight Chi Yu to the death.
"Enough! All of you—shut up!"
Fugaku's voice thundered across the field, hoarse but commanding.
As the acknowledged successor to the Uchiha Clan, his words still held weight. The others immediately fell silent.
With heavy steps, Fugaku walked toward Chi Yu and stood before him. His eyes, fixed on the man's Mangekyō Sharingan—a sight revered and envied by all Uchiha—were filled with hatred, sorrow, and just a flicker of jealousy.
After a moment of tense silence, Fugaku said hoarsely, "We—the Uchiha—are willing to obey your commands."
Chi Yu didn't respond immediately. He flicked the blood from his ninjatō and replied coolly, "I didn't want to resort to such ruthlessness. I've given you plenty of chances. But you Uchiha... you're ungrateful."
He paused and added, "Still, I'm not without mercy. I'll give you one more chance. But tell me—can you really speak for the Uchiha Clan?"
Fugaku answered without hesitation. "I can."
Chi Yu glanced past him to the assembled shinobi—several of whom still glared at him with defiance.
"Heh," Chi Yu sneered. "Doesn't look like they agree."
Fugaku turned sharply, barking, "What are you doing standing there like fools? Are you defying my orders? Will more of our people have to die to satisfy your pride?!"
At his words, the expressions of the Uchiha shinobi stiffened. They looked to the corpses strewn around them—comrades, friends, family—and their eyes fell. One by one, they lowered their heads.
Fugaku turned back to Chi Yu. "I can guarantee they won't disobey again."
Chi Yu shook his head.
Seeing this, Fugaku's face darkened further.
Fugaku drew a breath and invoked a greater concern. "Chi Yu, what more do you want from us? We're here under orders from the Hokage to support the war effort in the Land of Waves. If we turn against each other now, we hand victory to Kirigakure."
Chi Yu answered evenly, "I believe you won't betray me. But them? I'm not so sure. If you want my trust, it's simple: if another Uchiha disobeys my command, you will bear the punishment. Do you accept?"
Fugaku's expression wavered. He understood his clan far too well. Their pride, their temper—another conflict was not unlikely.
Chi Yu leaned in, voice low but sharp. "Well? What's your answer?"
Fugaku's brow furrowed. "Then... can you at least promise not to target my clansmen without cause?"
Chi Yu answered firmly, "I'm not targeting the Uchiha. If you had followed orders from the start, there would've been no need for discipline. This is your own doing.
I'll assign your clan to the front lines against the Hidden Mist. Not because I trust you, but because you're supposed to be Konoha's elite—the great Uchiha clan. With your Sharingan, taking down a few Mist-nin shouldn't be a challenge, right?
You think I'm singling you out? You think I'll sit back in the camp while you fight? No—I'll be on the front lines too. I'll be fighting beside you. So, Fugaku—do you still have something to say?"
Fugaku exhaled slowly. "Fine. If any Uchiha disobey you again, I'll take the punishment myself."
Chi Yu's lips curled into a thin smile. "Good."
He turned to the gathered Uchiha shinobi. "You all heard him. If you defy my orders again, your clan head's son will take the fall. Next time, it could be Fugaku lying in a pool of blood."
His eyes hardened. "I'll allow mistakes during missions. But if I find any sign of betrayal or defiance, I won't stop at punishing Fugaku. The rest of you won't be spared either."
The Uchiha shinobi all lowered their heads further, lips sealed, no one daring to respond.
And yet, deep in their hearts, many were moved by Fugaku's willingness to bear the consequences for their actions.
Fugaku then addressed Chi Yu again. "There's one more thing. I request permission to retrieve the bodies of our fallen and bring them back to Konoha."
Chi Yu waved a hand dismissively. "No need. The Sharingan will be destroyed, and they'll be buried nearby. That's final. Your only concern now is to regroup according to my directives. Missions begin at dawn."
Clapping his hands, he turned to the rest of the camp. "Alright, dismissed."
He then looked toward the side. "Watada. Get them settled. Assign rooms. Leave a few men to carry the bodies into a separate tent. I'll deal with the Sharingan myself."
The sound of his name jolted Nara Watada from his daze. The entire exchange had been overwhelming—and terrifying.
Chi Yu's audacity in confronting the Uchiha so directly had stunned him. If the clan had resisted in force, they'd be in a civil war already.
But somehow... Chi Yu had cowed them.
Watada found himself pitying the Uchiha. They'd lost both comrades and dignity today.
Still, Chi Yu's authority was undeniable. The Uchiha would have a difficult time under his command.
Better them than him.
Watada quickly led the Uchiha to their quarters while others carefully moved the corpses into a sealed room.
Later, Chi Yu entered the room alone and closed the door behind him. From a scroll, he summoned several glass containers filled with a preservation fluid.
There were seven corpses.
One by one, he removed their Sharingan and placed each eye pair in a separate bottle. Afterward, he resealed the bottles back into the scroll.
He then packed the empty sockets with material to disguise the removal and used Fire Release Ninjutsu to simulate combat damage.
Once everything was in place, Chi Yu stepped out, leaving the room behind—expression unreadable.
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