Fugaku was dumbfounded.
But before he could even ask, Uchiha Kai rose to his feet, opened the window, and leapt down.
Outside the Police Department, on the darkened street.
Kai stood calmly under the night sky. Facing the Root shinobi before him, he folded his arms and allowed a faint smile to curl his lips.
"Heh… interesting.
Our Hokage-sama really did prepare a surprise.
Looks like that fool Danzo just got played by Hiruzen Sarutobi."
Arrogance radiated from him. Even in the face of Root, he had the mood to mock.
Fugaku, having rushed out after him, grew solemn upon hearing Kai's words.
Root?!
Even after Kai's earlier explanations about the Uchiha and the village being irreconcilable, Fugaku's instincts made him protest:
"You Root operatives—do you mean to declare war on the Uchiha?"
At that moment, the Uchiha officers on night duty at the Police Department also rushed out at the commotion.
Seeing Kai and Fugaku standing there, they instinctively took positions behind them, forming a wall opposite the Root shinobi.
"Execute the mission. Kill target 680."
The sunglasses-wearing leader—Aburame Yugan—spoke coldly.
As Root, he had no need for chatter.
Obeying Danzo's orders was their sole existence. His hands weaved seals, and a torrent of insects swarmed from beneath his cloak.
"Secret Technique: Parasitic Insects!"
The other Root operatives also moved instantly.
"Water Style: Great Waterfall Jutsu!"
"Fire Style: Flame Bullet Jutsu!"
"Lightning Style: Earth Current Jutsu!"
…
Every Root shinobi attacked at once, ignoring everyone else, all striking straight at Uchiha Kai.
Yes—their mission was clear: kill Uchiha Kai at any cost.
Danzo's words were absolute—things like the Mangekyo should not exist in this world.
The gathered Uchiha erupted in fury at the blatant assault.
But before they could act—Kai stopped them with a raised hand, his Mangekyo unfurling.
The eerie, yin-yang-fish-shaped pattern spun open, its blood-red glow flooding the night. A suffocating aura of dread and power rolled outward.
"You—stand down.
Since Hokage-sama has made his move, I will answer him."
"So it is time for Konoha to once again witness the power of Mangekyo."
"Mangekyo Sharingan—Void Jutsu!"
Boom!
As Kai's right eye spun, its chakra burned away at terrifying speed. Nearly a fifth of his ocular power drained before stabilizing into his unique ability.
And in an instant—
The Root operatives rushing at him began to unravel.
Screams tore through the night as their bodies shredded apart mid-charge, collapsing into bloody chunks before they could even touch him.
Even the strongest among them, Aburame Yugan, collapsed in a heap barely a meter from Kai's feet.
Outside the Police Department gates.
The stench of blood thickened the air.
Hidden Anbu, the Uchiha on watch—everyone stood frozen in horror, cold sweat beading on their foreheads.
Too terrifying.
Even to their dying breath, not a single Root operative had grasped how Kai had struck them down.
Such an uncanny ability—it couldn't be seen, let alone blocked.
So this… this was the ultimate power of the Uchiha, the Mangekyo Sharingan?
The hidden Anbu quaked. Not one of them wanted to face such a monster.
"Captain, what do we do?" one whispered.
Their leader—masked as a crow, one of Hiruzen's most trusted men, code-named Black Crow—stared, fear plain in his eyes.
Yes.
He understood now why the village feared the Uchiha so much.
They were terrifying beyond reason. And once they awakened the Mangekyo, their abilities were downright nightmarish.
How could you fight this?
No chakra flow, no jutsu signs—nothing you could read or dodge.
And worse—every Mangekyo's ability was unique.
How do you counter something you can't even anticipate?
Taking a long breath, he finally gave the order:
"Retreat."
He turned and vanished into the shadows. The others followed, relief evident in their steps. None of them had the courage to linger near Kai.
Meanwhile—
The Uchiha gathered outside the Police Department erupted into cheers after their initial shock.
"Elder Kai is too strong!"
"So this is the Mangekyo—divine power itself!"
"If only I could awaken mine someday…"
"With Elder Kai here, the Uchiha will rise again!"
Voices spilled over one another, the clan venting generations of frustration.
Ever since Madara's departure, the Uchiha had languished. Uchiha Kagami had been brilliant, but as Tobirama's disciple, his temperament had been too gentle.
But Kai—was different.
He bore no ties to the Hokage's faction. Lazy though he seemed, when it mattered, he acted with ruthless decisiveness. Even against Root, he had not hesitated to kill.
This was the Uchiha as they were meant to be.
Only Fugaku stayed quiet.
He looked at Kai deeply before speaking in a low voice:
"Don't rely on Mangekyo too often. Its power is… unique. And there's no way to restore what it consumes. Unless absolutely necessary, don't use it."
Kai smiled faintly.
He understood Fugaku's concern.
"Don't worry. I'm fine. This time, I used Mangekyo only to put on a show for Hiruzen. His probe demanded a crushing answer—to show him I can flip the table if I wish.
Only with strength will he come to the table at all.
Right now, we can't afford open war—so we must play this game."
He paused, then leaned closer.
"And between us—
I may have already found a method to restore Mangekyo stamina.
It's not perfected yet, so don't spread this.
If the Hokage faction learns of it, their hostility will skyrocket. They might even decide to destroy us outright.
But for now… I've made my move.
Let's see how Hokage-sama chooses to respond."
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