"Lord Patriarch."
At the edge of the bamboo grove, several members of the Uchiha patrol squad halted. More clansmen had gathered from different parts of the district, but none dared approach the heart of the disturbance.
They'd all received the same strict order: No one is to enter. By decree of the Patriarch himself.
Some of the patrol officers shifted uneasily. Among them were a few who had once trained under the Great Elder—Uchiha Shin. The temptation to disobey and check the situation themselves was strong. But the orders from both Uchiha Fugaku and the clan elders were absolute.
Fortunately, their wait didn't last long.
Uchiha Fugaku arrived, flanked by Uchiha Jun, his trusted aide.
"Have the Security Corps arrived?" he asked with calm authority.
"They're en route. Should be here soon," a young patrol member replied. Then, hesitating, he added, "Patriarch… what happened in there? The Great Elder—?"
Fugaku's sharp eyes turned toward the man. His voice, though quiet, carried a chilling finality. "That's not your concern. Hold your post and maintain order. Leave the rest to us."
The patrolman fell silent, bowing respectfully as Fugaku and Jun entered the grove without another word. The others, though anxious, resumed their duties with growing unease. Something was wrong. Deeply wrong.
As the two moved deeper into the forest, smoke still drifted lazily between the trees. Snowflakes fell quietly from the grey sky, untouched by the chaos that had erupted moments earlier.
Fugaku glanced upward. Despite everything, the place was beautiful—serene, even. A quiet place to die, he thought grimly. Perhaps that's why Shin chose it.
"Patriarch..." Jun's voice broke the silence.
Fugaku turned. "What is it?"
"I sense something... unnatural. A chakra that's cold—frightening." Her voice trembled. "It's unlike anything I've felt before."
Fugaku's brow furrowed.
Jun was a skilled sensory ninja. If she was rattled, it wasn't to be dismissed. He quickened his pace.
And then, they saw it.
In the heart of the grove stood Uchiha Kai. Around him, a swirling manifestation of dark chakra—a skeletal frame cloaked in the aura of the Mangekyō Sharingan. The chakra's sheer pressure was oppressive, and even Fugaku found himself slowing his steps in caution.
Fugaku's eyes narrowed.
"This is... Susanoo."
A short distance away, a masked ninja in black knelt on the ground, his breath ragged, his posture broken. He stared blankly ahead, consumed by darkness.
Uchiha Kai stood before him, sword in hand.
This fight hadn't been fair—and Kai never intended it to be.
Ninjas weren't bound by fairness. That illusion was for fools and idealists. This man, whoever he was, had failed to even touch Kai. The moment his attack pattern was understood, the outcome was sealed.
Kai's sword drove into his enemy's gut, infused with lightning chakra. The man choked, faltered.
But Kai wasn't finished.
From his Mangekyō, the dark chakra surged again. The skeletal arm of Susanoo reached down, seizing the dying man and dragging him forward.
Kai turned, his Sharingan locking onto the four elders nearby.
Two looked hollow, defeated. The others wore blank expressions—but Kai could see it in their eyes: resignation. Acceptance. Pride, even.
Uchiha Shin, the Great Elder, remained calm. His old eyes met Kai's.
Kai stepped forward. "It seems the elders have run out of options."
His voice was mocking, but cold.
"I was expecting more," he added, almost disappointed. "None of this was fun."
None of the elders spoke.
They didn't know the truth—that the masked ninja had almost wounded Kai earlier. That there had been real risk. But they didn't need to know. Victory gave Kai the right to say what he pleased.
Shin finally spoke, voice quiet.
"You've won, Uchiha Kai."
He looked down at the man held in Susanoo's grip—nearly dead, gasping faintly.
"We underestimated you. None of us believed you had awakened the Mangekyō. I never thought I'd see those eyes again."
Kai's blade pulsed again.
With one clean strike, the masked ninja's heart was pierced. The corpse fell limply to the ground.
Kai tossed it at Shin's feet.
Shin didn't react immediately. His gaze lingered on the corpse. Then, after a pause, he spoke.
"He was my brother."
Kai blinked.
"Your brother?"
Shin nodded.
"He's been my shadow for decades. A guardian no one knew existed. And now he's fulfilled his last duty."
Kai didn't offer sympathy. "A pity. But if I had lost, your brother would've done worse."
He crossed his arms.
"I don't have a brother. So maybe I can't understand. But I do know what kind of world we live in. You were ready to kill me. I just acted first."
Shin nodded slowly. "I see."
There was silence.
Then he asked, "Tell me... why kill the others too? Why wipe us out completely?"
Kai's eyes flashed. "Because of the power your alliance still holds. Even in defeat, your influence lingers. You could tell them to rise up—and they would. That makes you dangerous."
"They're Uchiha," Kai added. "So am I. That's why this has to end here."
Shin smiled faintly.
"So you do understand what it means to carry the clan."
He removed his robe, revealing his old but hardened frame. Then he walked beside his brother's corpse, picked up the fallen sword, and knelt before Kai.
"You'll need people like me to keep order," Shin said. "To lend legitimacy to your rule."
Kai didn't answer.
"You'll let some of them live," Shin continued. "Enough to avoid collapse. But the rest… will join me in the Pure Land."
Kai nodded once. "Some will be spared. But only those who follow."
Shin laughed softly. "Then I'll prepare the tea for them."
He looked up one final time. "You are ruthless... but you have vision. That makes you dangerous—and necessary."
Then, after a pause, he asked, "Tell me one last thing: are you really Uchiha?"
Kai didn't answer immediately.
He understood the question now—Shin was asking not about his blood, but his loyalty. His soul.
Kai finally shook his head.
"I'm a ninja. Not a relic. Not your mistake."
He turned away.
"You'll get your answer soon enough—from the next person who walks through those trees."
As he said it, Kai looked toward the path.
Uchiha Fugaku was emerging from the mist, silent and unreadable.