"Fugaku… how did Itachi end up—"
"I don't know," Fugaku replied calmly, casting them a brief glance. "But with Itachi's strength, he poses no real threat, does he?"
The moment those words fell, the elders fell silent as if struck dumb.
Indeed…
Itachi might be a prodigy, but in terms of raw strength he was still limited. At best, he could barely be evaluated as a jōnin—perhaps closer to a particularly strong special jōnin.
On Inabi's side, there were mostly young people.
The strongest among them were Shisui and Inabi. The rest were fairly ordinary shinobi. And then they looked at their own side—
Most of them were seasoned elite jōnin.
Add Fugaku himself to that…
The advantage is ours.
Their confidence returned.
"Shisui, it's not too late to turn back now," Fugaku said evenly. "Otherwise, we can only carry out clan law before our ancestors."
Those words were met with approval from the elders and many clan members.
They had never acknowledged Shisui and Inabi to begin with.
"Ancestors?" Shisui echoed. "Which ones are you referring to—Uchiha Madara? Or perhaps Indra, the one from ancient times who betrayed the Sage of Six Paths?"
"Oh—right. You probably don't even know who Indra is, do you?"
Shisui let out a soft, incredulous laugh.
The elders exchanged glances, then quickly grew furious.
Even if they didn't know the name, it was obvious—Shisui was mocking their ignorance and hypocrisy.
"This is how you speak to your elders?"
"See, this is exactly the problem," Shisui said calmly. "When I reason with you, you talk history. When I talk history, you talk seniority. So what's left?"
He drew the sword at his waist—the Kusanagi Blade.
"So let's settle this with our fists. We're all Uchiha, after all."
"In the end—winner takes all."
The sword flashed.
A declaration of war.
Fugaku glanced at the others and couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
These elders…
Their mouths were sharp, but the moment fighting began, every single one instinctively took a step back.
Still—
He had no intention of retreating.
Someone had to ignite this battle. No matter which direction it pushed the clan, a path had to be chosen—otherwise the Uchiha would simply bleed themselves dry between factions.
Fugaku's gaze sharpened.
"Kill them!"
In the next instant, he drew his blade and charged Shisui.
The strike was lightning-fast, reaching Shisui in a blink. Fugaku showed no restraint—this was a full-power killing blow.
At the same time, Uchiha Yashiro and three elders also lunged at Shisui.
A fight to the death needed no honor.
They attacked together.
On Inabi's side, the same situation unfolded.
Fugaku's judgment was ruthless and precise.
Shisui and Inabi were the pillars of the younger generation.
Which meant—
As long as those two were crushed, the rest would scatter like headless dragons.
After all…
Most of them didn't truly have firm convictions. Otherwise, so many wouldn't have wavered and followed both sides.
Fugaku's blade showed no mercy—his first strike aimed straight for a vital point.
Before it even landed, Yashiro burst up from the ground.
Earth Release: Headhunter Jutsu!
Simple.
Effective.
A five-direction ambush.
Shisui's mind was clear, without the slightest ripple.
He watched them calmly, making no move.
Nearby, Itachi was frantic. He drew his blade and rushed forward—
Only to be surrounded by three figures in the next instant.
"Itachi… you disappoint me."
"Stop this."
"Brother—why?!"
Itachi ignored the first two voices.
But when he heard Sasuke—
He had no choice but to stop.
He looked at his younger brother in silence, then raised his gaze.
"My foolish little brother… don't you understand yet?"
"These so-called 'leaders'—most of them are idiots with heads but no brains. They oppose just for the sake of opposing, but the moment they're asked for solutions or effort, they all turn into cowards."
"They're parasites, clinging to the Uchiha tree. Sooner or later, they'll rot it from within until it collapses completely."
"Grow up, Sasuke."
As Itachi spoke, his eyes sharpened.
The tomoe spun.
Two-tomoe Sharingan.
Sasuke's expression froze—clearly trapped in a genjutsu.
The other two were about to intervene—
When a fireball came roaring straight toward them.
At the same moment—
Behind Itachi, Izumi flashed forward in a Body Flicker, hands forming seals as she exhaled violently.
Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!
Boom!
Flames spread across a wide area, deliberately avoiding Sasuke's position.
"Wherever the Will of Fire burns, flames never die," Shisui's voice rang out coldly. "Well said."
"Only when you old men are dead will the Uchiha truly have rebirth and a future."
"I, Uchiha Shisui, invite you all to die."
In that instant, his aura changed completely.
All attacks were about to land—
And yet, in that very moment, every strike cut through empty air.
Only an afterimage remained.
Shisui of the Body Flicker.
The simplest movement technique—
And the hardest to counter.
Because Shisui's speed had already reached its absolute extreme.
Already fast beyond reason, and now in Sage Mode, combined with the Seven-Day Breathing Method, his speed reached terrifying heights.
At close range, his Body Flicker was nearly indistinguishable from the Flying Thunder God.
In an instant—
Three elders collapsed.
Blood sprayed, staining the ground crimson.
Uchiha Yashiro froze, then sucked in a sharp breath.
He couldn't track the movement—
Not even with the Sharingan.
How was this possible?!
How old was this boy?!
Fugaku's expression hardened.
Steel wires burst from the ground, encircling Shisui as flames raced along them, forming a blazing net.
At the same time, Yashiro formed seals and earthen walls surged upward.
But—
Before the trap could fully take shape—
A sword flashed.
Wind Release Sword Art: Flash!
A crescent arc of blade light severed earth and fire alike, carrying flames as it streaked past in a red blur.
Another body fell.
Another elder.
"No—this kid is insane!"
The remaining elders broke and fled in terror.
In the blink of an eye, four elders were dead.
Shisui's strength had completely exceeded their imagination.
They had thought that no matter how strong he was, he was still only one person.
But now—
He stood on the same incomprehensible level as Kanda Kyoichi once had.
How could such an opponent be fought?
Their will shattered.
They only wanted to live.
And precisely because of that—
Shisui showed no mercy.
Another slash.
Another body dropped.
"Four left."
"No—you can't—"
"Three."
"Shisui, have you lost your mind?! You're really going to kill us? We're your el—"
"Two."
"I'll fight you to the end!"
"Now," Shisui said calmly, sheathing the Kusanagi Blade, "it's the others' turn."
He turned and walked back toward the other battlefield.
Nine elders.
All slain.
Shisui was drenched in blood, like an asura from hell.
His eyes burned crimson. The three tomoe within them began to twist, combine, and change—
Yet he himself was unaware.
In his heart, there was only one word:
"Kill!"