Strength is the last word
---
Uchiha Yun narrowed his eyes, catching a faint shadow moving through the dense mist below. The figure stood out just enough for Yun to act. Without hesitation, he hurled a paper bomb into the fog. The explosion tore through the haze, briefly clearing a vacuum—but there was no sign of Muzan.
Standing back-to-back, Yun and his partner heightened their awareness, maximizing their field of vision. Unlike the Byakugan, the Sharingan had limitations, and this formation gave them the best chance.
"Underestimating me? Big mistake!" Muzan's voice echoed ominously. Yun instantly activated his Sharingan, hoping to ensnare his opponent in a genjutsu, if only for a moment.
Suddenly, the rooftop splintered as an immense force shattered it beneath them. Debris scattered in all directions, yet Muzan was already closing in, pressing the attack.
"Fire Style: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet!" Yun and his comrade shouted in unison, releasing twin streams of fire that combined into a roaring dragon. The blazing torrent surged toward Muzan.
Unfazed, Muzan drew his sword—a blade reminiscent of the chakra-infused tanto wielded by the Hatake clan. With a single, powerful slash, he cleaved the fire dragon in two, dispersing the flames and redirecting them toward a nearby building, which quickly caught fire.
Amidst the chaos, Yun's partner was struck, his arm severed by Muzan's blade. Yun shouted, "Damn it! You'll pay for that!"
In seconds, both of Yun's comrades had fallen, leaving him the last Uchiha standing. He noticed blood trickling from a scratch on Muzan's abdomen—a wound that would have been fatal if it had struck deeper. With a smirk, Muzan seized Yun by the throat and tossed him aside.
As the dust settled, Konoha's village guards arrived, their eyes widening at the destruction. One guard moved to apprehend Muzan, hesitating as a squad of masked ANBU operatives appeared, positioning themselves beside him. The message was clear: Muzan had protection.
Among the Uchiha guards, breaths were heavy. They had initially dismissed Muzan as no threat, but seeing their own gravely injured, they rushed in, only to find the fight already lost. Fury blazed in their eyes as they faced down the ANBU.
One of the Uchiha guards stepped forward, voice laced with anger. "Attacking our comrades and setting fire to the village? Hatake Muzan, you're coming with us."
The ANBU commander remained impassive. "The Hokage's orders are clear. Muzan will report directly to Hokage-sama for punishment."
The Uchiha wouldn't accept it. The leader sneered, voice defiant. "The Hokage's order doesn't mean anything here. We won't let anyone harm an Uchiha and walk away!"
Tension crackled in the air as ANBU operatives and Uchiha guards eyed each other warily, hands shifting to weapons.
As Anko doused the nearby flames, she shouted angrily, "You're the ones who started this! You nearly took my face off!"
Muzan wiped blood from his blade, his eyes glinting with dark amusement. "I don't mind finishing what I started…if that's what you want."
The ANBU flinched, sensing the danger of further escalation. Muzan's defiance only fueled Uchiha pride.
"Take him down!" one of the Uchiha guards shouted, his voice echoing the outrage of his comrades. "He'll pay for this!"
Just as the two factions teetered on the edge of open conflict, a firm voice cut through the tension. "Enough!"
Uchiha Fugaku strode forward, his gaze commanding immediate respect. He cast a quick glance at the injured, then at Muzan, before addressing the ANBU leader.
"This ends here. Both sides are at fault, and I'll see to it that my clan members are disciplined." His tone turned cold as he looked at Muzan. "I expect the same accountability from your side. The injured need immediate medical attention, and this incident must not escalate further."
With Fugaku's intervention, the ANBU relaxed slightly, stepping back. The Uchiha guards, though still simmering with anger, obeyed their clan leader, carrying the wounded under his command.
As both sides retreated, it became clear to everyone that, regardless of any 'punishment,' the scars from this clash ran far deeper than the physical wounds left behind.
---
As the newly appointed Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze was immediately faced with a difficult issue. Mishandling it could plunge the village into a new era of turmoil.
"Muzan is a real..." Minato muttered, rubbing his temples. Though he held no ill will toward the Uchiha, his wife's ties to them made the situation especially complex.
For the first time, Minato truly felt the weight of being Hokage. If he were too lenient, the Uchiha might stir unrest. But if the punishment were too severe, figures like Orochimaru and Hatake Sakumo would likely be dissatisfied.
Minato decided on a middle ground: Muzan would be restricted from causing any disturbances for a month. If he violated this condition, he would face severe consequences.
"We need to approach the Uchiha with caution," Minato mused. "They could very well be the spark that ignites unrest in the village."
The situation even drew out the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, from his semi-retirement. He hurried to the Hokage's office, concern etched on his face.
Ever since Jiraiya uncovered certain secrets, many eyes had turned toward the Uchiha clan. Only they held power potent enough to disrupt the village's stability. With their Sharingan and formidable ninjas, the Uchiha possessed a reputation that could shake the shinobi world.
Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama had once joined forces to establish dominance, and the Uchiha clan still held the potential to wield such influence.
Following Minato's decree, Muzan was effectively sidelined, barred from public appearances during his month-long restriction. But this didn't bother him. Having joined the Foundation under Danzo's command, Muzan was confident Danzo would manage things on his behalf.
"Well done!" Danzo said approvingly. "The Uchiha are nothing but trouble. If you hadn't disciplined them, I'd make sure they understood their place in the village."
Danzo's deep-rooted disdain for the Uchiha traced back to his training under the Second Hokage, who had instilled a deep mistrust of the clan in him. Danzo considered himself the true successor to those ideals.
Meanwhile, Muzan sensed the growing hostility toward the Uchiha. If not for Fugaku's efforts at mediation, the clan might have already revolted.
Rumors spread that Fugaku had awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan. Though not yet powerful enough to challenge Konoha, Fugaku's strength was considerable enough to influence the situation.
But Fugaku's hesitance could spell doom for the Uchiha, potentially leading to their tragic downfall.
"I wonder how Uchiha Shisui is handling things," Muzan pondered. Shisui had become a pivotal figure, and Muzan knew he would have to confront him sooner or later.
Meanwhile, Shisui wrestled with the growing tension between his clan and the village. The situation had only worsened in recent weeks.
An ANBU agent approached Shisui, but he was cautious, remembering Muzan's warning. Shisui intended to handle things himself.
"Where is the Uchiha's path leading?" Shisui wondered. With the volatile nature of his clan, it was no surprise things had escalated.
"I should apologize to Muzan-san," Shisui thought, feeling that the Uchiha bore part of the blame.
Danzo didn't linger at Muzan's house for long, knowing their connection had to remain secret. No one could know that Danzo was supporting Muzan from the shadows.
Danzo also planned to work with the Hokage to replace the shinobi monitoring Muzan with his own Foundation operatives, ensuring his plans remained undisturbed.
With Hatake Sakumo tackling high-level missions and Kakashi already a rising star in the ANBU under Minato's guidance, the Hokage faction held considerable power. Muzan knew he needed to play his cards carefully.
As Muzan reviewed his research on the Sunlight Experiments, a knock interrupted him. He expected Anko, but to his surprise, Uchiha Shisui stood at the door.
"Lord Muzan, I'm sorry for any trouble we may have caused," Shisui said, his tone respectful. The young Uchiha had earned the title "Shisui of the Body Flicker," his reputation growing throughout the village.
Muzan was slightly surprised by the visit. Shouldn't Shisui be mending the rift between the Uchiha and the village?
"No need to apologize," Muzan said, inviting Shisui inside. He noted the conflicted look in Shisui's eyes. "The animosity between the Uchiha and the village didn't arise overnight."
"You know that the Sharingan awakens through powerful emotions," Muzan continued. "That intensity can leave psychological scars."
Shisui, with his fully matured Sharingan, nodded in understanding.
"I'm not questioning your strength…"
"I understand, Lord Muzan," Shisui replied. The Sharingan was born of intense feelings, and Shisui recalled how his emotions had spiraled upon experiencing the village's tension with his clan. It was a vulnerability the Uchiha bore.
"No one understands love better than the Uchiha," Muzan said, "but with that love comes a dangerous price."
His words resonated deeply with Shisui, who stood silent, lost in thought. The Uchiha's intense love was the root of their strength, but it also made them vulnerable.
"How can we fix this?" Shisui asked instinctively.
"Strength," Muzan answered bluntly. "When two forces are at an impasse, they need to be equally matched. Otherwise, one will inevitably be destroyed."
Muzan refrained from mentioning the Mangekyō Sharingan, the next level of power beyond Shisui's current abilities. After all, the Mangekyō was a closely guarded secret within the Uchiha clan. To be considered a true elite, one needed to awaken that power.
"Work hard and grow stronger than anyone else," Muzan urged. "And don't trust everything the Hokage says. Remember, they see you as a potential enemy."
Muzan had already decided to leave Konoha and no longer considered himself part of the Hokage faction. He even hoped the Uchiha could help weaken the Hokage's power. If the strongest village in the ninja world could be crippled, the other nations would move in to contain Konoha.
This would create the perfect opportunity for Muzan to further his own ambitions.
After all, Muzan needed to solve the problem of his genetics, something current technology couldn't achieve. Accelerating technological advancement would inevitably lead to conflicts, both ideological and military, with the other great nations.
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