Chapter 99: The Fall of the Grass; Fugaku and the "Broken" Prodigy
Fugaku Uchiha felt the blood boiling in his veins.
Combat. Hand-to-hand slaughter. The electric thrill of the hunt—it had been far
too long since he'd experienced the true nature of his bloodline.
For the first time in his life, he was fighting a war without the crushing
weight of political paranoia.
High-level Uchiha like Fugaku and Isshin were well aware of the "instability"
inherent in the Sharingan. The clan archives were full of warnings about the
"Curse of Hatred," and the histories of Izanagi and Izanami served as grim
reminders of what happened when an Uchiha lost their anchor.
Before the mission, Isshin and Fugaku had held a private briefing for the elite
squad, stressing the need for "discipline." They were terrified that if their
men acted like "mad dogs" on the battlefield, Hiruzen would take it as an excuse
to lock the clan away forever.
"Don't scream about the Sharingan being supreme. Don't laugh like a maniac. Act
like professional Leaf shinobi," they had commanded.
But in the heat of battle, Fugaku realized that total emotional suppression was
impossible. He needed to vent.
The genius realization came when he started shouting slogans of "Justice for our
Comrades!" and "Rescue the Leaf's Kin!" By framing his raw Uchiha intensity
through the lens of the Will of Fire, the "madness" was transformed into
"righteous fury."
It's strange, Fugaku thought as he decapitated a Grass warden. By fighting in
the name of the village, I feel more in control of my eyes than I ever have. The
anger has a purpose.
SWISH!
A flash of white light cut through the air as Sakumo Hatake carved a path
through the enemy ranks from the left flank.
In combat mode, the "White Fang" was a different creature. He was silent,
efficient, and utterly merciless. He moved like a localized disaster, a "White
Wind" that left only corpses in its wake. Every stroke of his blade was a
finished sentence.
"West sector: roughly seventy enemies remaining," Hizashi Hyūga reported over
the mental link. He flicked blood from his fingertips, his face a mask of cold
professionalism. "Northeast: sixteen targets. Two are wearing animal
masks—confirmed 'Fruit of Grass' high command."
A golden blur flickered into the center of the plaza. Minato Namikaze appeared,
his three-pronged kunai slick with red. "Southern perimeter secured. The Anbu
squads have established a defensive cordon."
Minato wasn't wearing his usual "Little Sun" smile. His eyes were hard, and his
presence carried a distinct, lethal chill.
"All units, pay attention. I have breached Hozuki Castle," Danzo's voice echoed
directly into their minds via the Yamanaka telepathy net.
"The Box of Ultimate Bliss is secured. My division will begin exfiltration in
ten minutes. Accelerate the 'Sanitization' of the village. Consolidate the
prisoners according to the Hokage's standing orders."
"Once we depart, the southern gap will open. Mobile units, move to close the
circle. No one leaves this village."
The commanders shared a brief, silent look of acknowledgment.
Fugaku grabbed a Grass ninja by the throat. His Three-Tomoe Sharingan began to
spin with a manic frequency, boring into the captive's mind. He needed intel on
the detention cells—fast.
This was the Uchiha's role in the operation: Instant Information Extraction.
Fugaku realized that Hiruzen's "inner circle" was a den of monsters. Danzo,
Sakumo, Hizashi, and Minato worked like unfeeling machines. They didn't stop to
gloat; they didn't pause for dramatic effect. They just killed and moved to the
next coordinate.
An Uchiha usually liked to enjoy the "Art of Battle"—a little laugh here, a
poetic insult there. But this team was practicing a terrifying level of
"Workplace Efficiency."
"Northeast: reinforcements. Southwest: a hidden bunker for high-level officials.
North: hidden sentries," Fugaku recited the intel, then moved to the next
captive.
"The Uzumaki survivor is in a log cabin in the south sector!" Fugaku barked, a
surge of relief hitting him. His primary task was complete.
If he had failed, he didn't think Hiruzen would yell at him—the Hokage was too
"kind" for that—but Fugaku couldn't stand the thought of losing "Face" in front
of the other High Commissioners.
"Understood. Hizashi, take the Northeast. I'll take the bunker. Minato, clear
the sentries," Sakumo commanded, assuming theater leadership.
"Fugaku, retrieve the Uzumaki. Then link up with Genzo Kurama to begin the
mass-hypnosis of the captives. Move!"
The squads split with practiced ease. Each unit was balanced: a Hyūga for radar,
a Yamanaka for comms, and an Uchiha as the "Swiss Army Knife" for combat and
interrogation.
The Southern Cabin.
Fugaku kicked the door open with a thunderous bang, his blade drawn. He expected
to find a torture chamber.
Instead, he found a massacre.
A black-haired boy stood in the center of the room, a blood-stained Grass katana
in his hand. He looked tense, his small frame trembling with a mix of adrenaline
and "exhaustion," his eyes burning with a murderous light.
Behind him, a red-haired girl was curled under a bed, staring at Fugaku with
wide, terrified eyes.
The floor was littered with the bodies of nearly a dozen Grass ninjas.
"Are you the Uzumaki?" Fugaku asked, his Sharingan spinning as he scanned for
threats. "We are Konoha shinobi. We are here to bring you home!"
The red hair was all the proof he needed. But as Shio Uzumaki crawled out from
under the bed, she pointed at the boy.
"H-He... he's one of yours! Look at his eyes!"
Fugaku froze. He looked closer at the boy's face. Grime and blood masked his
features, but the eyes were unmistakable.
Two-Tomoe Sharingan.
Fugaku's heart hammered. An Uchiha? The Grass were holding one of our own?!
Tobirama (as the boy) played his part to perfection. He looked like a "feral
genius"—a boy who had been pushed to the brink and had finally snapped. He
radiated a mix of profound mistrust and lethal intent.
In reality, Tobirama was struggling not to laugh. Playing a "traumatized Uchiha"
was almost too easy. He just had to act like a prideful brat who hated everyone.
"Don't be angry with him!" Shio pleaded, rushing to Tobirama's side. "He saved
me! He's been a prisoner here his whole life! He just escaped the death-pits!"
"He's very strong! Please, don't hurt him! He has a 'Guardian' in his blood,
he—"
"Shut up, Shio!" Tobirama barked, pushing her back. "I don't need their pity.
And I don't need your explanations."
Fugaku felt a sharp pang of sorrow. What have these monsters done to our
children?
To Fugaku, the boy's arrogance wasn't an insult; it was the ultimate proof of
his Uchiha blood. Even in the depths of a hellish prison, he refused to bow.
In that moment, Fugaku felt a surge of genuine respect for Hiruzen's Will of
Fire.
A world of "Ninjas as Tools" created these cages. Konoha was the only place
trying to break them.
"It's alright, lad," Fugaku said, his voice becoming uncharacteristically
gentle.
"We are Leaf ninjas. You and I share the same blood. We've come for you both.
The Uzumaki and the Uchiha are family in the Leaf."
"You know the Leaf?" Fugaku asked. "Do you know the Hokage? He's the strongest
man in the world. He sent us to find you."
Tobirama kept his "wary" gaze, but internally, he was having a blast.
I know the Hokage, alright. I know exactly what kind of silver-tongued devil he
is.
"I've heard of it," Tobirama said coldly. "But I don't follow anyone."
En Uchiha, the one-armed veteran, walked into the cabin. He looked at the boy
and froze.
That face... En thought. He looks so much like the old sketches of the 'Young
Master' from the founding days.
But En shook the thought away. It was probably just a family resemblance.
"Don't be a stubborn brat," En said, sitting down and offering a soldier pill.
"In Konoha, the Hokage gives you a house and a paycheck. It's better than a
cage."
"And the best part? The Third Hokage is a decent man. He's nothing like that
cold-blooded, silver-haired bastard who used to run things. The Uchiha actually
have a future now."
En pulled out his metal cigarette case—the one Hiruzen had given him—and took a satisfied drag.
Tobirama's face remained a mask of stone.
Internally, however, the Second Hokage felt a massive vein pop in his
metaphorical forehead.
Saru... you didn't tell me I'd have to listen to my own clansmen call me a
bastard every single day.
☆☆☆
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