This Uchiha is way too Cautious

Chapter 98: Method

Seeing Uchiha Fugaku finally lower his mask, Uchiha Kei quietly let out a sigh of relief.

Indeed, Kei had been waiting—

waiting for Fugaku's next move.

If Fugaku chose to remove his mask,

it meant there was still room for negotiation between them.

After all, Kei had laid out so many ideas and arguments, clearly demonstrating his immense value.

If Fugaku had any sense of judgment, he would know what choice to make.

But if Fugaku refused to remove the mask—

then Kei would not have hesitated to unleash his chakra and ocular power.

He had already awakened his Mangekyō and used it openly.

Konoha was already dealing with a major unsolved case—

what was one more added to the pile?

As for whether the Uchiha would descend into leaderless chaos,

or whether Kei's grand plans would collapse as a result—

he simply didn't care.

The priority was simple: eliminate anyone who knew about his Mangekyō and refused to cooperate.

Fortunately, Kei's groundwork had been thorough.

Combined with the flattery he had subtly woven into his words earlier,

plus the fact that Fugaku never truly intended to kill him in the first place—

it led to this outcome.

In the end, Fugaku chose to remove his mask,

showing his true face before Kei.

It was a signal—

a signal of truce, and more importantly, of honesty.

Yet Kei couldn't help but feel a twinge of emotion.

Even though he had put in so much effort beforehand,

perhaps none of it mattered as much as the overwhelming presence of his Mangekyō.

Power was the true melody of this world.

Schemes and strategies were merely instruments to help one reach the crescendo.

Every successful negotiation was ultimately backed by overwhelming strength.

And every compromise—

came from compassion,

or simply from not having enough power.

Thinking this, Kei maintained a facade of shock and disbelief on his face.

Having once faked his death on the battlefield,

his acting skills were decent enough.

He looked as if he had just witnessed something unimaginable.

Seeing Kei's expression, Fugaku couldn't help but chuckle softly.

"There's no need to be so surprised, Kei-kun,"

Fugaku said, casually tossing his mask aside.

At the same time, his eyes returned to their normal black,

and the fractured black-and-white illusionary world collapsed entirely.

Kei paid it no mind.

After all, this genjutsu space had never truly belonged to him—

he had merely hijacked control for a moment.

Now that Fugaku had voluntarily ended the technique,

Kei, lacking the original foundation of the illusion, could no longer sustain it either.

Watching Fugaku's calm movements, Kei hesitated briefly—

then decisively deactivated his Sharingan as well.

That too, was a signal.

"I truly didn't expect the Clan Head to be hiding so much strength,"

Kei said in a low voice once they fully returned to the real world.

"The feeling is mutual, Kei-kun,"

Fugaku replied, his tone also deep and steady.

"I didn't expect you to possess these eyes either.

It seems my suspicions were right—you awakened your Sharingan long ago, didn't you?"

"That's right,"

Kei admitted without hesitation.

By now, there was no point in hiding.

"The very first time I set foot on the battlefield,

my captain sacrificed himself to protect me.

That was when I awakened my Sharingan."

Of course, while Kei was willing to admit some truths,

there were certain details he would never reveal—

such as the fact that his eye awakening had been induced through a special genjutsu technique.

That method was a secret he intended to keep forever.

Even Kei himself wasn't sure whether it could succeed for anyone else.

This would take time and careful experimentation.

Uchiha Kei planned to look for a trustworthy candidate within the Uchiha clan in the future—

only then could he attempt replicating the method.

"I see. That's completely understandable,"

Uchiha Fugaku nodded, though a trace of curiosity still lingered in his eyes.

"Then why have you kept it hidden all this time?"

"And what about you?"

Kei chuckled, giving him a sideways glance.

"People don't reveal their Sharingan lightly.

The first one to stand out always gets targeted, no matter where you are.

As for the Mangekyō..."

He left the rest unsaid, merely smiling meaningfully.

How Fugaku chose to interpret it was none of Kei's concern.

Fugaku pondered briefly before sighing and nodding.

He figured Kei's decision to conceal his Mangekyō was rooted in a deep wariness toward both the clan and the village.

Truthfully, even Fugaku himself harbored a degree of caution toward Konoha.

Had it not been for his desire to avoid dragging both the village and the clan into crisis,

he might have revealed his Mangekyō long ago.

He knew too well—

the moment their ambitions became exposed,

the clan's arrogance would skyrocket,

and the village's attitude would shift dramatically in response to the Mangekyō's existence.

"Kei-kun truly is sharp—

one cannot judge you by common sense,"

Fugaku sighed again.

"A Mangekyō suddenly appearing within the clan would be an extremely deadly development,

both for us and for Konoha."

"Exactly,"

Kei replied calmly, easily understanding Fugaku's line of thought.

"I have no desire to be used as a mere weapon."

Fugaku took a deep breath and glanced toward the basement.

"Kei-kun,

can you now share your concerns and plans with me?

Uchiha Isamu was one of our unit's elites, and a key figure among the hardliners.

Your actions..."

Fugaku genuinely struggled to understand.

If Uchiha Kei's attitude hinted at the potential destruction of the clan,

then things were truly dire.

Kei had expressed reluctance to leave Konoha,

and he had mentioned the hardliners and the ideology of the Second Hokage.

Did that mean—

if things continued on this path, the Uchiha clan would face an unimaginable disaster?

What kind of calamity could possibly drive someone like Kei,

who usually only cared about himself, to act preemptively?

The only answer Fugaku could imagine—

was the complete annihilation of the Uchiha clan!

"He was merely the first.

There will be others,"

Kei cut him off before he could finish.

"Clan Head, do you remember what I once told you?"

Fugaku frowned, feeling their thoughts converge ominously.

But was Kei going too far?

Even if they purged all the hardliners,

would that really be enough to restore relations with Konoha?

Clearly, the answer was no.

For the first time, Fugaku found himself questioning whether Kei was truly as brilliant as he seemed.

Still, facing another Mangekyō user,

he didn't dare to move rashly, nor did he want to provoke Kei unnecessarily.

"I remember," Fugaku said after a moment,

"but even if you purge every hardliner,

what difference would it make?

As long as someone who inherited the Second Hokage's ideology remains Hokage,

no matter what you do,

it will all be in vain."

"Then what is your plan, Clan Head?"

Kei crossed his arms and asked calmly.

"Attempt peaceful negotiation?

Keep a low profile while suppressing the growing unrest within the clan?"

"You're right,"

Fugaku admitted, glancing at Kei with some surprise.

"That was exactly my plan."

Kei sighed softly.

It wasn't unexpected.

After all, that was Fugaku's chosen path.

But this cautious strategy would never work against the Third Hokage.

Reality had already proven—

if a crisis arose in Konoha,

and if the Uchiha could even remotely be linked to it...

Then the Uchiha clan would be utterly doomed.