A common trait of the old ninja clans was exclusivity, though the degree varied. If the system within the clan was relatively fair and just, then the members of the clan tended to have a strong sense of pride in their lineage. As a result, they often showed deep admiration for the great figures the clan had produced.
Typically, this admiration also led to a general agreement with the views held by such figures.
This was the main reason why Tobirama was wary of the Uchiha clan.
The old ninja clans all understood this pattern. The temporary compliance of the Uchiha was only due to the overwhelming charisma and leadership of the Senju leader, who had earned the trust and support of the entire village. Moreover, that leader tried his best to consider everyone's thoughts and needs.
But such a leader could not always exist.
In fact, after Hashirama died, the number of Uchiha who began to adopt Madara's ideology started to rise dramatically. This was partly due to Tobirama's actions, but also because of the Uchiha clan's inherently strong fighting spirit, they simply couldn't tolerate humiliation.
The proud Uchiha were never willing to suffer in silence. If others were in the right, they might accept it, but if they were in the right, their reaction would be intense.
They would fight for their rights.
In Madara's eyes back then, most of the Uchiha had already lost their pride and their fighting spirit.
As someone who had always possessed a strong sense of family honor, Madara couldn't accept such a version of the Uchiha clan. He had this thought as early as the late Warring States period when factions within the clan began advocating surrender.
However, judging from what he saw now, he had to admit, perhaps he had misjudged them.
The Uchiha clan members who came to greet him now were in good spirits. The previous atmosphere of "peace is great, nothing else matters" was gone.
Just like before, his gaze fell upon the children. Protecting family and children had always been a shared wish between him and Hashirama.
To the little ones, although Madara had a stern face, he didn't seem scary at all. After all, the Uchiha's fierce temperament was evident from a young age. Stern faces were something they saw all the time. No pressure at all.
He retracted his gaze from the children.
Today's children no longer had the confused and lost look in their eyes about the future, they appeared much more spirited.
He was... somewhat satisfied.
"Let's head inside first. You haven't been back in so long, the clan has changed a lot," Masashi said, his initial excitement finally beginning to subside.
Well... just slightly.
"I'm married now!"
"..."
Masashi and Fugaku exchanged a glance, they were certain this old guy had lost his filter. Best not let him keep talking.
"The assembly hall has been tidied up," Fugaku said, stepping forward respectfully. "Most of the clan is there, and they're hoping to receive your guidance."
"No need, go about your business," Madara said calmly.
He had his own reasons for returning with Masashi. And those reasons did not include formally returning to the Uchiha clan. Besides, he wouldn't stay long in his current state. But the appearance of Setsuna had made him slightly alter his plan.
Setsuna didn't have many years left, he could see that.
It wasn't just his age. His body was extremely frail, riddled with hidden injuries. His spirit was also weak, likely due to long-term mental strain. The fact that he could still move about like this was a miracle in itself.
A ninja's death was often sudden, unlike ordinary people who usually declined gradually. Ninjas constantly drained both physical and mental energy to extract chakra. Sudden death for someone who appeared healthy was completely normal in the shinobi world.
From Madara's observation, Setsuna would not live to see the activation of the Eye of the Moon Plan.
Given that...
"Setsuna," said Madara, "take me to your house."
"Yes!" Setsuna replied joyfully.
Having lived to this age, and with no more worries for the future of the clan, Setsuna had been taking it easy in recent years. He enjoyed witnessing the clan's vibrance, watching the mischievous kids run around, and reminiscing about his unfulfilled dreams. And his biggest regret was standing before him now.
Madara nodded and took the lead into the clan compound. Setsuna cheerfully followed behind, guiding the way. The clan members were tactful, no one tried to steal Setsuna's spotlight.
To this elder who had always cared deeply for the clan and given his all, the people held great respect. Unlike the children born into a time when the clan was already flourishing, the adult members had lived through the era of unrest, when even sleeping peacefully was difficult. Even if ordinary people didn't understand the shinobi world, they could sense the oppressive atmosphere back then. They knew what elders like Setsuna and Fugaku had faced, and what they had done for the clan.
Among the many ninja clans in Konoha, the difference was clear. Compared to others, the Uchiha leadership was especially selfless and protective. One might call them workaholics more than leaders. Granted, this was largely due to the clan's previously awkward position, unity was the one thing they couldn't afford to lose.
In recent years, Setsuna's health had worsened noticeably. All old ninja clans understood what that meant. Behind Madara and Setsuna, Masashi didn't follow. He remained where he stood.
So did Fugaku.
"Masashi," said he, glancing at him, then at Black Zetsu who was standing silently nearby. "This is Madara-sama's embodiment of will, isn't it? Zetsu?"
Black Zetsu, who had been silent until now, perked up. Fugaku was the first Konoha ninja to correctly say his name.
"Correct. That's me," Black Zetsu replied, developing a strong liking for Fugaku. "You're the current head of the Uchiha clan?"
"Yes. I'm aware of what happened in the shelter. I truly appreciate your assistance."
"No need for thanks," Black Zetsu waved dismissively. "Masashi and I are friends. It was no trouble. But your son... never mind. You'll find out soon enough."
Which one?
According to what he knew, back at the shelter, both of his sons had some "close" interactions with the embodiment of will standing before him.
"Masashi, won't you take me to your home for a visit?" Black Zetsu asked again.
"Sure, let's go," Masashi replied. "We can have a good talk."
"In that case, take good care of Zetsu. I'll head back first," Fugaku said. He never believed there was any such thing as a true embodiment of will. He preferred to think the person in front of him had been a key influence in Obito's defection from the village.
Of course, such thoughts weren't things he would voice aloud.
As for Obito, he was currently imprisoned in the clan's underground dungeon, under Fugaku's personal watch. He truly hadn't expected that the Third Hokage would actually hand Obito over to him, such a thing would've been impossible in the past.
The Uchiha clan's current status in Konoha had indeed changed. The Third Hokage's decision was a textbook example of the Hokage administration offloading troublesome matters.
With Masashi taking care of this mysterious Zetsu, Fugaku could go and have a good conversation with Obito.
After finishing his words with Masashi and saying a final courteous goodbye to Black Zetsu, he left with a friendly expression. Once he'd gone some distance, his expression returned to its usual calm.
He first went to find Yaku and asked him to oversee cleanup operations at the clan grounds in his stead. Then, he headed toward the clan's underground prison.
This kind of facility was something only the Uchiha and Hyūga clans had. After all, both clans' estates were relatively isolated and not directly connected to the city proper. Still, the original intent behind these underground dungeons differed between the two. The Hyūga's had more diverse functions, serving both internal and external purposes.
Obito could be considered the first Uchiha to "enjoy" the use of this facility. In the past, it had only been used to secretly detain enemies the clan couldn't deal with publicly. Once you entered here, it was as if you'd disappeared from the world. The underground prison wasn't large, with only a few rooms and one corridor. It wasn't designed for long-term incarceration.
When Fugaku arrived, the guards, seeing their clan leader, respectfully stepped aside to let him pass. He walked up to the cell where Obito was being held.
Inside, Obito was sitting cross-legged on the ground. Out of respect for him still being an Uchiha, the guards hadn't mistreated him. They had only fitted him with chakra-sealing shackles.
His face was now unrecognizable, covered with sealing script patterns that, at a glance, made him look like he'd activated Sage Mode.
"Obito," Fugaku said, "I came to see you."
Before defecting, Obito had been a chunin of the Uchiha clan. While not particularly outstanding, he wasn't useless either. For his age at the time, becoming a chunin was already an above-average achievement, especially considering he hadn't yet awakened his Sharingan. When news came back that he'd awakened his eye and died on the battlefield, it didn't cause much of a stir within the clan, not because he was unloved, but because many had died in the war.
The clan's greater concern was the potential loss of Sharingan, cold as that might seem, it was a normal response for a bloodline-focused clan. If they were truly cold-blooded, they wouldn't have honored Obito's "final wishes."
That was just how Uchiha genes were, getting one to act cold-blooded was harder than getting them to stop being temperamental. But in Fugaku's view, the current Obito before him was indeed cold-blooded. As the clan leader, he couldn't tolerate someone attacking the clan for any reason. The clan had never done anything to wrong Obito during his upbringing.
Looking at all of Obito's actions since his change in temperament, it was clear he had been trying to instigate deep conflict between the Uchiha clan and Konoha. Anyone could foresee what the consequences of that would be.
"Fugaku," Obito said, looking at the familiar face. "It's been a long time."
"Mm." Fugaku nodded. "I've always had one question for you. Let's not talk about the village for now, has this clan ever wronged you?"
"No," Obito replied.
"Then what do you think separates a human from a beast?" Fugaku asked again.
"There's no need for you to judge me from your self-righteous pedestal," Obito said. "I merely want to end this era that has no future."
"Self-righteous pedestal, huh," Fugaku nodded. "Good choice of words. You are indeed arrogant and heartless. For the sake of a woman from another clan, you would destroy your own clan. Even beasts are better than you."
"You don't understand anything. All you want to do is vent your anger. But I'm trying to create a beautiful new world, something you ANBU would never comprehend."
"Your world is garbage," Fugaku shook his head. "Everything stems from your incompetence and delusions. During the Third Great Ninja War, so many clansmen died, and yet you showed no reaction. That proves how selfish and cold-blooded you are. Someone like you has no right to glorify your actions."
That was what Fugaku despised most about Obito. The older generation shed blood to protect youths like him, and he didn't even care.
Familiar clansmen died, and he wasn't moved. But one girl from outside the clan died, and he lost his mind. From Fugaku's perspective, this was something he simply couldn't empathize with or understand.
Because he'd judged Obito to be a cold-blooded monster, he felt nothing but contempt for his so-called noble ideals.
Obito clearly felt Fugaku's disdain and scorn. He fell silent.
"Your eyes," Fugaku said, "will remain with the clan. As for Kakashi, I'll speak to Minato about retrieving that eye too. Consider it your compensation to the clan."
Obito suddenly looked up.
"That was my gift, no one has the right to touch it."
"Your opinion no longer matters." Fugaku turned to leave after finishing his piece. "Since you abandoned everything here, to those you abandoned, you are worth nothing."
Judging from Obito's reaction, he didn't seem as resolute as he pretended to be. But… That softness was still reserved for outsiders, not his own clan. When it came to his family, he had struck without hesitation.
So Fugaku was sure, Obito never truly cared about the village or the clan. He had no sense of collective identity. He was pure individualism.
Said positively, he couldn't be bound by village or clan and acted with total moral independence, a free spirit.
Said another way, he was an ungrateful wolf in sheep's clothing. The lives of the entire clan meant less to him than some stranger he happened to like outside.
If that was the case, then Obito's eyes could not be left in the wild. The Uchiha clan had no obligation to honor the "final wishes" of an outsider, especially one who wished for the clan's destruction.