Sasuke's ruthless display of power had completely silenced the Uchiha clan members present.
There was no way around it—although many of them were arrogant, troublesome, and full of ambition to restore the Uchiha clan's dominance, deep down, they still recognized strength above all else.
It had always been that way in their clan. Just like Madara and Hashirama:
Madara had fought Hashirama with everything he had, yet he was still defeated. From that moment on, no matter how much he raged or resisted, he could never erase the image of Hashirama's strength from his heart.
The people in front of Sasuke now felt the same.
They were completely convinced by Sasuke's overwhelming presence.
Even if he became the clan leader in the future, they would have no choice but to acknowledge him.
One eye of the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, the other the Rinnegan marked with magatama, and the inherited power of the Sage of Six Paths—Sasuke was right. Other than Naruto, no one in this world could stand above him.
If he wanted to give Naruto face, he would discuss matters. If he didn't, then he would simply enforce his will and silence dissent.
Seeing that no one else dared to make trouble, Sasuke sneered to himself.
"They're nothing but a group of people who only understand force," he muttered coldly.
Fugaku had stayed silent from beginning to end. He was caught between the clan and his son. No matter which side he chose, it would have been inappropriate.
In the end, he chose silence.
He chose to trust Sasuke. After all, these resurrected people had already been destined for death once, while the true future of the Uchiha clan now lay in Sasuke's hands.
Sasuke looked toward Naruto and Kabuto.
"Let's begin."
Kabuto's golden eyes gleamed with admiration. "Sasuke, to be honest, your style of handling things is very similar to Orochimaru-sama."
"Tch," Sasuke snorted in disgust. "Don't compare me to that filthy snake."
Kabuto only smiled faintly, as if he had expected that answer. It was very much like Sasuke to reject any comparison to Orochimaru.
Without another word, Kabuto crouched on the ground and began drawing intricate seals into the dirt.
Just as Naruto was about to release the White Zetsu clones, Sasuke raised a hand to stop him. His black eyes swept across the Uchiha clan members.
"You," he ordered, "pick up the White Zetsu one by one. Place them into the grave pits together with the bones that belong there. Do it carefully."
The Uchiha were stunned at first, but when they met Sasuke's gaze, they immediately lowered their heads and carried out the task with solemn obedience.
From the side, Shisui watched with his arms crossed, a faint smile tugging at his lips. Itachi stood beside him, silent as ever.
Shisui tilted his head slightly. "Itachi, sometimes I wonder… if Sasuke had been in my place back then, what do you think he would have done?"
Itachi blinked at him, momentarily taken aback. He couldn't understand why Shisui would suddenly bring this up now.
He glanced toward Sasuke and shook his head softly. "I don't know."
Shisui chuckled, resting a reassuring hand on Itachi's shoulder. His eyes, however, remained fixed on Sasuke. "You do know. You just don't want to admit it. With Sasuke's personality, if he had awakened Kotoamatsukami—the strongest genjutsu—I doubt he would have hesitated like I did. He would have gone straight for Danzo's throat. Tell me I'm wrong."
Itachi remained silent. Because deep down, he knew Shisui was right. Sasuke would never have tolerated such manipulation.
Meanwhile, Mikoto had quietly taken her place beside Fugaku, gently looping her arm through his. She gazed proudly at her youngest son.
"Fugaku," she said softly, "Sasuke has really grown up."
Fugaku's lips curved in a faint smile. He knew exactly what his wife meant. Sasuke wasn't just strong—he had grown into someone who carried responsibility.
Mikoto sighed. "If only there had never been a coup. Even if the clan was pushed to the margins of the village, it wouldn't have mattered as long as we could live together peacefully as a family."
Fugaku's expression darkened. "But tolerance was never the way of our clan. We had strength. We carried the pride of being the Konoha Police Force. To resist the oppression of the village was inevitable."
Mikoto lowered her gaze and nodded. She had tried to persuade him in the past, but she had never been able to change his mind.
Her eyes drifted to Itachi. Others might have doubted him, but she knew the truth of her eldest son. He had always been kind at heart, a boy who loved sweets and laughter. Yet, for the sake of the village and the clan, he had chosen a path drenched in blood.
Sasuke, she thought, was both different and the same.
Fugaku, for his part, couldn't deny the envy that stirred inside him. Sasuke's strength now far surpassed what Fugaku himself had ever possessed. His son's authoritarian aura, his decisiveness—yes, that came from him. But Sasuke had taken it to a height even Fugaku could never have reached.
Back then, when Fugaku had watched the clan being cornered by the village, when discontent among the Uchiha reached the boiling point, he had chosen to plan a coup.
His strategy was simple but ruthless: a swift decapitation strike.
With his own Mangekyō Sharingan and Shisui's feared reputation across the entire ninja world, they had enough power to shake even the Hokage. Together with Itachi's role as a spy, Fugaku had believed they could take down Hiruzen and his Anbu guards in one decisive blow.
The plan had been to let Shisui cast Kotoamatsukami on the Third Hokage to force compliance, while Fugaku, Itachi, and the clan's elites moved to eliminate Danzo and his faction in one strike.
Control the leadership, and the village would fall into their hands.
But then, Danzo had stolen Shisui's eye. Shisui had opposed the coup. Itachi, with his devotion to the village, had chosen to inform instead.
And the plan had collapsed into tragedy.
Looking back now, Fugaku no longer felt regret—only a heavy realization. He simply hadn't been strong enough. If he had possessed Sasuke's overwhelming power, then perhaps Itachi would never have needed to make such a terrible choice.
But there were no ifs.
Now, all preparations were complete. The White Zetsu had been positioned, Kabuto had finished his sealing formula, and the bones of the fallen were placed in the proper graves.
Kabuto crouched by the sigil, then turned to Naruto. "Naruto, too many people have been resurrected using this technique already. This time I'll need you to provide chakra."
Naruto nodded firmly. "No problem."
He pressed his hand against the seal, letting his powerful chakra surge through it. The air seemed to hum with life as the energy infused the jutsu.
Kabuto felt the flow stabilize, then quickly formed the final hand seals. He slammed his palm onto the ground.
"Impure World Reincarnation!"
White light burst forth immediately, engulfing the White Zetsu bodies. They let out eerie cries as their forms were swallowed and reshaped.
In moments, the light faded—and in their place stood resurrected Uchiha clansmen.
Kabuto staggered back, sweat beading on his forehead. Even with Naruto's chakra fueling the ritual, resurrecting such a large number of people at once placed a tremendous burden on his mind and body.
He straightened and made a single hand sign, commanding: "Release."
At that, the newly revived Uchiha opened their eyes. Confusion spread across their faces as they looked around in shock.
"This… where is this?"
"Ahhh! Don't kill me!"
"What's going on…?"
Their disoriented voices filled the air.
From the sidelines, the observing Uchiha clansmen could no longer contain themselves.
"Father!"
"Mother!"
"Son!"
Cries of recognition and reunion erupted everywhere. Families rushed into each other's arms, clinging tightly, tears streaming down their faces.
The graveyard that had been a place of silence and grief now overflowed with the sound of sobbing and joyful cries.
The Uchiha were finally being brought together again—across life and death.
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