Fugaku's heart sank when he heard Ryosuke confirm that Itachi's Mangekyō Sharingan had already been plucked from his sockets.
He couldn't hide the helpless sigh that escaped his chest.
The Mangekyō Sharingan… a miracle eye that only appeared once in a hundred years within the clan.
Itachi had been born a rare genius, a talent who should have been the pride of the Uchiha for generations.
Yet, instead of rising as the clan's brightest star, he had betrayed them.
Even so, Fugaku could not deny that his son truly was a prodigy.
Perhaps, Fugaku thought bitterly, it was precisely the death of Shisui — Itachi's closest friend — that had awakened the Mangekyō in him.
There was no other explanation.
The Mangekyō was always awakened in blood and grief, by sacrificing someone irreplaceable.
Fugaku's gaze fell heavily on his son's unconscious body.
Though anger weighed on him, there was also a father's stubborn compassion.
If it were Ryosuke who had betrayed the clan, perhaps Fugaku would not have hesitated to pronounce a death sentence.
But this was Itachi — his own blood.
Even knowing his crime, Fugaku could not bring himself to wish his death.
Still, the clan had to be appeased.
Ryosuke's position had to be respected.
No one could simply brush aside Itachi's treachery.
After a long silence, Fugaku finally spoke.
"Then… I will have him locked away. Forever. In the Uchiha clan prison."
Ryosuke nodded faintly, showing no objection.
With both pairs of Mangekyō already in his hands, Itachi had been stripped of all power.
He was no longer a threat to anyone.
For Ryosuke, this punishment was even better than death.
If Itachi lived, he would be forced to witness with his own eyes the rise of the Uchiha under Ryosuke's guidance.
A living reminder of what he had turned his back on.
The other two elders exchanged looks but said nothing.
It was, after all, Ryosuke's decision to make.
And though Itachi's crime was grave, he was still the clan head's son.
To execute him outright would carve scars in Fugaku's heart that might never heal.
Right now, at this critical turning point for the Uchiha, none of them wanted Fugaku distracted by grief.
At that moment, Yatsushiro stepped forward, his expression solemn.
"Ryosuke. Then I will begin the next step immediately. I'll summon every member of the Uchiha clan to search the Hokage Tower and every possible hiding place. We must recover Shisui's body.
Only then can we prove the Third Hokage's crimes.
With such evidence, we can put him on trial openly, without fear or hesitation."
His voice trembled with suppressed excitement.
If the Hokage could be shown guilty of murdering a loyal comrade, the people of Konoha would never forgive him.
The throne of Hokage itself might fall into the Uchiha's grasp.
Perhaps even Hiruzen's death would be inevitable.
But Ryosuke, always cautious, shook his head slightly and added,
"Searching for Shisui won't be our clan's task alone.
The other five great families' police forces must join the search as well.
"Konoha is vast, and it won't be easy to find Shisui's corpse.
Every hidden chamber, even Danzo's Root facilities, must be examined thoroughly."
Ryosuke's eyes narrowed in thought.
He had yet to target Root directly.
Most of its resources had been absorbed into Hiruzen's network.
But somewhere within that labyrinth of underground bases and laboratories, there was a high chance Shisui's body had been hidden.
Yatsushiro hesitated, frowning.
"If we involve the other clans, can we truly trust them?
What if they secretly seize Shisui's corpse for themselves, or conceal it from us?"
It was a valid concern.
Though Ryosuke had cleverly shared power with the other families and weakened their loyalty to the Hokage, he had never officially allied with them.
They had no direct reason to oppose Hiruzen — only a growing distance.
But Ryosuke simply smiled.
"There's no need to tell them we already hold the Hokage in our hands.
Just tell them Shisui has been murdered and his corpse hidden. Order them to help us find it.
"Once the body is uncovered, the truth will speak for itself.
They're not fools — they'll know which side to take."
He paused, then added,
"Also, contact Yakushi Nono. She was once Danzo's subordinate.
Now that his cursed tongue-binding seal has been undone, she should know where his bases and laboratories are located.
With her guidance, our search will be much faster."
Yatsushiro's heart leapt.
"Understood! With her knowledge of the Root bases, finding Shisui will be child's play.
I'll go to her immediately, and I'll spread the word to the five clans.
With their combined manpower, we'll scour every corner of this village!"
Ryosuke gave a final reminder, his voice quiet but sharp.
"When you find Shisui's body, keep it intact.
Do not allow it to rot.
The day may come when he can live again."
Those words made Yatsushiro stiffen, his eyes wide with shock.
Resurrection? The dead… revived?
He swallowed, nodding quickly.
"I will guard it with my life. I'll depart at once."
With that, he hurried away to rally the search teams.
The clearing fell silent.
The Great Elder and Fugaku both turned their eyes back to Ryosuke, their expressions stunned.
Revival of the dead… such power was said to belong only to the Sage of Six Paths himself.
The Great Elder's wrinkled hands trembled as he stepped closer, his voice hushed but urgent.
"Ryosuke… if Shisui can be revived… then what of your parents? Could they too be returned to us?"
Ryosuke's face softened, but his reply carried a hint of weariness.
"That… would be far more difficult. Not impossible, but not yet possible either."
In truth, his mind was already racing.
If he could obtain the Rinnegan, then the legendary technique — Rinne Tensei — could grant life anew.
Nagato had once revived an entire village, restoring thousands of lives in exchange for his own.
Compared to that, reviving a single soul like Shisui would be trivial, especially for someone like Ryosuke, whose life force far surpassed Nagato's frail body.
As for his parents… their remains were long gone.
But even that might not matter.
Uchiha Madara himself had returned without a body, summoned by Edo Tensei and restored beyond death.
If necessary, Ryosuke would walk the same path.
The Great Elder's eyes glistened with tears of hope.
"If such a miracle is even possible, then I would give anything to see my children again.
Even just once more, before I pass."
Ryosuke bowed his head slightly, his resolve hardening.
"I promise, Grandfather. I'll make it happen. You will see them again.
And in the meantime, I'll give this family new life as well — more heirs, more strength, more future."
The old man's eyes lit up.
"Yes… new blood. Already, I hear of your successes with the kunoichi from Kumo. You're doing well, Ryosuke. Very well indeed."
He chuckled, pleased beyond measure.
"Good. Then I'll leave the rest to the younger generation. I'm an old man; my bones are too weary for politics. I'll wait quietly for your good news."
With a joyful laugh, he turned and shuffled back toward the clan compound.
Fugaku, however, remained.
Unlike the elder, he paid no mind to Ryosuke's private matters.
His thoughts circled grimly around one thing: resurrection.
He knew of only one jutsu that could raise the dead — Tobirama's Edo Tensei.
But that technique summoned only soulless husks bound to the summoner's will, not truly restored life.
What Ryosuke described was something different. Something far greater.
A true resurrection.
Yet he could not imagine how it could be done.
At last, he let out a weary sigh. Some mysteries were best left alone, at least for now.
"Ryosuke," he said finally.
"I'll take this traitor — and the Third Hokage — back to the clan compound. They'll be secured under heavy guard."
Ryosuke nodded. Before they left, he extended his hand, placing two objects into Fugaku's palm.
Itachi's Mangekyō Sharingan.
"These eyes must be kept safe. One has already spent most of its power, but both may yet serve a great purpose in the future."
Fugaku closed his hand around them, the weight heavy as lead.
They would never be returned to Itachi.
His son had chosen a path of betrayal once already; Fugaku could not risk giving him another chance.
"Very well," he said quietly.
"I'll see to it personally."
With that, Fugaku departed, carrying both the unconscious Hokage and his disgraced son back toward the Uchiha compound.
Left behind, Ryosuke returned home.
He prepared special containers, filled with nutrient solution, and carefully preserved Shisui's eyes.
They were precious beyond measure.
Perhaps one day, they would even be the key to unraveling the mystery of how to awaken the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan — or even the Rinnegan itself.
As he sealed them away, his expression hardened.
For the clan. For my family. For the future. Nothing will be wasted.
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