Chapter 6 Plug and Play
"When Minato Namikaze took the stage, I once thought the Uchiha were about to rise again. After all, I had a very good relationship with Minato, and even Mikoto and Kushina Uzumaki were on good terms."
"The most important thing was, Minato had no prejudice against the Uchiha."
"In terms of both strength and character, Minato stood out among the younger generation. For a time, I truly believed the Uchiha Clan had found hope."
"After all, the Uchiha had endured far too much rejection and suppression, being oppressed for far too long."
"But things don't always go as people wish. Unfortunately, Minato died young. On the very night he died, the Nine-Tails was released. The saddest part was that in the Nine-Tails' eyes, there was the mark of the Sharingan."
"What followed was inevitable—the attacker who struck Konoha and the Fourth Hokage's family was linked to the Uchiha. The clan's situation once again became awkward. Danzo even spread rumors everywhere after the Nine-Tails' attack, slandering the Uchiha."
"The culprit who attacked the Fourth Hokage and his wife was, without doubt, an Uchiha. But Ming, you don't need to worry—he definitely wasn't one of our village's Uchiha. Otherwise, we wouldn't have ended up in this situation."
Uchiha Ming thought: Of course I'm not worried. I know that bastard was Uchiha Obito. I know far more than you all do.
"Even I can't control the Nine-Tails, so there's no way anyone else in the clan could." Fugaku opened his eyes, and there they were—a pair of Mangekyō Sharingan.
"Clan Leader…" Sure enough, Fugaku also had the Mangekyō Sharingan. In his past life watching the anime, Ming had always suspected Fugaku had already awakened them. Now that guess was confirmed.
"Even with my Mangekyō, I can't control the Nine-Tails. That proves the enemy's ocular power surpasses even the Mangekyō." Fugaku said firmly.
Indeed, Obito's Mangekyō was stronger, since he had transplanted Hashirama's cells, and the Nine-Tails already carried Madara's summoning imprint. Though Fugaku had awakened a complete pair of Mangekyō, he still could not match Obito's single eye.
There's no denying it—honest training can't compete with cheating. Ming knew he himself was a cheater too. Even if his system was a bit trash, it was still a cheat after all.
"If… and I mean if… there's ever another chance to return to the Shinobi World, you must be careful of this mysterious man. Even Minato fell into his trap. Be very cautious."
Ming nodded. At this point, he truly was no match for Obito. Obito's Mangekyō ability was disgustingly troublesome.
Wait a second—his own powers were also space-based. Didn't that insult himself too?
"Take care of the Uchiha for me. From today on, you are the new Clan Leader. I believe in you, Ming—you can lead the Uchiha Clan to rise again."
Was Fugaku… leaving his last instructions? Ming hadn't expected Fugaku to pass on the position of Clan Leader directly to him.
"Clan Leader, what are you planning to do?"
"Me? I don't want to leave this land. I want to atone for my years of incompetence. Mikoto will go with you, while Sasuke will remain in Konoha—whether to live in hatred or under house arrest, that's his fate."
Only now did Ming realize how deeply Fugaku cared about Itachi's betrayal. In the original story, Fugaku had willingly allowed himself to be killed by his son, but perhaps it was more of a helpless choice. Knowing resistance was hopeless, he chose destruction.
Of course, if it were Ming, he would have chosen to survive. As the saying goes, better a shameful life than a glorious death.
Having just transmigrated, Ming didn't have such deep bonds with the Uchiha. His rebirth and desire for a new life made it impossible for him to give up so easily.
Yet at the final moment, the clan's trust and Fugaku's care did make him feel the warmth of family.
"As for the Uchiha's true secret, Ming, look into my eyes." Using the Mangekyō's genjutsu, Fugaku poured the clan's heritage into Ming's mind.
"This is my Mangekyō technique—it creates a spiritual world. Inside, days can pass while only a moment passes outside. This technique is very useful right now."
Wasn't that basically the same as Itachi's Tsukuyomi?
Ming was touched. The original Ming had been an orphan taken in by the Uchiha. Without them, he probably would have ended up in Kabuto's orphanage, living no better than Naruto later did.
"You already know the flaw of the Mangekyō—use it sparingly, or you'll soon go blind."
"I have nothing else to give you, so these eyes will be my gift to congratulate you on becoming Clan Leader." With that, Fugaku gouged out his own eyes and placed them into a prepared container.
"If one day your Mangekyō does go blind, you can transplant my eyes. Believe me, Mikoto can help you—she used to be an excellent medical ninja before leaving the hospital after our marriage."
Ming was overwhelmed with emotion. Truthfully, he had always wanted Fugaku's Mangekyō. If Fugaku remained, those eyes would likely end up in Danzo's or Obito's hands, only strengthening their enemies.
Now Fugaku offered them willingly, leaving Ming a backup while denying power to his enemies. A perfect solution—the only sacrifice was Fugaku himself.
"Clan Leader, you…" Ming was about to say something heartfelt when Fugaku suddenly pulled out another pair of Sharingan and shoved them into his own sockets.
Ming was so shocked that he forgot his emotions. In his mind, all he could think of was USB 2.0, USB 3.0, Thunderbolt interface…
Damn it, the Uchiha eyes really are plug-and-play portable devices. Fugaku, give me back my feelings!
"This kind of temporary transplant is fine. Chakra nourishes the eye sockets, and the blood vessels and nerves can function for a while. For long-term use, you still need medical ninjutsu to properly reconnect them."
Seeing Ming's astonishment, Fugaku gave a simple explanation.
Fugaku had transplanted a pair of single-tomoe Sharingan.
"All the other Sharingan are with Mikoto. She will hand them to you when you arrive. There are many—passed down from our fallen ancestors. If the clan faces danger, you can use them to help."
"The secret of the Mangekyō must never spread within the clan. I fear more than anything that our people won't die at the hands of outsiders, but at each other's. That has happened before in Uchiha history."
"All right, I've talked too much. From now on, you are the Uchiha Clan's leader." As if he had used up all his strength, Fugaku turned to his wife: "Mikoto, you should go now. Take good care of yourself. Sasuke will be fine."
"You know Itachi could kill anyone, but he would never harm Sasuke. Once you're there, look after Ming. From now on, he is the Uchiha's hope."
Mikoto, in tears, couldn't help but hug her husband. Feeling her warmth, Fugaku felt guilty.
"All right, Mikoto, don't let Ming see us like this. The Clan Leader of the Uchiha cannot be so pathetic."
Ming now realized—it wasn't that Fugaku was weak, but that he had compromised to fit the times. In the end, the Uchiha lacked strength. No single man could change their fate.
In silence, Mikoto finally stepp