Chapter 11: Fugaku's Resolve
The greatest likelihood was Black Zetsu's suspicion: the Uchiha clan had actually managed to escape successfully. This didn't affect Obito and Black Zetsu's plans much—after all, Obito's goals of satisfying his thirst for revenge and weakening Konoha had both been achieved.
Although no one knew where exactly the Uchiha had fled, as long as they remained within the Shinobi World, Obito would eventually track them down. Unfortunately for him, Obito didn't realize that the entire Uchiha clan was no longer in this world at all.
The ones who should truly be panicking were Konoha and Danzō. They had schemed tirelessly to annihilate the Uchiha, but now every last member had escaped. From here on out, the Uchiha and Konoha might well be locked in a fight to the death—or at the very least, Konoha's leadership would no longer sleep easy, especially that old fox Danzō.
"Obito, what do bras and panties even do? Are they more interesting than taking a dump?" White Zetsu's question suddenly cut through the heavy atmosphere.
Obito knew all about White Zetsu's obsession with bowel movements, but he hadn't expected him to come up with this new topic. Why underwear of all things?!
"How did you go from one bodily function to another? White Zetsu, your head must be full of crap!" Obito snapped back, exasperated.
"I heard the villagers in Konoha gossiping that Danzō stole Koharu Utatane's bra and panties…"
Obito nearly spat out the water he had drunk that morning. Danzō… has that kind of hobby? At his age? Does he really have the energy for that…?
"Don't ever ask me such questions again. Even if you ask, I won't know." Obito turned away. "Let's go find Uchiha Itachi. At the very least, Akatsuki can't be short on manpower."
When Obito and Zetsu arrived, they found Itachi covered in wounds and Fugaku standing calmly nearby.
"So my son even brought help? Laughable. Is this the measure of an Uchiha?" Fugaku's sharp battle experience left Itachi hard-pressed to respond.
Genius or not, Itachi was only thirteen years old. In raw power, he was no match for Fugaku in his prime.
"Two juniors, father and son, locked in battle? Itachi, do you need my help?"
"No, elder. I can still hold on." Itachi panted heavily, trying to catch his breath.
The Uchiha compound burned in a raging inferno of fire release techniques, the air thick with oppressive heat.
"And now random trash dares to meddle in Uchiha affairs?" Fugaku had no patience for the masked man before him.
"Mind your tongue, boy! I am Uchiha Madara. Though I near the end of my life, I am not someone a brat like you can belittle!" Obito was fully immersed in his act.
Beside him, White Zetsu silently gave him a thumbs-up for his performance.
"Hahahahahaha! Hahahahaha!" Fugaku burst into wild laughter, utterly unlike his usual composed self. It was the unrestrained madness inherent in every Uchiha's blood, surfacing in the face of despair.
"To think a greenhorn like you dares impersonate our ancestor Madara? You think a mask and a single Sharingan will fool me? Don't make me laugh!
"Do you even know what Madara was like? Even if he were bedridden, he would never skulk behind a mask like a coward! That mask is your greatest flaw!
"To use our ancestor's name to try to frighten me—how ridiculous!
"And you, Itachi! Is this the fool you've chosen to follow? I take back every word of praise for your talent. Your eyes are nothing but trash!"
Watching Fugaku laugh maniacally, Obito frowned. As expected, you can't deceive these old veterans…
"Mocking your elder isn't very polite!" With those words, Obito's body flickered and vanished, reappearing silently behind Fugaku—his space-time jutsu was nearly impossible to guard against.
But Fugaku wasn't a fool. He instantly sensed the movement, twisting his body aside and counterattacking with a handful of shuriken. They passed harmlessly through Obito's body, embedding into the wall behind him.
Seeing this strange scene, Fugaku immediately pieced it together.
"The Nine-Tails incident—that was you, wasn't it? Only such a bizarre space-time ability could have kept Minato tied down. I always wondered who could possibly kill him. So it was someone with space-time ninjutsu."
Fugaku remained calm, his face resolute. He had already accepted death tonight. Since he no longer feared dying, why should he hold back now?
"This only proves you aren't Madara. The real ancestor would never stoop to sneak-attacking a junior. Your shamelessness gives you away." Fugaku's contempt was plain.
"I don't understand how such a flimsy lie deceived my eldest son. It only proves one thing: though Itachi is a talented ninja, as a person, he is a fool."
"You could never understand my pain!" the masked man roared. Nothing had gone smoothly tonight. Even at death's door, Fugaku still mocked him.
The words tore open Obito's deepest wound—his memory of Rin dying before his very eyes, his own helplessness etched into his soul.
"Tell me! Where did the Uchiha escape to?!" Obito demanded.
"What? The Uchiha escaped?" Itachi was stunned.
"You still don't know? The clan compound is completely empty!" Obito's words shook Itachi. Impossible! Yet in the next instant, joy welled up in him—if the clan had escaped, wasn't that the best possible outcome?
"Fugaku, do you think I can't find them just because you won't talk? The shinobi world may be vast, but there is nowhere I cannot reach. The Uchiha are only prolonging their inevitable end!" Obito threatened.
"I believe you. So take your time searching! Hahaha!" For once, Fugaku looked triumphant. Yes, sooner or later they'd be hunted down—but Ming told me they weren't in this world at all!
Search the ends of the earth if you like. What then? Fugaku had never felt such exhilaration in his life.
"Father, stop. Before these eyes, you cannot resist any longer." Overwhelmed by everything he had just learned, Itachi finally revealed his trump card—the Mangekyō Sharingan.
"Oh? The Mangekyō Sharingan? As expected of my son. Tonight, the outcome no longer matters to me. Itachi, to be honest, my wish is fulfilled. The Uchiha will have a new leader to guide them. I no longer care to meddle."
"So let me teach you one final lesson in how to live. Watch closely, Itachi—Susanoo!"