Chapter Twelve: Susanoo Returns to the World
"Susanoo!"
In an instant, a torrent of chakra erupted around Fugaku, condensing into a giant chakra skeleton. Muscles and tendons quickly grew over the bones, followed by the formation of armor and weapons.
Within the Uchiha compound in Konoha, a colossal chakra giant, several hundred meters tall, rose up like a mountain, dominating the landscape.
"This is the last lesson I'll teach you—never underestimate your opponent!"
For Fugaku, even manifesting the second stage of Susanoo was exhausting. This was his absolute limit.
"In the end, there's still a vast gulf between me and our great ancestors. But so be it. The Uchiha bloodline will carry on regardless."
"Father, to think that even someone like you could awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan. So, you've always been plotting to overthrow Konoha after all."
Itachi believed Fugaku had hidden his strength purely to seize power for the clan.
At this point, Fugaku had no thoughts left for his foolish son. The boy was already brainwashed—lost in his own self-righteousness and blinded by Uchiha arrogance.
In the final moments of his life, Fugaku only wished to unleash chaos, venting the resentment that had built up inside him for so long.
"Shimura Danzō! Sarutobi Hiruzen! Get out here now!"
Itachi was about to move against his father, but the masked man stopped him.
"You'd better not interfere with Fugaku right now. At the very least, you can't stop him as he is. Besides, you're not his target."
"Even if you also have the Mangekyō, you can't oppose him. This is Susanoo's second stage—not something you can contend with right now. Fugaku truly lives up to his role as the head of the Uchiha, secretly honing Susanoo to perfection."
"I need to leave now, or I'll clash with Konoha's forces. Finish handling things here quickly—the organization is still waiting for you."
"Why is Fugaku able to summon Susanoo with just a single tomoe Sharingan?" Itachi asked in shock. He had clearly seen only a pair of single-tomoe eyes.
"There's a technique called transcription sealing. You can pre-seal a jutsu inside a Sharingan. From how skilled Fugaku is, his Mangekyō must have been used to seal Susanoo, and then he transplanted that sealed power into a one-tomoe eye. As for his actual Mangekyō—it's obvious Fugaku planned this long ago. Most likely, he's already passed it on to the Uchiha who fled."
"I didn't expect Fugaku to be so resolute, giving away his Mangekyō just like that. Enough—my words end here. What comes next is beyond you."
With that, he vanished into a distorted space in the air.
Itachi clenched his fists silently, saying nothing.
Meanwhile, Fugaku's roar had already shaken the whole of Konoha, summoning Sarutobi Hiruzen. Danzō, who had long been plotting, arrived even faster.
When he saw the terrifying Susanoo, Danzō knew instantly that the Uchiha massacre plan had collapsed. Fugaku had hidden his strength too well. Not only had more than a thousand Uchiha successfully escaped, but the true mastermind behind it all remained unknown.
Now, Susanoo had returned to the world once more.
"Damn it! Shisui and Itachi—so they really kept this from me! To think there was a third Mangekyō among the Uchiha! Tobirama-sama was right—the Uchiha are truly evil!" Danzō cursed outwardly, though inside he burned with envy.
"So Uchiha Akira was just spouting nonsense. The real Mangekyō was in Fugaku's hands all along."
Root operatives surrounded the towering Susanoo. Yet, apart from Danzō, none of them understood its destructive might. Many of the other shinobi rushing over even mistook it for a variation of the Akimichi clan's Multi-Size Jutsu. Strong though that jutsu was, compared to Susanoo it was like wielding a child's toy sword before Guan Yu.
Alas, the name of Susanoo had long lain dormant in the shinobi world.
"Uchiha Fugaku, surrender! Do you really mean to betray the village? Don't be stubborn!" Danzō shouted just as the Third Hokage finally arrived.
Sarutobi Hiruzen appeared in a black combat suit, wielding a massive staff—Enma, his summoned monkey king. Fugaku knew it well.
"Fugaku, don't persist in this madness. The Uchiha are still part of Konoha. Things shouldn't have come to this." Hiruzen gazed up at Susanoo, sorrow heavy in his heart, though also feeling the immense weight pressing down on his shoulders.
"Hiruzen, only today do you remember that the Uchiha are part of Konoha? Where was that when you all schemed against us? Today, Elder Danzō led Root and deceived my eldest son into butchering his own clan. Is that what you call the 'Will of Fire'?"
"Hahaha! Hiruzen, don't tell me you didn't know. You're supposed to be a paragon among shinobi! If you dare not even admit this, then there's nothing left to say."
Fugaku spoke openly, unburdened at last. No more bowing to these two old hypocrites. Decades of suffocating frustration spilled out in a torrent. Their supposed virtue was nothing but a façade.
For once, Hiruzen's face flushed red. To deny it outright, to claim complete ignorance—he couldn't do it. Not because of moral scruples, but because he prided himself on his carefully polished reputation.
Fortunately, only Danzō and Root were present. As for ANBU, Hiruzen had sent them to maintain order within the village—thus sparing himself the humiliation of witnesses.
"Danzō! Why did you act against the Uchiha without my permission?!" Hiruzen roared at his old friend.
Danzō nearly spat blood. Hiruzen, you shameless snake! Wasn't all of this done under your tacit approval? And now you blame me?!
"Hiruzen, you—"
"What, me? I am the Hokage! How could you make such a treacherous move without orders? The Uchiha are one of Konoha's pillars! How dare you incite your men to strike at them? You—!"
As Hiruzen condemned him, Fugaku saw the Third Hokage's true nature clearly. A fence-sitter to the core. Too cowardly to wipe out the Uchiha himself, yet never willing to treat them fairly either. He left the dirty work to Danzō, all while keeping his own hands clean and his reputation intact.
"Sorry to interrupt you, Third Hokage. But only I will die here today. The rest of the Uchiha have already been evacuated."
"What?!" Hiruzen was stunned. This whole spectacle, and the Uchiha had already fled? That was tantamount to letting a tiger loose into the wild. Did Danzō want Konoha to have even more enemies, with a vengeful Uchiha clan lurking in the shadows?
"Danzō! Was it you who allowed the Uchiha to escape?!"
Still clinging to a shred of hope, Hiruzen wanted to believe Danzō's operatives had at least done the job thoroughly. Otherwise, the consequences would be disastrous.