[53] Sharingan

Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap.

A man clad in a robe bearing the Uchiha fan symbol approached the Naka Shrine.

The fan emblem was the mark of the Uchiha, and this man was none other than Uchiha Fugaku, the Patriarch of the Uchiha.

"Who's there?" Sensing someone approaching, the Uchiha guards called out sharply.

"It's me." Uchiha Fugaku replied calmly.

"Patriarch!" A surprised exclamation escaped one of the guards. Not long ago, they had seen the Patriarch enter the Naka Shrine, leaving them bewildered. Had their leader somehow slipped out unnoticed?

"Patriarch, why are you back?" Another guard muttered.

"Could it be… someone's impersonating him?" One guard whispered, his face paling. But then he recalled the overwhelming pressure of the Sharingan from the earlier Fugaku, which couldn't be faked.

Perhaps this Fugaku was the imposter?

"What's going on?" Fugaku frowned, noticing the guards' hesitation. Normally, they would have stepped aside immediately upon seeing him.

"Who are you, daring to impersonate the Patriarch?" One ninja bellowed, brandishing a kunai. The guards looked ready to attack if Fugaku didn't explain himself.

"Impersonate the Patriarch? I am Uchiha Fugaku." Fugaku said, his gaze sharpening. Seeing the guards still on edge, he continued, "Very well, I'll show you undeniable proof."

With that, his eyes turned blood-red, three tomoe spinning within. The crimson gaze exuded a terrifying aura.

This was the Uchiha's Sharingan.

"How… how is it the Three-Tomoe?" One guard stammered, his voice trembling. "Then who went inside earlier?"

Among the Uchiha, those with the Three-Tomoe Sharingan were rare, and they could enter the Naka Shrine without needing to impersonate Fugaku.

Yet now, two individuals with Three-Tomoe Sharingan, both claiming to be Fugaku, stood before them. The guards were utterly confused.

More perplexing still, they sensed that the earlier Fugaku's Three-Tomoe Sharingan exerted an even greater oppressive force.

"What's happening here?" Fugaku demanded, his brow furrowing.

"Patriarch, we saw another Patriarch go inside earlier." One guard explained.

"Another Patriarch? An imposter?" Fugaku's voice grew heavy. "And you didn't notice?"

"No, Patriarch, that's not it. The other one also had the Three-Tomoe Sharingan. We thought he was you. More importantly…" The guard hesitated.

"Speak." Fugaku said coolly.

"Yes, Patriarch." The guard said quickly. "The earlier Patriarch's Three-Tomoe Sharingan felt… stronger than yours. That's my impression."

"Stronger than mine?" Fugaku's brows knitted together. He knew every Uchiha with a Three-Tomoe Sharingan, and none surpassed him. Who could it be?

And why would they need to impersonate him?

"Was it truly a Sharingan?" Fugaku pressed.

"It was, without a doubt." The guards insisted, not daring to lie. They were as baffled as he was.

"Fine. Stay here." Fugaku is unable to make sense of it. He strode into the Naka Shrine.

Inside, an Uchiha Jonin caught sight of Fugaku and froze.

"Patriarch, you're back? Wait, no…" The Jonin glanced around, then back at Fugaku standing in the doorway.

The other Fugaku hadn't emerged yet.

"There's another me, isn't there?" Fugaku said evenly.

"Yes, Patriarch. Is it… your Shadow Clone?" The Uchiha Jonin ventured, his imagination running wild.

But why would Fugaku use a Shadow Clone here?

"Where is he now?" Fugaku asked.

"In the basement." The Jonin replied promptly.

"Alright, I'll see for myself." Fugaku is taking a deep breath. His blood-red eyes, with their three spinning tomoe, flared. He needed to know who dared impersonate him.

Which Uchiha Jonin could it be?

As for non-Uchiha, impossible. The Sharingan was exclusive to the Uchiha.

In the Naka Shrine's basement.

"Reception complete." Tengen said, a faint smile crossing his lips as the signal finished downloading. This time, the process had gone smoothly, suggesting that the danger level wasn't tied to the signal's location but to the strength of those guarding it.

Had Tengen tried to force his way in, it would have triggered a massive uproar in Konoha, likely leading to a manhunt. That would indeed match the stakes of an ultra-high-definition video.

Sometimes, acquiring a video required careful strategy.

"Let's see what this video is." Tengen's not leaving immediately. He checked the system and identified the video.

"An ultra-high-definition Naruto video." Tengen noted, his interest piqued. This aligned with his expectations.

Most videos his player received were Naruto-related, likely due to his presence in the Naruto world.

"Then let's extract it." Tengen commanded the system. He started toward the basement stairs but paused, sensing someone descending.

His pupils contracted as he locked eyes with the approaching figure.

They were identical, Fugaku. Tengen gave a wry smile. Of all times for this to happen.

But the video was secured, which simplified things. He could just charge out.

As Tengen weighed his options, a system notification chimed, sparking a new idea.

[Ding! Extraction successful. Obtained Mangekyo Sharingan!]

***

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