CHAPTER 36

Mangekyō Sharingan — the dreaded pinnacle of the Uchiha clan's power.

For the first time since awakening it, Byakuya revealed his Mangekyō Sharingan publicly.

A wave of chakra pressure swept across the area as the pattern in his eyes spun ominously. The Uchiha onlookers gasped. Even seasoned shinobi nearby froze.

"Damn it... Mangekyō Sharingan," Sarutobi Hiruzen muttered with a grim expression.

His jaw clenched. This wasn't just an ordinary Uchiha—this was a potential disaster.

Koharu Utatane and Mitokado Homura, who had just been repelled by Byakuya, went pale.

They knew better than most what that eye could do. Tsukuyomi. Amaterasu. Susanoo. Power that even the First Hokage had once struggled to contain.

"This is the same dojutsu that once helped Madara stand toe-to-toe with Hashirama," Koharu whispered in disbelief.

"Enough games!" Byakuya barked, his eyes spinning with ominous power.

He stepped forward, voice cold and commanding.

"Sarutobi Hiruzen... do you intend to start a civil war with the Uchiha police force?"

He scanned the crowd. "Is there anyone else here who wishes to brand themselves a traitor to Konoha?"

Sarutobi didn't respond. His hand twitched, tempted to give an order—but no.

The Mangekyō Sharingan wasn't just powerful. It was unpredictable.

One wrong move and the damage to the village might be irreversible.

"…Tch. We're leaving," Hiruzen finally said.

He turned, and the ANBU vanished with him.

The Uchiha police force stood triumphant.

"Tch," Byakuya muttered, watching Hiruzen retreat. "So this is the 'Professor.' Reduced to a coward when it matters most…"

The Uchiha clan erupted in cheers.

"Lord Byakuya, this is real, right!?"

"The Mangekyō Sharingan! He really awakened it!"

"Finally, someone who will lead us like Madara once did!"

Whispers turned into chants, reverent and electric with awe.

Uchiha En stepped forward, eyes gleaming.

"I said it from the beginning: Lord Byakuya will guide our clan to greatness!"

The crowd roared again.

"Byakuya-sama! The Uchiha will rise!"

"We'll follow you to the end!"

Byakuya raised his hand, silencing the crowd.

"Good. This is the will the Uchiha must carry. Starting now, we reclaim everything that was stolen from us."

He gestured to the map in his hand.

"Secure the Senju estate. If anyone stands in your way—show no mercy."

"Yes, Lord Byakuya!"

As the Uchiha forces moved out, a faint ripple of chakra flickered high above—invisible to all but the most observant.

From a silent tree branch, a dark figure emerged.

"…Mangekyō Sharingan?" murmured Black Zetsu, his molten golden eye narrowed.

"It's been decades since someone other than Madara awakened that power…"

He observed Byakuya closely.

"Interesting. If he can be manipulated, perhaps he can carry on the Eye of the Moon Plan…"

Black Zetsu, the living will of Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, had long pulled the strings of history. It was he who had deepened the Uchiha-Senju rift, he who had poisoned Madara's heart.

Now, he found a new variable.

[Ding! Detected intense malice from Black Zetsu. Gained +10 Negative Energy. Ninjutsu proficiency +1.]

Byakuya's expression darkened.

He felt the change instantly—that presence. Cold. Calculating. Ancient.

"…Black Zetsu," he whispered, tightening his fists.

As a reincarnated soul with knowledge of the future, Byakuya knew who this shadow was.

It seemed his path had drawn more attention than expected.

And if Black Zetsu was watching, things were about to get far more complicated.

…

Hokage Office – Late Evening

Sarutobi Hiruzen sat heavily at his desk in the Hokage office, the tension in the room palpable. With a grim scowl, he slammed his fist onto the wooden table, causing a sharp crack.

"Damn it… Uchiha Byakuya. He actually awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan…"

His voice was laced with a mixture of fear and frustration.

"How can the Uchiha clan still possess such power after everything…"

Byakuya's open defiance had long been a thorn in Hiruzen's side, but this—this changed the balance entirely. The Mangekyō Sharingan was not just a visual upgrade. It was a rare and dangerous evolution of the Uchiha's dōjutsu, seen only in the likes of Shisui and Itachi Uchiha—both of whom were regarded as once-in-a-generation prodigies.

In the past, Hiruzen had hesitated to act decisively against Byakuya, wary of provoking civil unrest within Konoha. He had prioritized stability over confrontation. But now?

Now, the threat was far too great to ignore.

"Sarutobi, what are we supposed to do now?" Utatane Koharu demanded, her voice sharp with panic. "That brat had no fear at all when he expelled our clansmen!"

"Yes!" Mitokado Homura added, equally furious. "We've lost holdings, assets… The Senju estate, even the old archives! Everything we appropriated over the years under Tobirama's authority is now under Uchiha control!"

They had long used their proximity to the Second Hokage as justification to claim Senju resources after the clan's decline. Other clans had grumbled but dared not protest. However, the Uchiha had never bowed to such politics.

And now Byakuya had made his move.

"He threw our people out like they were criminals," Homura spat. "Does he think the council will stand for this?"

Hiruzen exhaled heavily, eyes narrowed in thought.

The council? The elders had long since become self-serving. Danzo would see opportunity. But the others—Tsunade, Jiraiya—they might see Byakuya's awakening as a turning point.

Even worse, the Sarutobi clan itself was growing restless. Byakuya's actions had affected them too—seizing disputed lands, exposing backroom deals. Whispers were rising, questioning whether Hiruzen had let his personal grudges cloud his leadership.

He rubbed his temples, his age showing more than ever.

"Unless we want to plunge Konoha into another civil war, we can't move against him carelessly," Hiruzen said at last. "The Mangekyō Sharingan is not a power that can be underestimated. If we push him too hard…"

He trailed off.

They all knew what would follow: bloodshed, chaos, and the possible destruction of the village. He had seen what a single Mangekyō user could do. The Uchiha clan may have been decimated, but one wrong move could bring Konoha to its knees.

Silence filled the room.

For the first time, they understood—this wasn't just about property, or clan pride. It was about survival.

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