Path Of War-Chapter 327: Mass Confusion

'Sage art: evil illusion flattery...'

He held up his hands and began speaking. His words, laced with natural energy, carried through the air and into their sleeping ears.

By pouring his Sage Chakra into the technique, he was able to access the core of the Uchiha's character, their emotional depth, and the rage that brewed inside of them even while they were unconscious.

The things that were stated revolved around them not panicking and that they should no longer hold back but hearken unto Arthur's words rather than immediately seek revenge.

Even the Six-Tails and Hoshikaze were trapped in this genjutsu.

Arthur went on to implant mental suggestions and various trigger words to help them regain their memories if lost, as well as to understand the authority that he himself held in this world.

More importantly, he needed to understand their purpose of being capable of dominating their enemies.

It was a subtle manipulation, similar to the strategies he had learned in MK-Ultra.

MK-Ultra was a covert secret agency program initiated on earth that aimed to explore mind control techniques and the effects of various drugs on people's behaviour.

The program sought to develop methods for interrogation, manipulation, and psychological influence, primarily using substances—similar to what genjutsu was in this world.

The main difference was that MK-Ultra involved unethical experimentation on unconsenting subjects, including civilians and military personnel, often without their knowledge.

This is exactly what Arthur was doing and has done plenty of times in the past.

For the Uchiha, he was leading them away from their cursed ways and constructing a web of implication with the aim of erasing their thirst for vengeance and turning them into tools of his will.

By directing their thoughts into a state of obedience and reshaping their motivations with a smooth whisper, he had them in an iron grip.

After completing the technique, his voice faded into resonant silence. He then removed the technique's chakra from Hoshikaze but kept it on the Six-Tails in case the latter began having second thoughts.

"Did it succeed?" Hoshikaze asked after his daze. Arthur hadn't answered, opting to keep his focus on the can in case one of them suddenly woke up. "They'll rebel if it doesn't work, as I'm sure you already understand."

The truth couldn't have been more evident, for no one had ever revived an entire clan before. They hadn't just performed the Reanimation technique; they brought their souls back into their bodies.

Still in their coffins, Arthur teleported the Uchiha to the Land of Birds. This caused his Angelic Sage Mode transformation to finally cease.

Hoshikaze watched as Arthur reached into his pocket and consumed a chakra pill. Chakra rushed back into his body, allowing him to stabilize himself.

"They'll wake up soon," he announced.

"Shouldn't you go to them now then?"

"Almost. We still have enough time for the others..."

Later.

In the Land of Birds, the first of the coffins cracked open, causing a lot of rumbling sounds.

The Uchihas woke up one by one. Their senses were overawed by the feeling of seeing light for what seemed like a long time.

As they crawled out of their confinement, there was mass confusion. While some lowered themselves to survey their surroundings, others stood on unsteady legs. Faces turned to one another that showed differing levels of surprise, disbelief, and fear.

Some adults whispered to one another and attempted to piece together the puzzle of their awakening. Many children, however, started to cry.

A shaky voice asked, "Where are we?"

Another said, "I don't know."

A third wondered, "Didn't we die?"

In an attempt to lighten the situation, one man remarked, "Last I remember, my wife and I were washing dishes. After that, some masked man broke into our home and... Well, I can't remember what happened next."

Izumi Uchiha, a girl who was only thirteen, announced, "I remember a masked man, too. But I thought I was just dreaming of him. So what's going on?"

At that moment, the distant chatter was broken by a loud thud. Fugaku Uchiha's form emerged from his casket. All eyes turned to him.

"Hear me out!" he said after assessing the situation. "No one panic. Whatever's happened, we're all in this together."

The audience changed, with voices overlapping with concerns and mouths opening to ask questions.

"Where are we?"

"Did we really all die?"

"Who brought us here?"

Fugaku held up a hand to request composure. They all became silent.

"I've concluded that we are in a secluded village." Many started to loosen up a little as he spoke. "The structures surrounding us are incomplete, so construction must have stopped, and there are a lot of homes that seem unoccupied. It's safe to say that we're not in the Leaf Village."

Then a voice sounded from above before anyone could say anything more: "Excellent deduction... Head of the Uchiha clan."

They all turned to see a figure in a flowing white cloak on the roof of one of the surrounding homes. Who else could it be but Arthur Bennett?

He slowly removed his hood to reveal his youthful face.

"Just a child?!" one shouted.

"Who the heck are you supposed to be?" a woman shrieked.

Fugaku kept quiet and narrowed his eyes as he studied the figure.

Then Arthur spoke, "Welcome back to the world of ninjas..." Welcome back? So they really had died. "You were all killed seven years ago by two Uchihas, one of whom was the firstborn child of your leader."

The assembled Uchiha let out a collective gasp. Recollections then started to surface, revealing the agony of loss, the shock, and the horror of that late-night betrayal.

As their memories came flooding back, faces contorted with bewilderment and sorrow. Many rushed to examine their bodies for injuries. Some cried out in shock, while others exclaimed, "I know I was stabbed, but I don't see any wound!"

"Me either!" someone commented.

It was startling to go from the confused, disoriented state to the clear recognition. How time had seemed broken to them, suspended in sorrow.

Fugaku recognized the profundity of Arthur's remarks. Itachi, the person he had loved, truly was there during his time of death. They had lost everything to the son whom he had brought up.

Amidst their emotional turmoil, he solemnly looked toward Arthur and asked, "Are you the one who brought us back?"

"Indeed," Arthur answered. "As you can see, the task required a lot of resources. And you were well worth the price."

Outrage and grief mixed together as the impact of his words became more apparent. Izumi's perceptive voice emerged from the chaos. "Where's Itachi?!"

"Since leaving the village," Arthur began, "Itachi Uchiha has been a double agent. Him and Sasuke are the only remaining Uchihas, while another is in charge of the company Itachi works for."

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The murmurs rose from the crowd. Many slandered Itachi's name and called him out as a traitor among traitors. They were naïve to think that, but who could blame them?

It also hurt to hear Sasuke mentioned, so Mikoto, Sasuke's mother, dreadfully asked, "What's my youngest son doing now?"

Arthur went on, "Following the massacre, Sasuke was spared by Itachi. He vowed to exact revenge on his older brother for having killed you lot."

Panic struck once more. Faces were knitted with anxiety and uneasy feelings as the need for answers became evident. The seriousness of their aftermath was beyond the comprehension of many Uchiha.

They soon exchanged hushed murmurs as Fugaku sensed that their fears were further taxing his leadership. It was technically his fault, after all.

Abruptly, he demanded attention. "Why did you bring us back from the dead? What do you want from us? And who are you?"

Arthur's unwavering gaze showed nothing. The response was obviously well thought out: "I go by man names, but like I said, it took a lot of my resources to revive you failed lot, and it was not an easy task. But forget your resentment of the Itachi. If you wish to continue walking on this earth, follow me."

Silence descended upon his clan as Fugaku turned to face them. This was not how he had imagined his coup d'état to turn out.

First the coup failed, then his son caused his bloodline to almost go extinct, and now that same bloodline had been revived by someone who didn't even know.

He was overcome with a feeling of failure. He had the impression that he was both their leader and a father who had failed the Uchiha's entire lineage—no direction, no answers.

Standing close to him, Mikoto felt her husband's inner turmoil while also finding it difficult to take it all in. She couldn't find any words to say to help his struggle.

Before Fugaku could collect his thoughts, one of their clan's younger members threw a sandal in his direction. The crowd was startled when it landed right in Arthur's hand.

They looked to where he was standing, only to see that space was empty. He was fast, faster than anyone could have seen move.

He slowly lowered his hand and looked at the sandal. His voice was calm and measured as his gaze slowly turned to them to wonder, "Why are you upset about your leader's mistake? Are you not all Uchihas? I can see into your hearts and understand what makes you angry."

Then he slowly made his way through the throng and stood in front of the one he knew threw the sandal. It was a boy who clung to his mother's gown.

"There's no need to be full of such fear because I revived you," he said, handing the boy his sandal back. "Rather than cower and be confused, serve me instead, and we'll do the one thing I know is in all of your hearts: to destroy the Hidden Leaf Village."

Those words were not at all easy to hear. The idea was icy, and the assembled Uchiha shuddered.

It brought back memories of their departed loved ones, mixed with vengeful visions that teetered perilously near the brink of irresponsibility.

"Come, Fugaku," he said. "Let your clan dwell here in my village, and let us discuss what fate awaits you."

Not a single Uchiha dared to step out of line. They each watched as Fugaku and Arthur disappeared into a secluded home to discuss things.

Inside, Arthur and Fugaku sat across from one another at a wood table. The latter did his best to maintain his commanding composure as he asked, "You propose that we turn against the very individuals we referred to as allies?"

"The elders deceived you," Arthur countered, "so why shouldn't you get what you deserve?"

Fugaku's emotions churned bitterly inside of him. Something darker was entwined with the memories of loss. He had to convey their suffering while tempering it with the sense of duty he felt as their leader.

But at the end of the day, he had to make the right decision for his clan.

What made it difficult for him was everything: Arthur's presence as well as the outcome of their past demise.

"Consider this your new home," Arthur said without waiting for a reply. "This is the Land of Birds, which I own."

"You own this land?" Fugaku asked. "So you're the feudal lord?"

Arthur shook his head before answering, "Not quite. The current feudal lord is Toki. I'm not a lord in the traditional sense; I operate outside that political structure."

Fugaku's eyes widened after processing the implications. It became apparent that the 'boy' he was speaking to held power above even the feudal lords.

"If that's true," he wondered, "then who exactly are you?"

"That's not important for you to know right now..."

Frustration crossed Fugaku's face. "But you've resurrected us. You've provided us a second chance. I think I deserve to know."

"Your concern should be with your clan, not my identity. You have a role to fulfill, Fugaku. A role you were meant to fill long ago."

"And what role is that?"

Arthur unfurled a scroll on the table. A puff cloud emerged, and after it vanished, Fugaku saw a white and purple Kage hat with the kanji letter for "Bird" written on the front.

"Your role," Arthur finished, "is to become the Torikage of my Hidden Light Village."