Chapter 29: Negotiation

He let out a muffled groan, involuntarily raising his hands to cover his eyes; fresh blood seeped through his fingers and trickled down his cheeks.

The chakra surrounding Susanoo began to fluctuate violently; its originally solid form gradually turned transparent.

Fugaku took a deep breath, enduring the pain, and slowly opened his eyes.

Those originally crimson Mangekyou had returned to black, and the three-tomoe pinwheel pattern vanished along with them.

In the next moment, Susanoo shattered like a bubble, turning into specks of chakra dust that dissipated into the air.

Fugaku's figure appeared before the Eureka Striker; he slowly raised both hands, palms spread open, to show he held no hostility.

"I am not your enemy. I am here to help you," Fugaku said in a deep voice.

"Just now I was merely doing everything in my power to stop that monster's destruction."

He gazed straight at the Eureka Striker with a calm look, not a trace of evasion in his eyes.

Heka and Chuck stared wide-eyed, looking at the scene before them in disbelief.

And in the place where the giant had vanished, a middle-aged man bearing an extremely close resemblance to a human had actually appeared.

The man wore a dark long robe; his black hair drifted lightly in the wind. His features were weathered, and a majestic air emanated from his brow.

"Th-this... how is this possible?" Heka murmured to himself, his voice full of shock and incredulity.

"Heka, what happened?" At this moment the general's voice came from the communication device.

Heka immediately snapped back to his senses and hurriedly reported to General Stark on the other end: "General, that giant suddenly disappeared! In its place appeared a... a creature that looks very much like a human."

He hesitated a moment, then added: "He raised both hands, as if to show he has no hostile intent."

The other end fell silent for a few seconds, then General Stark's steady voice came: "Retreat immediately. Do not make direct contact with him. I will send specialized personnel to make contact with him."

Uchiha Fugaku stood quietly in place, watching as the Eureka Striker slowly retreated.

"Hm?" Fugaku frowned, a hint of puzzlement flashing across his face.

He had originally thought the other side would respond in some way, but never expected that colossus to suddenly turn and leave without looking back.

Just as he was about to speak, a helicopter suddenly descended from the sky, landing not far from him.

The helicopter's cabin door slowly opened, and a tall, blonde woman leaped down from above, landing steadily on the ground in high heels.

She wore black tight-fitting work pants and a white shirt, over which she had on a black leather jacket.

She walked briskly toward Uchiha Fugaku, a smile on her face, her eyes shining with a fanatical light.

"Hello, I am Cathy Black, a reporter from the Metropolis Daily," the female reporter said loudly, her voice filled with irrepressible excitement.

She gripped the microphone tightly, her eyes fixed on Fugaku as if she had seen some peerless delicacy. "May I ask, was that giant transformed by you? That is simply too incredible! It's just like a superpower!"

Cathy's voice carried a slight tremor, clearly very agitated, almost pressing against Uchiha Fugaku's body.

"Where are you from? Your skin tone looks Asian; are you from the East?"

A string of questions bombarded Fugaku like a machine gun, giving him no chance to catch his breath. The female reporter's speech grew faster and faster, her voice higher and higher.

"Uh..." Uchiha Fugaku completely failed to understand what the person opposite was saying; Fugaku gave a light cough and replied: "Sorry, I don't really understand these things you're saying. I just did what should be done; there's nothing special about it."

At this time the surrounding survivors also gathered in twos and threes, but all watched from afar, not daring to approach.

After all, the power Uchiha Fugaku had displayed exceeded everyone's understanding; people always fear things that go beyond the norm.

Just as Cathy was preparing to speak again, a rumbling sound suddenly came from the sky, interrupting her words.

Everyone looked up and saw several armed helicopters descending from the sky, stirring up a gale that whipped up sand and dust from the ground.

Then the cabin doors slowly opened, and a squad of fully armed soldiers rushed out swiftly; they held firearms and quickly formed a tight encirclement around Uchiha Fugaku.

At this moment, a man in military uniform walked out from the crowd. He looked about forty-something, with a square face, and a majestic air between his brows. Judging by the military rank on his chest, he clearly held high position.

A military officer in uniform strode forward and said to Uchiha Fugaku: "Sir, please come with us. We need to understand the situation."

Fugaku gave a slight nod, thinking to himself: it seems I will finally make contact with this world's upper echelons. Whether this world's attitude toward me is enemy or friend, everything will only be known when I see them.

"Wait!" Seeing this, Cathy hurriedly stepped forward, trying to stop them. "Where are you taking him? The public has a right to know; we need an explanation!"

In her view, Uchiha Fugaku was the hero of this disaster, the benefactor who had saved countless lives, not some dangerous element. For the government to treat him like this was simply putting the cart before the horse! However, that officer merely gave her a cold sidelong glance, his tone brooking no argument: "Ma'am, this is not something you should inquire about. Please do not hinder us from performing our official duties."

Finished speaking, he waved a hand at the soldiers beside him. Several soldiers immediately stepped forward, blocking Cathy and preventing her from continuing to approach Uchiha Fugaku.

Cathy glared angrily at those soldiers, her tone firm: "You bunch of bullies, I will report everything!"

The soldiers formed a human wall, isolating all the surrounding crowd.

And Fugaku was soon escorted by the soldiers onto the helicopter; he looked around and saw that although the soldiers were fully armed, their tense bodies and vigilant eyes revealed their inner unease.

The air was filled with a solemn and vigilant atmosphere; everyone was abnormally tense, afraid that Uchiha Fugaku might suddenly lash out.

The officer sitting opposite Fugaku cleared his throat and said with some apology: "Sir, very sorry to treat you this way. But your situation is truly too special; we must exercise the utmost caution."

Fugaku gave a slight nod; after all, in this world his very existence was a mystery, a potential threat. The other side's caution was only reasonable.

"I understand," Fugaku said calmly. "You have your duties. I will cooperate."

(Chapter End)