"You actually believe the Uchiha clan… is a destabilizing factor in Konoha?"
Uchiha Mikoto stared at Itachi in shock.
Her voice carried deep disappointment—and disbelief.
Over the years, she had seen clearly how the Third Hokage's faction had suppressed the Uchiha clan.
She knew what kind of pressure her husband was enduring and how he struggled to protect the clan under such pressure.
And now, Itachi actually considered the Uchiha clan to be a threat, an obstacle to Konoha's peace.
This left her not only disappointed but also unable to comprehend how Itachi could think this way.
"Brother, why?"
Sasuke glanced at his disappointed mother, then at his brother, who had betrayed the clan and upset their mother.
He looked at Itachi with puffed-up cheeks, eyes full of anger.
Feeling Sasuke's gaze, Itachi still could not bring himself to look at him. Instead, he turned toward Fugaku and asked,
"Father, I want to know—was it you who killed Shisui?"
"That's right. Uchiha Shisui did indeed die by my hand."
Fugaku did not deny it.
"Why? Why did you kill Shisui?"
Fury appeared on Itachi's face as he glared at his father, practically shouting.
"He betrayed the clan to side with the Third Hokage. He tried to corrupt you into betraying us as well."
"And he ambushed me, intending to control me with his eye techniques. So I killed him."
Fugaku explained plainly.
"Just for that reason, you killed Shisui?"
Itachi's face twisted with anger.
"Isn't that reason enough?"
Fugaku asked coldly.
"He betrayed the clan to side with the Third Hokage—by clan law, he should have been executed."
"What's more, he tried to use his eye techniques to control me. That alone justified killing him."
"…"
Veins bulged in Itachi's eyes from rage as he took a deep breath, then stood up to leave the house.
"Where do you think you're going?"
Fugaku fixed him with a cold glare.
"I'm leaving the Uchiha clan—I will fully join the Anbu."
Itachi paused in the doorway.
"Even now, you refuse to come to your senses? You're not going anywhere."
Fugaku answered angrily.
"You can't stop me. I have the Mangekyō Sharingan of the Uchiha too."
Itachi replied, turning back to reveal the three-bladed pinwheel pattern in his eyes.
"So you awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan?"
Fugaku let out a dismissive snort.
"You think awakening the Mangekyō Sharingan gives you the power to challenge me?"
"This is within the village. If a fight breaks out, the Hokage will quickly bring the Anbu to help me."
Itachi stated.
He wasn't arrogant enough to think that just because he had awakened the Mangekyō, he could defeat his father.
His confidence was that they were inside the village—if he could hold out for even a short time, the Third Hokage and the Anbu would arrive.
"Mikoto, Sasuke, you both see this clearly—even now, he refuses to wake up."
Fugaku glanced apologetically at Mikoto and Sasuke, then fixed his eyes once more on Itachi.
His own eyes transformed into Mangekyō Sharingan.
"Tsukuyomi—"
As soon as Fugaku's eyes showed the Mangekyō pattern, Itachi, who had been on guard, instantly activated the Tsukuyomi in his left eye.
A crimson world appeared, with a blood-red moon hanging overhead.
Its light bathed the space in an eerie, ominous red.
A giant cross stood in the middle of this world, with Fugaku bound to it.
Itachi slowly approached his father.
"You underestimated me—you gave me the chance to cast my technique first."
"Everything in this space—time, place, even physical laws—is under my complete control."
"Are you sure you can truly control everything here?"
Fugaku sneered.
The Mangekyō pattern in his right eye began to spin, and instantly the bindings on his body vanished.
He stood there completely free.
"He broke free that quickly?!"
Itachi's face changed.
He had expected his Tsukuyomi might not hold Fugaku for long—but he had never imagined Fugaku could break out almost immediately.
"This level of eye technique is still far inferior to Shisui's Kotoamatsukami."
Fugaku said calmly.
Although Itachi's Tsukuyomi was powerful, it could not compare to the ultimate genjutsu known as Kotoamatsukami.
Besides, Itachi had only just awakened the Mangekyō and wasn't yet fully proficient with it.
"Don't you dare speak Shisui's name!"
Itachi roared in anger.
He appeared instantly behind Fugaku, kunai in hand, thrusting toward him.
"Pathetic barking."
Fugaku shifted his body to avoid the attack, sneered, and let the Mangekyō in his right eye spin again.
In that moment, the crimson illusionary world shattered, returning them to the family hall.
But this time, Mikoto and Sasuke were no longer there.
This was a world shaped by true genjutsu.
Fugaku had not only broken free of Itachi's Tsukuyomi but had countered by pulling Itachi into his own illusion.
"Hmph… is this genjutsu?"
Itachi looked around warily.
When the illusion broke, the familiar room returned—but with no sign of his mother or Sasuke.
That made him suspect this was not reality but some deeper genjutsu.
He focused his Mangekyō to analyze the surroundings and confirmed he was indeed trapped in another illusion.
He tried to break it immediately but found it shockingly strong.
Even with his Mangekyō, specialized for illusion techniques, he felt tremendous resistance.
"Heh…"
Fugaku gave a mocking laugh, sensing Itachi's attempts to escape.
Shisui had once been able to break his true genjutsu—but that was back when Fugaku only had a normal Mangekyō.
Now, his eyes had evolved into the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, with more than ten times the power of an ordinary Mangekyō.
With such a vast gap, he didn't believe Itachi could break free.
Swish—
He vanished from sight, reappearing right next to Itachi, and launched a powerful kick.
Boom—
Itachi reacted in time, crossing his arms to block the strike.
But Fugaku disappeared again, materializing behind Itachi.
Bang—
Caught off guard, Itachi was kicked flying.
He lowered his center of gravity as he landed, managing not to crash.
Fully aware of Fugaku's overwhelming strength, he dared not hold back.
The pattern in his right eye spun rapidly, a streak of blood dripping from it.
"Amaterasu—"
His right eye's technique activated.
Wherever his gaze landed, black flames ignited—flames that would not die until their target was completely consumed.
That was the power of Amaterasu.