Fugaku let out a deep sigh. He had actually guessed long ago that today's conversation might not go smoothly.
But he hadn't expected to receive so much information today.
Would his proudest eldest son truly do that in the future?
To protect Konoha, to uphold his beliefs.
Did he really have the capacity to wipe out the entire Uchiha Clan in the future?
Fugaku was lost.
Because as the clan head of the Uchiha, upon learning that Uchiha Itachi would inevitably act in such a manner in the future, what he should do was to uphold righteousness by eliminating his own son and immediately get rid of Uchiha Itachi!
"But..."
Fugaku murmured, "What's the point of doing that? Perhaps the future that Chisen saw is the destiny of the Uchiha Clan. Destiny is something that cannot be broken."
Fugaku was still reeling from the shock as he returned home in silence, head down.
"Fugaku, why didn't Itachi come back with you? You didn't have any physical conflict with Chisen, did you?" Uchiha Mikoto stepped forward and asked with concern.
Fugaku, snapping back to reality, shook his head and replied, "Itachi probably went to report to the Anbu, it's almost dawn. If Chisen and I had a physical conflict, you'd likely be looking at a wounded me."
Uchiha Mikoto immediately breathed a sigh of relief.
She knew her husband and son had gone to see Uchiha Chisen.
In less than an hour, Mrs. Mikoto was on pins and needles.
She was afraid some unexpected situation might occur.
"Is something wrong?" Uchiha Mikoto keenly sensed that her husband's expression and mood were not quite right.
"...No."
Fugaku chose to conceal it.
After all, telling a mother that "her eldest son has a high probability of personally killing her in a year"
would be too cruel.
...
"Meow! I have a mission for you all." On the roof of Uchiha Chisen's house, the Ninja Cat Kijiro stood up like a human, with its paws behind its back, pacing back and forth as it spoke human words.
In front of Kijiro, more than twenty Ninja Cats had gathered.
They were all its offspring from its years of "branching out."
"The mission is to spread the word about what happened at Lord Chisen's house today. I'll tell you the specifics later."
Kijiro said in a strange accent, "Our goal is to expose Uchiha Itachi's future 'evil' to the public! To expose Uchiha Fugaku's indulgence as well!"
A white Ninja Cat raised a paw and meowed erratically.
"Speak human!" Kijiro glared.
"Is this Lord Chisen's will?" the white Ninja Cat asked timidly.
"Cough! Lord Chisen tacitly approved this," Kijiro cleared its throat, puffing up its fur with indignation. "I won't deny that I've added a bit of my own feline emotions. After all, I just can't stand that Uchiha Itachi, meow! What right does that guy have to comment on Lord Chisen's [Absolute Justice]?"
"And that Uchiha Fugaku, I've never seen such a cowardly clan head! Lord Chisen was right after all, the so-called Fugaku the Fierce Eye is just Fugaku the Cowardly Eye. Like father, like son, meow!"
But soon.
Kijiro realized that its offspring's expressions had become very strange, as if they were signaling it.
The next second, it found itself being grabbed by the scruff of its neck.
Kijiro froze instantly.
It didn't dare to struggle.
"Chi... Lord Chisen?"
Kijiro felt like the sky was falling, its whole body trembling, its whiskers quivering: "I..."
"Don't embellish," Uchiha Chisen casually put it down, his tone indifferent. "Just stick to the facts."
Kijiro was stunned, then immediately reacted.
"Meow! Please rest assured, Lord Chisen! Leave it all to me!"
Kijiro was full of vigor.
It had followed Lord Chisen for so many years; with just a word from Lord Chisen, it could discern its master's intentions.
...
"Hokage-sama." Just as Fugaku had guessed, Uchiha Itachi went directly to report to the Anbu. He changed into an Anbu uniform and found Sarutobi Hiruzen.
"Itachi..."
Even though Uchiha Itachi was wearing an Anbu mask, Sarutobi Hiruzen could recognize him by his build and voice.
Sarutobi Hiruzen let out a sigh, sweeping away the lingering gloom from the loss of his son.
He asked curiously, "Is there something?"
Uchiha Itachi said, "I met with Uchiha Chisen before dawn today."
Sarutobi Hiruzen was silent for half a second and said, "I recall you and Chisen having some misunderstandings or conflicts?"
He sized up Itachi and found no injuries on him.
He didn't look like he had just come out of a battle.
"The 'misunderstanding' has been resolved."
Uchiha Itachi said in a low voice, "It's just that the conflict has likely deepened."
Sarutobi Hiruzen frowned, "What do you mean?"
Uchiha Itachi said, with words that shocked the heavens and earth, "Hokage-sama, Uchiha Chisen has very likely awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan, the most powerful legendary power of the Sharingan. His eyes can see the future evil of a person. He... saw the future 'evil' within me."
Sarutobi Hiruzen's pupils contracted.
"My future self will, in order to protect Konoha, unhesitatingly bear all infamy, personally kill almost everyone in the Uchiha Clan, and restore peace to Konoha, which is in turmoil."
Sarutobi Hiruzen was stunned.
The amount of information in Uchiha Itachi's words was too great, and he couldn't quite process it for a moment.
Sarutobi Hiruzen quickly sorted his thoughts: Uchiha Chisen had possibly awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan, and his eyes had seen Itachi's future evil, which was why their relationship was so strained.
—And Itachi's so-called "evil" was the slaughter of his Uchiha brethren for the sake of the village's peace.
As for the premise for Itachi's extreme actions...
Sarutobi Hiruzen had already guessed it.
It was 100% certain that the Uchiha Clan was finally going to choose to stage a coup!
The massive amount of information made Sarutobi Hiruzen gasp slightly. His old face became extremely serious, and he sternly questioned, "Itachi... do you know what your words imply? Can you guarantee that what you're saying is correct?"
Uchiha Itachi lowered his head and replied, "Hokage-sama, this is what Uchiha Chisen told me. Although our positions differ, I believe his words can be trusted."
Sarutobi Hiruzen fell silent.
"A special dōjutsu that can see the future evil?" Sarutobi Hiruzen murmured with a distant look in his eyes, "I see..."
Sarutobi Hiruzen knew that Chisen's eyes could see the 'evil' a person had done in the past.
But he didn't know they could also see the future 'evil'!
This dōjutsu's power...
It was indeed terrifying, but it didn't seem that terrifying, because this power couldn't be translated into combat strength.
Sarutobi Hiruzen believed him.
He believed Itachi's words, and by extension, he believed Uchiha Chisen.
If the Uchiha were truly to be annihilated due to a coup in the future, who would give that cold-blooded order?
Would it be him, Sarutobi Hiruzen?
Sarutobi Hiruzen looked at the twelve-year-old child before him with a complex expression.
"Itachi..."
"Hokage-sama." Uchiha Itachi responded.
Sarutobi Hiruzen said, "You've worked hard... Don't say these words to anyone else. Pretend that nothing happened today, pretend you never heard anything Chisen said today."
Uchiha Itachi looked up in confusion.
Sarutobi Hiruzen stood up, walked up to the young man, and said kindly, "Itachi, I do not wish to see such things happen in the future. You are a rare new sprout of Konoha, and I do not want children like you to fall into such pain."
"Especially if your clansmen and brethren were to find out about these things, they would surely isolate you, and you could even be in mortal danger because of it. Just pretend nothing happened."
Sarutobi Hiruzen thought for a moment and added with emotion, "You are indeed the child I approve of the most, and I am proud of you. But... I still hope that such a thing doesn't happen."
"...Yes, Hokage-sama."
Uchiha Itachi bowed deeply, and certain thoughts in his heart became even firmer due to Sarutobi Hiruzen's words.
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