Inside the Uchiha clan grounds.
Itachi had shut himself in his room. The curtains were drawn tight, choking off every sliver of sunlight. He knelt on the floor, his gaze fixed intently on a miniature shuriken placed before him, his expression shifting between gloom and resolve.
In this self-imposed darkness, the clamor of the outside world seemed irrelevant. The future of the clan, the suffocating pressure placed upon his shoulders—none of it could reach him here.
Outside the door.
Uchiha Mikoto sighed softly. She placed a comforting hand on Fugaku's shoulder and signaled him with her eyes. Understanding her silent plea, Fugaku followed her out to the front courtyard.
"Let him be," Mikoto whispered, her voice laced with worry. "Don't disturb him. Itachi is… he's just too tired."
"Hah." Fugaku let out a long, heavy sigh.
He knew the depth of the friendship between the two boys. He didn't believe for a second that Itachi had killed Shisui. In fact, his suspicions were firmly planted on Danzō and his shadowy maneuverings. He also understood that Itachi was in a dark place; Shisui's death had devastated the boy.
But the reality was unforgiving. If Itachi didn't step out—if he didn't return to the Anbu to gather intelligence—the rumors would spread unchecked, and the dissatisfaction within the clan would boil over. Shisui's death had removed a critical stabilizer for the Uchiha, and Fugaku had lost his excuse to delay the coup any longer.
If Itachi remained withdrawn at a time like this, Fugaku genuinely didn't know how to salvage the situation.
His brow furrowed in frustration. After a long silence, he sighed again. "You should talk to him more. Try to get him to see past this…"
He closed his eyes, fully aware of how cruel his next words were, but the reality of their position left him no choice.
"The clan needs him."
"I understand."
Mikoto glanced back toward the house, heartache flashing in her eyes. She was about to plead for more time when she noticed Fugaku looking toward the entrance. She followed his gaze and saw two figures—one tall, one short—walking side-by-side along the fence.
Mikoto recognized them immediately. "That's Sasuke's new Taijutsu instructor," she whispered. "I believe his name is Yagyu Masahiko."
The visitor was undeniably handsome, possessing the kind of striking appearance that left a lasting impression after a single meeting.
Fugaku's brows knit together. He knew the man. Back at the Police Force, this was the very teacher who had spearheaded that chaotic "Social Studies Fieldwork." The explosion of tension within the clan had been partially triggered by that event.
However, the moment Masahiko looked their way, Fugaku's expression smoothed over. He adopted a faint, polite smile and nodded in greeting.
Outside the gate, Masahiko maintained perfect etiquette, bowing respectfully. Fugaku returned the gesture and opened the courtyard gate.
"Yagyu-sensei," Fugaku said, his tone measured. "Thank you for escorting Sasuke home."
"Sasuke seemed rather down today. His condition worried me, so I walked him back," Masahiko explained, his voice somber. "It was only on the way here that I learned about Shisui…"
Fugaku's lips twitched slightly. He glanced at Sasuke, who kept his head down, silent and depressed. After a few seconds of contemplation, Fugaku gestured for them to enter.
"Please, come in."
Once inside the living room, they took their seats.
"His Body Flicker Technique was unparalleled," Masahiko asked, unable to suppress the question. "How could someone like him… be killed?"
"We still don't know the details… The body was burned almost to charcoal," Fugaku shook his head gently. Seeing the genuine grief on the teacher's face, he asked, "Did you know Shisui?"
"Yes, we were classmates once," Masahiko replied. "A while ago, I gave Sasuke some pointers on the mechanics of the Body Flicker. When Shisui found out, he specifically came to the Academy to discuss it with me."
Masahiko let out a self-deprecating laugh. "Not that I have any techniques worthy of exchange. It was mostly Shisui wanting to return a favor on Sasuke's behalf."
His expression then darkened into mourning. "I never imagined… a genius of his caliber would die so suddenly."
"I see," Fugaku sighed, accepting the explanation. "That is the life of a shinobi. No matter how strong one becomes, death can always claim you in the face of the unknown."
"Please accept my condolences," Masahiko said earnestly.
Fugaku nodded silently. He didn't rush to show the guest out. Instead, he decided to probe a little further. "If I recall correctly, you were the one leading the students during that Social Studies Fieldwork at the Police Force?"
"Yes, the curriculum was my suggestion," Masahiko admitted without hesitation.
He scratched his head, a look of embarrassment washing over his features. "However… my original proposal was simply to have the students help out at the local orphanages—doing chores, manual labor, that sort of thing."
"Firstly, to let them experience the process of completing a mission and understand the difficulty of earning money. Secondly, to have them interact with the orphans so they might understand the cruelty of war." Masahiko looked apologetic. "I didn't expect it to turn out that way…"
Fugaku laughed and waved his hand dismissively. "You misunderstand. I actually think letting the children experience the work of the Police Force was an excellent initiative. I was merely wondering if there were plans for similar activities in the future?"
"I'm not sure. Although I sit in on faculty meetings, I'm not privy to the final decisions. I'm afraid I can't be of much help there," Masahiko answered modestly.
Fugaku had no intention of making things difficult for the man. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Sasuke signaling frantically to Masahiko.
Fugaku paused, thoughtful.
The next moment, Masahiko spoke up, looking slightly nervous. "This might be presumptuous, but during my previous discussion with Shisui, he mentioned a theory about integrating light, shadow, and movement-based Genjutsu into the Body Flicker Technique…"
"My expertise in Genjutsu is lacking. My other reason for coming today was to ask Itachi for guidance on this matter."
Fugaku was genuinely stunned for a moment. He nodded slowly. "Of course. However, Itachi is currently…"
"It's fine."
The door to the hallway opened. Uchiha Itachi walked down from the second floor. He was fully dressed, though his complexion was pale and wan. He looked at Masahiko, then glanced at Sasuke, who was peeking out from behind the teacher.
Itachi managed a faint smile. "Sasuke, you come too."
"Thank you so much!" Masahiko bowed quickly.
After a brief pause, he followed Itachi out of the house.
The three of them engaged their Body Flicker Techniques, dashing toward the lakeside. In a matter of moments, Masahiko and Itachi arrived at the water's edge, leaving the younger Sasuke trailing behind.
"Thank you," Itachi said quietly.
He believed he understood the situation perfectly. Masahiko hadn't come to ask about "Genjutsu." The teacher had likely agreed to Sasuke's request to come and cheer him up, to help him break out of his isolation.
The gesture touched Itachi deeply. A mere teacher cared this much for Sasuke's well-being, while he, the older brother, was drowning in his own grief over a friend.
"It's nothing. I genuinely did want to ask you for pointers. It's just a coincidence," Masahiko replied smoothly.
He let the silence hang for a few seconds before speaking again. "Regarding Shisui-kun… is there any lead? Is there anything I can do to help?"
"No. This is an internal matter of the clan," Itachi shook his head.
He looked back toward the direction Sasuke was running from, hesitation flickering on his face.
"If… if anything unexpected should happen in the future," Itachi said, his voice heavy, "please, for Shisui's sake, I ask that you look after Sasuke."
"He is my student," Masahiko replied. He didn't promise anything outright, but his tone made his stance clear.
At that moment, Sasuke appeared at the end of the path, waving his arms furiously. "Hey! Wait for me!"
A rare, genuine smile touched Itachi's lips. He turned back to Masahiko.
"Did Shisui really talk to you about fusing light and shadow Genjutsu with movement?"
"I mentioned to him that if one were to combine Genjutsu with the Body Flicker or Clone Techniques, I would favor Sound Genjutsu. Shisui, however, leaned toward visual manipulation—light and movement," Masahiko explained.
Itachi fell into thought. "Both have their merits. Sound is harder to defend against, but significantly harder to master. Light and movement are simpler in comparison and easier to implement practically."
"I'm completely lost on where to start, and I haven't had any time to research Genjutsu lately…" Masahiko said, feigning a headache.
Itachi hesitated for a moment. He didn't answer immediately but instead watched Sasuke approach. Seeing the bright expression on his little brother's face, Itachi's own expression softened further.
"I'm not very good at teaching…" Itachi said softly. "But perhaps I can be of some help."