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Akira let out a soft chuckle, completely unhurried as he spoke.
"That's true. As a competent politician, Sarutobi would never personally wipe out a clan."
"But he can always have someone else be the butcher holding the blade. And Uchiha Itachi just happens to be the perfect choice for that role."
"Afterward, all Sarutobi has to do is tell the outside world that Uchiha Itachi went mad and slaughtered his own clan with his own hands."
"That way, that old fox Sarutobi can take down the Uchiha without losing a single soldier."
"Dump all the blame on Itachi, keep his own hands spotless. It's practically a flawless plan."
"And you? When Itachi really does something like that, to avoid father and son killing each other, you'll only choose to surrender without resistance, calling it 'respecting Itachi's choice.'"
Fugaku was jolted to the core. The man in front of him suddenly felt impossible to read. Could he really see straight through people's hearts?
Fugaku had just been running the same scenario through his own mind.
If Itachi truly chose Konoha's side and turned his blade against his own clan…
Then to avoid fighting his own son, Fugaku really wouldn't raise a hand against him.
Terrifying. Absolutely terrifying.
Every thought he had was laid bare. In that moment, Fugaku felt the person before him was unfathomably deep and dangerous.
Still, even if his thoughts had been exposed, Fugaku refused to admit it. He stiffened his neck and snapped back,
"Hmph! I'm not the kind of man who ignores the bigger picture. If Itachi really dared to do that, I'd break that unfilial brat's legs myself!"
"Tch."
Akira scoffed, stretched lazily, and said with complete indifference,
"Forget it. Believe me or not, it doesn't matter. I'll take action."
"When the time comes, you just focus on evacuating the clan."
He paused, as if something had just occurred to him, then casually added,
"After all, you're basically a background character. Whether you're there or not doesn't really matter."
Fugaku's mouth twitched. So in the eyes of a Kage-level powerhouse, even he counted as a background extra?
That was arrogance beyond reason.
If he had that kind of strength, he'd be arrogant too. Damn it… he was honestly jealous.
Forcing those messy thoughts down, Fugaku's expression turned serious.
"Fine. I'll find a way to verify the intelligence you've given me."
"But right now, the thing I want to know most is this—my son, Uchiha Akira. Is he alive or dead?"
The moment those words left his mouth, Fugaku stared unblinking at the impostor across from him, desperate for a definite answer.
No matter how cold he usually acted toward Akira, that was still his own flesh and blood.
A father couldn't help but worry when his son might be in danger.
Akira raised an eyebrow slightly. Looks like Fugaku still had a bit of conscience.
"Don't rush. I already said it. That question isn't important."
Damn it, not this again.
At this point, just hearing the word "important" made Fugaku's stomach hurt.
Snap.
In the next instant, Fugaku's eyes turned blood-red. Three tomoe spun rapidly, quickly forming a complex pattern.
He had activated the Mangekyō Sharingan.
Clearly, Fugaku had reached his limit.
Being brushed off again and again—did this guy really think he was made of clay?
Seeing this, Akira dropped the jokes and answered with rare seriousness.
"I'm sorry. For now, I still can't tell you. But once this Uchiha crisis is over, you'll naturally know the answer."
"Damn you! That's not good enough! Today, you're giving me a clear answer, or we go down together!"
Boom!
Fugaku's face twisted as his aura surged higher and higher.
The tea table beneath them cracked instantly, spiderwebs of fractures spreading across its surface.
"Oh? You want to fight? Then come on."
Boom!!!
Akira showed no fear at all. An even more overwhelming pressure burst forth, and the tea table was crushed straight into fragments.
The battle was about to erupt.
But at that moment—
A panicked voice suddenly rang out from outside the courtyard.
"Clan Head! Something's wrong!"
The tea table: "What the hell did I ever do to deserve this?"
"Clan Head, bad news!"
The sudden interruption shattered the killing intent between the two.
"Hmph. I hope your words prove true. When the time comes, I'd better get my answer. Otherwise, you'll pay for it."
Fugaku snorted coldly, stood up, and headed for the door, not forgetting to leave a harsh warning behind.
Hah…
Once outside, Fugaku let out a long breath. Only then did he realize his back was soaked in cold sweat.
That was way too close.
A lingering fear rose in his chest.
The pressure Akira released earlier had been overwhelming. Even someone of Fugaku's caliber had felt genuine dread.
He'd been impulsive. Far too impulsive.
As he reflected on his actions, he couldn't help feeling relieved. Thankfully, they hadn't actually fought, or things would've gone terribly wrong.
Let's be clear. This definitely wasn't because he was afraid.
This was his home. If they fought here, the battle would inevitably affect Mikoto.
So no, it absolutely wasn't because he chickened out.
"Hm? Dear, why is your face covered in sweat? Did something happen?"
Mikoto, who was clearing the table, noticed him and asked in confusion.
"N-no! Nothing! Something came up in the clan. I need to deal with it. I'll explain later!"
Fugaku wiped his face quickly and hurried outside.
…
In the courtyard, an ordinary-looking Uchiha clansman knelt on one knee.
"Tell me. What happened that made you rush over like this?"
Fugaku asked coldly, his face expressionless.
"Reporting to the Clan Head, it's the Hyūga clan. The Hyūga have come to our territory looking for trouble, and there are quite a lot of them."
"Most of them are Hyūga jōnin. Even their clan head, Hyūga Hiashi, is here. They clearly didn't come with good intentions."
"What? The Hyūga choosing this moment to stir up trouble?"
Fugaku frowned deeply, completely puzzled.
The Uchiha and Hyūga had never gotten along. Their clans looked down on each other.
There had always been conflicts in the shadows, but neither side ever dragged things into the open.
Especially not with the Hyūga clan head showing up in person. That was highly unusual.
Could this be… on the Third Hokage's orders?
"..."
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