"Clan Head, our patrol unit spends every day either looking for lost cats or helping civilians walk their dogs!"
"Exactly! Since when did the mighty Uchiha have to let commoners boss us around?"
"Every other clan in the village is banding together, yet we Uchiha are the only ones being pushed out!"
"And… the village finances seem to be in trouble too. We haven't received our stipends in ages."
"Clan Head! If this keeps up, the Uchiha will be completely eaten alive!"
"With Shisui's Kotoamatsukami and Itachi, we can definitely crush Konoha!"
…
Uchiha District, council hall.
Listening to one complaint after another from the clan members, Fugaku felt his resolve beginning to waver.
Perhaps… it really was time to change something.
Ever since the Nine-Tails incident, the Uchiha had been forced to relocate to the outskirts of the village.
They had become outsiders in all but name.
Even though they still held the title of Konoha's Police Force, it only deepened the friction with civilians.
Complaints—dozens every day.
Their pay had been slashed in half.
And the villagers grew more hostile by the day.
Even on the battlefield, clan members were dying under suspicious circumstances.
No bodies.
No compensation.
Even a cornered dog would bite—let alone the Uchiha.
Over the past year, more and more clan members had grown restless.
Especially the hardline elders.
Even he, the clan head, could barely suppress them anymore.
If they didn't resist… the Uchiha might tear themselves apart from within.
"Everyone, quiet."
He rubbed his throbbing temple and looked at the sea of crimson eyes before him. At last, he gave a heavy nod.
"If that's the case, then when Shisui and Itachi return tonight, we'll—"
Before he could finish, hurried voices burst in from outside.
"Clan Head! Shisui is back!"
"He's back?!"
One of the elders lit up, slamming the table in excitement.
"Clan Head! The day we raise the banner is today!"
"The glory of the Uchiha shall continue from this moment—"
He was cut off mid-sentence.
The messenger bared his teeth awkwardly, as if he'd seen something unbelievable.
"B-But… his eyes were gouged out."
Bang!
"Nonsense! With Kotoamatsukami, how could Shisui possibly be blinded?!"
The elder slammed the table again, furious and disbelieving.
But—
Fugaku and the others were already moving.
The moment they stepped outside, they saw nearly a hundred clan members gathered at the compound entrance.
People were pointing, shouting, voices full of barely contained rage.
The noise alone was deafening.
"Don't tell me…"
Fugaku's face darkened as he quickened his pace.
Rustle.
He pushed through the crowd—and when he saw Shisui, the world seemed to collapse.
Still that sunny, handsome young man.
But the once bright, lively eyes were gone.
Only blood-filled sockets remained, dried crimson crusted at the edges.
"Shisui! How could this happen?!"
"Damn it, this must be Konoha's doing!"
"They crippled our Uchiha genius—this debt must be repaid, Clan Head!"
Amid the cries and fury, the hawkish elder from earlier stepped forward.
His face was twisted with grief and rage.
The three tomoe in his Sharingan were spinning wildly.
He raised his head, looking at the surrounding clan members, and slowly produced something from behind his back.
"Clan Head! It's late. The night is cold. Put this on."
As he spoke, he unfolded the garment in his hands.
On the back, five bold characters were emblazoned:
Fifth Hokage.
"The Hokage seat—Hiruzen Sarutobi can sit on it, so why can't the Uchiha?!"
"All you need to do is give the order! Right now, we have four hundred and thirty-two genin, one hundred and eighty-three chūnin, and sixty-nine jōnin!"
"We'll storm the Hokage Tower and tear that old man apart!"
Whoosh!
The moment those words fell, nearly a hundred clan members and several elders snapped their gazes over!
Aside from a few moderates, everyone's eyes burned scarlet.
Old grudges layered atop new hatred.
Uchiha pride mixed with the lure of the Hokage's throne.
Tonight, the sky over Konoha was due for a change.
"Haa…"
Fugaku stared at the Hokage cloak, almost seeing the Hokage's seat beckoning to him.
He could almost imagine countless Konoha shinobi flocking to him with a single wave of his hand.
Did it feel good?
Yes. It felt intoxicating.
But…
After only a brief hesitation, he slowly shook his head.
To be fair, Fugaku's willpower was formidable.
He forcibly tore his gaze away from the words "Fifth Hokage."
Looking at the boiling crowd, he spoke softly.
"How about… we first ask Itachi what actually happened?"
Only then did everyone notice—
The one holding Shisui was Itachi.
The crowd gradually fell silent.
Only heavy breathing echoed through the Uchiha compound.
"So that's why Ren insisted I bring him back…"
Itachi's gaze flickered. He decided to conceal part of the truth.
"…Sorry, Father. Shisui's eyes were… taken by himself."
As he said this, he quietly reasoned to himself:
If Brother Shisui were awake, he would probably say the same thing.
He wouldn't want the clan and the village to fall into open conflict.
However—
As the thought settled, Itachi's eyes swept over the elders.
Especially the one holding the Hokage cloak.
A flash of cold light passed through his pupils.
To dare profane the Hokage's seat.
A death sentence.
As a shinobi indoctrinated with the Will of Fire, Itachi could tolerate many things—
But never blasphemy against the Hokage.
That was his value system.
"Perhaps the conflict between the clan and the village truly can't be reconciled."
"Perhaps… I should go speak with the Hokage."
"If reconciliation is impossible, then one side must disappear…"
At this moment, Itachi's perception of his own clan subtly shifted.
Hearing this, Fugaku finally let out a breath of relief.
He clapped his hands lightly, calming the crowd.
"That's enough. Shisui's condition has severely weakened the clan."
"As for the villagers and financial issues, I'll personally go negotiate with the Hokage."
Gradually, the agitation in the crowd subsided.
The crimson glow faded from their eyes.
Only Uchiha Itachi remained standing there, expressionless.
"Itachi, you should go back too."
Fugaku sighed and patted his eldest son on the shoulder.
His gaze briefly flicked over Itachi's tightly clenched right hand.
He said nothing more, simply lifting Shisui and heading back into the compound.
Under the moonlight, Itachi stood unmoving.
Whoosh.
Suddenly, his expression shifted as he turned sharply.
Outside the compound, a man in black with a mask seemed to be watching him.
"…Root?"
His eyes narrowed.
He stepped forward and chased after the figure.
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