Fugaku was no fool; it was impossible for him not to understand his own son.
After all, Itachi was only thirteen years old.
Even if Fugaku couldn’t be certain, he could surely guess the general situation; after all, even the clansmen could see Itachi’s changes and abnormality.
But the clan head was, after all, the clan head; with Fugaku’s guarantee and reassurance, the other clansmen could only choose to trust their leader.
And the fact that he chose to shield Itachi meant that…
He was likely already treating Itachi’s path as a backup plan!
Perhaps, when the time came, this troublesome clan head would even take action in advance to help Itachi take down the most difficult elders in the clan!
Tianti slowly clenched his trembling fists, his fingernails digging deep into his palms, bringing a sharp pain that barely suppressed the icy terror threatening to drown him.
After years of planning, the entire Konoha had already become a graveyard for the Uchiha!
Must… must take action immediately!
…
The air inside a secret room in Konoha was incomparably heavy.
The clamor of Konoha outside was blocked out by thick curtains, leaving only an oppressive silence inside the room.
Uchiha Itachi knelt on one knee on the polished floor, his head lowered, his Anbu mask placed beside him.
He had just reported the intelligence regarding the recent frequent gatherings within the clan in the most concise language, and made the judgment that the radical faction was about to take action.
His voice was calm, without a ripple, as if he were stating matters that had nothing to do with him.
Only his overly straight spine and the slightly white knuckles under his sleeves betrayed a certain extreme tension.
Hiruzen Sarutobi, sitting upright on the Hokage seat, took a deep drag from his pipe, the thick smoke blurring the complex expression on his wrinkled face.
He remained silent, his gaze falling on Itachi, yet it seemed to pass through him, seeing a different scene.
“The Uchiha Clan can no longer hold back… the conflict has almost become public…”
Danzō Shimura, standing in the shadows, spoke slowly, his voice icy:
“Hiruzen, we cannot hesitate any longer.”
“The power of the Uchiha Clan, especially the Sharingan, will be devastating to the Village if used in a rebellion.”
“We must strike first!”
He took half a step forward, his single eye sharp as a knife, staring at the Third Hokage:
“The window for a peaceful resolution has closed.”
“Fugaku may have the intention, but he can no longer control the situation. The so-called ‘bond’—”
His gaze swept over the kneeling Itachi, carrying undisguised scrutiny and the implication of usage,
“is not necessarily reliable, and may even become the other side’s bargaining chip.”
“Danzō!”
Hiruzen Sarutobi’s voice raised slightly, carrying a rare severity.
He tapped his pipe, his gaze like a torch:
“I have said it before, things have not reached that point yet!”
“The Uchiha are a clan that founded Konoha, sharing the same blood of the Will of Fire! A violent solution will leave scars on Konoha’s history and hearts that can never heal!”
He looked at Itachi, his tone softening, but carrying an unquestionable weight:
“Itachi, I trust Fugaku, and I trust you.”
“Both you and your father are working for peace.”
“There must be a way; I will strive to find a bloodless solution…”
Danzō sneered, not backing down:
“Hiruzen, your benevolence is bringing huge risks to the Village!”
“Every day we delay, the Uchiha become more prepared, and the Village faces one more point of threat!”
“When they truly raise the banner of rebellion, the casualties will be ten or a hundred times greater than now! At that time, your so-called ‘scars’ will be a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood! Can you bear that responsibility?!”
He pressed again, his words pointing straight to the core:
“Or are you willing to bet the safety of the entire Konoha on Uchiha Fugaku’s ethereal control, and on this child—”
He pointed at Itachi:
“whose Will of Fire may have already been shaken?”
The atmosphere in the office suddenly became even heavier.
Danzō’s words were like poisoned daggers, aimed not only at the Uchiha but also at the Third Hokage’s authority and Itachi’s position.
Hiruzen Sarutobi’s face was livid.
He knew Danzō was right; the situation was sliding into the abyss.
But he could not sign a massacre order against a clan that had contributed to the founding, as that would violate his glorious image and the Will of Fire.
These words could only be said by Danzō and others…
He looked at Itachi, his eyes carrying a final expectation and a hint of imperceptible plea:
“Itachi, what do you think? Is there… any room for maneuver within the clan? Fugaku, can he still…”
All the pressure and the outlet were directed externally.
Itachi remained kneeling, without looking up.
The argument between the Third Hokage and Danzō came through as if separated by thick glass, blurred and distant.
Before his eyes flashed Shisui’s desperate and trusting gaze before falling off the cliff, it was his father Fugaku’s complex and unspeakable gaze at the gathering, it was Sasuke’s innocent smile, and it was also the clansmen’s increasingly crazy selfishness and narrow-mindedness.
Room for maneuver?
Turning point?
His heart had long since fallen into the icy abyss of the Naka River along with his best friend at the moment Shisui died.
The future he saw was only a patch of bloody darkness.
Whether it was himself or the clan, it seemed they were all walking on the cliff edge leading to destruction.
And he himself, caught in the middle, had long since been shattered to pieces.
He could not answer the Third Hokage’s question.
Nor could he persuade the Third Hokage to agree with Danzō; in Itachi’s view, it was impossible for the Third Hokage to agree…
Clan Head Fugaku might still want to struggle, but in the face of the radical faction’s torrent and Danzō’s conspiracy, that little effort was like a mantis trying to stop a chariot.
The Third Hokage and Fugaku could no longer be relied upon; they were powerless…
Itachi slowly touched his forehead to the ground, performing the most respectful bow.
His voice was low, yet clearly reached the ears of the two Konoha higher-ups:
“Hokage-sama, within the Uchiha Clan… the radical sentiment can no longer be contained. Clan Head Fugaku… is difficult to constrain.”
He did not directly answer whether there was still room for maneuver, but this sentence was tantamount to hammering another nail into the coffin of the Uchiha’s fate.
At the same time, it also indicated his own position—he chose to report the most truthful situation to the Village.
Hiruzen Sarutobi closed his eyes and sighed deeply.
A cold gleam of success flashed in Danzō’s single eye.
He took the opportunity to increase the pressure, his tone even more sinister:
“Hiruzen, even if we do not take the most extreme measures, we must immediately and comprehensively strengthen the surveillance and restrictions on the Uchiha.”
“The power of the Military Police Force must be reclaimed immediately, and barriers and Anbu surveillance must be increased around the clan grounds. At the same time…”
He looked at Itachi again:
“We need someone on the inside to ensure they won’t act like a cornered dog, and to provide the most precise intelligence when necessary.”
The implication in these words could not be more obvious.
He wanted Itachi not only to be an informant but also to be a sharp knife deep in the heart of the Uchiha that could be detonated at any time!
Itachi’s voice remained steady:
“…Yes.”
Hiruzen Sarutobi remained silent for a long time, so long that the embers in his pipe had already gone out.