High above the cliff, Uchiha Itachi was left alone.
Grr—
Uchiha Itachi’s teeth were on the verge of shattering, and blood flowed from his eyes!
The Three Tomoe in his pupils spun and fissured into the shape of a triangular pinwheel—the Mangekyō Sharingan had awakened!
Hatred and rage surged within him, nearly drowning his reason!
The Clan!
It was all because of that foolish clan!
Even though Shisui and he had risked their lives to seek peace for them and the Village…
Yet those foolish and narrow-minded clansmen were still obsessed with a coup d’état, thinking only of their ridiculous pride and dignity!
It was their stupidity and narrow-mindedness that forced his only brother to his death!
The night wind howled, unable to disperse the heavy scent of blood, nor could it blow away the cold and absurdity that seeped into his very marrow.
Uchiha Itachi slowly clenched his palm, pressing that eye tightly against his chest.
The expression on his face faded bit by bit, eventually settling into a deathly calm.
Only deep within those newly born eyes surged flames capable of incinerating the soul, along with a resolve darker than the abyss beneath his feet.
He had to conceal all of this.
Conceal Shisui’s death, conceal the existence and whereabouts of these eyes, and even…
At some moment in the future, he might have to use these eyes to protect everything Shisui had exchanged his life for…
This was the capacity and perspective they believed in, the dead end they had drawn for themselves.
At the end of the road, there was a cliff.
And falling became, in their eyes, the only correct ending.
Uchiha Itachi took one last look at the dark, rushing river below, as if to carve the scene into his soul.
Then, he turned around, activated the Body Flicker Technique, and vanished from the spot without looking back.
The cliff returned to silence, with only the wind wailing, as if singing a silent elegy for the genius devoured by the “big picture.”
…
That day, Uchiha Tianti did not go to the training ground to practice, but instead walked toward the direction of the assembly hall.
He had just heard that the clan’s powerhouses and Jōnin had convened another assembly.
The unease in Uchiha Tianti’s heart grew with each passing day.
Shisui had been missing for several days in a row; this was extremely unusual!
And the recent changes in Uchiha Itachi’s state were even more alarming to him…
That hollow look in his eyes, as if all vitality had been drained away, was certainly not just fatigue.
A terrifying thought exploded in Uchiha Tianti’s mind:
Shisui might have already met with foul play!
If the Body Flicker Shisui had truly met with misfortune, then the liquidation targeting the Uchiha Clan was likely already in a countdown.
The night of the clan’s extermination… perhaps it was much closer than imagined!
He had to confirm the situation.
Although the clan assembly restricted participation to those below Three Tomoe, he could not care about that right now.
Uchiha Tianti suppressed his chaotic thoughts and walked straight toward the entrance of the Uchiha underground assembly hall.
The closer he got to the hidden entrance, the more obvious the oppressive feeling of being relaxed on the outside but tense on the inside became within the clan grounds.
In the seemingly calm streets and around the training grounds, the faint, lingering gazes of surveillance in his perception did not seem to have decreased.
Arriving at the entrance, two Uchiha clansmen responsible for guarding immediately stepped forward, blocking the narrow passage.
“Stop!”
One of them barked in a low voice, his gaze sweeping sharply over Uchiha Tianti.
The other recognized him, his tone softening slightly, but still conveying an unquestionable obstruction:
“Uchiha Tianti? Why are you here again? Haven’t we told you many times already? Only those with Three Tomoe can attend the clan assembly!”
Although Uchiha Tianti’s aptitude was mediocre, he was still quite ‘famous’ within the Uchiha Clan.
He was even more impressive than the radical faction!
The radicals only spoke with facts and argued with reason.
But this kid often spouted nonsense, fabricating anxiety and evidence of crimes against the Konoha high-ranking officials out of thin air.
It could be said that Uchiha Tianti was an anomaly that even the radicals had to admit they couldn’t match.
Not only did he dare to say anything, but he had also repeatedly accused the clan head, Shisui, and others.
Because sometimes the words he uttered were too outrageous, he had been forcibly detained more than once!
If it weren’t for the fact that his starting point was also for the sake of the clan, the higher-ups would have long since executed this madman on the spot!
Uchiha Tianti’s anxiety burned like fire; he had no time or mood to explain further.
He stopped, took a deep breath, and the black tomoe in his eyes suddenly spun and took shape!
A scarlet light lit up at the dim entrance of the passage, and Three Tomoe slowly rotated in his eyes.
The two guarding clansmen were stunned at first, then expressions of pleasant surprise appeared on both their faces simultaneously.
“Oh! You have also obtained the Three Tomoe?!” You are reading on g.com, the official source.
The clansman who had previously blocked him became instantly eager in his tone.
“That’s great!”
The other whispered excitedly:
“Our Uchiha Clan has become one point stronger!”
“Quick, go in quickly; the assembly has already started for a while. I will immediately report the news of your awakening to the higher-ups!”
The two men’s attitudes had undergone a 180-degree turn!
There was no helping it; the Uchiha Clan also valued power and worth.
Especially under the current turbulent situation, the status of the strong appeared even more noble.
And an awakener of the Three Tomoe was a rare and precious combat force, even in the Uchiha Clan where geniuses were everywhere!
Uchiha Tianti nodded, retracted his Sharingan, and without further delay, quickly passed through the two guards who stepped aside, stepping into the deep, dark passage leading to the underground assembly hall.
The light behind him was swallowed up, with only the faint sounds of argument coming from ahead and the dim lighting guiding the way.
His heart grew heavier with every step downward.
What he was about to see was likely the final scene of the Uchiha Clan struggling on the edge of the cliff.
Uchiha Tianti passed through the cold, gloomy passage and stepped into the underground assembly hall.
Whoosh—
The fire braziers on the walls and on both sides of the platform were burning fiercely.
Under the dim yellow firelight, about thirty core members of the Uchiha Clan were gathered, and the atmosphere was heavy.
Uchiha Tianti ignored the few surprised gazes cast his way and found a seat in the corner to sit down.
The clan assembly was in progress, and the focus of the debate was still the old issues: the Village’s discrimination and oppression, the reduction of the Konoha Military Police Force’s power, and their future path.
The clan head, Uchiha Fugaku, stood at the head of the room, listening to everyone’s speeches with a solemn expression, his fingers unconsciously tapping on the back of his hand.
He still did not express his stance easily, maintaining a steady appearance of watching the overall situation.
Uchiha Tianti sneered in his heart; others might not know this clan head’s thoughts, but he knew them very well!
Uchiha Fugaku was nothing more than an incompetent person without any opinions, fearing wolves in front and tigers behind, daring to do nothing, and daring not to do anything…
A fool who pinned all hope and development on others!
Tap, tap—
Just as a radical member was passionately stating his case, clear footsteps came from the entrance.
Everyone’s voices stalled, and their gazes turned toward the passage.
The figure of a young man, appearing as a teenager, gradually became clear…