Uchiha Itachi walked in slowly.
He was wearing his Anbu uniform, his expression cold as water, with shadows under his eyes, and an aura of near-dead silence and gloom enveloping him.
Itachi seemed unaware of the gazes filling the room; he walked straight to the side and stood still, his eyes slightly lowered, as if he were isolated from the clamor.
Tianti huddled in the shadows of the corner, the Three Tomoe slowly spinning in his eyes, observing quietly.
He saw a complex light flash across the eyes of the clan leader, Uchiha Fugaku—
That was not just a father’s worry, but also the deep unease of a clan leader regarding the possibility that the bond might spiral out of control.
He also saw the fire almost erupting from the eyes of the radical faction representatives.
After a brief silence, Uchiha Yashiro stood up abruptly and shouted angrily:
“Itachi! Do you even have the clan in your eyes?! We emphasized the importance of today’s clan meeting again and again, why have you arrived so late?!”
“And that’s not all! Recently, Itachi has repeatedly ignored summons and failed to attend clan gatherings!”
“What day is it today? A clan meeting! A clan meeting to discuss the life and death of our clan! What is the reason for his repeated absences?!”
“He is simply arrogant! I fear that in this guy’s eyes, there is no longer a clan, only the Village and the Hokage?!”
Several other radicals immediately chimed in.
“That’s right! Is Anbu work more critical than the survival of the clan?!”
Facing the questioning, Itachi said nothing, not even lifting his eyes.
As the scolding rained down upon him, he simply stood there quietly.
He lowered his eyelids slightly, casting faint shadows on his cheeks with his long eyelashes, concealing any emotions that might have leaked from his eyes.
That melancholy and coldness were not a disguise, but a sense of alienation that seeped from his very bones.
The Chakra pressure, intentionally or unintentionally released by the experts within the clan, landed on Itachi like clay oxen entering the sea, failing to stir even a ripple.
Itachi seemed to stand in another world, separated from the agitated clansmen before him by an invisible, cold barrier.
This abnormal silence made the air in the meeting hall even heavier, even carrying a hint of eeriness.
Even the most radical elder, after shouting, felt an inexplicable chill and helplessness when faced with Itachi’s impervious demeanor.
Itachi stood silently there, like a stone statue isolating all sounds, with only that bottomless silence spreading…
Uchiha Fugaku frowned deeply, watching his son in this state, a flash of complexity in his eyes.
He raised his hand to stop the clansmen who were about to lash out again, and spoke in a low voice:
“Itachi, recently… you have been too tired.”
Fugaku paused, his gaze sweeping over Itachi’s Anbu uniform, his tone becoming slightly heavier:
“Anbu work… put it aside for a while.”
The meeting hall quieted down, and everyone looked at the clan leader.
“Itachi, do not forget the clan.”
He paused for a moment, letting the weight of the words sink into the silence, then continued, his voice lower, yet carrying a steely warning:
“You are the most critical bond… between the clan and the Village.”
The word ‘bond’ was emphasized extremely heavily.
This was no longer just a father’s reminder, but the most direct warning from a clan leader to a clansman in a precarious position—
Fugaku was worried, worried that Itachi’s heart would lean completely toward the Village, and that he might even be used.
After all, Itachi was only a thirteen-year-old youth; he was too easily brainwashed!
Fugaku’s words held deep meaning.
Although he cared about the Village just like the Third Hokage and Itachi, he was, after all, the clan leader…
He was also a bit worried that Itachi and Shisui would lean completely toward the Village side; if they were used by someone like Danzō, the consequences… would be unimaginable!!
As Sasuke’s figure appeared in his mind, Fugaku was very afraid that something would happen to his two sons…
All eyes were focused on Itachi.
Itachi slowly looked up, his pitch-black eyes meeting his father’s gaze, calm and waveless.
Inside them, there was no guilt, no justification, no warmth, only a bottomless silence.
He still did not make a sound.
Fugaku’s profound words sank like a stone into the sea.
This dead-silent response caused the air in the meeting hall to freeze to the freezing point.
A deeper sense of unease quietly spread.
Tianti watched all of this from the corner, his palms ice-cold.
Itachi’s state confirmed his worst suspicions.
Shisui had likely met with a mishap, and Itachi’s heart seemed to have died for the most part.
This “bond” not only failed to connect the two sides but instead radiated a chill before breaking.
“…I understand…”
Leaving behind this lifeless whisper, Uchiha Itachi turned and walked outside, his back lonely.
But in the eyes of the seasoned adults around, Itachi’s indifferent demeanor was extremely punchable.
This action caused veins to pop on the foreheads of many, and they voiced their angry rebukes.
Itachi remained silent, ignoring even his father’s low shout, and walked straight out of the meeting hall.
It was as if he were the only one in the entire world, and no one understood his capacity and vision…
How could he possibly pay attention to this group of shortsighted pigs and dogs who lacked capacity?
That’s right!
At this moment, Itachi only felt that all the clansmen were pigs and dogs, even his father!
Incompetent, narrow-minded, selfish, shortsighted…
Only he and Shisui could shine alongside the Third Hokage, and after Shisui died… he was the only sober person left in the entire clan.
Noble souls are always lonely, solitary, and misunderstood…
How could he pay attention to this group of pigs and dogs at this moment?
Wouldn’t that ruin his melancholy and lonely path?
…
The meeting continued in repression for a while longer and finally ended hastily.
Tianti left with the crowd and looked back one last time.
Fugaku still stood alone at the edge of the dim light, his figure almost blending into the darkness behind him.
Tianti’s heart sank to the bottom…
Shisui is gone, and Itachi’s heart is dead.
The funeral bell for the Uchiha is tolling.
But he had no evidence and could not convince anyone to believe him.
After all, his words carried little weight; what could he use to challenge the clan leader’s family?
If he were to force himself to speak, the outcome would likely be getting captured and imprisoned again!
In the current situation, every minute and every second was precious, and Tianti could not afford to waste them…
“It’s okay, with me keeping a constant watch, the worst result shouldn’t happen…”
Tianti comforted himself this way in his heart.
He looked at the departing Uchiha clansmen around him.
Thirty elite Uchiha comparable to Jōnin, plus nearly two hundred Ninja; as long as he issued a warning at the critical moment…
As long as he could turn a sneak attack and assassination into a frontal conflict, no matter how strong Itachi and Obito were, they wouldn’t be able to succeed easily!!
At that time, as long as there was a glimmer of opportunity, he could take his sister and mother and escape from Konoha…
“How frustrating! What is all this? To possess the strength of the strongest clan in the Land of Fire, yet have to hope for a sliver of a chance to survive!”
Tianti shook his head, feeling a sense of sorrow.
No matter how powerful a group is, it is no match for having two incompetent and perverted leaders and the strongest members…
Putting these matters aside, he returned to the training ground to practice.
In any case, any improvement is better than nothing; it might not be impossible to fight a bloody path out when the time comes…