At this point, Tōshirō seemed to have made a connection and deliberately said, "Oh. You know the Hyuga clan, right? They're a classic example of a clan that's been tamed into a dog."
Itachi: "..."
"I don't need to explain the alliance between the Leaf Village and the Cloud Village from a few years ago, do I?"
Itachi: "..."
"Why was that ninja head from the Cloud Village able to easily bypass the Hyuga clan's defenses and find Hinata Hyuga so precisely? Don't you think it's too much of a coincidence?"
"You have to understand, that's not just any ninja clan. That's the Hyuga clan. Their Byakugan can see through things for a distance of one kilometer."
"What's even more of a coincidence is that just a second after Hinata Hyuga was kidnapped, a second later, Hiashi Hyuga and his men arrived and defeated the kidnapper. How is that such a coincidence? There's only one possibility: someone betrayed the Hyuga clan."
Itachi's eyes widened. "Betrayed?"
Tōshirō sneered. "That person was the elders, led by Hiruzen Sarutobi."
"Wha... why would they do that?"
"Some things, if you look at them from the perspective of self-interest, you'll understand naturally."
Tōshirō sneered. "Back then, to celebrate the alliance between the Leaf Village and the Cloud Village, everyone in the village went, but only the Hyuga clan didn't. The reason was quite ridiculous; it was just for Hinata Hyuga's birthday."
"In the eyes of the elders, a thing like that would be interpreted as, 'Is the peace of the village more important, or is the birthday of your Hyuga clan's heir more important?'"
"Of course, what I'm saying is just a microcosm of the situation, but it also reflects the Hyuga clan's attitude toward the village."
"As a qualified ruler, they would naturally have to teach them a lesson. Because they knew that Hiashi Hyuga would be able to find his daughter quickly with his Byakugan, this scene was created. This way, they could weaken the Hyuga clan's strength and provoke internal conflict within the clan. I don't need to explain what the 'Caged Bird' seal of the Hyuga clan is, do I?"
Itachi: "..."
"Now, imagine if this happened within our clan."
Tōshirō sneered. "The Cloud Village ninja sneaked into our Uchiha compound and, to get the Sharingan, kidnapped Sasuke. Then Fugaku also killed him just like Hiashi Hyuga did. Afterward, for the sake of so-called peace, justice, and the greater good, the village demanded your father's corpse. Would you also, for the sake of your so-called peace, justice, and the greater good, hand over your father's corpse yourself?"
Itachi had a special affection for Sasuke. "I would never let that happen."
"At least you said one correct thing," Tōshirō said, pointing at Itachi and threatening him. "If you dare to say something ridiculous like handing over Fugaku and swallowing your pride, I'll kill you right now."
Itachi: "..."
"You might think one or two things are a coincidence, but when so many things all point to one person, don't you think it's too much of a coincidence?" Tōshirō said coldly. "I've said so much. I don't think I need to explain what kind of person Hiruzen Sarutobi is, do I?"
Itachi nodded.
Tōshirō raised both hands to the sky, clenched them tightly, and said with a stern expression, "I'm not just seeking revenge on the Leaf Village elders. More importantly, I'm going to get justice for my clan members."
Itachi: "..."
"Are you on our side now, or are you on the elders' side?"
Itachi moved his mouth. "I..."
Tōshirō raised his hand and interrupted him forcefully. "You don't have to give me an answer right away."
Itachi: "..."
Tōshirō held up three fingers and said coldly, "Three days. I'll give you three days to think about it carefully. Then, you'll go and confess everything to Fugaku, your father, and apologize to him. After that, you'll tell me about the ocular jutsus of your and Shisui's Mangekyo Sharingan. If you do that, I'll assume you've realized your mistake, and I'll let your past slide."
"I'm not afraid to tell you that in three days, I'll have my hands free to officially start my revenge against the elders."
Have his hands free? Is there something more important than dealing with the elders right now? Itachi keenly sensed something and thought about it.
However, he no longer had the time to care about that.
In three days, the Uchiha clan would officially attack the Leaf Village elders. He had to make a choice during this time: either help the Uchiha eliminate the elders or continue as before.
Tōshirō said indifferently, "Even if you relay the information to the elders during this time, it doesn't matter. I don't care at all. In this world, power is the most important voice. The elders' despicable schemes are nothing more than a single blow to me. I can destroy them with a single flick of my wrist."
"The greater good?" Tōshirō scoffed and said domineeringly, "I am the greater good."
Itachi looked stunned. To be able to say something so domineering, what level had Tōshirō's strength reached?
"I think I've been as benevolent as a clan head and an elder can be. If you're still stubborn and stick to your old beliefs, then don't blame me for being merciless..."
Tōshirō looked at Itachi. "Don't disappoint me."
With that, he disappeared from the spot, leaving only a few stray snowflakes on the ground.
Itachi stood there, looking up at the bright moon hanging in the night sky, radiating a faint glow.
"That night was also like this..." Itachi mumbled to himself.
Although Tōshirō had given him a lot of time to think, there wasn't really a choice to make.
He returned home, and his dear little brother came out to greet him. "Brother, where were you?"
Since that night, Itachi had often felt glad that he hadn't made a terrible mistake.
"Brother..." Seeing that Itachi wasn't responding, Sasuke pouted, showing his displeasure.
Itachi poked Sasuke's forehead. "Forgive me, Sasuke. There won't be a next time."
Sasuke was stunned. His brother, who used to stand him up all the time, had changed his lines.
Itachi smiled. "I'll train with you tomorrow."
"Really?"
Sasuke's eyes lit up. Suddenly, he seemed to remember something, and his upward-curled mouth turned downward again. "You're lying. You have to go on a mission at this time tomorrow."
Itachi was on missions so often that Sasuke had memorized his work schedule.
Itachi smiled, shook his head, and said gently, "I'm not doing that anymore..."
Sasuke was stunned. "Not doing it anymore?"
Itachi nodded. "I quit."
"Quit?"
"Yes, I'm going to quit tomorrow. I'm not working for the Anbu anymore."
Itachi had made up his mind to sever ties with the elders. Although doing so would inevitably lead to suspicion from the elders, it didn't matter anymore. Since Tōshirō was so confident, there was no point in him staying in the Anbu.
Besides, he also had to be wary of Danzo, who might try to harm him like he did with Shisui. It wasn't because he was scared. He just wanted to spend more time with Sasuke and make up for his past regrets.
"You don't have to do it for me..." Sasuke was very sensible and didn't want his brother to give up his job because of him.
Itachi shook his head. "It's not just for you. There are other reasons."
"Other reasons?"
"I'll tell you next time."
Sasuke's cheeks puffed up like a bun. He looked very cute.
Itachi smiled. "I have something to talk to Father about. I'll be with you in a bit."
Sasuke obediently hummed in agreement. Then, he was stunned. How long had it been since his brother had主动主动voluntarily went to see their father?
While he was wondering, Itachi had already disappeared from in front of him. He stopped at a door and knocked softly. "Father, it's me..."
After a moment, a familiar solemn voice from inside indicated that he could enter.
With permission, Itachi slowly pushed the door open and saw the man inside.
"What's the matter?" Fugaku looked at Itachi, who was kneeling outside the door, with a bit of surprise in his eyes. His son hadn't come to see him on his own accord in a long time.
"Never mind, come in."
Itachi stood up and walked in.
Fugaku vaguely felt that something was wrong. He gave Mikoto a look, and she understood. After looking at the father and son, she found an excuse. "I'll go make you two some tea."
Fugaku crossed his arms, about to ask what was wrong, when his son, without a word, knelt on the floor, propped his hands on the ground, and bowed his head to the floor, apologizing sincerely.
Fugaku was stunned.
Did my son take the wrong medicine today?
"You..."
Just as he was about to speak, Itachi slowly raised his head. His eyes showed a special pattern, not the three tomoe, but a more complex pattern.
The Mangekyo Sharingan!
Fugaku looked shocked. "This is..."
The special pattern in Itachi's eyes disappeared in an instant, and they returned to their normal black color. "I will be honest with you about everything, Father..."
Fugaku watched silently.
After a long time and a heartfelt conversation, Fugaku sighed. His eyes were teary. "You don't have to apologize to me. I'm also partly responsible for the huge mistake you almost made. If I had been more patient with you back then, things might not have escalated to this point."
Itachi's face was moved. "Father..."
"Fortunately, there's still a chance to fix it. Let the past be the past."
"Okay."
"I really do owe Tōshirō a favor now."
(End of Chapter)
────────────────────────────────────
"If you're interested, please support me in my other novel [One Piece: General Blue]."
"If you're interested, please support me in my other novel [Battle Through the Heavens: Heavenly comprehension]."
"If you're interested, please support me in my other novel [Marvel: The Fantasy Crystal]."
"If you're interested, please support me in my other novel [Marvel: Hades]."
"If you want early access to nearly 60+ chapters, join my patreon:- patreon.com/BaDwYGaMeR"