Night fell.
In just half a day, the story of Uchiha Akainu killing his sole remaining blood relative, Uchiha Onigawara, despite their familial ties, spread rapidly through word-of-mouth. It caused quite a stir, especially within the Uchiha clan.
After finishing his duties for the day, Fugaku returned home to find his eldest son, Uchiha Itachi, also back from the Anbu. At that moment, Itachi was playing with his younger brother, Sasuke. Of course, it was mainly Sasuke clinging to Itachi.
"I've heard," Uchiha Itachi said, gently prying Sasuke's small hands away. He looked at his father, with whom he often disagreed, and continued, "Whether it was Uchiha Akainu killing the Hokage's eldest son a while ago, or Uchiha Akainu killing Uchiha Onigawara today... I know all about it."
Fugaku also looked at his son, who always filled him with such pride, even if their views sometimes differed. He believed that Uchiha Itachi would eventually shoulder the burden of the Uchiha clan, leading it to a more glorious future.
Then, Uchiha Itachi continued, "Shisui once told me that Uchiha Akainu's 'capacity' far exceeds anyone's imagination. Looking at the current situation, Shisui was right."
"After today, there might be quite a few extreme Uchiha individuals who will want to follow that man's 'Absolute Justice.'"
"Father." Uchiha Itachi gazed at the silent Fugaku, speaking earnestly, "This isn't good for either the clan or Konoha. Uchiha Akainu's 'Absolute Justice' is indeed admirable and respectable. However..."
"His kind of justice, which disregards the village's overall situation, is too extreme. Uchiha Akainu's stance is independent of the village; you must see that clearly, Father, right?"
After more than a minute of silence, Fugaku, who had been listening intently to his eldest son, finally nodded slightly.
Fugaku asked, "What are your thoughts, Itachi?"
Uchiha Itachi lowered his gaze. "Father, as the clan leader, you should restrain Uchiha Akainu's actions. Today, his blade of justice was turned inward, towards the Uchiha clan, so it won't cause too much upheaval for the village for now."
"But if he, like before, turns his blade of justice outwards, towards Konoha, he might be able to bear the resulting turmoil, but the Uchiha clan won't. The balance will be broken."
A hint of relief flickered in Fugaku's eyes. This was one of the few points where he and Uchiha Itachi shared the same opinion. Neither of them wanted the balance to be broken; they both hoped for peaceful coexistence between the village and the Uchiha clan.
However... the word "peace" felt particularly heavy to both father and son.
"Itachi, but I can't restrain him," Fugaku sighed. This was his greatest helplessness. While Uchiha Akainu showed no hostility towards him, he had never truly acknowledged him. Fugaku didn't even understand why.
"Father." Itachi remained silent for a moment, then slowly said, "Sometimes, for the greater good, for Konoha, you need to be decisive."
Fugaku's eyes suddenly narrowed. He stared at Uchiha Itachi, took a deep breath, and said, word for word, "Itachi, you are my chosen successor for the Uchiha clan. As long as Akainu does not betray the Uchiha clan, does not betray Konoha, you must never, ever harm your own clansmen!"
Itachi lowered his head but remained silent.
On the other side of the Uchiha compound, a gathering of Uchiha hawks, led by Uchiha Setsuna, who advocated for confrontation with Konoha's higher-ups and a coup d'état across the village, were all assembled. The radical hawk faction, encompassing old, middle-aged, and young Uchiha ninja, numbered well over a hundred, nearly filling the entire hall. It was precisely their large numbers that compelled the clan leader to accept some of their views.
"Tch, that Uchiha Akainu, he really has some 'capacity.'" A young Uchiha, arms crossed, remarked. "I used to scoff at his so-called 'Absolute Justice.' But I never expected him to actually wield his blade against a close relative for it. I saw him kill Uchiha Onigawara with my own eyes; I even felt he didn't hesitate for a moment."
Another young Uchiha enthusiastically added, "Isn't this what our Police Force should be doing? Whether it's a blood relative or the so-called Hokage standing in our way, we should wield our blade against them without hesitation!"
"Actually, we should try to bring Uchiha Akainu over to our side. We can't let those weaklings get to him first." The "weaklings" he referred to were the moderate faction within the Uchiha clan, who advocated for peaceful coexistence with the village. The two factions had been at odds for a long time, sometimes even resorting to physical conflict due to their differing opinions.
"Uchiha Akainu's capacity is indeed sufficient," someone nodded in agreement. "And his strength is also formidable. With him joining us, our power will completely overwhelm those softies."
"..."
Uchiha Setsuna, kneeling on a soft cushion, frowned, listening to the discussions of the younger generation. He felt an inexplicable anger bubbling inside him—Uchiha Setsuna still resented Uchiha Akainu for preventing him from accessing the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki. He clearly remembered the chilling killing intent in that young man's eyes at the time! For years, he hadn't felt his life threatened, but he felt it from Uchiha Akainu.
Tap! Tap! Tap!
Uchiha Setsuna gently tapped the ground with his fingertips, gradually quieting the heated discussions in the hall. All eyes turned to him.
"Have you forgotten? Uchiha Onigawara, who was cruelly murdered by Uchiha Akainu, was once one of us! He killed our comrade! Our elite Uchiha!" Uchiha Setsuna's grim gaze swept over them, causing some excited young Uchiha hawks to hastily lower their heads.
Uchiha Setsuna's voice was hoarse as he characterized Uchiha Akainu's "kinslaying" act: "Uchiha Akainu has, from beginning to end, never considered our side!"
"You think he'll stand with us? Hmph! Naive! His blade will, sooner or later, even turn against us!"
"An Uchiha who turns his blade against his own clansmen is disloyal to the Uchiha clan!!!"
Uchiha Setsuna's cloudy eyes gleamed with a chilling light.
"While the weak people within the clan are certainly stumbling blocks to the Uchiha's progress, Uchiha Akainu..."
"He is a burning explosive tag."
"He will blow us all up!"