"Where's Sasuke?"
"He's already asleep," Uchiha Fugaku said, glancing at the house behind him. "He really looks up to you."
Uchiha Itachi gave a small nod but didn't speak.
To catch up with his older brother, Sasuke had been pushing himself relentlessly. Every day, without fail, he practiced the Great Fireball Technique alone by the lakeside.
And Itachi… loved his little brother deeply.
For him, Itachi was willing to give up everything, to carry any burden.
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that, in the stillness of night, Itachi had even considered ending the Uchiha clan's potential betrayal of the village with his own two hands.
But Sasuke… was the one person he could never bring himself to let go of.
"I've already told him to stop chasing after you," Fugaku said with a deep breath. Although Sasuke worked hard, his natural talent was far from Itachi's level.
In fact, it wasn't just Sasuke—among all of the Uchiha, Itachi was an unmatched genius.
If the clan attempted a coup, his strength would be indispensable.
"This way."
Fugaku motioned with his eyes toward a direction away from the house. There were things he didn't want overheard.
Especially after Shisui's death, surveillance from the Anbu and Root had only grown more suffocating.
"…Alright."
Itachi naturally didn't refuse.
Perhaps a few days ago, he wouldn't have wanted to discuss this with his father. But now, his thoughts were different—
especially after personally killing Danzō.
He knew some decisions could no longer be undone.
And he didn't intend to undo them.
From what he'd seen, Senju Haruto was not only strong, but decisive.
Working with him wasn't just effective—it was strangely… comfortable.
Danzō was proof of that.
Of course, that didn't mean Itachi trusted Haruto completely.
He was, after all, a shinobi of Konoha, loyal to the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen.
If Haruto ever intended to harm Hiruzen, then Itachi would stand against him.
Even so, Fugaku was a little surprised at his son's willingness to come along. He had expected vague answers or evasions.
But Itachi followed him without resistance.
Only when Fugaku felt they were far enough from prying ears did he stop and turn to look into his son's eyes.
They were unwavering.
"…Looks like you've made your decision," Fugaku said quietly. For the first time in a while, he felt a strange sense of relief.
Until today, he'd still caught glimpses of hesitation in his son's gaze.
"No matter which side you ultimately choose," Fugaku said, a rare smile touching his lips, "I'll be proud of you."
"Father."
"The clan has already decided—we'll move within the next few days." Fugaku paused, then continued. "You must understand, Itachi… ever since the Nine-Tails' attack, we've been pushed to the margins by Konoha's leadership."
"And you know as well as I do—this village was built by the Senju and the Uchiha together."
"We only want to take back what is rightfully ours."
"The Third Hokage is currently on his way to the Land of Iron. That leaves Konoha's leadership at its weakest."
"As long as we can take care of Danzō—"
But before he could finish explaining the plan to have Itachi join him against Danzō, his words were cut off.
"You can't deal with Danzō, Father," Itachi said, his voice sharp and absolute.
His eyes held no more uncertainty.
He had decided to work with Senju Haruto to truly resolve the rift between the Uchiha and the village.
And to do that… he needed to stop the coup from happening.
Fugaku's brow furrowed instantly. "You've sided with Danzō?"
"No."
Itachi shook his head, speaking each word clearly.
"Danzō is dead."
"…???" Fugaku froze.
Danzō… dead?
Danzō… dead?!
Fugaku's eyes went wide. His mouth formed an "O" as he sucked in a sharp breath, standing frozen in place for several seconds.
And then—
"Senju Haruto killed him," Itachi added.
"…???" Fugaku's mind went blank.
Wait—did that mean Itachi was on his side after all?
But… hadn't Itachi always been utterly loyal to the village leadership?
Fugaku had always believed that, if it came to it, his son would fight against the clan to protect Konoha.
Yet here he was, saying Danzō was dead?
And that Haruto killed him?
Wait—who exactly was Haruto?
"What is going on here?" Fugaku finally managed to croak out, forcing himself to swallow. Even then, shock was written all over his face. He began pacing back and forth in front of his son, unable to process the news.
"I'll resolve the conflict between the Uchiha and the village," Itachi said, "but I need time, Father."
"If we start the coup now, once the Third Hokage returns, the Anbu, Root, and Konoha's jōnin will all rally to him. And when that happens… the bloodshed will be far worse."
He paused, then asked quietly, "Is that really the future you want to see?"
"…Who is Haruto?" Fugaku demanded, drawing a deep breath.
"He's from the Senju clan. Near the Naka Shrine, he used the technique Deep Forest Emergence. Together, we took down Danzō."
"Deep Forest Emergence?" Fugaku's eyes widened again.
This night was full of shocks—
There was actually someone in the Senju clan who had inherited the First Hokage's power.
Meanwhile, Aburame Torune, acting under urgent orders, had mobilized every able-bodied Root operative to protect Konoha's leadership. Personally, he slipped away into the night toward the homes of Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado.
Within minutes, Torune told them the news—
"What?!"
Koharu and Homura were floored.
They'd heard rumors about Haruto before, but never imagined he would team up with Uchiha Itachi to kill Danzō.
After all, Danzō was not only a key village elder but the head of Root.
Worse still, Haruto might also target Hiruzen.
"Aburame Torune, I order you to go after the Third Hokage immediately and deliver this information to him," Homura said, his fists tightening as a storm churned inside him.
His greatest fear now was that Haruto had aligned himself with the Uchiha clan—
who were already poised to launch their coup.
"Then gather every Anbu operative," Koharu said sharply, "and surround the Uchiha compound."
If Uchiha Itachi was involved in Danzō's death, the rest of the clan surely knew by now.
And that might just push them to accelerate their plans.