As time passed, news of Fugaku and his entourage being ambushed and killed on their diplomatic mission to Kirigakure spread wider and wider.
Alongside it, word of Uchiha Gen awakening the Mangekyo Sharingan inevitably leaked. No gag order was ever considered, such was the Uchiha temperament.
Secrets among them rarely stayed hidden for long.
For now, both stories circulated only among those with better information channels.
Yet after a single day, even the halls of the Ninja Academy were abuzz. Teachers cast different looks toward Uchiha Itachi, looks filled with pity, sympathy, and a strange respect.
Sharp as he was, Itachi noticed the change but couldn't discern its cause. When he asked directly, none of the instructors would answer.
Puzzled, he returned to the clan grounds that evening, only to meet the same altered gazes among his clansmen. Warmth where once there had been cool formality, kindness where there had been reserve. Unable to endure the confusion, he pressed them.
Some avoided the question. Others excused themselves. A few finally told him the truth.
His father was dead.
The words froze him in place. When his body caught up with his mind, he sprinted home in a panic.
Inside, he found his mother seated with Kushina, quietly chatting, while Sasuke laughed and played with Naruto nearby.
Kushina had rushed over to comfort her dearest friend as soon as she heard the news, just as Mikoto had once comforted her.
Seeing her eldest son's anxious expression, Mikoto's heart clenched. But she still forced a gentle smile.
"Itachi, you're back. How was school today?"
Itachi set his satchel aside and stepped closer, voice trembling. "Mother… Father, he…"
Her smile wavered and fell away. She lowered her voice. "Don't let Sasuke know. He's still too young."
That confirmation shattered his last hope.
The surge of grief overwhelmed him. His eyes stung, his nose burned and scarlet light bled across his vision. His Sharingan awoke, tomoe spinning in newly crimson eyes.
Mikoto's heart filled with both sorrow and pride.
"Itachi," Kushina murmured, stroking his hair, "remember what Jiraiya-sensei once said; a ninja is one who endures. Even if you're still just a student, that truth applies to you."
Mikoto drew him close, whispering through her tears, "Don't be crushed, my son. As long as you remember your father, he will live forever in your heart."
"nii! Come play!"
Sasuke's cheerful voice cut across the grief, tugging his brother's hand.
Itachi forced a smile, gently disengaged from his mother's arms, and ruffled Sasuke's hair. "Of course, Sasuke. Right away."
Sasuke blinked, then grinned. "Oh! nii, your eyes changed!"
"Do you like them?" Itachi asked softly.
"They look cool!"
Mikoto and Kushina exchanged a long look, their worry unspoken but mutual.
After dinner, the two women drew Itachi aside. With Sasuke absent, he could no longer contain himself and wept openly.
"Mother… I want to see Gen-nii," he whispered.
"Go," Mikoto said gently. "But don't stay out too late."
Itachi nodded and set off. Along the way, clansmen stopped him with condolences. He bore them all with a composure far beyond his years.
At last, he reached Uchiha Gen's home, rang the bell, and stepped inside.
Gen had just finished dinner himself and lounged on the sofa, book in hand.
"Oh? Itachi. Do you want something to drink?" he asked casually.
Itachi shook his head.
"Sit," Gen said, setting his book aside and patting the cushion. "So... you know about your father."
Itachi obeyed quietly, nodding once.
Gen sighed and stroked the boy's hair.
"Gen-nii," Itachi said suddenly, eyes blazing with determination, "I want revenge. Will you train me?"
"Revenge…" Gen's tone deepened. "A parent's killer is a hatred that can never be forgiven. Yes, I will train you. When you struggle, come to me. Or seek your mother, Shisui, or Kushina-nee, they are all stronger than most."
For him, the commitment was nothing; if busy, he could always spare a shadow clone.
Itachi's expression brightened with relief. Then, after a pause, he spoke again.
"Gen-nii… I've thought more about what you told me before."
"Oh?" Gen arched a brow. "Tell me."
"As long as the world remains divided into many countries and villages, conflict will never cease. Today it is my father. Tomorrow it will be someone else. We live in a world where danger never ends. Only if all were united under one country, one village, could there be peace."
Gen patted his head approvingly. "Well grasped, but not yet complete."
"Please, enlighten me," Itachi said, bowing low in earnest.
"No need for such formality," Gen chuckled. "Let's speak plainly. Tell me, do you know of tigers?"
"Yes."
"They are solitary. Only one can rule a territory. If another intrudes, they fight until one yields or dies. Even a male and female will fight outside of mating season. Now, Itachi, don't countries and ninja villages resemble tigers?"
Itachi thought carefully. "When there is no external enemy… they turn to fighting each other."
"Exactly. In-fighting."
Gen leaned forward, his voice low and steady. "You're still young, so you don't yet hear the whispers among the Fire Daimyo's court. There are those who say the Hokage should not exist at all and that all power should lie with the Daimyo. That is their 'jade.' What do you think?"
Itachi frowned. "That's unreasonable. Since the founding of the village, it has been the Hokage and shinobi who defended the Land of Fire, who bled and died to protect it. Not the Daimyo."
He spoke with the instinctive bias of one born and raised within Konoha's walls. Like most villagers, the Hokage was real to him. The Daimyo was only a distant name.
"I agree," Gen said firmly. "The Daimyo is the highest noble, yes. But in the end, he is only a man without chakra. Tell me, Itachi, by what right does such a man rule over shinobi, who wield the power of gods? Without titles and guards, any Genin could cut him down."
Itachi's breath caught. The words clashed with what the Academy taught. They had told him to honor the Hokage above all, but also to respect the Daimyo as the rightful sovereign.
"My vision is to unify country and village into one. A new system, governed by shinobi, supported by ordinary people. Not ninja ruling alone, nor nobles dictating blindly but a true unity capable of ruling the entire world."
He leaned back, eyes flashing. "Even the word 'ninja'… I dislike it. I will change it."
At first, he admitted, the support of the ordinary was indispensable. Shinobi excelled in assassination, stealth, and war but lacked the skills to manage a state. In time, the gap would narrow.
"And," he added, "there must be paths for the powerless to rise. If we suppress them utterly, unrest will never end. Sometimes guidance is stronger than chains."
Itachi tilted his head, eyes wide, thoughtful. "If not 'ninja,' then what…?"