Chapter 41: The Difficult Choice Facing Uchiha Itachi
"Lord Danzo, this is Uchiha Shisui's body, but the other Mangekyo Sharingan was not found!"
"Since the Mangekyo Sharingan is gone, his body is useless. Just dump it back where it was found!"
After hearing his subordinate's report, Danzo Shimura gave the order without looking back. At this moment, he felt somewhat weak and didn't want to pursue the whereabouts of that Mangekyo Sharingan for the time being.
Because he had already transplanted Uchiha Shisui's Mangekyo, but the Hashirama cells in his body were having a subtle reaction at this time. If he didn't control them quickly, the Hashirama cellsmight very well spiral out of control.
This was the main reason Danzo Shimura had no time for anything else, and it was also an important reason why Uchiha Itachi was able to hide in time.
But paper cannot wrap fire; it was only a matter of time. The death of Uchiha Shisui also signaled a sudden intensification of the conflict within the Uchiha Clan!
The balance between the Radicals and the Conservatives was completely shattered after the death of Uchiha Shisui, the eldest grandson of Uchiha Kagami. The Radicals had completely gained the upper hand.
And Uchiha Itachi also entered the second stage of his life's turning point; he became a Double Agentbetween the Family's Radicals and the Hokage Faction.
"Itachi! Shisui is dead. He was found in a stream, and both of his Sharingan are missing." Uchiha Fugaku sat kneeling at a small wooden tea table, with Uchiha Itachi kneeling opposite him.
Uchiha Itachi's facial expression didn't change at all. After a slight pause with the teacup in his hand, he tilted his head back with bloodshot eyes and drank it in one gulp.
When Itachi put down his teacup and looked Uchiha Fugaku in the eye, bloody tears suddenly streamed from the corners of his eyes. His Three-Tomoe Sharingan spun frantically, and in the blink of an eye, the tomoe connected to each other to form a unique pattern similar to a Shuriken.
Uchiha Fugaku naturally saw the change in Itachi. His hand gripping the teacup tightened involuntarily. "I don't know if the birth of this power is a good thing for you, but for protecting the Family and your younger brother, it is the most powerful force!"
Uchiha Fugaku patted Itachi's shoulder. "Itachi, Sasuke should be back soon. Go see him, then head to the Anbu to take care of your business."
As he was leaving, Uchiha Fugaku suddenly looked back at Itachi. The Sharingan in his eyes also changed abruptly, and a power unique to the Mangekyo Sharingan erupted.
"Remember your duty. The survival of the Uchihamust be the top priority, and..." Fugaku's Mangekyo Sharingan appeared for only an instant before fading again. "With the Family possessing two pairs of Mangekyo Sharingan at the same time, our chances of success have greatly increased. Go ahead and do what you must, Itachi!"
"Yes, Father!" Itachi nodded steadily. "May I now consult the Family's collection of books regarding the Mangekyo Sharingan?"
Uchiha Fugaku paused as he was about to leave the study, then shook his head without looking back. "The vast majority of the books regarding the Mangekyo Sharingan were lost long ago. It was all that person's doing when he left the Family, and the Family was powerless at the time."
"Uchiha Madara..." Itachi muttered to himself. "Is it the same person who controlled the Nine-Tailed to destroy Konoha back then?!"
"That person was indeed from the Uchiha Clan, but he was definitely not Uchiha Madara!" Fugaku answered decisively. "The Uchiha Clan is proud. Especially for the greatest Genius, Uchiha Madara, acting in a devious and secretive manner is simply something he could not tolerate!"
"That being said, it is precisely because of the Nine-Tailed Incident that the relationship between the Family and Konoha has reached this point, to the extent that we are now as incompatible as fire and water."
"Father, is there really no other way..."
*Clack!* Uchiha Fugaku closed the study door and disappeared from Itachi's sight, leaving only a voice that grew distant, striking heavily against Itachi's heart.
"All efforts are in vain. The Uchiha Family has tried for decades without any improvement; otherwise, it wouldn't have come to this point.
When the nest is overturned, no egg remains intact. Think of your young brother. I think you should understand my difficulties in doing this, and you should know what needs to be done to preserve the entire Family."
Itachi, who had always appeared steady, had a brief moment of distraction. At this moment, the struggle deep within his heart was particularly intense.
On one side was the Family, on another was his beloved younger brother, and on yet another was Konoha, which he also loved. No matter what choice he made, it would always result in one or two parties being hurt at the same time...
This burden, weighing on the eleven-year-old Itachi, was truly too heavy.
But it was too late for words now. Itachi could only try his best to maneuver between the three parties, doing his utmost to ensure a relatively perfect outcome for all three.
"It's time to investigate the various Secret strongholds left behind by the Uchiha..." Itachi prepared to use his position to secretly seek a solution. "I hope some useful things have been left behind."
"Big brother!"
A voice full of pleasant surprise interrupted Itachi's thoughts. As the sliding door was pulled open from the outside, Sasuke, looking like a Mud monkey, rushed in and jumped onto Itachi, who was still kneeling by the wooden table.
Itachi also showed a sincere smile that had been dormant for a long time. He grabbed the shoulders of Sasuke, who was clinging to his back, and pulled him into his arms.
"Sasuke, you've grown quite a bit stronger!" Itachi said, lightly tapping Sasuke's forehead. "It looks like you went out to train. Was it with that Narutofellow?"
"You guessed it, big brother!"
Sasuke rarely showed such a childlike demeanor. After Itachi mentioned his training with Naruto, Sasuke could no longer hide the disappointment deep in his heart.
"Big brother, that idiot Naruto... his strength..." Although Sasuke didn't want to admit it, Narutowas indeed quite a bit stronger than him.
"Was it because you were at a disadvantage in swordsmanship, or..."
"I'm not as good as Naruto in anything..." Sasukeprobably only showed his vulnerable side in front of Itachi. As he spoke, his eyes actually turned red. "Even my proud Throwing skills were surpassed by Naruto today... and he's not even from the Uchiha Clan..."
"Then how about I teach you a Ninjutsu technique today?" Itachi didn't offer much comfort. "Once you master it, I'm sure you'll catch Naruto off guard!"
"That's a promise!" Sasuke jumped up excitedly from Itachi's arms, grabbing Itachi with both hands and dragging him out. "Teach me first, big brother. We can come back for dinner later!"
Itachi allowed himself to be pulled along with some mock resistance by Sasuke to the Family's training grounds. Teaching Sasuke was what Itachi wanted to do most and what made him the happiest.
But with the coming of changes, no one knew how much longer these warm and beautiful times would last...
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