As the silhouettes of Uchiha Hikari and Shura dissolved completely into the boundless night, peace returned to Fugaku's courtyard.
It was as if those two mysterious powerhouses had never appeared at all, leaving behind only a mansion of silence and a Patriarch whose inner world lay in absolute shambles.
Fugaku's body swayed. Finally failing to keep his footing, he collapsed powerlessly back onto the living room floor. He stared blankly in the direction they had vanished, Hikari's name and her final chilling proclamations echoing relentlessly in his mind.
Uchiha Hikari... The name sounded entirely foreign. He searched through every memory of ancient clan records and conversations with elders, yet he couldn't recall even a whisper of such a person.
Seeing the intruders finally gone, Mikoto hurried forward. she carefully supported Fugaku, feeling the tremors wracking his body and the unprecedented aura of defeat and helplessness radiating from him.
"Fugaku... are you alright?" Mikoto asked softly, her voice thick with worry.
Fugaku didn't answer. He simply gave a weary wave of his hand to signal he was unhurt. Taking a deep breath, he fought to suppress the violent storm raging within him.
The sheer strength Hikari had displayed, the "predetermined fate" of the Uchiha she spoke of, and those cryptic hints regarding the Nine-Tails Incident—they all sat on his heart like massive boulders.
"Take the remaining Uchiha away... what did she mean by that? Could she... could she truly achieve something even Uchiha Madara failed to do?"
"And the truth behind the Nine-Tails Incident... what exactly is hidden back there?" Fugaku felt a sense of bewilderment he had never known before.
He had always believed he was the helmsman of the Uchiha, capable of steering the clan's destiny. But now, it seemed he couldn't even grasp the hem of the truth. Based on Hikari's words, it wasn't hard to deduce that outside of Konoha, there was at least one other Uchiha possessing the Mangekyo Sharingan!
And this mysterious Uchiha was lurking in the shadows, orchestrating the Nine-Tails Incident. They clearly harbored immense malice toward the village...
Fugaku suddenly recalled Shura's biting critique: "This is the result of incompetent leaders like you—men with no vision and no backbone."
He understood now. The other party had already seen through the Uchiha's current predicament and the friction with the village with terrifying clarity. Shura's label of "incompetent" wasn't a mere taunt; it was the statement of a reality Fugaku was desperate to deny.
Once, in an effort to repair the clan's relationship with the village, he had led his people into the Third Great Ninja War. They had even been deployed to the Eastern Front to fight the Kirigakure shinobi, forced to face the Hidden Mist Jutsu which specifically countered their Sharingan.
Fugaku had even brought his own child to the battlefield.
After the war, he had bet on Minato Namikaze, and that gamble had seemingly paid off. Once Minato became the Fourth Hokage, the Uchiha became staunch supporters of the Hokage's faction, and relations steadily improved.
Until the night the Nine-Tails struck.
The Fourth Hokage and his wife perished. The Sharingan pattern in the beast's eyes was seen by many. Consequently, the Uchiha were marginalized, isolated, and even forced to move their compound to the outskirts of the village.
"Mikoto, take Sasuke to bed," Fugaku instructed, his voice hoarse and laced with exhaustion. "Do not tell anyone what happened tonight. Not even Itachi."
Mikoto nodded silently. She knew Fugaku's heart was heavier than it had ever been. She helped him to the sofa and then quietly turned to pick up the innocent Sasuke, heading for the bedroom.
Left alone, Fugaku leaned against the back of the sofa, staring vacantly at the courtyard. Hikari's words played on a loop in his mind:
"She will take the remaining Uchiha and leave this rotten Konoha..."
The thought coiled around his heart like a curse. Should he report tonight's events and Hikari's prophecy to the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi?
But if he did, how would the higher-ups react? Would they increase surveillance, or would it merely deepen their suspicion of the clan? And if he didn't report it, what then?
His naturally indecisive nature trapped him in an agonizing cycle of hesitation.
The night grew deeper, eventually giving way to the first light of dawn.
The morning sun filtered through the windows of the Patriarch's manor, casting long shadows across the floor. It chased away the chill of the night, but it couldn't touch the gloom in Fugaku's soul. He remained in the same position on the sofa, eyes bloodshot, surrounded by scattered clan scrolls that bore witness to his sleepless night.
"Uchiha Hikari... Uchiha Hikari..."
He had scoured every ancient text in the house and found nothing. Did he need to go to the Naka River Shrine to investigate the stone tablets?
He had always believed that as Patriarch, his mission was to protect the clan. Even if it meant enduring humiliation, he would find a way for his people to survive. He had meticulously maintained the ties to the village, even recommending his eldest son, Itachi, for the ANBU to serve as a bridge.
Yet, the appearance of Hikari and Shura had been a wake-up call that shattered his hopes. The entire Uchiha clan seemed to be steered by a hidden, untouchable force.
"The culprit of the Nine-Tails Incident... is deliberately manipulating the relationship between the Uchiha and the village..."
Fugaku felt a profound sense of powerlessness. If Hikari was telling the truth, then everything he believed in was a lie. He thought of the Yuki and Kaguya clans of Kirigakure. The Yuki were slaughtered for allegedly plotting a coup; the Kaguya actually rebelled and were wiped out by the combined forces of the village.
Currently, there were many radical voices within the Uchiha. If he couldn't suppress them...
The sound of clattering dishes came from the kitchen. Mikoto was preparing breakfast. Soon, the aroma of miso soup and grilled fish wafted through the house, bringing a touch of domestic warmth. But Fugaku remained cold.
The front door creaked open, and a calm figure stepped inside. It was Uchiha Itachi, returning from his mission. He was in his ANBU uniform, and though his mask was off, he carried a faint, chilly aura.
"You're back just in time. Get ready for breakfast," Fugaku said, looking at his son's tired face. He felt a complex mix of pride and pity for the burden Itachi carried.
"Father. Mother." Itachi walked into the room. Habitually, his eyes scanned the environment. Even without his Sharingan, he noted the bloodshot veins in Fugaku's eyes and the lingering worry on Mikoto's face. He knew something had happened, but he greeted them normally first.
"Mm," Fugaku nodded, arms crossed.
"Big brother! Come play!" Four-year-old Sasuke came running into the room on his short legs.
At the sight of his brother, a smile finally broke through Itachi's fatigue. He gently picked up the boy.
"Breakfast is ready," Mikoto called out.
As Itachi carried Sasuke to the table, the young boy leaned in, his voice small and filled with trust. "Big brother, two very strange people came to the house last night! One was a very pretty lady who had Sharingan just like us. The other... wore a fox mask. It was so weird."
Itachi's gentle gaze sharpened instantly. His grip on Sasuke tightened ever so slightly. Deep within his eyes, the two-tomoe Sharingan flickered briefly before vanishing.
A beautiful Uchiha? And a mysterious person in a fox mask...
Itachi looked toward his father. Sasuke's voice was soft, but it hadn't escaped Fugaku's ears.
Facing his son's questioning gaze, Fugaku let out a long, heavy sigh. "It was Shura. And the powerhouse Shisui encountered in the Land of Stars. She calls herself Uchiha Hikari."
Shura and... Uchiha Hikari?! They were actually here?! Itachi's mind reeled.
As an ANBU, he had spent the entire night monitoring the clan, yet these two individuals—viewed as massive threats by the village—had infiltrated the Patriarch's manor undetected! And apparently, Shura hadn't attacked them like he had the Hyuga.
How did these two enemies end up together? Was Shura the mastermind behind the Star Village rebellion? That girl, Hikari, had taken one of Shisui's Mangekyo eyes... what was her goal in coming here?
"Itachi, what happened last night... it's extremely complicated. Those two possess unfathomable strength. Especially the one named Hikari... her ocular power is far beyond mine." Fugaku's voice turned low and earnest.
"For now, do not report this to the village. Do not let anyone else in the clan know. The village already suspects us; if they learn of a mysterious, powerful Uchiha appearing, it will only deepen their paranoia. It could trigger an unpredictable catastrophe."
"I need time to figure out their background. Until I know who Shura and Hikari really are, keep this a secret." He stared at Itachi, his eyes full of a Patriarch's desperation and a father's hope. "Itachi, you are in the ANBU. You must know how to weigh the consequences."
"I hope you understand. Concealing this is to give the Uchiha—and the village—a buffer. If handled poorly, we might end up like the Kaguya clan."
Itachi fell silent, still holding Sasuke. He knew of the Kaguya clan's fate. Looking at Sasuke's innocent face and then at his father's pleading eyes, he felt a violent struggle within his soul.
On one side was his family, his father's plea, and the future of his kin. On the other was his loyalty to the village, his duty as an ANBU, and his mission to maintain the peace of Konoha.
"I understand, Father," Itachi said, suppressing his unease and pretending to agree.
Fugaku nodded, and the family sat down to eat. The miso soup steamed, and Sasuke's laughter echoed, but the rice tasted like ash in Itachi's mouth. He knew better than anyone that the identity of those visitors was no small matter. If he kept this secret and things spiraled out of control, the consequences would be unthinkable.
After breakfast, Fugaku donned his Jonin flak jacket and left for the Police Force. Mikoto busied herself with housework and kept Sasuke occupied so Itachi could rest.
However, shortly after Fugaku left, Itachi went to his bedroom and performed a hand seal. A Shadow Clone took his place in bed to sleep, while the original slipped out the window.
Moving like a gale of wind, he sped toward the residence of his dearest friend. The lost and conflicted Itachi needed Shisui's counsel.