Evening.
Leaving the Hokage building, Uchiha Itachi prepared to return home. Hiruzen Sarutobi's counsel flashed through his mind—"Itachi, don't go back openly today. It's best not to be seen, especially not by members of the Uchiha clan."
Uchiha Itachi understood the Hokage's concerns, and he felt a slight pang in his heart.
He could feel endless malice enveloping him.
But at least, the Hokage trusted him.
Uchiha Itachi followed Hiruzen Sarutobi's advice, waiting until nightfall before returning to the Uchiha clan compound.
He quietly arrived at his doorstep.
However, just as he was about to enter, he hesitated.
"Sasuke…"
Uchiha Itachi murmured.
If the entire village was spreading rumors about his "future evil," then Sasuke must have heard them, right?
How would Sasuke look at him now?
Would he still cling to him as always?
Or would he furiously question him?
Or would their relationship become distant?
....
Unable to understand, Itachi simply gave up pondering. He entered the house, and the first person he saw was his mother.
"…Itachi." Uchiha Mikoto forced a gentle smile, her eyes filled with mixed emotions as she looked at her eldest son. She whispered, "Dinner is ready."
Uchiha Itachi silently walked into the room until he saw Uchiha Fugaku and Uchiha Sasuke sitting at the dining table.
He keenly noticed that Sasuke's eyes were a little red.
Uchiha Itachi's heart immediately ached.
"Let's eat," Fugaku dully broke the silence, showing no interest in saying "I'll start first." He didn't even look at Itachi when he walked in.
Sasuke, however, couldn't eat a bite.
He looked at Itachi blankly, his voice carrying a hint of hope and pleading: "Brother, that's all fake… right? Such a thing couldn't possibly happen… right?"
Uchiha Itachi sighed inwardly. Seeing Sasuke's almost tearful expression, Uchiha Itachi's gaze, which had initially been hesitant and pained, gradually became firm and resolute.
"It's true."
He spoke expressionlessly: "If someone were to disrupt Konoha's peace, such a thing would inevitably happen."
Uchiha Mikoto's movements paused.
Fugaku's chopsticks stopped.
Sasuke froze on the spot.
"Why… we… we are family! Father, Mother… they are not bad people, they are family…" Sasuke clutched the hem of his clothes, his voice trembling and choked with questions, breaking the new silence.
Uchiha Itachi gazed at his younger brother. He gradually realized that with Sasuke's overly dependent and weak mindset, he would not be able to grow into an excellent ninja in the future.
Since his future self had spared only Sasuke during the massacre of the Uchiha clan.
That meant his future self intended for Sasuke to inherit his will to protect Konoha.
But Sasuke's current capacity seemed too weak, too cowardly, in Uchiha Itachi's eyes.
Uchiha Itachi suppressed his soft-heartedness. His voice was cold as he uttered each word: "Sasuke, you don't understand the real me."
Sasuke's eyes widened, his face filled with confusion.
"In my heart, there is no concept of family. I have things I must do, and anyone who hinders me, I will eventually kill them." Uchiha Itachi, who had just sat down, stood up again.
He turned and left without looking back, adding a few final remarks: "When that time comes, you won't be an exception, Sasuke. Because the future will change according to my will. I won't 'leave you alone' as Uchiha Ikeizumi said."
"Sasuke, you are too weak. You are just a follower who clings to me all day, always trailing behind me. Your pathetic weakness means there's no possibility of you stopping me."
"My foolish little brother, just barely survive this last year of your life with this fear and unease."
"One year from now, I will include you with the others…"
—Slap!!!
Uchiha Itachi didn't utter the last two words because Uchiha Mikoto had decisively slapped him across the face.
The force of the slap was light, much lighter than Izumi's slap.
"Itachi, take back everything you said… and apologize to Sasuke."
Uchiha Mikoto spoke through clenched teeth, her eyes welling with tears. Her vision was blurred, and her own flesh and blood felt strangely unfamiliar to her at that moment.
Uchiha Itachi took a deep breath. He didn't apologize but slowly said, "Father knows why I would make such a choice. Mother, though you may not understand me now, when that time comes… you will definitely understand me."
Sasuke stared blankly as all this unfolded.
It wasn't until his elder brother's back disappeared into the darkness outside that Sasuke's little head felt dizzy from the onslaught of countless negative emotional waves.
Before his consciousness faded, he vaguely heard his mother frantically call his name.
Then he lost consciousness and fainted.
....
Meanwhile.
Root base.
Danzō received bad news from a Root ninja—none of the subordinates he sent out today to incite negative public opinion against Uchiha Itachi had returned!
He had sent out eight ANBU ninja, with the lowest rank being Elite Chunin, and some even Special Jonin.
Moreover, the mission assigned to them wasn't dangerous.
Yet, they had all vanished without a trace?
Danzō's face was grim, his brows tightly furrowed.
The fleeting joy of secretly slandering the Uchiha clan had completely vanished. He gritted his teeth and ordered his subordinate, "Aren't you going to investigate quickly? Bring them all back to this old man!"
"Yes, Lord Danzō!"
"Wait!" Just then, Danzō stopped his subordinate, as a possibility occurred to him.
This made his expression even more sullen.
A vein throbbed on Danzō's forehead as he squeezed out each word through clenched teeth: "Go directly to the Yamanaka clan and investigate!"
The Root ninja was startled: "The Yamanaka clan…"
Danzō growled fiercely, "This old man believes this matter is inextricably linked to that inherently evil Uchiha brat! Since that brat possesses the power to see through past and future evil, my subordinates probably have nowhere to hide from him. No matter how meticulous their disguise, he can see through it instantly."
Danzō strongly suspected that the eight missing Root ninja had already become eight corpses!
According to that evil Uchiha brat's killing habits.
Anyone he killed would surely be handed over to the Yamanaka clan.
Because Uchiha Ikeizumi, that guy, usually doesn't bother with interrogation procedures; he directly executes the evildoers in his eyes.
And for the Police Force to find evidence of the deceased's crimes, they could only rely on the Yamanaka clan's secret techniques.
...
Danzō was right.
Within the Yamanaka clan compound, Inoichi Yamanaka looked at the eight bodies, covered with white cloths, lying on the ground, a headache plaguing him.
"Sigh…"
He let out a heavy sigh, feeling that tonight he would again be forced to learn many secrets he wished he didn't know.
Inoichi Yamanaka didn't know how it happened.
Ever since Uchiha Ikeizumi began executing his [Absolute Justice] in Konoha, the Yamanaka clan had ironically become the ninja clan with the best relationship with the Uchiha clan.
Even if it was mostly just business dealings, and usually only a nodding acquaintance.
It was still a much better relationship than that of other ninja clans with the Uchiha.