"Where is he right now?"
Senju Haruto asked directly, wanting to know the whereabouts of Uchiha Fugaku.
There were only a few hours left before the Uchiha clan launched their coup. If he wanted to stop them, every second counted.
If Fugaku truly intended to stand on his side, Haruto was more than willing to meet with him.
"Follow me."
Uchiha Itachi nodded slightly, motioning for Haruto to trail behind him.
Haruto had no reason to refuse, though as he followed, he quietly activated his Byakugan.
He had already used this dōjutsu during his battle with Danzo through his Wood Release clone, so there was no need to hide it from Itachi.
Before long, Haruto followed Itachi to an extremely secluded wooden cabin.
Though they were still technically within Uchiha territory, no one seemed to notice this place.
With his Byakugan, Haruto could confirm that for certain.
"My father is inside," Itachi said, turning back toward Haruto. "We don't have much time."
As the clan head, if Fugaku disappeared from his people's sight for too long at such a critical moment, it would raise suspicion.
The meaning between Itachi's words was clear — Haruto should keep it brief.
"Got it."
Haruto's reply was sharp and direct.
Konoha and the Hidden Cloud were on the brink of war. Even if the Uchiha were to die, they should at least fall on the battlefield.
He stepped forward quickly and pushed open the door to the small cabin.
Inside, there were no windows; the light was dim.
But with his Byakugan active, Haruto spotted Fugaku immediately — sitting on the only chair, hands clasped, his expression heavy and full of worry.
Itachi entered behind Haruto. "Father, Senju Haruto is here."
"A member of the Senju clan…"
At first glance, Fugaku's eyes flashed with surprise.
From what he knew, the Senju clan's lost kekkei genkai was Wood Release.
The Byakugan, however, belonged to the Hyūga clan. How could this boy possess it?
But the surprise quickly faded. Unlike the Uchiha, the Senju — encouraged by the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama — often intermarried with people from other clans in the village.
Perhaps one of Haruto's parents was from the Hyūga clan.
"You're the one who convinced Uchiha Itachi?" Fugaku asked as he rose from his chair, his voice deep.
"Not exactly," Haruto replied, glancing at Itachi. He could feel the pressure emanating from Fugaku.
Even now, Haruto could tell that Fugaku genuinely hoped for peace in the village.
The coup was never his true wish; he had simply gone along with the will of his clansmen.
It was precisely for this reason that Itachi's direct confrontation had shaken him.
Still, Haruto understood very well — Fugaku might say he wanted to meet him, but in truth, he was weighing the pros and cons.
If Haruto's answer or behavior disappointed him, he would fully side with the clan.
"Itachi is already an exceptional shinobi. Even without me, he would have stood with the village," Haruto said.
Hearing someone speak so highly of his son filled Fugaku with pride. That's my boy.
But pride aside, even if he understood Itachi's stance, the rest of the clan still saw him as an outlier.
If Itachi hadn't revealed everything to him in advance — including the fact that he and Haruto had killed Danzo — Fugaku wouldn't be meeting with Haruto at all.
"I have a question for you, Haruto. Is it impossible for a member of the Uchiha to become Hokage?" Fugaku's voice was low, but before Haruto could answer, Fugaku decisively activated his Sharingan.
The three tomoe spun in his eyes, transforming instantly into the Mangekyō Sharingan.
Like most of the Uchiha, Fugaku excelled in Fire Release and genjutsu, and he was no exception.
The moment his Mangekyō manifested, Fugaku cast a genjutsu directly at Haruto.
With the Byakugan's 360-degree vision, Haruto couldn't escape the illusion even if he tried.
"Don't worry, Itachi," Fugaku said quickly, sensing his son's tension. "I don't intend to harm Haruto. I only want to show him the future after the coup."
"That's just your imagination," Itachi said immediately. As someone who wielded Tsukuyomi, he knew better than anyone — no genjutsu could predict the real future.
What Fugaku would show Haruto was nothing more than an idealized dream.
In reality, once the coup began, Konoha would be drenched in blood, and the Hidden Cloud would seize the opportunity to strike.
Just as Itachi prepared to activate his own Mangekyō to free Haruto from this misguided vision…
They both heard Haruto yawn.
Fugaku: "???"
He stared in disbelief as Haruto stretched lazily, showing no sign of being trapped in an illusion.
"This… how is that possible…?" Fugaku muttered after a long moment.
Even if he wasn't a genjutsu prodigy like Shisui, this was a Mangekyō-level illusion — a power strong enough to control the Nine-Tails.
Yet on Haruto… it had no effect at all?
"I'm immune to genjutsu," Haruto said plainly. "So instead, why don't you tell me what future you envision after the coup?"
The way Haruto stared straight into his Mangekyō — without blinking, without flinching — made Fugaku question reality itself.
Did I really activate my Mangekyō? Did I really use genjutsu just now?
"You can't say it, can you?" Haruto shook his head, a trace of disappointment in his eyes.
"Then I'll tell you what will happen, Fugaku."
"Once the coup starts, Uchiha territory will be surrounded by the ANBU and Root. Blood will flow like rivers, bodies will litter the streets."
"It won't just be the able-bodied men — the elderly, the sick, women, and children will all be slaughtered."
Haruto deliberately glanced at Itachi. "Do you really want to see Itachi strike down you and your wife? Sasuke might even be killed."
"Itachi would live the rest of his life in unbearable pain. Is that truly the future you want, Fugaku?"
Haruto drew in a deep breath. "Face reality, Fugaku. You don't have the strength to stand against the village."
"In fact, it wouldn't even take ANBU or Root. Itachi and I alone could wipe out the entire Uchiha clan."
"You and Itachi…" Fugaku stared hard at the young Senju before him, taking a long moment to recover from the shock.
"You think we lack strength?" He shook his head. "It's you who understands nothing."
"Do you know why we've been pushed to the edge by the village?"