"Mother…"
Uchiha Itachi's quiet voice broke through the tension.
His heart finally began to settle.
Everyone was still alive.
He hadn't committed that final, unforgivable sin.
For the first time in what felt like forever, he could breathe.
He stepped back from Mikoto's embrace, turned toward the gathered Uchiha clan, and dropped to his knees. His head lowered, as if ready to accept whatever judgment they gave him.
Immediately, a storm of fury erupted.
"Itachi, how could you be so cruel? You tried to slaughter the entire clan!"
"Even the children — you didn't spare them! You're heartless!"
"You sided with the village? After everything Konoha has done to crush us?"
"And Sasuke? Don't tell me… you traded all our lives just to protect your little brother? Some 'big brother' you are — disgusting!"
"Uchiha Itachi! You'd better explain yourself, or I'll kill you where you kneel!"
Their shouts echoed through the night, filled with rage and betrayal.
The Uchiha who had once admired him now glared with blood-red Sharingan eyes, faces twisted by hate.
To them, this was personal.
They had watched their friends, families, and even their own reflections fall beneath Itachi's blade in that vision — powerless to stop it.
Even if it had been an illusion, the pain was real.
Then — thud!
Another body dropped to its knees beside him.
It was Uchiha Fugaku.
Mikoto followed a heartbeat later, bowing deeply beside her husband and son.
"Itachi…" Fugaku said quietly.
"Father… Mother…"
Itachi's voice trembled.
"Clansmen," Fugaku began, his tone solemn. "As your patriarch, I failed to guide our family through hardship. As a father, I failed to set the right example — and my son's actions have caused you all pain. I am deeply sorry."
He pressed his head to the ground — a full, formal bow — the deepest sign of apology in the Land of Fire.
Itachi did the same.
Mikoto followed, silent tears streaming down her face.
The Uchiha clan was stunned.
None of them had expected this — their proud leader and his family kneeling in front of them.
But one man remained unmoved.
"Patriarch Fugaku," said an elderly Uchiha, his voice cold and sharp. "You knew, didn't you? You knew Itachi was spying for the village. That's why our uprising was exposed — why Konoha struck first!"
The old man's beard trembled with anger as he glared at Fugaku. "And you — you did nothing! You let it happen because he's your son. But what about our sons? Our wives? Our families who would've died for this clan? Are our lives worth less than yours?"
He slammed his cane into the ground. "Your crime is even greater than Itachi's! The both of you — your whole family — are sinners!"
The speaker was Uchiha Setsuna, a relic from the Second Hokage's era — one of the oldest and most radical members of the clan. His white hair flared like a storm cloud, his eyes blazing with killing intent.
Shisui leaned toward Naruto and whispered, "That's Uchiha Setsuna — same generation as my grandfather. He's always hated Konoha's control over us and wants to start a revolution. Even the patriarch can't overrule him."
Naruto's gaze hardened.
"Alright, that's enough shouting," Naruto said, stepping forward. "He's apologized. The matter ends here."
"Stay out of this!" Setsuna roared. "This is Uchiha business — no place for outsiders!"
Naruto's eyes turned cold.
"This is my territory," he said flatly. "Itachi is my subordinate. If you're talking about him, then it is my business."
His tone dropped several degrees — quiet, but suffocating.
He'd been patient out of respect for Shisui and Itachi, but this old fool was testing his limit.
"You…" Setsuna began, but the rest of the words died in his throat as Naruto's eyes flicked toward him.
A single glance — and the old man froze, trembling.
The overwhelming aura pressing down on him was enough to silence an entire battlefield.
"Itachi. Stand up," Naruto ordered.
"President…"
"That's an order."
Itachi immediately obeyed, helping his parents to their feet as well.
The Uchiha clan glared with renewed fury.
Naruto turned his gaze on them, voice sharp as thunder.
"What's wrong? Still angry? Still want to tear him apart?"
"What exactly are you angry about?"
"What are you dissatisfied with?"
He took a step forward.
"Uchiha Itachi — and Uchiha Shisui — begged me for days to save you. All of you. The reason you're standing here right now, breathing, is because they convinced me to spare your clan."
The words hit like a hammer.
Naruto's eyes swept across the crowd, each word echoing like a clap of thunder.
"Uchiha Itachi is your savior. Do you understand?"
"He saved your lives. Every single one of you."
"And you hate him? You dare despise the man who saved you?"
His voice rose, powerful and unyielding.
"When did the proud Uchiha clan start hating their benefactors?"
The entire courtyard fell silent.
Naruto's words crashed over them like a tidal wave, leaving only shame and confusion in their wake.
Even those who had been furious began to hesitate.
Because, no matter how they felt — he was right.
They were alive.
Every single one of them.
And for that, they owed their lives… to Itachi.
For the first time, doubt replaced anger.
Maybe — just maybe — Itachi wasn't the sinner they thought he was.
Maybe… he was their savior.
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