Itachi Uchiha

"Vice Clan Head, we just found Shisui's suicide note at his home!"

"Uchiha Chizakura and the others have already gone straight to Clan Head Fugaku's house to question Itachi Uchiha."

Senya took the suicide note Uchiha Inohibi handed him.

"I can no longer endure these endless missions. If this continues, the Uchiha will sooner or later perish. I cannot continue betraying the Nindo in my heart."

Looking at the final words Shisui had left behind, Senya felt some regret. He had carried out several missions with him before. Though they had not been particularly close, at least Shisui still cared about the clan.

Unlike that bastard Itachi, who had already leaked the clan's intelligence to Konoha's higher-ups for the sake of the village.

They had to change the situation while Shisui's death was still fresh. Hopefully Fugaku had not forgotten his reminder from last night.

Senya put away Shisui's suicide note.

"Come on. We're going to Fugaku's house to find Itachi immediately."

"Yes."

"Shisui killed himself at the Naka River last night. Where were you?"

"I told you, I was carrying out an Anbu mission."

"Let's hope so. Hmph!"

Uchiha Chizakura turned around with the other two, preparing to leave.

Itachi Uchiha looked up at the three men by the door.

"Just say what you mean. You suspect I'm the killer, don't you?"

Chizakura turned back, his three-tomoe Sharingan fixed on Itachi Uchiha.

"That's right, brat."

"Listen. If you dare betray the clan, we will never forgive you!"

Shisui's final words from last night suddenly surfaced in his mind. The words of Chizakura and the other two kept grating on his nerves.

Itachi threw a swift punch forward, knocking all three of them to the ground.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

With his head lowered, he stared directly at the three men lying on the ground.

"Clan this, clan that."

"You self-righteous fools."

"How could you possibly understand the limits of my capacity?"

"That is why you were beaten to the ground by me."

Just as Itachi Uchiha was about to strike again, Fugaku emerged from the end of the street and rushed over.

"Stop! Itachi, what exactly is going on—"

"Whoosh—bang!"

His right hand swiftly threw a kunai, which lodged itself in the mural on the wall beside him. Cracks spread across the wall, and the Uchiha Gunbai depicted in the mural shattered as well.

"My capacity has already despaired of this arrogant, tedious clan."

"Well, Itachi, how could you say something like that when you're the clan head's son?"

Senya leaped down from the roof and landed in front of Itachi. Inohibi followed close behind, quickly helping the three men up from the ground.

Fugaku watched from the side.

He had no idea what Senya planned to do next. Thinking back to last night's Clan Meeting, Senya really did have an awful personality. He had not even told him how to play along. Hopefully Itachi would not suffer too much.

He silently prayed for Itachi...

"Senya Uchiha, this is none of your business."

Itachi knew Senya. Within the clan, he was known as a genius second only to Shisui and himself, and he had awakened the three-tomoe Sharingan at a young age as well.

But Itachi, who had not attended the Clan Meeting last night, clearly did not know that Senya had not only awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan, but had also become the vice clan head.

Senya smiled and shook his head as he looked at this born traitor before him.

"I am now the vice clan head. Do you think I have the right to interfere?"

Itachi frowned and turned to his father, wanting to confirm whether Senya's words were true.

When Fugaku nodded, Itachi did not know how to refute Senya. After all, Senya was right. He did indeed have the right to interfere.

Watching the now-silent Itachi, Senya pretended to think for a moment.

"Itachi, come to the Naka River with Fugaku tonight."

After leaving those words behind, Senya departed with Inohibi, Chizakura, and the others.

Watching Senya's group leave, Itachi turned to Fugaku.

"Father, why did Senya suddenly become the vice clan head?"

Fugaku directly told Itachi everything that had happened at the Clan Meeting. Seeing the stunned expression on Itachi's face, he did not know whether there was anything else he needed to say.

But considering Senya's plan, sorry, son. It was better to let Senya tell you some things tonight. Your father was not deliberately keeping them from you.

Whether Senya had influenced him or for some other reason, Fugaku had developed some different thoughts compared to before. For now, though, they were only slight changes. As for the future, who could say?

Night fell, and the faint light of the new moon spilled down. Senya arrived early at the cliff beside the Naka River. Sitting there and watching the waterfall before him, he considered tonight's plan.

After all, in the original story, Itachi was quite the devoted filial son.

In Senya's view, Itachi's life had been exceedingly tragic. Itachi, who loved sweets, had spent his entire life swallowing bitterness.

He had witnessed the cruelty of the battlefield at a young age and been forced to grow up.

The misunderstandings between father and son gradually deepened, causing Itachi to close off his heart.

Only after he met Shisui Uchiha, who became like an older brother to him, did his Hokage-style thinking lead him to resolve to change the village's and clan's circumstances alongside Shisui.

Unfortunately, after Shisui killed himself in front of Itachi, the support holding up Itachi's heart collapsed completely. His conflict with his father Fugaku, combined with his Hokage-style thinking, made him unconsciously lean more toward the Third Hokage and Danzo.

Then, after awakening the Mangekyō Sharingan, Itachi became increasingly obsessive. That was how the later Itachi was brainwashed by the Third Hokage and Danzo into deciding to slaughter the Uchiha clan, leaving only his younger brother Sasuke alive.

But now, although Itachi had awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan, he had not yet reported it to the Third Hokage and Danzo. This was the perfect time to intercept him.

As long as he could successfully break Itachi's defenses now, he could turn him into a sharp blade in his own hand, under his control.

Two figures flickered swiftly through the forest behind him before finally coming to a stop behind Senya.

"Sit down."

Itachi and Fugaku sat on either side of Senya.

Looking at the waterfall before him, Itachi was reminded once more of the scene of Shisui's suicide.

Ever since learning from Fugaku what Senya had said at the Clan Meeting, he had been thinking all the way here. According to Senya, the clan had no way out, but it seemed Senya already had a solution.

If there was a way for the village and clan to coexist peacefully, he naturally did not want to raise a blade against his own kin in the future.

"Senya, what method are you going to use to help the clan escape its current predicament?"

Itachi spoke first, wanting to get to the bottom of it.

Senya's brows immediately furrowed as he looked at Itachi on his right.

"Itachi Uchiha, you should first recognize your own problems before asking that."

"Me? What problem do I have?"

For a moment, Itachi could not understand Senya's question. He looked toward Fugaku, who sat on Senya's left.

Feeling Itachi's gaze, Fugaku kept his eyes on the waterfall before him. He constantly reminded himself that he had to cooperate properly with Senya and act his part well. Senya was now the clan's only hope, and he had to cooperate.

Senya silently raised his right hand and slapped his forehead, inwardly complaining about Fugaku. Sigh, I never should have had such high hopes. Looks like I'll have to do this myself after all. Rely on Fugaku? Forget it. That's asking too much of him.

"Answer a few questions for me, Itachi."

"Why did the Uchiha and Senju establish Konoha?"

"What is your surname?"

"Who raised you to adulthood?"

"What did Shisui say to you at the end?"

Senya threw these questions directly at Itachi. Other than the first, Itachi felt they were all pointless questions, but he suppressed his doubts and answered.

"The Uchiha and Senju established Konoha for peace, naturally."

"My surname is Uchiha. My father and mother raised me."

"At the end, Shisui told me to protect the village and the name of the Uchiha clan."

Senya shook his head again and again after hearing that. Still, at least Itachi knew he had been raised by his parents. Combined with his Word Spirit ability, there was still a high chance he could save Itachi from the brainwashing of Danzo and the Third Hokage.

Only after hearing Itachi confirm it did Fugaku have no choice but to believe that Shisui had committed suicide in order to ease the conflict between the clan and the village. Yet unexpectedly, the conflict had not lessened at all. It had only intensified.

"Itachi, you are wrong. The Uchiha and Senju joined forces to establish Konoha not for peace, but to protect their clansmen."

"And you misunderstood Shisui's final words."

"Protect the village and the name of the Uchiha clan."

"That is how you should understand them."