Why Can't I Understand Myself

Inside the Hokage office, Hiruzen Sarutobi was hunched over his desk, reviewing a mountain of paperwork, his posture betraying a hint of exhaustion.

The aftermath of the Uchiha Clan massacre had left all of Konoha in an extremely sensitive and fragile state; as Hokage, he naturally had to handle the emotions and balance the interests of all parties with the utmost caution.

Just then, an Anbu ninja suddenly appeared at the door and reported in a low voice, "Lord Hokage, Clan Head Hyuga Hiashi of the Hyuga Clan requests an audience."

Hiruzen Sarutobi looked up, his brows knitting together slightly.

At this time of all times, why would the Hyuga clan suddenly come to request an audience?

Hadn't the matters concerning the Hyuga clan already been smoothed over?

Could they still be dissatisfied with the recent upheaval within the village?

After a moment of hesitation, Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded calmly, "Show him in."

Soon, Hyuga Hiashi walked into the office and bowed politely, "Lord Hokage."

Hiruzen Sarutobi put away the documents on his desk, a gentle and steady smile appearing on his face as he gestured for Hiashi to take a seat.

"Hiashi, what is the reason for your special visit today?"

Hiashi hesitated for a moment, sitting cautiously in the chair before looking up at Hiruzen Sarutobi, "Well... actually, I have come regarding the Uchiha Clan."

Hiruzen Sarutobi felt a jolt in his heart; though his expression remained peaceful, he could not help but grow vigilant internally.

"The Uchiha Clan? Are you referring to the tragedy that occurred recently?"

"Lord Hokage, I am not referring to that matter... but to another, far more serious incident."

"Another, more serious incident?"

Hiashi nodded, his expression grave, his tone laced with obvious anxiety...

"Lord Hokage, although the Hyuga Clan has always refrained from interfering in the village's affairs, we do have our own intelligence channels."

"Some time ago, we received shocking information: that very night, someone within the Uchiha Clan awakened an incredibly powerful Mangekyo Sharingan and used that power to unleash a world-ending jutsu."

"World-ending power? Hiashi, do you know what you are saying?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi spoke in a low voice, his tone carrying a trace of undisguised shock and skepticism.

Hyuga Hiashi nodded with a solemn expression, "When Uchiha Itachi was wiping out the clan, he triggered the hidden Mangekyo ability of one of the clansmen, and that person released a destructive force capable of annihilating the entire Shinobi World."

"This is no longer just a problem within the Uchiha family; it is a problem for the entire Shinobi World."

Hiruzen Sarutobi was about to speak further when Danzo's stern voice echoed from the office entrance.

"Nonsense... it is all rumors. The Uchiha do not have the ability to destroy anything."

"..."

Elsewhere, within the Akatsuki.

Obito appeared eerily, the gaze behind his mask flickering slightly.

"Itachi..."

Uchiha Itachi looked up, his calm eyes devoid of any fluctuation, "Yes?"

Obito remained silent for a moment, seemingly contemplating how to begin.

"Do you remember Uchiha Yuan, whom I mentioned to you before?"

"Wasn't that Uchiha clansman who awakened the Mangekyo dealt with by you?"

Obito was almost choked by Uchiha Itachi's words, "Actually, there was a slight problem."

"What problem?"

Obito took a deep breath and finally spoke, "Before he died, he released a technique that was intended to destroy the Shinobi World directly."

Uchiha Itachi did not react at all...

On the surface, there was still no emotional ripple.

Or perhaps he was still digesting this information.

Uchiha Itachi watched Obito quietly.

"Are you saying... Uchiha Yuan unleashed some kind of technique capable of destroying the Shinobi World?"

Itachi's voice was clearly skeptical.

Obito nodded; he evidently knew that Uchiha Itachi would not easily believe such claims, so he reached out and made a simple gesture, releasing a genjutsu that transmitted everything he had seen that night directly to Uchiha Itachi.

As the genjutsu unfolded, Uchiha Itachi perceived Obito's memory, as if he had experienced the scene himself.

In the vision, Uchiha Yuan let out a low, angry roar, unleashing a destructive power.

"The Uchiha are indeed full of talent; some can wipe out a clan, while others can wipe out the world."

Aren't you also an Uchiha...

Uchiha Itachi's thoughts could not stop racing.

Just as he was still struggling with these details, his prolonged contemplation was met with an even greater shock.

Suddenly, the sky over the Shinobi World became abnormally oppressive, and almost every ninja felt an invisible sense of pressure.

As the judgment of natural disasters descended, death began to sweep rapidly across the entire Shinobi World.

None of the Five Great Shinobi Villages were spared; whether they were powerful elites or ordinary villagers, all were powerless to resist this sudden catastrophe.

The power of the disaster surged across the land, as if this calamity had been fated from the start, and no one could escape it.

"This... how could it be like this?"

Uchiha Itachi gazed at the world blanketed by layers of disaster, a deep sense of confusion welling up in his heart.

He whispered the name of Uchiha Yuan involuntarily.

"Uchiha Yuan..."

He still remembered clearly that Uchiha Yuan had once been an ordinary clansman who had not yet awakened his Sharingan, relying on the connections of his elders to scrape by with a clerical job in the Police Force.

Many clansmen had mocked him, considering him a good-for-nothing...

Shisui was one of the few who had been willing to approach him...

Now, that Uchiha Yuan could possess such immense power, even capable of triggering a disaster that would destroy the Shinobi World, left Uchiha Itachi feeling incredulous.

"How is it possible..."

How could he reach such a level?

The Will of Fire...

One must transcend the perspective of the clan and view problems with the mindset of a Hokage...

It is too narrow-minded, Uchiha Yuan...

"The so-called Konoha is not just about burning the strength of oneself and one's clan, but about illuminating the village, protecting the village, and passing on the flame."

Yet, the disaster within the genjutsu before his eyes shattered all these beliefs and convictions.

That clansman, why would he choose to end everything in such a way?

Why make such an extreme choice?

Why could he not be like his father, attempting to understand and empathize with him?

Why could he not protect Konoha and pass on the Will of Fire...

Instead choosing to awaken a Mangekyo ability even more dangerous than that of Shisui?

Incomprehensible...

He is simply a madman, beyond reason!

This lack of understanding actually stemmed from Uchiha Itachi's own arrogance.

He had once believed that the fate of the Uchiha Clan was already sealed, and that everything he did was for the sake of Konoha.

Why... why could he not understand me, and like my father, calmly accept the final destiny?

However...

Uchiha Itachi still discovered a problem; the Masked Man in the genjutsu was deliberately concealing certain sounds.

"The name he shouted, could it be someone other than Uchiha Madara?"

"Cough, cough, cough..."

Obito glared at Uchiha Itachi.

"Those sounds are not important."

He had never expected that on the night of the clan's annihilation, there would be another Mangekyo user besides himself.

And that the subsequent destructive power generated would escalate to the point of destroying the world...

Had he... effectively become the instigator, personally facilitating the destruction of the Shinobi World?