Why Couldn't He Understand Me?

In the Hokage's office, Hiruzen Sarutobi was bent over his desk, reviewing the mountain of official documents piled before him. A faint weariness showed through.

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 of interests among all sides with even greater caution.

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

Hiruzen Sarutobi raised his head, his brows drawing together slightly.

Why had the Hyuga Clan suddenly come to see him at a time like this?

Hadn't the Hyuga Clan's affairs already been properly settled?

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

After hesitating for a moment, Hiruzen Sarutobi calmly nodded. "Let him in."

Soon, Hyuga Hiashi entered the office and politely nodded in greeting. "Lord Hokage."

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

"Hiashi, what brings you here today?"

Hiashi hesitated slightly before cautiously taking a seat. Then he looked up at Hiruzen Sarutobi. "Well... I came here because of the Uchiha Clan."

Hiruzen Sarutobi's heart tightened. Though his expression remained calm, he could not help becoming alert.

"The Uchiha Clan? Are you referring to the recent tragedy?"

"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 and his tone filled with unmistakable concern...

"Lord Hokage, while the Hyuga Clan has never involved itself in certain village affairs, we have our own intelligence channels."

"Some time ago, we received shocking intelligence. On that night, someone within the Uchiha Clan awakened an immensely powerful Mangekyō Sharingan and used that power to unleash a world-ending ninjutsu."

"World-Ending Power? Hiashi, do you know what you're saying?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi spoke softly, his tone carrying a trace of poorly concealed shock and doubt.

Hyuga Hiashi nodded solemnly. "During the massacre, Uchiha Itachi triggered a hidden Mangekyō ability in one of his clansmen. That person unleashed a catastrophic power capable of destroying the entire Shinobi World."

"This is no longer an internal matter of the Uchiha Clan. It is a matter concerning the entire Shinobi World."

Hiruzen Sarutobi was about to say something when Danzo's hard voice came from the office.

"Utter nonsense... they are all rumors. The Uchiha have no ability to destroy anything."

"..."

Elsewhere, within Akatsuki.

Obito appeared eerily, his gaze flickering faintly behind his mask.

"Itachi..."

Uchiha Itachi looked up, his calm eyes utterly devoid of ripples. "Hmm?"

Obito fell silent for a moment, seemingly considering how to begin.

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

"The Uchiha clansman who awakened the Mangekyō? Didn't you deal with him already?"

Obito nearly choked on Uchiha Itachi's words. "Actually, there was a small problem."

"What problem?"

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

Uchiha Itachi showed no reaction at all...

On the surface, his expression remained entirely undisturbed.

Or perhaps he was still processing it.

Uchiha Itachi silently watched Obito.

"You mean... Uchiha Yuan used some technique capable of destroying the Shinobi World?"

Itachi's voice plainly conveyed his disbelief.

Obito nodded. He clearly knew that Uchiha Itachi would not easily believe such words, so he raised a hand and made a simple gesture. Then he released a genjutsu, directly conveying everything he had seen that night to Uchiha Itachi.

As the genjutsu unfolded, Uchiha Itachi sensed the images from Obito's memories, as though he had personally experienced the scene.

In the image, Uchiha Yuan let out a low, angry roar and unleashed devastating power.

"The Uchiha truly are brimming with talent. Some can wipe out their clan, while others can wipe out the world."

But aren't you an Uchiha too...

Uchiha Itachi's thoughts never stopped turning.

Just as he was still dwelling on those details, his prolonged contemplation was finally met with an even greater shock.

Suddenly, the skies of the Shinobi World became oppressively heavy, and nearly every ninja felt an invisible pressure.

As the judgment of heavenly calamity descended, death swiftly swept across the entire Shinobi World.

None of the Five Great Shinobi Villages were spared. Whether powerful shinobi or ordinary villagers, all were helpless against this sudden catastrophe.

The power of the calamity swept across the land, as though this disaster had always been fated and no one could escape it.

"How... how could this happen?"

Uchiha Itachi stared at the world blanketed by layer upon layer of disaster, profound confusion rising within him.

Without realizing it, he softly spoke Uchiha Yuan's name.

"Uchiha Yuan..."

He still clearly remembered that Uchiha Yuan had once been an ordinary clansman who had never awakened the Sharingan. Relying on his connections with clan elders, he had muddled along in the Police Force doing clerical work.

Many clansmen had mocked him, considering him worthless...

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

And now, Uchiha Yuan possessed such immense power, enough even to trigger a catastrophe that could destroy the Shinobi World. Uchiha Itachi found it impossible to believe.

"How is that possible..."

How could he reach such a level?

The Will of Fire...

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

You're too narrow-minded, Uchiha Yuan...

"So-called Konoha is not merely about burning the strength of oneself and one's clan. It is about illuminating the village, protecting it, and passing on the flame."

Yet the disaster within the genjutsu before him shattered all those beliefs and convictions.

Why had that clansman chosen to end everything this way?

Why had he made such an extreme choice?

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

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

Instead choosing to awaken a Mangekyō ability even more dangerous than Shisui's?

I can't understand...

He's completely insane, utterly unreasonable!

This lack of understanding was, in truth, born from Uchiha Itachi's own arrogance.

He had once believed that the fate of the Uchiha Clan had long been decided, and that everything he did was for Konoha.

Why... why couldn't they understand me and, like Father, calmly accept their final fate?

However...

Uchiha Itachi still noticed a problem: the Masked Man had deliberately concealed certain sounds within the genjutsu.

"The name he shouted... wasn't it Uchiha Madara?"

"Cough, cough, cough..."

Obito shot Uchiha Itachi a glare.

"Those sounds aren't important."

He had never imagined that, on the night of the massacre, another Mangekyō had appeared besides his own.

And that the ensuing destructive power would escalate to the point of world-ending devastation...

I... was practically the instigator, personally bringing about the destruction of the Shinobi World?