The next morning.
Itachi rose early.
"..."
As he walked down the corridor, he saw his father, Uchiha Fugaku.
But... Itachi kept his eyes fixed straight ahead and did not speak to his father.
In recent days,
the father and son had not had any exchanges that could be called a conversation.
The only time they had any chance to hear each other speak was at the secret gatherings.
"Itachi..."
Uchiha Fugaku's initiative in speaking
made Itachi stop.
"Don't take what happened at the gathering to heart..."
"?"
Itachi was filled with astonishment at his father's words.
He had thought his father would reprimand him, yet...
"At present, the clan's opinions are not completely unified. I also have no intention of forcing everyone... In my eyes, you're like one of the stones swept away by a great flood—a stone struggling upstream, trying to resist the tide."
"Father..."
"I'm not distorting the facts. If you can't accept what Yashiro and the others said, then stand up straight and present your own ideas."
"..."
Itachi fell silent.
After a moment, Itachi said, "But... in a setting like that gathering, they wouldn't allow me to do that."
"You're right..."
Uchiha Fugaku sighed.
"Father."
"What is it?"
"Do you have an opinion different from theirs?"
Itachi was referring to the faction advocating a coup.
"I don't."
Uchiha Fugaku shook his head.
"I share their view."
"..."
Then, Itachi's dejected expression entered Uchiha Fugaku's eyes.
Even Father...
Itachi wailed inwardly.
Like a stone that had already rolled down the mountain,
there was nothing he could do now. It was already too late.
Moreover, his father had no intention of changing his mind.
The fate of the Uchiha Clan... had already been decided.
The next moment,
Uchiha Fugaku suddenly said:
"If you simply want to follow