After arguing with Fugaku, Itachi came to the cliff near the Naka River.
As he looked down at the rushing river below, Itachi had long since fallen into despair.
The argument with his father had made him realize that his efforts to mediate between the clan and the village over the past half year had failed. He could neither change the higher-ups' minds nor change his father's determination to launch a coup.
Even with the Mangekyō Sharingan, the clan's supreme power, he could not change the current situation.
With a soft sigh, Itachi recalled meeting Shisui here in the past. Back then, they had shared the same goal, working hard to mediate between the clan and the village and prevent the conflict from escalating.
But Shisui had died half a year ago, leaving him as the only Uchiha serving as a bridge between the two sides.
As a double agent, he was constantly under pressure from both the higher-ups and the clan. It was nearly driving him mad.
When alone, Itachi had considered ending his own life, but in the end, he gave up on the thought of suicide.
Shisui had proven with his life that the conflict between the Uchiha and the village could not be resolved by the deaths of one or two people. This was a contest between two interest groups. Unless one side completely lost the ability to resist, it would not end.
If he ended his life now, he would only ignite the conflict between the clan and the village, hastening its eruption.
So, even if his father had not questioned him just now, he needed to consider whether he stood with the village or the clan. Hesitating would only lead him to repeat Shisui's fate.
However, on the day he awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan,