Itachi: His Thoughts Are So Powerful

The morning mist clung to the banks of the Naka River.

Shisui and Itachi lay side by side on the soft grass, their chests rising and falling rhythmically after finishing their morning training, sweat trickling down their temples.

"You asked me yesterday why I call the doctor 'Brother Kazuhiko'," Shisui said suddenly, gazing at the azure sky.

"It's because he invited me into a dream."

Itachi turned his head. "What kind of dream?"

"A dream called 'What If'." Shisui smiled, his eyes fixed on the white clouds drifting across the horizon.

"That is what Brother Kazuhiko calls his genjutsu."

He paused, his voice softening as he seemed to drift into memory. "It was also the dream that allowed me to 'see' the truth."

The sunlight began to grow harsh.

Shisui squinted, the scene of the first time he walked into that "Psychology Clinic" flashing through his mind—

It was a morning just like this one, with sunlight slanting through the window, illuminating the young man dozing on a recliner.

At that time, he had been clutching an investigation report on Kazuhiko, convinced the man was nothing more than a charlatan deceiving the clan.

"Doctor Kazuhiko?"

Shisui scanned the minimalist office, his gaze locking onto the man. "A psychology clinic, supposedly capable of 'treating the psychological ailments' of the Uchiha?"

Kazuhiko opened his eyes, saw the animal mask on Shisui that signified his status in the Anbu, and smiled.

"The genius Shisui. A rare guest. Sit."

"That won't be necessary. I'm only here to confirm one thing—" Shisui maintained his politeness, though his tone was laced with detachment.

"That you aren't deceiving the clan."

"Deceiving?" Kazuhiko stood up and adjusted his glasses. "What would I gain from deceiving them? Money? Or ninjutsu?"

"Hope." Shisui stared directly at him. "You give hope to those who cannot awaken their eyes, claiming you can help them unlock the Sharingan. But the Sharingan is the power of bloodline, not..."

"Not something that can be solved by psychological therapy?" Kazuhiko interrupted him. "Don't forget, Shisui, how your own Sharingan was awakened."

Shisui's pupils constricted.

"It was witnessing the death of a comrade, the ultimate agony, wasn't it?"

Kazuhiko's voice remained calm. "So you know as well as I do that the prerequisite for awakening the Sharingan is 'emotion'. The Uchiha must experience extreme pain, rage, love, or hatred..."

"Emotion is the key. What I am doing now is merely helping my clansmen find the 'key' they need."

Shisui fell silent.

This theory... it aligned perfectly with his own personal experience.

"Besides," Kazuhiko stood up and walked to the window, "you should know better than I do—the Uchiha's problem has never been an inability to awaken their eyes."

"Then what is it?"

Kazuhiko turned, his gaze sharp as a blade. "It is that even after awakening them, one cannot protect the people they cherish, nor can they reverse the tragedies that have already occurred."

Shisui clenched his fists.

Kazuhiko stepped closer, his voice softening. "You want to protect Itachi, you want to safeguard the peace between the Uchiha and Konoha, right? But you cannot achieve either of those things."

"...What do you mean?"

"Let me show you," Kazuhiko said, chakra suddenly surging in his eyes, "a dream called 'What If'."

Kazuhiko ignored the [Deep Blue] notification regarding Itachi, focusing instead on listening to Shota's speech while contemplating how to make the genjutsu script truly earth-shattering.

Itachi's shift in attitude toward him was within his expectations.

After all, Shisui called him "Brother Kazuhiko," and to Kazuhiko, Itachi was merely a younger brother among younger brothers.

Without the connection through Shisui, he would never have rashly used genjutsu to converse with Itachi.

"Your father is truly admirable! A combat hero who has bled for Konoha, sustained injuries at Kannabi Bridge, and rendered meritorious service for the Fourth Hokage!"

[Uchiha Shota's favorability toward you has increased]

A little casual praise is all it takes to raise favorability; we Uchiha are just that approachable.

In truth, by this point in the conversation, Kazuhiko was quite confident he could help Shota awaken his eyes without injury, but to systematically harvest favorability, some preparatory work was still required.

After all, the Sharingan represents power, and power is the very foundation of the world of Naruto.

Helping Shota master this power would undoubtedly earn him the favor of a significant portion of the clan.

For instance, Shota's father, the garrison captain; the hawkish elders who actively pushed for an arms race; and the clan head, Fugaku, who desired the Uchiha's rise...

These people were, at the very least, Jonin.

And Fugaku might even be a Kage-level ninja who had awakened the Mangekyo.

"And what about your mother? I rarely hear you mention her. Behind every successful man stands a woman who supports him in silence; surely your mother is also an admirable person!"

[...Favorability increased]

[Uchiha Shota's favorability toward you has increased to: Bond (You trust each other, and may even become friends for life)]

[Chunin-tier Trait draw chance +1]

[Uchiha Itachi's favorability toward you has increased to: Disdain (Mock him, and he will grow to loathe you)]

[Genin-tier Trait draw chance +1]

Kazuhiko was somewhat surprised, not because of the Bond-level favorability.

Rather, it was the first time he had seen favorability fluctuating up and down while still granting extra draw chances!

Sugoi, that's very nice!

Now he had another way to farm for trait draws.

Once he became Hokage, he could just hit the disobedient ninjas with a stick and then offer them a candy; the draw chances would surely come pouring in!

During the rest of the conversation, Shota's favorability stagnated, but Itachi's favorability shot up like a rocket.

[Uchiha Itachi's favorability toward you has increased to: Distant]

[Genin-tier Trait draw chance +1]

[...]

[Uchiha Itachi's favorability toward you has increased to: Neutral]

[Genin-tier Trait draw chance +1]

[Complete mission to claim reward: Robust Physique (White)]

[No]

We're nowhere near the end yet; even a dog wouldn't want a white-tier trait!

No rush, let the bullets fly for a while.

At the same time, Shisui was putting in the effort, acting as a mouthpiece for Kazuhiko to instill his ideology into Itachi.

"In that dream, the Uchiha are not the enemies of Konoha, and Konoha has no policies targeting the Uchiha clan..."

"We don't carry the label of dangerous elements; instead, we are a part of Konoha, one big family."

Itachi also longed for the dream Shisui described, but, "Can such a dream ever come true?"

Shisui turned to look at Itachi, his eyes filled with unprecedented determination, "It must come true."

For the sake of all the Uchiha, this dream had to come true.

Because beyond this "what if" dream, he had also seen the "future" dream that Kazuhiko had shown him—

A future for Konoha without the Uchiha.

"Brother Kazuhiko once said: In a family, there should be no distinction between high and low, noble and base; no one should be ostracized or discriminated against."

"We cannot remain silent, nor can we continue to hide and endure within our clan grounds. We must stand tall and fight for fairness, foster unity, and uphold justice."

"Tell everyone: The Uchiha also love Konoha deeply and cherish peace; otherwise, our ancestors would not have remained in Konoha..."

Itachi's eyes sparkled.

That question which had troubled him for so long:

The conflict between the village and the clan—at this moment, it seemed as if a crack had been opened.

That psychologist named Kazuhiko, though he was eighteen and still a Genin, his thoughts...

They were so powerful.