Itachi's Rebirth, Senya's Resolve!

Joining the village was meant to protect his kin; Senya's words had awakened Itachi. It was true, and he was well aware of his clan's history.

Yet, regarding Shisui's subsequent words and the deliberate pause Senya had made, the meaning he heard now differed from his initial understanding. Could it be that Shisui had intended to express the need to protect both the village and the clan simultaneously?

And yet, he had twisted it into the belief that he must protect the village first, and the name of Uchiha second.

Now that Itachi realized this, he felt a wave of lingering fear. If he had continued to think as he had before, he would have already raised his hand against his own kin today. And what of the future? Itachi dared not think any further.

Seeing that Itachi was beginning to crumble, Senya signaled Fugaku with his eyes not to interrupt, but to let him play his part.

Fugaku, standing to the side, was once again bewildered. What was Senya implying? Did he want him to amplify the rhetoric even further?

"Itachi, Shisui never missed a single clan meeting in the past, yet you frequently skipped them due to missions."

"Previously, the clansmen only ostracized you, but they never once ostracized Shisui."

Fugaku's words were shocking, and Senya's eyes widened in surprise.

Good, very good. Uchiha Fugaku, you thick-browed, big-eyed fellow, I never realized you were this clever. You're really putting your back into acting against your own son, aren't you? Truly, blood is thicker than water—you're as ruthless as they come.

He was driving Itachi to a mental breakdown.

Itachi recalled everything that had transpired: he had failed to stop Shisui's suicide, and every time there was a new development within the clan, he would report it to the Third Hokage and Danzō.

He had even acted as their spy against his own kin. If not for Senya's awakening, would he not have slaughtered his entire clan and embarked on the path of a rogue ninja?

"Itachi, look at your past. The clan sent you to infiltrate the Anbu, yet you ended up acting as a spy for Danzō and Hiruzen. You are disloyal."

"You let Shisui commit suicide before your very eyes, watching him choose the wrong path. To your friend, you are unrighteous."

"Raising your hand against your own kin—this is unbenevolent."

"You failed to live up to the expectations of your father, Fugaku, even acting against him and questioning him, only to be brainwashed by Hiruzen and Danzō. You are unfilial!"

The four charges were pronounced: "Disloyal, unrighteous, unbenevolent, and unfilial."

"Uchiha Itachi's mental defenses shattered. Replicating: Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan ½."

The system's voice echoed in Senya's mind.

Senya was laughing internally. He had expected to copy a dōjutsu, but he hadn't anticipated getting half of an Eternal Mangekyō! This meant that once the Second Pillar awakened his own Mangekyō in the future, he would only need to make a slight move to awaken the Eternal eyes himself.

Since he had no siblings, Senya had assumed he would need to cooperate with Orochimaru to awaken the Eternal eyes. He hadn't expected the system to be this efficient.

Thinking about it, once Obito appeared, the Rinnegan would also be within his grasp.

Senya calculated these things in his mind, envisioning a bright future.

But beside him, Uchiha Itachi's eyes were blood-red; the patterns of the Mangekyō emerged, and two lines of blood-tears flowed down his cheeks.

He knelt on the ground, pounding the earth, hating his past self for being paranoid and arrogant, hating himself for being brainwashed by the Third Hokage at the age of seven, hating himself for disappointing his father, and hating himself for failing to stop Shisui.

All of this was his own fault.

Fugaku stepped in front of Itachi. Seeing him in this state, his heart ached. As a father, he never wanted to see his son in such sorrow.

It must be said that playing along with Senya's act had yielded significant results.

However, it was time to help Itachi pull himself together.

"Itachi, you are my son. Stand up!"

"The past cannot be undone, but the future can still be changed."

"In this state of decadence, have you forgotten Shisui's dying wish!?"

"Have you forgotten the expectations the clansmen have for you!? Do you want Sasuke to see you like this!?"

Itachi stood up, wiping the blood and tears from his face, his gaze gradually hardening.

"Father, you are right. I cannot let the clansmen down, I cannot let the departed Shisui down, I cannot let you down, and I certainly cannot let Sasuke down!"

The "Will of Fire" and the "Uchiha Threat Theory" that Shimura Danzō and Sarutobi Hiruzen had instilled in Uchiha Itachi were shattered in this moment.

Looking at Itachi now, he was a different person from the one he had been that afternoon. Through the joint performance of Senya and Fugaku, Itachi had finally undergone a rebirth.

Itachi suddenly turned, looking at Senya who was still sitting by the cliff, his words sincere and his eyes revealing loyalty:

"Senya, what method will you use to save the Uchiha clan?"

Having regained his composure, Itachi began to worry about this question.

It wasn't just Itachi; Fugaku also stared at Senya with urgency. Hadn't they put on this entire performance just to hear Senya's plan?

Senya began to explain to the two of them the method he had conceived before arriving at the waterfall.

The new moon gradually climbed to its zenith and began to descend before Senya finished explaining his thoughts.

The father and son looked at Senya with complex, incredulous expressions, unsure of how to evaluate his plan.

It was absurd, yet it was indeed feasible. And if the results were implemented, it seemed destined to succeed. It was just... this kind of method was perhaps something only a guy like Senya could come up with. If it had been the two of them, they probably wouldn't have thought of it even if they racked their brains.

Itachi ran through Senya's plan in his mind. It was impeccable; not only could it save the clan, but it could also earn them the recognition and affection of the villagers, and perhaps even...

Thinking to the end, Itachi's gaze grew dangerous. Those two wretched fellows, Danzō and the Third Hokage.

Senya noticed Itachi's expression and stepped forward to pat him on the shoulder:

"Danzō must die. Hiruzen isn't entirely evil; let's spare his life."

Seeing Senya put it this way, Itachi nodded in silent agreement.

Fugaku stood to the side, reflecting on everything that had transpired tonight. Uchiha Senya possessed truly terrifying intellect; he had saved the clan and shifted Itachi's perspective with such effortless ease—things that Fugaku had struggled for years to achieve, yet Senya had accomplished so lightly.

It was fortunate that Senya was a member of the Uchiha clan. As long as he was here, the family could restore the glory of the Uchiha. From this day forward, anyone who wished to lay a hand on Senya would have to step over his corpse first.

As Fugaku reached this firm resolution, Itachi arrived at the exact same conclusion.

Unconsciously, father and son had reached a meeting of minds, forming a united front.

Watching the current state of Fugaku and Itachi, Senya recalled that tragic night from the original story.

I was born into the Uchiha clan, so this time, I shall lead the Uchiha toward glory!

Senya silently repeated these words to himself.

The meticulous care his parents had provided since he was a child, the uncle and auntie who sold flatbreads in the clan, the retired uncle at the ninja tool shop.

Recalling every bit of life within the clan over these past sixteen years, it was fundamentally different from the anime in his past life. The Uchiha clan was merely a bit arrogant, but as long as one treated them with sincerity, the mutual affection between them could be felt.

Seeing the father and son getting along so harmoniously now, Senya smiled knowingly and quietly took his leave.