Fugaku at the End of His Rope

"No! That can't be! Though the Third Hokage was hostile toward our Uchiha clan, he wouldn't do something so insane!"

Fugaku shook his head. It was still impossible.

"Besides, I have an informant planted in the Konoha ANBU. If anything unexpected happens over there, I'll know immediately."

"Yet no relevant intelligence has come in from that side. That proves things aren't as serious as you claim. You're just making wild guesses."

Fugaku raised his chin and cast Sasuke across from him a sidelong glance, pleased that his own calculations had outdone the other side's.

Yet Sasuke still wore that calm expression, as though everything had long been under his control. In an utterly flat tone, he said:

"Oh! Then have you considered that the informant you planted may have already defected to Sarutobi?"

Hearing this, Fugaku gave a confident smile, his brows filled with pride.

"Defected? Impossible. The informant I arranged will never betray me!"

Sasuke was somewhat speechless, looking at Fugaku as if he were an idiot.

Itachi had long since been brainwashed by Sarutobi, yet Fugaku, his father, remained completely unaware.

"Why are you looking at me like that? I suspect you're mocking me. Is there something wrong with my arrangement?"

Fugaku frowned, his face showing displeasure. Sasuke's idiot-like stare made him extremely uncomfortable.

"No need to suspect it! I am mocking you—mocking you for being an idiot!"

"You... I'm not an idiot!"

Fugaku growled, clenching his fists. Why was this guy so infuriating?

"Heh! Not an idiot?"

Sasuke sneered, his eyes brimming with ridicule.

"The informant you arranged was Itachi Uchiha, wasn't it? You thought your plan was flawless, but little did you know that Itachi had already betrayed you. Perhaps he's leaked much of the Uchiha clan's intelligence to the Third Hokage."

Bang!

Fugaku slammed his palm onto the tea table in agitation.

"Impossible! Itachi is my son. He has no reason to betray me! Don't spout nonsense here!"

"Believe it or not. I'm merely telling you the truth. Whether you believe it is up to you."

Sasuke spread his hands indifferently.

Fugaku's face darkened. No matter what, he could not believe that his own son would choose to betray him!

But Sasuke's current attitude made him hesitate.

A powerhouse of this caliber had no reason to deceive him, did he?

Could it be that he simply found deceiving him entertaining, satisfying some twisted sense of amusement?

Uh... that wasn't impossible either.

Thinking of how the other man enjoyed provoking people and his terrible personality, it was entirely possible that he was treating Fugaku as a source of entertainment again.

Damn it! Should he believe this guy or not?!

In just a few sentences, Fugaku's thoughts had become as tangled as earphone wires stuffed into a pocket!

Suddenly, his brows drew together as though he had found a reason to refute him. He said in a deep voice:

"Setting aside whether Itachi has betrayed us or not, let's return to the previous matter. You said the Third Hokage would exterminate the Uchiha clan. I think that is utter nonsense."

"As the leader of a village, if he did such a thing, every ninja clan in Konoha would be gripped by fear. At that point, Sarutobi's position as Hokage would be finished!"

"After all, no ninja clan could tolerate a butcher who exterminated clans sitting in the Hokage's seat."

"Therefore, I believe Sarutobi would never do something so irrational!"

Fugaku looked utterly serious, while inwardly giving his own analysis a perfect score!

Now, Sasuke across from him looked even more like a fraud!

Sasuke merely chuckled and said unhurriedly:

"True! As a qualified politician, Sarutobi indeed wouldn't personally exterminate a clan!"

"But he could have someone else serve as the butcher in his hands, and Itachi Uchiha just happened to be perfect for that role."

"Afterward, Sarutobi only needs to tell the outside world that Itachi Uchiha went mad and personally slaughtered the Uchiha clan."

"That way, that old bastard Sarutobi can wipe out the Uchiha clan without losing a single soldier, pin the blame on Itachi Uchiha, and keep himself completely clean. It's simply a perfect plan!"

"And you—when Itachi truly does such a thing, in order to avoid father and son killing each other, you'll ultimately only surrender without resistance, calling it respect for Itachi's choice!"

Fugaku was startled by those words, feeling that he could understand the person before him less and less. Could this man see through people's hearts?

He had just made the same deduction inwardly. If Itachi truly chose Konoha's side and raised his blade against his own clansmen, then to avoid fighting his son, he indeed would not make a move against Itachi!

Terrifying! Too terrifying!

The other man had completely seen through his thoughts. At that moment, Fugaku felt that the person before him was unfathomably deep!

Though his thoughts had been exposed, he would not honestly admit it. Thus, he stubbornly said:

"Hmph! I'm not someone who ignores the bigger picture. If Itachi truly dares to do that, I'll break that unfilial brat's legs myself!"

"Tch!"

Sasuke scoffed, stretched lazily, and said without concern:

"Forget it. Whether you believe me or not doesn't matter. I'll act."

"When the time comes, you only need to evacuate the clansmen."

After pausing, Sasuke felt that something was missing and added:

"After all, you're just a background character. It makes no difference whether you're there or not."

Fugaku's mouth twitched. So a Kage-level powerhouse was just a background character in this guy's eyes?

He really was arrogant beyond all limits!

If Fugaku had that kind of strength, he would be arrogant too! Mm... he really was so envious!

Steadying the chaotic thoughts in his mind, Fugaku said seriously:

"Fine! I'll find a way to verify the intelligence you've given me. But right now, what I want to know most is this—my son, Sasuke Uchiha, is he dead or alive?"

After saying this, Fugaku stared without blinking at the impostor across from him. He desperately wanted a definite answer!

Though Fugaku usually treated Sasuke with extreme coldness, Sasuke was still his biological son.

With his son in trouble, he was naturally deeply worried as a father.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow at this. It seemed Fugaku still had a bit of conscience.

"Don't be in such a hurry! I said this question isn't important!"

Damn it! This again!

Now, whenever Fugaku heard the word "important," his stomach ached.

Whoosh!

In the next moment, Fugaku's eyes turned scarlet. Three tomoe spun rapidly, soon transforming into a complex pattern.

He had directly activated his Mangekyō Sharingan.

Clearly, Fugaku had reached the end of his patience!

Being brushed off again and again—did this man really think he was made of clay?

Seeing this, Sasuke stopped fooling around and answered with complete seriousness:

"Sorry! I can't tell you for now, but after this crisis involving the Uchiha clan is over, you will naturally learn the answer!"

"Damn it! You bastard! Today, you must give me a definite answer! Otherwise, we'll both go down together!"

Boom!

Fugaku's expression twisted as his aura rose steadily. Under the impact of that aura, the tea table beneath him instantly split with more than a dozen cracks!

"Oh! You want to fight? Then come!"

Boom!!!

Sasuke showed no fear. An even more powerful aura burst forth, directly crushing the tea table beneath him into fragments!

A battle was on the verge of breaking out!

But just then,

An urgent voice suddenly rang out from outside the courtyard.

"Clan Head! Something terrible has happened!"

Tea table: "Damn it, a world where only I get hurt has been achieved!"