Rebuke

"I'm sorry, Mikoto. There is no second path."

The last glimmer of light vanished from Mikoto Uchiha's eyes.

"I understand."

Her voice was soft. She stepped forward, gently straightened Fugaku's collar, then took his hand.

"We... will wait for Itachi to come in together."

Fugaku closed his eyes, took a deep breath, then reached out and gently stroked Mikoto's face with the back of his hand.

"I'm sorry."

Mikoto shook her head. The two looked into each other's eyes, as though they had a thousand words left unsaid.

But in the end, neither of them said anything more.

Hand in hand, they walked to the center of the room, turned their backs to the door, and slowly sat down.

Itachi Uchiha appeared inside the house. He removed his ANBU mask, but his face remained expressionless.

He searched carefully.

After all, his father's strength was there for all to see. He had no guarantee of victory.

"There are no traps. Come in."

Fugaku's voice came from within, making Itachi freeze.

Itachi slowly pushed open the half-closed door.

"Father..."

When he saw the two figures kneeling in the room with their backs to him, Itachi's heart hurt so badly he could barely breathe.

The bone-chilling killing intent around him seemed to be fading away.

Silence.

A deathly silence spread between father and son, mother and son.

After a long while, Fugaku spoke. "I don't want to kill each other with my son."

Itachi remained silent as he carried his blade behind Fugaku and Mikoto.

Fugaku sighed. "So that's it. You chose their side..."

Hearing his father's resigned words, Itachi's hand trembled. Only then did he suddenly realize something.

It seemed that he had never truly sat down and talked things through with his father.

He did not understand his father at all.

"Father, Mother, I..."

His parents baring their necks for slaughter sent Itachi's pain and guilt soaring without end.

How he wished his father would fiercely rebuke him at the very end, or fight him.

But there was nothing...

They merely accepted their deaths calmly.

"I understand, Itachi." Mikoto's face was expressionless. It seemed she had nothing she wanted to say to him.

Whether it was disappointment or despair, he did not know.

"Itachi, promise me one last thing." Fugaku wore an expression of dejection and relief. "Sasuke is in your hands."

Itachi's heart trembled. Those words were like the sharpest blade, viciously carving into his heart.

The hand gripping his sword shook slightly, his face filled with pain and despair.

Tears unknowingly welled up in his eyes...

"I understand..."

"Don't be afraid. This is the path you chose, isn't it? Compared to you, our pain will end in an instant."

Fugaku's relieved voice rang out.

"Though we think differently, you are still my pride!"

Itachi was overwhelmed by crushing regret and agonizing pain.

At last, he understood. His father had loved him. He had even trusted him too much, which was why he ultimately chose to die by his son's hand.

But he could no longer turn back!

Itachi choked back sobs, unable to bring himself to strike!

Fugaku said with comfort, "You truly are a kind child."

At last, Itachi raised his long sword, just as he was about to bring it down!

Boom—!

A massive hole suddenly exploded through the wall of the residence!

Amid the flying wood chips, a figure shot out from a blaze of green chakra.

Moving faster than the eye could follow, carrying boundless fury and grief, he charged straight at Itachi Uchiha!

"Itachi—!!!"

A familiar roar exploded beside Itachi's ear like thunder.

A chilling blade flashed down!

Relying on instincts honed through countless battles between life and death, Itachi staggered backward in retreat. At the last possible moment, he raised his sword to block the overwhelmingly heavy strike.

The screech of metal striking metal pierced the air. When he looked up and saw the attacker's face, his pupils shrank to pinpoints as endless shock and terror engulfed him!

"Shi... Shisui?! Impossible! How could you...?!"

That distinctive button nose, short hair, and those sharp eyes that even the dust of the Impure World could not fully conceal...

It was Shisui Uchiha, the dear friend he had personally "watched" leap into the Naka River!

"Why, Itachi?!"

Shisui's voice trembled with fury and disappointment, his attacks raging like a violent storm.

"Why did you go this far?! Slaughtering your clansmen, betraying everyone who trusted you! Is this the 'peace' you chose?!"

Facing the "resurrected" Shisui and his grief-stricken accusations, cracks instantly appeared in Itachi's solid mental defenses. His mind was shaken, and he was thrown into a frantic defense.

At the same time, another figure followed Shisui through the broken wall. It was Shien Uchiha.

He did not even glance at Shisui and Itachi, who were locked in battle.

His scarlet eyes fixed firmly on Fugaku Uchiha, who sat motionless with astonishment on his face.

"Clan Head Fugaku!"

"You disgust me!"

Shien's voice was cold and furious, filled with undisguised condemnation.

"You actually think a butcher like this is kind!"

"Look outside! Look at your clansmen lying in pools of blood!"

"Their blood has not even gone cold!"

"And yet, you possess the power of the Mangekyo Sharingan, but sit here waiting for death like a coward!"

His words were like the most vicious daggers, precisely cutting open Fugaku's most painful and conflicted choice.

Fugaku's face filled with embarrassment and shame.

"Just to preserve the life of your other son, Sasuke? Using the blood of the entire clan to pave a seemingly safe single-plank bridge for your son?"

"Someone so selfish and cold-blooded is unworthy of being clan head!"

"You are a sinner of the Uchiha!"

Bang! Shisui kicked Itachi in the chest. Itachi spat out a mouthful of blood!

Seeing Itachi being beaten back, all of Fugaku's fear, shock, and shame turned into anger born of humiliation!

He abruptly rose to his feet. The Three-Tomoe Sharingan in his eyes instantly transformed into the Mangekyo Sharingan!

Yet system notifications kept ringing in Shien's ears:

[Ding! Detected a major alteration to the fate of plot character "Mikoto Uchiha." World feedback has reached the third stage!]

[Reward issued: Mikoto Uchiha's Shuriken-Throwing Technique, Swordsmanship Technique, 1:1 Chakra Replication (Mikoto Uchiha's current state)!]

[Ding! Detected a major alteration to the fate of plot character "Fugaku Uchiha." World feedback has reached the third stage!]

[Reward issued: Fugaku Uchiha's Genjutsu-Use Technique, Fugaku Uchiha's Mangekyo Sharingan-Use Technique, 1:1 Ocular Power Replication (Fugaku Uchiha's current state)!]

Two immense streams of knowledge and energy instantly poured into Shien's body and soul.

Unlike the memories that had previously entered his mind, these were directly infused into his soul.

In an instant, Shien felt as though he had used these techniques thousands upon thousands of times.

The chakra from Mikoto also caused his total chakra reserves to rise steadily.

Especially Fugaku's pure and powerful Mangekyo ocular power, which frantically stacked and fused with the ocular power Shien had only just awakened!

When Fugaku's Mangekyo Sharingan turned toward Shien, the Three-Tomoe Sharingan in Shien's eyes likewise transformed into the Mangekyo Sharingan!

Buzz—!

Violent ocular power erupted from Shien's eyes, instantly crashing into Fugaku's ocular power.

Pain shot through Fugaku's mind, and he staggered a step backward.

He stared at Shien in shock. This clansman, who had always been outstanding, had actually awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan as well.

Damn it, if I had known...

Fugaku's heart filled with regret.