Pride and Prejudice

Doichi Hyuga picked up a pebble and casually flicked it toward the tree behind him.

"Peeping on someone else's training is very rude, Itachi Uchiha!"

"Sorry, I had no intention of spying. Izumi's condition seemed off, so I followed her to take a look."

Itachi Uchiha stepped out from behind the tree, explaining with a blank expression.

"However, I can't pretend I didn't hear what you said to Izumi. Doichi Hyuga, what exactly are you after?"

His Three-Tomoe Sharingan spun rapidly as Itachi Uchiha stared coldly at Doichi Hyuga.

"I simply couldn't bear to watch a friend walk into danger. After all, she's just a young girl who knows nothing about the world."

Doichi Hyuga said.

When he was six, something had gone wrong during Doichi Hyuga's training. Since his teacher was absent, Izumi Uchiha had carried him to the hospital.

He probably would not have died, but it still counted as saving his life.

"Looks like you know the Uchiha Clan's situation quite well. Is the Hyuga Clan planning to kick us while we're down?"

"Heh, you're overthinking it. If the Uchiha Clan is destroyed, the Hyuga Clan will become the next target. If you can't see that, then you're truly disappointing."

Doichi Hyuga looked at Itachi Uchiha and spoke disdainfully.

"Also, don't waste your effort. Genjutsu is useless against me."

Itachi Uchiha's pupils contracted as he threw two sets of shuriken.

After colliding with each other, more than a dozen shuriken shot out from every direction, sealing off every path of escape and turning Doichi Hyuga into a human pincushion.

Bang!

Doichi Hyuga exploded into smoke.

A Shadow Clone!

Itachi Uchiha spun around quickly, crossing his arms before his chest to defend himself. Then Doichi Hyuga's fist struck him, jolting Itachi Uchiha's organs as a mouthful of blood surged up his throat.

Itachi Uchiha leaped back with the force of the blow, suppressing the blood as he quickly formed hand seals.

Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!

Doichi Hyuga swiftly circled around the fireball and landed a punch squarely on Itachi Uchiha's chest.

A flock of crows cawed and scattered wildly, while Itachi Uchiha's figure appeared on the distant river surface.

Cough, cough!

A line of blood ran from the corner of his mouth as Itachi Uchiha thought to himself:

He's too fast! I can see him clearly, but my body still can't keep up. It looks like I'm no match for him in taijutsu. I can't let him get close again.

He gripped four kunai in each hand and hurled them at Doichi Hyuga one after another.

Then:

Fire Style: Great Dragon Fire Technique!

Byakugan!

Eight kunai, trailing eight steel wires, coordinated with the Dragon Fire Technique and completely sealed off every avenue of escape.

Eight Trigrams: Empty Palm!

After shattering the Dragon Fire in front of him, Doichi Hyuga used the Body Flicker Technique to evade, taking the opportunity to close the distance with Itachi Uchiha again.

The remaining two Dragon Fires collided with the steel wires, scattering across the area and burning fiercely.

As Doichi Hyuga drew closer and closer, the three tomoe in Itachi Uchiha's eyes spun at high speed and merged into a pinwheel pattern.

Tsukuyomi!

A blood-red moon hung high in the sky!

"Genjutsu: Tsukuyomi cannot be broken. Everything in this world is under my control."

Itachi Uchiha emerged from the shadows and looked up at Doichi Hyuga, who was bound to a cross.

"Now, tell me everything you know about the Uchiha Clan. Otherwise, I can only resort to some discourteous methods. Doichi Hyuga, please don't make this difficult for me."

"Heh! Looks like you still have some bottom line, at least?!"

Since you want to know, there's no harm in telling you. Not every Uchiha deserved to die; quite a few of them would die far too unjustly. Though I'd really like to punch you to death, that would still leave a huge mess afterward.

Doichi Hyuga decided to do something after pondering silently for a moment.

"The Nine-Tails Rebellion was the fuse that intensified the conflict between the Uchiha Clan and Konoha's villagers. In the villagers' eyes, the Uchiha Clan has already become a terrifying threat."

"Shisui Uchiha was originally the key figure who could barely hold the conflict back and keep it from erupting completely. But he awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan, which posed a threat to the village's upper ranks."

"After all, Uchiha Madara's notoriety was too great. An ability as difficult to deal with as the Mangekyō Sharingan must either be completely controlled or utterly destroyed."

Doichi Hyuga broke free of his restraints and slowly stepped down from the cross.

Itachi Uchiha's pupils shrank sharply, and fear appeared on his face. Even Tsukuyomi can't restrain him? Doichi Hyuga, the dead last of our class, hid himself deeply...

Doichi Hyuga stopped before Itachi Uchiha, a gentle smile on his face as he said:

"Itachi! Do you know? Weakness and ignorance have never been obstacles to survival. Arrogance and prejudice are."

Doichi Hyuga altered two words slightly. That saying from his previous life was just as applicable in the Ninja World.

Itachi Uchiha lowered his head and mulled over those words. Thinking of the Uchiha Clan's situation, he felt deeply moved.

The Uchiha clansmen's arrogance and conceit disgusted Itachi Uchiha.

"I understand the Uchiha clansmen's arrogance all too well, but prejudice..."

"Prejudice is rooted in the hearts of nearly all people. Once it takes shape, it is difficult to change."

"Most importantly, your Uchiha Clan has run out of time. Shisui's death has completely intensified the conflict between both sides. Many doves and moderates will join the hawks. Your clansmen can no longer stop them."

"I don't understand why the village and the clan have reached this point."

At this point, Uchiha Fugaku had not yet sided with the hawks, and Itachi Uchiha had not completely despaired of the Uchiha Clan.

In the original story, Uchiha Fugaku's defection had made Itachi Uchiha resolve to turn his butcher's blade upon his own clansmen.

"To put it simply, the prejudice of the upper ranks and the Uchiha Clan's own arrogance created the current situation."

After hearing this, Itachi Uchiha felt it deeply and immediately thought of Shimura Danzō. He was an ambitious man filled with malice toward the Uchiha Clan.

"Now, you have only one final opportunity to use."

"What is it? Please tell me, Dao Yi."

Itachi Uchiha's spirits lifted, and he hurriedly bowed.

"Kill Shimura Danzō, then find evidence of his actions against the village and make it public."

"I can't do that. If Shisui were still alive... perhaps there would be a chance."

Itachi Uchiha's gaze dimmed as he spoke helplessly.

"Itachi Uchiha! Do you think you can solve every problem alone?... Haven't you realized it? You are the most arrogant one in the Uchiha Clan."

Itachi Uchiha was struck as though by lightning, standing there blankly and unable to speak for a long time.

Me?... Arrogant... Since when? No, could something have influenced me??

"How much do you truly know about the Uchiha Clan? Especially your father, the clan head."

Itachi Uchiha's expression shifted constantly, looking quite remarkable.

"You mean...?"

"You were once the top student at the Ninja Academy, a recognized genius. Have you already forgotten the first sentence of the textbook's preface?"

"Believe in the strength of your companions," is that it?

Itachi Uchiha murmured to himself.

"You should first get to know your own clansmen before saying anything else!"

"Also, I'm sure you still harbor illusions about the Third Hokage. You believe he will definitely find a proper way to resolve this matter."

Doichi Hyuga smiled at the dutiful son before continuing:

"I'm very interested in Lord Hokage's stance. How about we conduct a test? Go ask him to exchange half of the Military Police Force's positions for some positions as squad-leading Jonin and mission shinobi. See whether he agrees."

"What is the point of doing that?"

Itachi Uchiha did not quite understand. He was still too inexperienced.

"If he agrees, it means he is inclined to resolve the Uchiha Clan issue peacefully. If he refuses..."

Doichi Hyuga did not finish, but Itachi Uchiha already understood what he meant: if he refused, it meant the Third Hokage bore no goodwill toward the Uchiha Clan!

A Hokage who did not cherish his companions had already betrayed the Will of Fire.

"I'm leaving!"

Natural Energy erupted within Doichi Hyuga's body, and he forcibly broke free of the Tsukuyomi space.

Itachi Uchiha softly said, "Thank you," then split into a flock of crows and left the area.