Great Household Farewell

Uchiha Fugaku rose and activated a hidden mechanism. The bookshelf slid aside, revealing a small door that led into a cramped chamber.

He lifted several layers of wooden boards, exposing an opening beneath them.

I never expected there to be a place like this in our home.

Itachi Uchiha hurried after him and jumped down.

They entered an underground secret room, surrounded by a ring of bookshelves.

Itachi Uchiha looked around. Books and scrolls were densely packed everywhere.

"Let's begin, Itachi. Look into my eyes."

Uchiha Fugaku interrupted Itachi Uchiha's curiosity as his Mangekyo Sharingan spun rapidly.

Eye Technique: Great Household Farewell!

On a dark and windy night—

Two furtive figures appeared in view, sneaking out of the Uchiha Clan District.

"Itachi, follow them. Keep an eye on the other one."

The two figures had already split up. Uchiha Fugaku chose one and swiftly followed.

Suppressing the questions in his heart, Itachi Uchiha chased after the other figure.

The shadow ahead walked and stopped repeatedly, seemingly searching for something.

An hour later, the shadow stopped in a remote corner deep within the Death Forest.

Ahead stood a small hill with sparse trees scattered across it.

The shadow stared intently at the hill, as though it had discovered something.

Itachi Uchiha sneaked behind the shadow and slashed at its neck.

The shadow did not move at all. His blade passed through it, then through the tree beside it.

Itachi Uchiha stepped in front of it and saw its face. Just as expected, it was genjutsu!

Itachi Uchiha surveyed the small hill and found several Root ninjas lying in ambush.

He waited until the latter half of the night.

A squad of masked ninjas emerged from within the hill.

Itachi Uchiha took the opportunity to slip inside, memorizing every checkpoint along the way as he wound deeper underground.

He did not know how deep he had gone before the sound of water led him to a large hall.

Ninjas bustled about their own tasks, but he could not hear what they were saying.

After circling around, he did not see Shimura Danzō.

Itachi Uchiha's vision went black, and everything vanished.

When his sight returned, father and son were already back in the secret room.

"How was it, Itachi? Did you find it?"

"I found it. Deep in the Death Forest."

Uchiha Fugaku was startled, then said,

"I found two locations, but both were too close to the village. It seems the Death Forest is the best choice."

Three burrows for a cunning rabbit? That was good too. Their strength would be spread out accordingly, making success easier instead.

Itachi Uchiha lowered his head in thought.

"This should have been genjutsu, right? Were the things we saw real?"

Itachi Uchiha asked.

"Great Household Farewell is not ordinary genjutsu. It activates based on real conditions and deduces one possibility that is highly likely to occur in the future."

"I assume you noticed it already. The person you tracked was yourself. As for how much of it was real, we will need to verify that in reality. The intelligence obtained from the genjutsu will serve as useful reference."

"Father, have you noticed the effect the Mangekyo has on one's will?"

"Hm? Why would you think that?"

"After awakening the Mangekyo, I found that my emotions were subtly affected by that special chakra. Sometimes, I could not remain absolutely calm."

"By recalling my actions and thought patterns before awakening it, I found those subtle differences."

Thank you, Doichi Hyuga. Without your reminder, I do not know when I would have discovered this.

Itachi Uchiha thought.

Closing his eyes, Uchiha Fugaku began recalling the past.

As time passed, more and more cold sweat appeared on Uchiha Fugaku's face. He suddenly opened his eyes, bent over, and panted heavily.

I was not this indecisive in the past!

"It seems I will need to correct myself every day from now on."

"Dad! Big Brother! Dinner's ready!"

"Let's head out first. Don't keep your mother and Sasuke waiting too long."

"Okay!"

Three days passed just like that, and Konoha remained relatively peaceful.

Dao Yi was quite satisfied with this kind of life.

Training every day, teaching the little brats, going to work and getting off work, eating and sleeping.

If not for that little tail constantly clinging to him, this life would truly have been wonderful... my ass!

"My dear best friend, Miss Izumi Uchiha! I beg you, could you please spare me?"

At the first light of dawn, Izumi Uchiha came again.

This had been going on for three days.

She came without saying a word, simply squatting in a tree and staring fixedly at the back of Dao Yi's head.

Today was even worse. She directly copied Dao Yi, sitting cross-legged opposite him and staring straight at him.

Dao Yi felt utterly miserable.

I should never have run my mouth and provoked her... I hate people with no sense of boundaries.

"Aren't you afraid Itachi Uchiha will misunderstand?"

"Not at all!"

Izumi Uchiha answered seriously.

"What exactly do you want?"

"Help me find a way to save the Uchiha Clan. I'm begging you, Dao Yi!"

Izumi Uchiha's eyes were filled with pleading.

"This is not something you can take part in."

Dao Yi cruelly shattered her fantasy.

Izumi Uchiha's gaze dimmed, and she fell silent again.

"...I have already told Itachi Uchiha the method. All you need to do now is wait quietly for the result."

"Really?... Thank you, Dao Yi!"

"Also, before this is resolved, do not casually make contact with outsiders. You will bring trouble to them."

Dao Yi gave her a look and let her figure it out herself.

"I understand!"

Izumi Uchiha bowed, then happily went home.

She was a little foolish, but she was still trustworthy. Besides, she had helped me before. That was no small karma. I just hope it will not attract werewolves...

Dao Yi frowned as he pondered in secret.

Konoha!

Somewhere underground!

"Lord Danzo, we have discovered unusual activity from the Uchiha Clan."

The one-eyed old man stood up, cold light flashing in his eye.

"Speak!"

"Izumi Uchiha has been in close contact with Dao Yi. Over the past two days, they have secretly met every dawn in the forest outside the Hyuga Clan District."

"Fu, bring me detailed intelligence on both of them."

"Please wait, Lord Danzo!"

Fu Yamanaka entered the intelligence office, brought out two scrolls, and handed them to Shimura Danzō.

Danzo sat down and spread the scrolls across the table.

Name: Izumi Uchiha

Clan: Uchiha Clan

Position: Genin

Strength: Suspected Chunin

...

Experience: Awakened the Sharingan at age ten and graduated that same year. Awakened the Two-Tomoe Sharingan at eleven and joined the Police Force at twelve...

Overall Evaluation: An Uchiha Genin skilled in Fire Release!

Dao Yi's class had not followed the six-year Ninja Academy system because the Third Shinobi World War had only recently ended.

Name: Dao Yi

Clan: Hyuga Clan

Position: Genin [Konoha Hospital Intern]

Strength: Genin

...

Experience: Bottom-ranked student at the Ninja Academy, with mediocre talent in the Gentle Fist. Graduated at age ten... At eleven, his Jonin squad leader and one teammate died during a mission. He joined Konoha Hospital that same year...

Overall Evaluation: An ordinary Hyuga with exceptionally high talent in medical ninjutsu!

"Uchiha Clan... Hyuga Clan... Is Hyuga Hiashi so impatient to step forward?"

"Wu!"

Danzo barked coldly. A figure appeared before him and dropped to one knee.

"This subordinate is here!"

"Take men and bring back Dao Yi's corpse."

"Yes, Lord Danzo!"

The figure vanished!

I'll give you a warning first. I hope you do not court death, Hyuga Hiashi.

Danzo gently stroked his right eye and returned to his calm demeanor.

The Uchiha Clan, this big fish, had already entered the net. Danzo would not allow anyone to ruin his plans.