The end

Genya finally spoke.

"Tomorrow will be the first step in showing our new stance. Clan Leader, Father, Mother, I hope you'll accompany me on a formal visit to the Hyuga Clan."

His words left everyone stunned again.

They had just come to blows, and now they were going to visit tomorrow?

Genya explained.

"Officially, we'll be going to apologize for my impulsive words and actions today, and for my disrespect toward the Hyuga Clan Leader. We must be humble and observe every courtesy."

"But the apology is only a pretext. Our real purpose is to use this opportunity to convey several messages to the Hyuga Clan."

"First, the Uchiha aren't all radical lunatics. We have people who are rational and restrained, who know when to advance and when to retreat.

"Second, we bear the Hyuga no ill will. Today's conflict was purely an accident... Third, and most importantly, we must hint that we understand the Hyuga Clan's predicament after the Hizashi incident, express sympathy for our shared plight, and suggest, without committing to anything, that we might have more contact in the future."

"Clan Leader Hiashi is an intelligent man, and a proud one. If we propose an alliance or cooperation outright, he'll never agree. It might even put him on guard."

"But a sincere apology, coupled with a subtle expression of sympathy, will be enough to plant a seed in his heart. In the future, when they too feel pressure from certain forces within the village, that seed may sprout."

"At the very least, we can prevent today's incident from worsening relations between our clans. We might even open a channel of communication."

Genya looked at his parents and the Clan Leader, speaking with confidence.

"Please make sure tomorrow's visit goes ahead. As for the actual conversation and how we respond... leave that to me. I'll know where to draw the line."

Uchiha Fugaku pondered for a long time, studying the meticulous boy before him, who planned every step with care.

Then he looked at the resolute expressions on Sosuke's and Izumi's faces, and at Itachi, Shisui, and the two elders, who seemed convinced, before nodding.

"We'll do as you say. Tomorrow, we'll pay the Hyuga Clan a visit."

With hope in his eyes, Fugaku addressed Genya solemnly.

"Genya, the Uchiha's future may truly rest in your hands. I hope you... conduct yourself wisely and proceed with care."

For now, their private discussion came to an end.

It was the early hours of the morning, and the long, heated clan meeting had ended.

Sosuke Uchiha, Izumi, and Genya walked home together in silence.

Uchiha Izumi clung tightly to her husband's arm, while her other hand never once released her son's.

The worry on her face had not entirely faded. Several times, she opened her mouth, only to stop herself.

In the end, Sosuke Uchiha stopped and turned toward his son, keeping his voice low.

"Xiao Ye."

"Tonight... you did well. Better than I expected. But..."

"There's one thing your mother and I still have doubts about."

Izumi raised her head as well, looking anxiously at Genya as she picked up where her husband had left off.

"Xiao Ye, tonight in the Secret Chamber, you seemed to place a great deal of trust in Itachi and Shisui..."

"After all... their positions are unusual. What if they aren't entirely on the clan's side, or... their reports are even slightly distorted? Wouldn't that expose you, our whole family, and even the clan's new direction to our most dangerous enemies?"

It was the most instinctive concern a parent could have.

Before tonight, Uchiha Itachi and Shisui Uchiha had always been shrouded in mystery and distance within the clan.

Their ties to the village's leadership were an even more sensitive subject.

To Sosuke and Izumi, this was undoubtedly an enormous gamble.

Genya looked at the genuine concern in his parents' eyes.

"Father, Mother, who do you think I was ultimately trying to convince by saying and doing so much tonight, even going so far as to persuade Elder Yashiro and the others in that manner?"

"Or rather, who did I most want to listen and believe in the path I laid out?"

Without waiting for his parents to answer, he continued, answering his own question.

"Those radicals who do nothing but bark? No. Prejudice and shortsightedness have long blinded them. Talking to them would be like talking to a brick wall."

"The wavering Neutral Faction, or the Moderate Faction, whose members each have their own agendas?"

"None of them are the key!"

"Everything I said and did tonight, including the strength I displayed, was aimed at just two people from beginning to end! Uchiha Itachi and Shisui Uchiha."

"What?"

Uchiha Izumi gasped, clearly not expecting her son to say that.

Sosuke Uchiha frowned as well. Was there something special about those two?

"Father, Mother, think about it. Set aside their labels as Anbu or Root members, and set aside their complicated ties to the village..."

"From what you know of these two clan prodigies, what do they care about most deep down? Or rather, what's the most fundamental thing driving all their choices?"

Beneath the moonlight.

Sosuke and Izumi fell into thought.

Sosuke recalled Itachi's behavior as he grew up, his extraordinary maturity and silence, and his almost obsessive affection for his younger brother, Sasuke.

Izumi remembered Shisui's usual gentle yet resolute smile, and the light in his eyes whenever he spoke of "a world where no children have to cry."

Seeing his parents deep in thought, Genya stopped keeping them in suspense.

He analyzed the matter softly.

"The key lies in the inner struggles of people like Itachi and Shisui. They're powerful, deep thinkers, yet trapped between their clan and their village. And certain forces could exploit their personal fixations to bring about the worst possible outcome!"

"Father, Uchiha Itachi is exceptionally gifted and thinks deeply. But his everyday interactions with Sasuke are almost the only pure emotional bond he has."

"I'm certain that what he cares about most is his younger brother Sasuke's future."

"Shisui Uchiha, on the other hand, is a true idealist and a pacifist."

"He despises pointless sacrifices and infighting. All he wants is for the Uchiha to truly become part of the village and achieve peace."

"But his approach relies too heavily on personal goodwill and communication. Against deeply rooted prejudice and schemers like Danzo, it's fragile and powerless."

"He too is lost and suffering, unable to find a way out."

Genya concluded.

"So everything I did tonight was, in essence, a script tailored specifically for Itachi and Shisui!"

"I was telling them that although this path is difficult, it can at least protect the people they care about, and take them one step closer to their ideal of peace."

"I wanted Itachi and Shisui to see that the clan isn't inevitably headed toward madness. I proposed those plans to give them a concrete goal they could place their hopes in and work toward, rather than empty slogans or a hopeless choice between two options."

He tightened his grip on his mother's hand and looked at his father.

"As long as they can see a chance to realize what they cherish most along the path I've laid out, they'll become our staunchest allies. They may even become the most unpredictable wild cards we place within the village's leadership."

"Convincing these two crucial prodigies is worth far more than convincing a hundred mediocre people."

After hearing his son's incisive analysis, Sosuke Uchiha was speechless for a long time!

He studied his son, his precise grasp of people's hearts, and his far-reaching plans for the situation.

Even a seasoned Jonin like him found it alarming. At the same time, an indescribable pride welled up within him, along with... worry.

Uchiha Izumi felt more heartache and lingering fear than anything else.

She finally understood.

Behind her son's seemingly arrogant, domineering display as he swept aside everyone present lay such profound calculations and objectives.

"Xiao Ye..."

Izumi's voice caught slightly.

"You... you've thought far too deeply about this. It's far too dangerous."

Sosuke patted his son's shoulder and spoke gravely.

"You see things more clearly than I do. Go ahead with your plan. But Itachi and Shisui... they've experienced darkness, after all, and their thoughts are difficult to fathom. Even as you draw on their strength, you must always remain on guard."

"I understand, Father."

Genya nodded.

"Trust is relative. Cooperation is built on shared interests and goals. At least for now, the path we're offering is the one they need most, and the one they're most likely to accept. That's enough."

Anyone who'd watched Naruto knew these two, Itachi and Shisui... all too well!

One was obsessed with his little brother, and the other was an idealist!