The scene shifted.
Itachi was still lying on the ground as before.
But inside, his world had been turned upside down.
Feng Yao stood before Itachi, looking down at him.
Itachi fell silent and looked up at Feng Yao.
He lowered his proud head.
Fugaku dispelled his Susanoo and came to Feng Yao's side with the other elders, cautiously surrounding Itachi.
Fugaku's resolve grew even firmer.
The sight of Feng Yao shattering Susanoo with a single kick had truly shaken him to his core.
As someone who had honed his Mangekyo for over a decade,
Fugaku knew Susanoo's defensive power very well.
And Feng Yao's Taijutsu, without any flashy tricks,
along with his earlier ability to pull Fugaku effortlessly into an illusion,
all proved how terrifying Feng Yao's strength was.
This made him even more certain that Feng Yao was the one who would lead the Uchiha toward hope.
"Itachi, you traitor! What else do you have to say for yourself?!"
Uchiha Setsuna and the others looked at Itachi, defeated at Feng Yao's hands, with disappointment, anger, and bitter regret at his failure to live up to their expectations.
They hated him for siding with the Hokage's faction and believing the claims of Danzo and the others.
Faced with the elders' accusations, Itachi offered no rebuttal and chose silence.
"Clan Head, may I, as his father, see him off myself?"
Fugaku did not know that Feng Yao had used Izanami on Itachi.
Since Itachi had been defeated, the final outcome would still be death.
The elders said nothing. They understood how Fugaku felt at that moment.
"See him off? When did I ever say I was going to kill Itachi?"
Feng Yao glanced at Fugaku.
"I used Izanami on Itachi, and he has recognized reality. He knows what to do now."
At those words, Fugaku wept with joy.
"Thank you... Clan Head!"
Watching his father's reaction, Itachi could hardly believe it.
This was his father, who was always so stern and composed.
He had actually cried for him...
Itachi suddenly realized that perhaps he had never truly understood his father...
Hearing that it was Izanami, Uchiha Setsuna understood.
He looked at Uchiha Itachi and snorted. "Since the Clan Head has spoken on your behalf, and your betrayal of the clan caused no major casualties, you may receive a lighter punishment!"
"But..."
His tone shifted.
"You may be spared death, but you won't escape punishment."
"This disaster befell the clan because of you. Even if the Clan Head lets you off, the clansmen won't."
Itachi fell silent.
"Elder Setsuna, I know what to do..."
"Good."
Although the other elders were disappointed in Itachi,
he had awakened the Mangekyo, after all, and naturally, they did not want such a genius to fall.
So they tacitly agreed.
"Thank you, Elder Setsuna. Thank you, elders!"
Fugaku helped his son up and thanked the elders.
"Yes, but Itachi is injured, so he shouldn't show himself tonight. Go back and recover."
"The Third is too cowardly to dare fight us."
"Thank you, Clan Head."
Listening to Feng Yao, Itachi had not expected that the one who truly saw through all this would instead be a radical.
Perhaps he and Shisui...
"Enough. Our most pressing task now is to resolve tonight's crisis!"
"Clan Head, what do you have in mind?" Uchiha Yashiro asked.
"Heh, hasn't Hiruzen Sarutobi been saying that we Uchiha were behind the Nine-Tails incident?"
"Fine, then. I'll give him what he wants!"
Hearing that Feng Yao intended to target the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, Uchiha Setsuna frowned.
"But the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki will have a large Anbu guard around him. Besides, he's the Fourth's son..."
"Heh, just how much do you think Hiruzen Sarutobi values Naruto Uzumaki? In his eyes, Naruto Uzumaki is nothing but a tool."
"As for the Fourth, who knows how much of his and Kushina's property Hiruzen Sarutobi has pocketed, while their son lives not knowing where his next meal will come from!"
"If he really cared about Naruto Uzumaki, he wouldn't let him live in a cheap rented apartment or eat expired food!"
"He lets the villagers bully him like a monster and subjects him to all the world's indifference, then steps out like a savior to rescue him!"
Hearing Feng Yao explain it this way, everyone understood.
Itachi's feelings were even more conflicted. He had never imagined that the son the Fourth had left behind lived so miserably.
If the Fourth knew, would he regret it...?
Uchiha Setsuna was even more direct.
"Hmph! Not one of that evil old Senju bastard's students is any good. Protecting Naruto? They merely see him as their tool!"
Setsuna had once launched a coup during the reign of the Second Hokage Tobirama Senju, but unfortunately, it had failed.
At the time, to win over the Uchiha and stabilize the village, Tobirama Senju had dealt with it leniently.
He had punished only Setsuna, the ringleader.
As a result, Setsuna had been imprisoned for over twenty years before being released.
His loathing for Tobirama Senju was no less than that of his forebears, Madara and Izuna.
"Continue protecting the clan grounds. Kill any Root or Anbu infiltrators on sight!"
"Since the Third has shown us no humanity, he can't blame us Uchiha for showing him no loyalty!"
"Yes..."
After giving a few brief instructions, Uchiha Fengyao activated Kamui and headed for Naruto's home.
A room in utter disarray.
That was Feng Yao's first impression of Naruto's room.
There was also a stale, moldy smell mixed with a stench, trash and instant noodle cups all over the floor, and clothes strewn about...
Feng Yao shook his head. What a mess!
"Huh? Mister, who are you..."
Naruto, sitting on the bed, noticed Feng Yao.
Before he could finish, Feng Yao fixed him with his Sharingan.
"What a rude brat. Even counting my previous life, I'm only twenty-two!"
Then Feng Yao entered Naruto's inner world and saw the sealed Nine-Tails-or rather, Kurama.
"This cold chakra... You evil Uchiha, get out!"
The sleeping Kurama opened his scarlet eyes and looked at Feng Yao, who had appeared before the seal.
In particular, the familiar chakra coming from Feng Yao seemed to bring back unpleasant memories, instantly souring his mood.
But when he saw Feng Yao's unusual Sharingan, his pupils abruptly contracted.
He immediately grew wary.
"Quiet down, Kurama!"
Feng Yao looked at the enormous Nine-Tails.
"What? Uchiha brat, how could you possibly know that name?!"
"Haha, take a guess!"
Feng Yao laughed. This fox was even bigger than he had seen in his previous life.
"Hmph!"
Seeing Feng Yao tease him,
Kurama found it utterly unbelievable.
He could not sense the slightest malice from this Uchiha. Instead, there was a strange feeling.
As though he were watching a monkey.
This irritated Kurama greatly.
But inwardly, he also relaxed.
Knowing that the other party bore no malice, he simply stopped bothering.
He lay straight down and ignored Feng Yao.
Feng Yao walked up to the seal. On it were the sealing tags for the Eight Trigrams Seal and the Four Symbols Seal.
He grabbed a sealing tag and forcefully tore downward...
"Although I don't know what has happened in Konoha, I'm sorry, but I can't let you release the Nine-Tails!"
A hand caught Feng Yao's hand as he tore downward.
The man had blond hair. He was none other than Konoha's Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze.
"Hah!"
Boom...
Feng Yao appeared some distance away.
Standing beside the Fourth was the former Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, Kushina Uzumaki!
"Roar..."
"Minato Namikaze! Kushina!"
The Nine-Tails roared and battered the sealed gate. He had thought he would be free any moment.
He had not expected them to have left a contingency for this critical moment!
"You want to lay a hand on my precious son? Not a chance!"
Kushina Uzumaki stood shoulder to shoulder with Minato.
"You're mere chakra. You're no match for me!"
The oppressive force of Feng Yao's powerful chakra and mental strength made Minato and Kushina's expressions turn grave.
"I remember you, Uchiha Fengyao. You're Shisui's friend, aren't you? What happened in Konoha?"
Seeing that Minato still remembered him, Feng Yao did feel somewhat conflicted.
If Minato were still alive, the conflict between the Uchiha and Konoha really might have been resolved.
Unfortunately...
"Hmph, Lord Fourth, you still don't know about Naruto's situation in Konoha, do you...?"
At the mention of Naruto's situation in Konoha, Minato's heart suddenly sank.
Kushina, in particular, immediately grew worried. "Uchiha Fengyao, what has happened to Naruto in Konoha?!"
Feng Yao concealed nothing and told them everything Naruto had experienced over the years.
Before you continue