A chill ran down Fugaku's back as he listened.
If that really was the case...
Then Onibi was far too calculating.
But soon, he shook his head.
"Impossible. Onibi and I may be at odds, but his loyalty to the Uchiha is beyond question. Besides... if he really wanted to rebel, he could have acted on the night of the coup d'état. Why wait until now?"
Itachi did not argue.
He was merely raising a possibility. His father would have to judge the truth for himself.
Silence fell over the office again.
After a long while, Fugaku sighed, finding himself thinking of Hiruzen Sarutobi back then again.
"Itachi, everything you've said... I've considered it all. But some things can't be based on suspicion alone."
"I'm the Hokage. I have to put the village as a whole first. If I move against the clans simply out of suspicion, Konoha really will be finished."
He paused, his tone firm.
"And I believe most people can still see the three years of effort I've put into the village."
"Take the Hyuga Clan. I saved Hizashi. They should remember that favor."
"The Ino-Shika-Cho may be watching from the sidelines, but at least they haven't kicked us while we're down."
"As for those small clans... they can't stir up much trouble."
Itachi looked at his father and sighed inwardly.
His father was still too idealistic.
In the Shinobi World, gratitude was the least reliable thing. Only self-interest endured.
The Hyuga Clan might remember his kindness, but what if someone offered them something greater?
The Ino-Shika-Cho were watching from the sidelines now because the situation was unclear. Once they felt the Uchiha were about to fall...
But Itachi did not say any of this aloud.
He knew his father had convictions of his own. No amount