After the Nine-Tails' Rampage, the already tense conflict between the Uchiha and the village erupted once again.
The villagers could not be bothered to care who had died among them. What did that have to do with them? All they knew was that someone with the Sharingan had controlled the Nine-Tails and tried to destroy the village.
And had killed so many people in the process.
As for whether the Uchiha were innocent or had done it deliberately, who cared?
That was how difficult it was to understand one another!
Or perhaps the prejudice in people's hearts was a mountain.
Of course, all that came later. Time turned back to the day after the Nine-Tails' Rampage had ended.
The City of Divine Descent.
Inside the office on the top floor of the Grass Shadow Building.
The dawn outside the window was faint. From this towering floor, it seemed one could reach out and touch the bright moon hanging high in the heavens as it gradually faded from sight. On the horizon, a ray of golden light pierced the sky.
It shone through the top floor's floor-to-ceiling windows, casting a pale gray wash of light and shadow across the sill.
The young Uchiha Itachi stood by the window, clutching a letter tightly in his hand, his teeth clenched. He had already crumpled much of the paper's edges.
His knuckles had turned white from his grip.
Lu You faced the floor-to-ceiling windows with his back to Itachi, his gaze resting on the vast, prosperous City of Divine Descent.
Itachi's shoulders shook, as though he were suppressing something surging up from within.
A moment later, only after steadying his emotions again did he speak, his voice low.
"Teacher, my father...
"Is he really dead?"
Lu You turned and nodded gently.
"From what we