The clan compound.
Fugaku's home.
Once the closest of friends, they sat facing each other.
In the empty room, both remained silent.
The steam from their teacups had long since dissipated.
Itachi watched the slightly awkward Shisui, filled with confusion and shock.
He had suspected that behind the two of them stood someone deeply hidden who was calling the shots.
But judging from Shisui's expression and his father's sudden departure, his suspicion seemed correct.
And that person's location was not far from the Uchiha Clan's compound.
They might even be hiding inside the compound!
Father probably couldn't decide and went to ask the person behind them.
Shisui stayed behind to monitor my movements and keep me from following.
All the signs indicated that,
his father, the current head of the Uchiha Clan, and his close friend, whose strength was no less than his own, now seemed to be taking orders from a mysterious person.
It looks like my mission to spy on the clan... has failed.
Perhaps... the mission was exposed long ago.
No wonder I haven't been able to uncover any intelligence on Father all this time.
And it isn't just Father and Shisui!
That strange sense of distance from Mother lately seems to have an explanation too.
But,
aside from the Third, the only people who knew about my secret mission were Danzo and the two Hokage Advisors.
His mind raced.
For a moment, Itachi even suspected Danzo himself.
But he quickly dismissed the thought.
Setting aside the fact that Danzo had gouged out Shisui's eye, his father knew Danzo's character well and would never take orders from him.
But... Itachi still could not find a suitable answer.
Upon arriving home, Fugaku nodded to Mikoto, then headed into the inner room.
Fugaku's arrival also happened to break the silence.
The scarlet faded from Shisui's eyes, turning them black again, and he gave Itachi a somewhat awkward smile.
Fugaku glanced impassively at his eldest son and took a golden shuriken from inside his clothes.
Under Itachi's and Shisui's puzzled gazes, Fugaku casually tossed the marked shuriken onto a corner of the tea table.
Fugaku looked at Itachi and said expressionlessly, "The person you want to see will appear shortly."
With that, he sat down without another word and began sipping the cold tea on the table.
Itachi frowned and nodded, paying no mind to his father's cold attitude.
After all, what he himself had done-helping the village monitor the Uchiha Clan...
was, to some extent...
Not throwing him out outright was already more than he could ask for.
"Scrape~"
Uchiha Mikoto entered the room carrying hot tea.
After clearing away the cold tea on the table, Mikoto glanced at Itachi with a complicated look, then set four freshly brewed cups of hot tea on the table.
Itachi's heart tightened.
As I thought... Mother knows about that person too.
Mother never stays when Father discusses business.
Then this last cup of tea must be for him...
The shuriken at the edge of the tea table suddenly emitted a faint fluctuation of chakra.
In the rather quiet room, that tiny change instantly drew everyone's attention.
"Hey~ Big Sis Mikoto!"
Mikoto, who had been about to leave, stopped in her tracks.
A black robe with red clouds, a wooden mask.
The disguised Haruma became the center of attention the instant he appeared.
"Space-Time Ninjutsu!"
Itachi's low exclamation brought everyone back to their senses.
Apart from Fugaku, who remained fairly composed, Shisui, Mikoto, and Itachi were all astonished.
Shisui thought, My close friend really is amazing. He's already mastered Space-Time Ninjutsu!
Mikoto panicked inwardly. What do I do? Dressed like this, he clearly doesn't look like he intends to reveal his identity! But he called me Big Sis Mikoto!
Should I answer? Or pretend I don't know him?
Another layer of mystery clouded Itachi's mind. This person! Just who is he?!!
The shuriken Father tossed down earlier must have been a space-time coordinate.
Does this person know the Flying Thunder God Technique?
It's one of the village's closely guarded secrets. How did he master it?
His mere entrance had stunned everyone.
Haruma scratched his head, chuckled, and sat down.
Recovering, Mikoto nodded to Haruma and walked out carrying the tea tray.
He clasped his hands, propped his elbows on the tea table, and rested his head on his hands.
Haruma looked calmly at Itachi and said casually, "I hear you wanted to talk to me?"
Setting aside his many doubts and his shock, Itachi nodded.
First, he stood and bowed to Haruma. "Although I don't know your true identity, I would still like to thank you first for saving Shisui's life."
Seeing Haruma nod, Itachi sat back down and asked solemnly, "I want to know what exactly your goal is."
"Do you want to ignite a war between the Uchiha Clan and the village..."
"Or surrender power and show weakness so the Uchiha Clan gives up the idea of rebelling?"
"Itachi!"
Fugaku barked, his face darkening as he looked at his eldest son in displeasure. "You're not even pretending anymore?"
"That tone of yours, like one of the village higher-ups interrogating the Uchiha Clan! You really are my wonderful son!"
Itachi looked Fugaku straight in the eyes and replied solemnly, "I simply don't want the village, which only achieved peace with such difficulty, to be plunged into war again."
"You...!"
Fugaku's gaze hardened. He was about to speak when Haruma interrupted him.
Haruma waved a hand and looked at Itachi, his tone teasing. "I'd like to ask you a question first."
"Are you speaking to me as a member of the Hokage's Anbu? Or as Fugaku's son and a member of the Uchiha Clan?"
"Is there a difference?"
"If your capacity is different, naturally, my answer will be different too."
Haruma toyed with the teacup in his hand and said softly, "If you're speaking to me as an Anbu, then I have nothing to tell you."
"If you're speaking to me as a member of the Uchiha Clan, then I can tell you my goal."
After thinking for a moment, Itachi said, "Then, as Uchiha Itachi, I'll ask you once more."
"What... exactly is your goal?"
Fugaku opened his mouth, about to stop him, but Haruma raised a hand and interrupted him again.
Keeping his promise, Haruma said, "My goal is simple. I only want the Uchiha Clan to survive in peace."
Cautious and suspicious, Itachi only half believed those words.
Itachi pressed on. "So you had Father recall the clan members in the Konoha Military Police Force to the compound to voluntarily relinquish power and show goodwill to the village higher-ups?"
"That's right. This is the first step in the plan to put them at ease."
"The first step?"
Itachi frowned and continued, "Then what's your next step?"