51-55

Chapter 51: Uchiha Itachi, Let's List Your Future Evils  

Just as Izumi's face was stunned and she didn't know what to do, she suddenly heard Akainu-senpai's voice. But it sounded like Akainu-senpai wasn't talking to her, but to Itachi-kun. 

"I see one of the biggest 'evils' in the ninja world in you. I saw it before, and I still see it now. No matter what ripples my presence as a butterfly creates in Konoha, the 'evil' within you seems to remain unchanged." 

Uchiha Akainu's tone was even more detached than Uchiha Itachi's. 

He gazed calmly at the alert floating above Uchiha Itachi's head. 

His eyes could clearly see the dense, tiny text. 

A series of shocking future crimes, all formed by white words, each as small as a mosquito, squeezed together to form a chaotic yet grand spectacle. 

This... 

This was the ultimate evil Uchiha Itachi would commit during the Clan Downfall Night, one year from now! 

The victims included elders, women, children, and even infants. 

No matter their gender, age, or status as ninja or civilian. 

Truly, everyone! 

Uchiha Itachi's brow furrowed slightly. "Evil" within him? He didn't quite understand what Uchiha Akainu meant, because deep down, he truly believed he had nothing to do with "evil." 

Just then, Izumi, who had been bewilderedly walking in, suddenly remembered something. Her pupils trembled, and she gasped in utter shock, "Senpai, your eyes... could it be that you're seeing Itachi-kun's 'evil'?!" 

Eyes!? 

Uchiha Itachi and Uchiha Fugaku, father and son, immediately caught onto that crucial keyword. 

They suddenly realized that Uchiha Akainu's statement about "seeing evil" wasn't just some abstract idea. 

It was very likely that he literally saw it! 

Izumi definitely knew some secrets about Uchiha Akainu that they didn't. 

This secret was most likely connected to the Sharingan! 

"Indeed, I see it," Uchiha Akainu stated. "Uchiha Itachi, the 'evil' within you constantly stirs my killing intent. But logic tells me that your 'evil' is not happening now, nor has it happened in the past." 

Uchiha Itachi's eyes twitched slightly. 

Fugaku connected some dots. 

"Akainu, what did you see in Itachi?" Fugaku met Uchiha Akainu's gaze. Though he tried desperately to suppress his emotional fluctuations, the concern in his voice couldn't be hidden. 

He asked, "Your eyes... can they see things we can't? Is this a power unique to Akainu? Have you awakened that legendary power?" 

Uchiha Akainu stood up and walked a few steps forward, stopping about a meter away from Uchiha Itachi. One was eighteen, the other twelve; there was a height difference of several tens of centimeters between them. 

Itachi unconsciously shifted one foot back an inch, and chakra instinctively began to gather in his eyes. 

Simply because the distance between them was too close! 

It was so close that if the other party were to attack him, even if his eyes and brain reacted in time, his body would definitely be unable to dodge! 

However. 

Uchiha Itachi found that Uchiha Akainu merely calmly read out some information he'd seemingly seen from somewhere, prefacing it with a short introduction: "Uchiha Itachi, let's list your future 'evil.'" 

For some reason, Uchiha Itachi suddenly felt a strange tension. 

It felt as if Uchiha Akainu could see right through him. 

As if he held no secrets left. 

"One year from now, on a certain night, Uchiha Hazuki will die from a ninja blade piercing her heart. The perpetrator—Uchiha Itachi." 

Uchiha Akainu read in a low, somber tone. 

Itachi, Fugaku, Izumi. 

All three were startled. 

"Uchiha Hazuki, isn't that..." 

Especially Izumi, she instinctively locked her horrified gaze onto Itachi, feeling her breath almost stop: "Isn't that... my mother..." 

"One year from now? Akainu, could it be that you..." Fugaku's focus was on that terrifying ability that seemed to peer into the future. 

If this was connected to Uchiha Akainu's eyes, it absolutely had to be the power of the Mangekyo Sharingan! 

Fugaku suddenly pieced together some past events. He seemed to understand why Akainu could always tell what evil deeds someone had committed, and finally understood why Akainu's case-solving rate had always remained at one hundred percent, never wrongly accusing anyone. 

This must be some world-shattering Mangekyo dōjutsu! 

Itachi, meanwhile, stood frozen: "Me, future evil?" 

Uchiha Akainu didn't pay attention to their individual reactions, simply reading out what he wanted to read. 

"The same year, the same night, Uchiha Keiko will die with her head severed by a ninja blade. The perpetrator—Uchiha Itachi." 

Fugaku's eyes widened sharply. 

Uchiha Keiko... that was a childhood friend of his; she currently ran a ramen shop in the Uchiha compound. 

"The same year, the same night, Uchiha Izumi will be killed by a Sharingan genjutsu. The perpetrator—Uchiha Itachi." 

Instantly. 

Fugaku's gaze locked onto Izumi, who had long since frozen in shock. 

Izumi woodenly shifted her trembling gaze to Itachi. 

Uchiha Itachi also instinctively looked back at Izumi. 

"Akainu, you..." Fugaku had too many confusions, too many questions, and his face couldn't hide his horror. 

But before he could finish speaking, he was stunned into speechless awe by Uchiha Akainu's next sentence. 

"The same year, the same night, Uchiha Mikoto will die in her home's living room." 

At this moment, Fugaku's fists instantly clenched, his pupils trembling slightly, and his breathing suddenly became erratic. 

Even Uchiha Itachi, who was lost in endless astonishment, suddenly lifted his head. 

"The perpetrator." 

"Uchiha Itachi." 

"The same year..." 

"The same night..." 

Then, one name after another poured from Uchiha Akainu's mouth, each one unique. Their methods of death were mostly similar. 

Either pierced through the chest by a ninja blade, or beheaded, or merely had their throats slit, or killed from a distance by shuriken or kunai—all methods Uchiha Itachi was most skilled at and most effective. 

These names all bore the "Uchiha" surname, many of them names Fugaku had heard of. 

Among these people... many were ordinary Uchiha clan members who hadn't awakened the Sharingan and weren't even considered ninja. 

The perpetrator who killed them... 

Without exception! 

It was always "Uchiha Itachi"! 

Fugaku could barely keep track of how many Uchiha clan members Uchiha Akainu had mentioned until he heard his own name from Akainu's lips. 

Fugaku was close to going numb. 

"This, is the 'evil' I see in you. Uchiha Itachi... This is also the 'evil' that will happen in the future, it will occur on a certain night one year from now, it will be the Night of the Uchiha Clan Downfall. After this, the Uchiha clan will cease to exist." 

Uchiha Akainu's hand, at some point, had grasped Uchiha Itachi's neck. 

His speed wasn't fast; even an ordinary person could have dodged. 

But Itachi didn't choose to dodge. 

"Now, do you still want to ask me why I wanted to kill you a few years ago?" 

Chapter 52: Can You Be Normal, Uchiha Itachi? 

Uchiha Itachi never imagined that the answer he'd get from Uchiha Akainu would be anything like this. He looked up, meeting Uchiha Akainu's gaze. Could those sharp, black eyes truly see through the "evil" he was destined to commit in the future? He would personally destroy the entire Uchiha clan in the future? 

Itachi couldn't describe his current feelings. Shock? Astonishment? Horror? Or perhaps all of the above? So much so that when Uchiha Akainu's hand clamped around his neck, Itachi didn't even try to evade. He stood still, feeling the faint sensation of suffocation as the other's fingers gradually tightened. 

Itachi's lips trembled, and he asked with difficulty, "Is the future your eyes see absolutely certain to happen?" 

For some reason, he noticed that among all the people Uchiha Akainu mentioned, only his younger brother, Sasuke, was missing... a subtle sigh of relief escaped him. This proved that even without asking, he already believed Uchiha Akainu truly possessed the ability to foresee future evil. 

"Itachi-kun, Senior has never been wrong! Even the Hokage's eldest son, Senior saw through his evil! This is an ability that even the Hokage himself couldn't refute!" 

It wasn't Uchiha Akainu who answered him, but Izumi, whose voice from behind was already choked and trembling. The young girl had long since given her unconditional trust to every word Uchiha Akainu uttered. She believed Senior Akainu wouldn't lie. 

That meant... that she, and her mother, would one day die at Uchiha Itachi's hands. She couldn't accept it. Izumi, whose vision had blurred without her realizing, quickly wiped her eyes. She bit down on her silver teeth, asking the question that both she and the silent Fugaku most wanted to ask: "Itachi-kun... why would you do such a thing? I'm your friend! My mother has no quarrel with you! And everyone else in the Uchiha clan, they haven't wronged you either, have they?" 

"So many people are kind! Even Senior Akainu hasn't apprehended them, which proves they are truly good! Why would you kill even these kind clan members?" 

"You clearly told me you loved Konoha so much!" 

Izumi truly didn't understand. The Uchiha Itachi she knew, though a bit introverted, was at least a kind person, wasn't he? At least a ninja who deeply loved the village, right? But why would he turn his blade on his fellow Konoha villagers? 

Itachi didn't answer. He was still thinking. 

"Itachi..." At that moment, Uchiha Fugaku, who had been silent for over a minute, suddenly asked with a complex expression, "If an irreversible conflict erupts between the village and the Uchiha clan... you would stand with the Hokage and them, right?" 

Itachi froze. He suddenly realized why his "future evil" would show the catastrophe of the Uchiha clan's destruction. If the situation truly reached such an irreversible point, Itachi knew he wouldn't choose the Uchiha clan. He would choose the majority of Konoha. To prevent Konoha from falling into a devastating civil war, and to prevent the Uchiha's name from being sullied by rebels, he would choose to be the one to stop it all. 

He would willingly bear all the sin and infamy. Even if it meant being abandoned by everyone he loved, even if it meant being branded a rogue ninja, he would unhesitatingly choose to protect Konoha. 

"...I understand." 

Uchiha Itachi felt all his doubts connect. He understood why Uchiha Akainu held such intense malice towards him, even though he hadn't wronged him. So... this was what his "future" would be like? Did that mean the conflict between the village and the Uchiha was truly irreconcilable? Was a violent confrontation inevitable in the future? And was this "future" just one year away? 

When he felt the suffocating grip on his neck suddenly release, Uchiha Itachi took half a step back. He coughed softly a few times to ease the discomfort in his throat. 

"No wonder you want to kill me..." 

Uchiha Itachi took a deep breath, an unexplainable mix of emotions swirling within him. He looked up, meeting Uchiha Akainu's gaze again, and said, "You believe everything in my 'future' is wrong. You think that if you just nip me in the bud, the 'Uchiha clan massacre' won't happen." 

"But, Uchiha Akainu, you don't seem to realize that you've unconsciously taken the Uchiha's side. You haven't considered the immense catastrophe that would befall Konoha if I didn't do what I'm destined to do." 

"Once the Uchiha clan and the village engage in fierce armed conflict, all of Konoha will be plunged into terrifying warfare. At that time, thousands, even tens of thousands, will die! Konoha will be crippled by that civil war!" 

"Uchiha Akainu, I understand my future actions. This is something I must do, something I have no choice but to do." 

As he spoke, Uchiha Itachi curved his lips into a slight smile. Having realized what he would do in the future, he felt as if he could empathize with his future self, feeling his future emotions. The smile held a faint bitterness, and two clear, hot tears, born of a sudden surge of self-pity, slid down his face. He felt the endless accusations and misunderstandings rush towards him, and he would choose to die silently, carrying his original resolve to protect Konoha and his unspoken secrets. 

That's right... perhaps his future self didn't kill Sasuke. Perhaps he would leave some contingencies, to train Sasuke, to make Sasuke Konoha's new protector. To let Sasuke properly guard Konoha's future. 

"Where the will of fire dances, flames shall forever burn. Whether in the past, present, or future... I am willing to become a withered leaf burned to ash by the flames, to illuminate the village's future." 

"Father, I apologize if I've disappointed you. If you truly do that in the future, I will turn against you." 

"This is my unshakeable conviction and capacity." 

Uchiha Itachi spoke seriously to Fugaku. 

Fugaku was speechless. The look in his eyes towards his eldest son, whom he had always been so proud of, had become extraordinarily unfamiliar, even somewhat chilling. Fugaku wanted to refute Itachi. He wanted to slap Uchiha Itachi hard across the face. He wanted to shout and demand why he was so cold-blooded, why he wouldn't spare even his closest blood relatives? 

But... imagining the consequences of a fierce armed conflict between the Uchiha clan and Konoha, a hint of despair also rose within Fugaku's heart. Since Itachi in the future chose to protect Konoha, that must be the only choice he could make, right? 

—Slap!!! 

A sudden, loud slap echoed, and Fugaku saw Itachi's face snap to the side, a bright red handprint appearing visibly on his naturally pale cheek. This wasn't Fugaku's doing. Nor was it Akainu's. 

"Uchiha Itachi!!!" 

Tears in her eyes, Izumi glared furiously at her friend, who felt increasingly like a stranger. Her chest heaved, and she choked out in a loud, scolding tone, "Is your conviction and capacity to commit such disgusting, nauseating acts?! What self-pity are you indulging in before 'Absolute Justice'?! Do you, of all people, even have the right to speak of the Will of Fire?! You're a twelve-year-old brat, can your brain be normal for once?! What right do you have to decide the lives and deaths of innocent people?!" 

Chapter 53: Justice Will Gaze Upon All Sinful Malefactors 

Izumi's less-than-pure Uchiha bloodline and her fundamentally different personality compared to other Uchiha members meant that she had virtually no friends her age within the vast clan. In a way, she was Itachi Uchiha's only friend, and he was her only friend. 

However, Izumi now found her trusted friend to be utterly unrecognizable. She had never imagined Itachi would harbor such extreme ideas. She used to naively believe that someone who loved the village and peace would likely have a similar personality to hers, someone who, even after awakening the Sharingan, wouldn't become an extreme, pathological Uchiha. 

Izumi hadn't expected to be so wrong. Terribly, ridiculously wrong. 

Even after delivering that heavy slap to Itachi's face, she felt not a shred of regret. She even wished she could slap the other side of his face to make the handprints look more "harmonious." After all... the future Itachi Uchiha, for the sake of his so-called beliefs and conviction, would kill her mother, who was her sole remaining family, and he would kill her, Izumi Uchiha, and everyone else in the Uchiha clan. 

"...Izumi, you're too naive," Itachi said, not covering his face despite the stinging pain. He gazed at Izumi. "Your and Uchiha Akainu's 'Absolute Justice' isn't absolute. If you truly want to execute justice with extreme measures, then you should be stopping the people within the Uchiha clan right now. Their intentions to stage a coup are clear for anyone to see." 

"A coup will only plunge Konoha into civil war, leaving it vulnerable to outside enemies. There are only two ways to stop all of this. Someone once tried the first method, but unfortunately, they were eliminated before they could even truly act..." 

"Only he could have achieved the first method. After his death, only one option remained. All I did was become the one who bears everything. And my actions are what protected Konoha's justice." 

Izumi wiped away her tears. She almost laughed from exasperation. 

"You truly don't understand anything, yet you're spouting what you believe to be correct nonsense in front of Senior Akainu and me." The last glimmer of hope Izumi held for Itachi vanished from her eyes. The way she looked at him was like looking at a mental patient who had just escaped from the Konoha Hospital. It was a gaze composed of a mixture of anger, sorrow, disappointment, and mockery—an expression she couldn't quite describe herself. 

"You haven't even finished six years of Ninja Academy," Izumi sighed. "Yes... that's how it should be. I shouldn't have had any expectations of you, Itachi Uchiha." 

She took several steps back, putting distance between herself and Itachi, and stood beside Uchiha Akainu. Izumi pressed her lips together and said earnestly, "You and I are strangers now, Itachi Uchiha. Your extreme ideas, in my eyes, are the future enemies of 'Absolute Justice'." 

"I finally understand why Senior advised Lord Fugaku to take you to see a therapist. Senior is always right, after all." 

"You're an incorrigible illiterate, a self-pitying chuunibyo fantasist, a twisted Uchiha." She gritted her teeth and said gravely, "I remember you prided yourself on being completely different from other Uchiha. You said you befriended me because you felt I was also completely different from other Uchiha." 

"But..." 

"In my eyes, you're no different from those extreme clan members who want to start a coup. You are just like them." 

After her lengthy speech, Izumi fell silent. She no longer wanted to speak another word to Itachi. She was utterly disappointed and intended to sever their friendship. Different values. No shared path. 

Itachi didn't offer much in rebuttal. When he decided something was correct, no matter what happened, he would always believe his initial decision was not wrong. When he spoke his first sentence, he would hold that first sentence as his core belief, always convinced he was right, no matter how others refuted him. He remained unshaken. 

Itachi also stepped back a few paces. He ignored Izumi and instead spoke to Uchiha Akainu: "I hope you don't become my enemy. Even if your justice isn't pure in my eyes, I must admit, Konoha needs you." 

"If you don't side with them, my future self won't act against you. The premise is that you must trust the village, and also trust Lord Hokage, trust the true justice of Konoha." 

Akainu, who seemed to be contemplating something, suddenly lifted his gaze and asked in a low, ethereal tone, "Are you finished?" 

Itachi paused. 

"No." Itachi turned, leaving a solitary figure for them to see, his cheeks still bearing the traces of tears from earlier. "Although I have no personal grievances with you, our positions are different, so you too are my future enemy, Uchiha Akainu." 

Itachi began to walk away. 

And at that moment, Uchiha Fugaku, who had been silent for a long time, suddenly took two steps forward, standing before Uchiha Akainu. His eyes had turned crimson, and strange patterns, entirely different from the Three Tomoe Sharingan, appeared in his pupils. An indescribably powerful Mangekyo Sharingan seemed to solidify the air around them, instantly heightening the tension. 

"Akainu..." Fugaku displayed his Mangekyo Sharingan, belonging to him as the Uchiha clan head, before Uchiha Akainu. 

"I apologize, Itachi... he is, after all, my son. If you move against him, I will stop you, even if it costs me my life." 

"I also cannot see where the Uchiha clan can go in the future. Everything Itachi does in the future might truly be the only option." 

Fugaku said apologetically, "Perhaps you also possess legendary power, but stopping you, giving Itachi some leeway, will be enough." 

"Since Itachi has chosen his path, let him walk it. Time will tell who is right and who is wrong." 

Izumi looked in astonishment at the clan head, Fugaku, who had just uttered such astonishing words. She vaguely understood why Itachi Uchiha was so unreasonable. It was genetic... right?!!! 

Uchiha Akainu spoke: "I've noticed that stubborn and selfish people always have one characteristic—they think they can guess others' intentions, then act in a self-pitying way. Your eldest son is like this, and so are you." 

Fugaku remained silent. 

"Judge by actions, not by intentions—that's a mandatory lesson for justice. I used to be clueless, but normal people grow after making mistakes. Only beasts stubbornly cling to their opinions, remaining unchanged." 

"If justice were executed based on intentions, 'Absolute Justice' would be the greatest evil in the ninja world. From the elderly to infants, the entire ninja world would have to be massacred to maintain justice." 

"If I did that, then I would be no different from Itachi Uchiha, and 'Absolute Justice' would be stained with nauseating mud." 

Uchiha Akainu seemed to be speaking to Fugaku. He also seemed to be speaking to Izumi. 

"Fugaku, pray you can protect your precious son, and pray that today's conversation can change the future even slightly." 

Uchiha Akainu gazed unflinchingly into those Mangekyo Sharingan eyes and said, "The moment before he makes his move, in my eyes, he will become the evil of this world, a person destined to die. 'Absolute Justice'... will completely crush him." 

"Justice will gaze upon all sinful malefactors." 

"Including him." 

"Including you." 

Chapter 54: Hiruzen Sarutobi's Shocking Glimpse into Future Evil 

Fugaku sighed deeply. He had pretty much guessed that today's conversation wouldn't go smoothly, but he certainly didn't expect to receive such an overwhelming amount of information. 

Would his proudest eldest son truly do such a thing in the future? To protect Konoha, to uphold his beliefs, would he genuinely possess the capacity to exterminate the entire Uchiha clan? Fugaku was lost. Because as the head of the Uchiha clan, upon learning that Itachi Uchiha would inevitably commit such an act in the future, what he should do is uphold justice and eliminate Itachi immediately! 

"But..." Fugaku murmured, "What would be the point of that? Perhaps the future Akainu saw is the Uchiha clan's destiny. And destiny, well, you can't really break it, can you?" 

Even after returning home in silence, his head still spinning, Fugaku hadn't fully recovered from the shock. 

"Fugaku, didn't Itachi come back with you? You and Akainu didn't get into any fights, did you?" Mikoto Uchiha asked, approaching him with concern. 

Fugaku, snapping back to reality, shook his head. "Itachi probably went to report to the Anbu, since it's morning. If Akainu and I had clashed, you might be seeing a wounded me right now." 

Mikoto immediately breathed a sigh of relief. She knew her son and husband had gone to see Uchiha Akainu. For less than an hour, Mrs. Mikoto had been on tenterhooks, terrified that something unexpected might happen. 

"Is something wrong?" Mikoto acutely sensed that her husband's expression and mood were off. 

"...Nothing." Fugaku chose to conceal the truth. After all, telling a mother, "Her eldest son will likely kill her with his own hands a year from now," would be too cruel. 

"Meow! I have a mission for you all." On the roof of Uchiha Akainu's house, the ninja cat, Kikujirō, stood like a human, its paws clasped behind its back, pacing as it spoke in human tongue. Gathered before Kikujirō were over twenty ninja cats – its "descendants" from years of "spreading its branches." 

"The mission is simple: spread the word about what happened at Lord Akainu's house today. I'll tell you the specifics in a bit," Kikujirō announced in a strange, loud voice. "Our goal is to expose Uchiha Itachi's future 'evil' to the public! And to expose Uchiha Fugaku's indulgence as well!" 

A white ninja cat raised a paw, meowing loudly. 

"Speak human!" Kikujirō glared. 

"Is this Lord Akainu's wish?" the white ninja cat asked timidly. 

"Ahem! This is something Lord Akainu tacitly approved," Kikujirō cleared its throat, then bristled with anger. "I won't deny a little bit of my personal cat-emotions are mixed in, because I just don't like that Uchiha Itachi, meow! What right does that guy have to criticize Lord Akainu's 'Absolute Justice'?" 

"And that Uchiha Fugaku, I've never seen such a cowardly clan head! Lord Akainu was right from the start; the so-called 'Fugaku of the Fierce Eyes' is nothing but 'Fugaku of the Cowardly Eyes.' Like father, like son, meow!" 

But soon, Kikujirō noticed that its feline offspring all seemed to have very peculiar expressions, as if they were trying to give it a hint. The next second, it found itself lifted by the scruff of its neck. Kikujirō instantly froze, not daring to struggle. 

"Lor... Lord Akainu?" Kikujirō felt like the sky was falling. It trembled all over, its whiskers quivering. "I..." 

"Don't add extra details," Uchiha Akainu said indifferently as he gently set it down. "Just stick to the actual facts." 

Kikujirō paused, then immediately understood. "Meow! Lord Akainu, rest assured! I've got this!" 

Kikujirō was invigorated. Having followed Lord Akainu for so many years, it only needed a word from him to discern his true meaning. 

"Hokage-sama." Just as Fugaku suspected, Itachi Uchiha had come directly to report to the Anbu. He had changed into his Anbu uniform and sought out Hiruzen Sarutobi. 

"Itachi, my boy..." Even with Itachi wearing his Anbu mask, Hiruzen could recognize him by his build and voice. Hiruzen exhaled, dispelling the lingering gloom from the loss of his son. He asked curiously, "Is something the matter?" 

Itachi Uchiha began, "Before dawn today, I met with Uchiha Akainu." 

Hiruzen was silent for half a second before saying, "I recall you and Akainu had some misunderstandings, didn't you?" He observed Itachi, finding no injuries on him, nor did he look like he had just been in a fight. 

"The 'misunderstanding' has been cleared," Itachi Uchiha said in a low voice. "However, the conflict seems to have deepened as well." 

Hiruzen frowned. "What do you mean?" 

Itachi Uchiha spoke with a revelation that startled Hiruzen: "Hokage-sama, Uchiha Akainu has very likely awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan, the legendary and most powerful form of the Sharingan. His eyes can perceive an individual's future 'evil.' He... he saw the future 'evil' within me." 

Hiruzen's pupils constricted. 

"My future self will, for the sake of protecting Konoha, selflessly bear all the infamy and personally kill almost the entire Uchiha clan, bringing peace back to a Konoha besieged by conflict." 

Hiruzen was stunned. The sheer volume of information in Itachi's words was so immense that he was momentarily unable to process it. Hiruzen quickly sorted through his thoughts: Uchiha Akainu allegedly awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan, and his eyes saw Itachi's future 'evil,' which is why their relationship was so tense. And Itachi's so-called 'evil' was the slaughter of his Uchiha clansmen for the village's peace. 

As for the premise of Itachi taking such extreme action... Hiruzen had already guessed it. It was 100% certain that the Uchiha clan was finally going to attempt a coup d'état! 

The massive amount of information made Hiruzen take a small, sharp breath. His old face became incredibly solemn as he sternly questioned, "Itachi... do you understand what you're saying? Can you assure me that what you're saying is true?" 

Itachi Uchiha lowered his head and replied, "Hokage-sama, this was told to me by Uchiha Akainu. Although his stance differs from mine, I believe his words can be trusted." 

Hiruzen fell silent. 

"A special dōjutsu that can see future evil, huh?" Hiruzen murmured, his gaze distant. "I see..." Hiruzen knew Akainu's eyes could see the 'evil' a person had already committed. But he didn't know they could see future 'evil'! This dōjutsu power... it was indeed terrifying, yet also not that terrifying, because this power couldn't be converted into direct combat ability. 

Hiruzen believed it. He believed Itachi's words, and by extension, he believed Uchiha Akainu. If the Uchiha were truly to be annihilated in the future due to a coup, who would give that cold-blooded order? Would it be him, Hiruzen Sarutobi? 

Hiruzen looked with a complex expression at the twelve-year-old child standing before him. 

"Itachi..." 

"Hokage-sama," Itachi Uchiha responded. 

Hiruzen said, "You've worked hard... Don't tell anyone else what you just told me. Let's just pretend nothing happened today, and that you didn't hear anything from Akainu today." 

Itachi Uchiha looked up in confusion. 

Hiruzen stood up, walked over to the young man, and said kindly, "Itachi, I don't want to see such things happen in the future. You are a rare new bud of Konoha, and I don't want a child like you to fall into such pain." 

"Especially if your clan members were to find out about these things, they would certainly ostracize you, and you might even be in mortal danger because of it. Just pretend nothing happened." 

Hiruzen thought for a moment, then added with a sigh, "You truly are the child I respect the most, and I'm proud of you. But... let's try our best to prevent such a thing from happening." 

"...Yes, Hokage-sama." 

Itachi Uchiha bowed deeply, certain thoughts in his mind becoming even firmer because of Hiruzen's words. 

Chapter 55: Uncontrollable Public Opinion Swirls Around Uchiha Itachi 

Today, a strange rumor suddenly appeared within the Uchiha clan compound. 

—Uchiha Akainu's Sharingan possesses a terrifying dōjutsu that can see "past evils" and "future evils." He saw the "future evil" of the clan head's son, Uchiha Itachi, who, on a certain day in the future, will betray the Uchiha and massacre the entire clan. 

—Every single Uchiha, from top to bottom, men, women, young and old, without exception, will fall by Uchiha Itachi's blade. Even his own parents and close friends, Uchiha Itachi will mercilessly kill them. 

—When Uchiha Akainu wanted to eliminate this "future evil," Clan Head Fugaku stopped him, choosing to protect Uchiha Itachi, who is destined to fall into the abyss! 

The rumor involved the three most prominent figures in the Uchiha clan. 

Because of this, the ninja cats didn't even need to deliberately fan the flames. 

The rumor quickly spread throughout the Uchiha clan. 

But the sheer amount of information in the rumor was so massive that it was hard to believe, causing everyone to instinctively question its truth. 

After all, they had never heard of a terrifying dōjutsu that could see past and future evils. 

Moreover... 

Even though Uchiha Itachi was quite out of place within the Uchiha clan and many clan members didn't particularly like him, given his alignment with the Hokage... 

Still... 

He couldn't be that much of a beast, could he? 

He's still an Uchiha, after all! 

"Hey, you, rookie! Yes, you." In the women's restroom of a public convenience in the Uchiha compound, Izumi, who had just finished using the toilet, suddenly heard someone call out from behind her. 

She shook off her preoccupied, heavy expression and flicked the water from her hands after washing them. 

Curiously, she turned around. 

She saw a female Uchiha in Uchiha Police Force attire quietly ask her, "You're Uchiha Akainu's student, so you must know things we don't. Let me ask you... Is what happened this morning true?" 

Izumi looked completely bewildered: "Huh?" 

She had no idea what Kikujiro had done. 

"It's about Uchiha Itachi," the other woman said. "Did Uchiha Akainu really see Uchiha Itachi's future evil?" 

Izumi: "!!!" 

Izumi was startled, looking at the other woman in shock. The expression on her face had already given away the "answer." 

"It's actually true..." 

She hadn't even answered, but the other woman had already realized something, muttering the phrase in stunned disbelief: "It's actually true." 

Izumi noticed that as the woman muttered nervously to herself, veins seemed to bulge on the back of her hand. 

This senior police force member seemed to be strangely furious. 

She even saw the other woman's Sharingan activate in her anger. 

"U-chi-ha... Itachi... you truly are something!" 

Izumi heard the woman spitting out Uchiha Itachi's name, syllable by syllable. 

Things seemed to be developing in a direction she hadn't anticipated. 

Also, how did this person know what happened this morning? 

Izumi was utterly confused. 

With "Uchiha Izumi" as a "witness" whose words were, in effect, extracted, the rumor that was initially shaky suddenly gained some credibility, sending shivers down the spines of countless Uchiha clan members. 

Uchiha Kagami (Setsuna's) handed his cane to a nearby guard and slowly knelt on a soft cushion. 

His gaze swept over the aggressive faction of Uchiha ninja gathered before him. 

Uchiha Kagami's voice was hoarse as he asked, "How much credibility do you give today's unusual rumor within the clan?!" 

"At least 70% credibility." 

An Uchiha ninja answered solemnly, "The young girl with Uchiha Akainu admitted its truth. And according to our investigation, there were indeed clan members who saw the clan head leaving Uchiha Akainu's home early this morning." 

"Furthermore, considering Uchiha Akainu's absurdly high case-solving rate... Perhaps his eyes are indeed very special, possessing a unique dōjutsu that we have never encountered." 

Bang!!! 

Someone slammed the table in angry indignation, gritting their teeth: "Good for you, Uchiha Itachi! Good for you, Uchiha Fugaku! We work diligently, tirelessly, all to protect the future of the Uchiha. And yet... they want to destroy the Uchiha clan with their own hands!" 

Another clenched his fist, his gaze cold: "Elder Kagami, we need to nip this future Uchiha crisis in the bud." 

"But what if the information is wrong? Does a normal Three-Tomo Sharingan really have the ability to see future evil?" 

"No 'what ifs'! Even if there's a slight possibility, we cannot allow that possibility to exist in the world. Besides, Uchiha Itachi has never been truly on our side. I've long suspected that Shisui died at Uchiha Itachi's hands! After all, on the day Shisui died, we were all at the family meeting, and only Shisui and Uchiha Itachi weren't present." 

"..." 

In a few short sentences, the aggressive Uchiha faction reached a consensus. 

—Believe the rumor! 

Even if there's only a slight possibility, that kind of thing must never be allowed to happen. 

"Gentlemen." 

At this moment, Uchiha Kagami, who had been silent for a while, slowly said, "This old man believes that Uchiha Fugaku, who chose to indulge Uchiha Itachi, no longer has the right to be the Uchiha clan head." 

All eyes focused on the elderly hawk-eyed elder. 

"Clan Head Fugaku, is this true?" 

The moderate faction of the Uchiha clan, who advocated for peaceful coexistence with the village, sought out Uchiha Fugaku and asked him this question. 

Fugaku's expression darkened slightly. 

He had no idea who had leaked the information. 

He naturally noticed the public uproar stirring within the Uchiha clan, but Fugaku found it difficult to step in and control the narrative. He knew that if he intervened, it would confirm the rumors. 

But if he didn't intervene, this matter was very likely to spread outside the Uchiha clan, into the village. 

This put Fugaku in a dilemma. 

So... could Akainu have spread what happened this morning? 

However. 

This was completely different from Akainu's usual quiet and reserved demeanor. 

Had he changed? 

Or... 

Was it someone else? 

"It's just hearsay." 

Fugaku was silent for a moment, then gave an answer that still chose to protect his eldest son. 

He put on a stern face and slowly said, "Itachi won't do such a thing now, nor will he in the future. Our Uchiha clan needs to unite to continue living peacefully with the village. Don't believe the instigation of those with ulterior motives. I vouch for Itachi as Clan Head." 

The moderate Uchiha elders shook their heads, sighing, "We hope you have made the right choice, Clan Head Fugaku." 

Noon. 

Ninja Academy. 

Uchiha Sasuke, sitting in his first-year class, had just finished his lunchbox when he suddenly noticed a few students who walked into the classroom looking at him strangely. 

They seemed to be whispering something. 

And discreetly pointing at him. 

Sasuke frowned. Just as he was about to go ask them what they wanted, to his surprise, they approached him directly. 

"Sasuke-kun." One of them tentatively asked, "Did your brother, Uchiha Itachi, kill everyone in your Uchiha clan?" 

Sasuke: "???"