After the Inuzuka mother and daughter walked away…
Fugaku approached Uchiha Hikari, pulling along a young Anbu ninja who wasn't particularly tall.
"Great-Grandmother, this is the son I mentioned before, Itachi—our clan's most gifted young talent. He's only twelve, but he's already awakened the *Sangen Sharingan* and serves in the Anbu. Last time you visited the clan, he was out on a mission and couldn't meet you. Such a shame."
"Hm?"
Hikari raised an eyebrow.
She could hear a hint of pride in Fugaku's tone.
It was a natural fatherly instinct.
Though Itachi had already started showing signs of his aloof, reserved personality—rarely revealing his true thoughts even to clan members or family—he could still interact normally with people like Shisui and Sasuke. Fugaku and Mikoto likely never imagined that, in another timeline, their eldest son would wipe out the entire clan just two years from now.
—If you really think about it, the root of that mess lies with Fugaku himself.
Who brings a four- or five-year-old kid to a battlefield? Even a normal child could develop war-related PTSD from witnessing that kind of bloodshed, let alone someone from the Uchiha clan, whose thought processes are often… unconventional. It'd be weirder if Itachi's mind *was* normal.
At that moment…
A thought struck Hikari.
"Itachi's here… Is this a coincidence?"
In the original story, Uchiha Itachi and Obito had met long before—when Itachi was eight. While on a mission as a genin, he encountered Obito, who killed his teammates, triggering Itachi to awaken his *Sharingan* for the first time.
Two years later, those two traitors worked together, inside and out, to orchestrate the clan's annihilation.
Now, Hikari had already destroyed the Root organization. Danzō, though still alive, no longer had the means to steal Shisui's *Sharingan*. With Shisui alive, Itachi's *Mangekyō* wouldn't awaken… Even if Obito saw potential in Itachi's future, it's unlikely he'd invite him to join the Akatsuki at this point.
But…
"Based on our encounter earlier, it seems Obito already knew I have *Tsukuyomi*."
"He was hiding in the fog from the start, observing my movements. He detonated those two Kaguya clansmen at just the right moment, then immediately closed his eyes to avoid eye contact with me… *Tsukuyomi*'s main weakness is that it requires eye contact to activate. Without prior intel, he couldn't have taken such a targeted precaution."
Thinking it over, Hikari realized she *had* used *Tsukuyomi* several times recently—on Hiruzen Sarutobi, Danzō, and Root operatives…
And the day Root was dismantled, both Itachi and Shisui were present, witnessing the entire process of Danzō being taken away.
Of course…
That alone wasn't evidence that Itachi was colluding with the enemy.
There were over a dozen Anbu ninja present that day, plus Hiruzen himself, the two advisors, and the doctors at Konoha Hospital… Any of them could have leaked the intel.
And then there was one more—
Black Zetsu!
This millennia-old schemer, the ultimate filial son of the ninja world, had a particular obsession with the Uchiha clan. It's unlikely he'd know *nothing* about Hikari, this "human weapon." He might even know about her *Amaterasu*, though he probably doesn't understand the mechanics of *Yasaka no Magatama*.
(Just to be safe, once I've honed *Yasaka no Magatama* a bit more, I should check Itachi's memories…)
(If he hasn't had contact with Obito, that's ideal. Otherwise… I might have to deal with him.)
On the other side…
Fugaku ventured cautiously, "Great-Grandmother, if you have time later, could you… perhaps offer some guidance to my son's training? With his talent, he might one day awaken the *Mangekyō* like Shisui and become a pillar of the Uchiha clan."
"…Sure."
Hikari glanced at Itachi, then at Fugaku, nodding with a subtle look. "In a few days, then. Call that Shisui kid too. I'll personally assess their skills."
"Understood."
After a bit more small talk, Hikari bid Fugaku farewell and left the Naka River alone.
…
Meanwhile…
In a forest outside Konoha Village…
A swirling vortex suddenly appeared.
Obito, wearing his orange spiral mask, stumbled out of midair, collapsing onto the ground. His upper body was nearly bare, his black-and-red-clouded robe burned to tatters, revealing skin that was half normal and half unnervingly white.
*Gurgle, gurgle—*
Not far away, the earth parted silently.
A figure resembling a pitcher plant emerged from the ground.
"How'd it go?"
"…Monster."
Obito's hoarse voice came from behind the mask. "Those Kiri jōnin were just toys to her. She only got a little serious when she spotted me… To activate *Susanoo* to that level in an instant and unleash such a powerful *Amaterasu*—she's a monster. If I'd hesitated even a few seconds, I might not have made it back."
As he spoke, Obito removed his mask, revealing a weathered face that didn't quite match his age.
At that moment, the light in his left eye had faded.
—*Izanagi*.
The sheer volume of black flames that had been pulled into *Kamui*'s dimension with him was too much. To protect his left eye from damage, Obito had no choice but to use *Izanagi* to negate all the harm.
Though he still had a few spare *Sharingan* inherited from Madara, losing one so easily stung a bit.
"But it's fine."
"Using such a powerful *Amaterasu* must've taken a toll on her body. Her eyesight might even have weakened… If she goes blind from this, all the better."
"…"
Zetsu remained silent.
It was only recently that he'd learned of Uchiha Hikari's existence, connecting her to a certain Uchiha from the Warring States era he'd thought long dead. If it really was *that* person… things could get tricky.
"It seems the plan to wipe out the Uchiha clan might need some adjustments. We can't act recklessly until we've dealt with her and Uchiha Shisui."
After a long pause…
Obito slowly stood. "Let's go."
"The Kiri ninja I brought are all dead. No telling how much intel Konoha will get from their bodies. We need to head back and prepare the next steps… I'd planned to slaughter all those kekkei genkai clans, but now it seems there might be a better way for them to die."
As he spoke, Obito's figure swirled into a vortex and vanished.
Zetsu sank back into the earth, quickly following.
A faint breeze passed, and all was quiet again.