Inside the Uchiha district, within the Clan Head's residence.
Fugaku stepped out of Itachi's room, a frown creasing his brow. He looked toward his wife. "Where is Itachi?"
"He went out this afternoon and hasn't returned yet," Mikoto replied. She looked at him with a hint of confusion. "Did you need him for something?"
"No, it's nothing."
Fugaku shook his head, offering no further explanation as he headed toward the door.
In accordance with Hiruzen Sarutobi's instructions, he had decided to grant Itachi a temporary leave of absence. The intention was for Fugaku to spend more time accompanying and guiding his son.
So, why wasn't Itachi at home?
A vague sense of unease gnawed at Fugaku's heart. As he walked through the district, the feeling that events were spiraling beyond his control intensified.
He checked Shisui's house. He checked the fake graveyard.
Empty.
Where did he go?
Itachi!
Fugaku's thoughts were a chaotic mess, causing his pace to quicken unconsciously.
Lost in his worries—
"Ouch!"
A cry of pain snapped Fugaku back to reality.
He looked down at Sasuke, who had been knocked to the ground. Fugaku frowned instinctively, then forcibly smoothed his expression. "Sasuke, are you alright?"
"N-No, I'm fine, Father," Sasuke stammered, scrambling up while rubbing his forehead and backside.
Fugaku took a deep breath. "Have you seen your brother?"
"Big Brother? Isn't he home?" Sasuke asked, surprised and visibly disappointed.
Fugaku nodded slightly. "I just returned from outside. I didn't see him."
"Then..."
A look of dejection washed over Sasuke's face. He opened his mouth as if to speak, then stopped himself.
Fugaku intended to keep walking. But seeing Sasuke's expression, for some reason, the image of Itachi—paranoid, extreme, and terrifying—flashed through his mind.
He stopped.
"Sasuke, did you need Itachi's help with something?"
"Father..." Sasuke hesitated.
Eventually, he answered truthfully, explaining the upcoming joint sparring session.
Fugaku fell silent.
He reached out a hand. Sasuke flinched, shrinking back timidly.
The reaction caused Fugaku's hand to freeze in mid-air. He remained silent for another second before speaking softly. "Sasuke, it doesn't matter."
"Huh?" Sasuke looked up, perplexed.
Fugaku lowered his voice. "Just do your best. Even if you lose, it doesn't matter. I will still be proud of you."
Sasuke's eyes widened, round with shock. Disbelief was plastered across his tender face. He remained speechless for a long time.
Suddenly, he felt the urge to cry.
Father had never spoken to him so gently before!
"Father," Sasuke said with absolute conviction, "I will train hard. I will definitely win tomorrow!"
"I happen to have time today," Fugaku said, revealing a rare smile. "Since Itachi isn't here, allow me to train with you."
"Are you sure? Aren't you busy with the Police Force?" Sasuke asked, still harboring doubts.
Fugaku paused for a moment. "I have no duties today. And from now on... I should have much more free time to spend with you all."
It was nearly 8:00 PM.
Masahiko set down his pen.
He had drafted several contingency plans, mapping out exactly how he would intervene and evacuate the children in the event of an Uchiha civil war. He had also listed various options for where to foster them afterward.
After memorizing every detail, Masahiko destroyed the paper.
At 8:00 PM sharp, following the brief opening credits, the episode began with the meeting between Fugaku and Hiruzen Sarutobi.
After exchanging pleasantries, the two sat down to chat. Naturally, the core topic was Itachi's shocking declaration.
Masahiko couldn't help but chuckle.
Even through the screen, the awkwardness between the two leaders was palpable.
Just as the [Bullet Comments] suggested:
"Both of them think Itachi turned out this way because of their own failures. LMAO."
"I feel like that quote fits perfectly here: They definitely have issues, but is Itachi completely blameless?"
"It really is wild."
"He's still just a child... Damn, how did the Third Hokage keep a straight face?"
The expressions on Hiruzen and Fugaku were visibly complex, each hiding their own unspeakable difficulties.
After a bout of small talk, they fell into silence.
Then, Hiruzen laid out his terms: "My thought is this: The Military Police Force should be jointly governed by the Village and the Uchiha. At the same time, the Uchiha Clan will be able to participate more deeply in the Village's administrative affairs."
Fugaku went silent.
The Bullet Comments couldn't handle it.
"Still hesitating? Still being greedy? Keep being greedy and your whole family is gonna get wiped!"
"Why not agree? What are you thinking?"
"F*ck! I'm getting anxious just for Sasuke's sake."
The viewers were roasting him mercilessly.
Fugaku's indecision and hesitation skyrocketed everyone's blood pressure. He didn't look like a qualified Clan Head or leader in the slightest.
In the end, the conversation concluded without a definitive result.
However, in Masahiko's estimation, Fugaku was internally leaning toward agreement. He simply harbored lingering doubts and didn't dare to nod immediately.
The scene then shifted to the subplot involving Masahiko and Shisui.
"The Old Thief is spouting nonsense again. Ptui!"
"To be fair, compared to the others, the Old Thief is acting like a decent human being."
"@Fugaku_Uchiha @Itachi_Uchiha, look at him. Take notes."
"Shisui is frustrating too—Old Thief told him not to go and he went anyway—but compared to those two clansmen, he looks like a saint."
"If he didn't feed, the Uchiha probably wouldn't lose. It's actually unbelievable."
The audience couldn't stop venting their frustrations.
After a series of "god-tier" plays by the cast, the prestigious image of the Uchiha—accumulated since the manga days—had finally collapsed for the majority of the viewers.
Just as the conversation ended, the scene transitioned—Yagyu Masahiko walked out from the deep forest.
This scene was often edited in fan clips to bridge the timeline before and after meeting Danzō, so the moment it appeared, the audience knew what was happening.
Masahiko had definitely gone to see Danzō again!
A moment later—
The combat sequence on screen was animated to perfection. The production quality was top-tier, far superior to the version in Masahiko's previous life.
Notably, during the edit, the anime specifically utilized Orochimaru's perspective.
In his vision, Masahiko's clones attacked from the left, right, and above. Their speed was blinding, their blades slashing out like crescent moons.
A three-way assault—the quintessential Dance of the Crescent Moon.
When the audience saw Orochimaru swing his sword at empty air, they were confused by his choice. But the instant the blades collided, water spray, mist, and afterimages intertwined.
Masahiko's true body appeared right there, while the three figures slashed through Orochimaru's body without leaving a scratch.
"Holy sh*t!"
"Is that a variant of the Hidden Mist Jutsu?"
"Old Thief is cracked! Orochimaru is a beast too!"
Before the awe could settle, the water surface exploded with a crash. A cone-shaped vortex of water thrust outward like a spear, slamming into Orochimaru.
BOOM!
Orochimaru's body burst apart.
It was only a Shadow Clone, but the brief exchange, the psychological warfare, and the chaotic yet gorgeous animation left the audience screaming in satisfaction.
When the other Orochimaru emerged, the Bullet Comments were still savoring the fight.
Masahiko's strength might not yet be on par with Orochimaru, but compared to the abilities he displayed at the start of the series, every appearance seemed to bring new tricks and surprises.
This visible progression was what the audience marveled at.
Before their excitement could cool, Orochimaru extended an invitation to research the "Sharingan."
"Orochimaru is eyeing them too?"
"The Uchiha are like the monk Tang Sanzang—everyone wants a bite. This is hard to watch."
"Old Thief is still pretending?"
"Stop acting, Old Thief Masahiko. If you want to laugh, just laugh."
The viewers were convinced Masahiko was the figure in the black robe—especially after he rejected Orochimaru's invitation.
If not for his dual identity, there was no way Masahiko wouldn't participate in this feast to carve up the Sharingan.
However...
Before they could finish their shock—
The camera cut. Itachi appeared on screen again.
He was kneeling on one knee, head bowed. The camera angle slowly panned up to reveal Danzō Shimura and Koharu Utatane standing before him.
Their expressions were severe as they stared down at Itachi Uchiha.
"The main issue with the Uchiha is still the Sharingan. As long as the Sharingan is gone, we will protect the rest. The Uchiha clan can continue to exist."
"Without... the Sharingan?"
Itachi was surprised. This implied that they only needed to kill the clansmen who had awakened their eyes. A look of temptation surfaced on his face.
But simultaneously, his father's words echoed in his ears.
They were all his clansmen. His uncles. His family.
He struggled. He was in pain.
The two elders above him exchanged a glance.
Immediately, Danzō increased the pressure. "Itachi, this is not just about you or your family. It concerns the peace of all Konoha, and indeed, the entire Ninja World."
After a brief pause, Koharu spoke, her tone gentle but insidious. "The people on the other side won't trust us; otherwise, we wouldn't need you to do such a thing. Itachi, among the Uchiha, you are the one with the greatest sense of the big picture..."
"Individual. Clan. Village. Which weighs heavier?"
Her voice was filled with compassion and helplessness.
Listening to Koharu's words, Itachi finally closed his eyes.
He nodded his head heavily.