"What's going on?"
Shisui looked at Itsuki strangely.
"Greetings to the Hokage!"
Itsuki respectfully greeted Shisui.
Shisui rolled his eyes and said, "What kind of nonsense are you spouting now?"
Hokage?
Me?
Maybe in the next life!
As Itsuki would say: Time to start over!
"Sigh, I hope I'm wrong," Itsuki sighed.
"You're definitely wrong!" Shisui replied seriously. "The Third Hokage might have his own interests, but there's no way he would go that far."
Itsuki's recent words had just branded the Third Hokage as a traitor.
That was way too extreme!
We're talking about the Hokage here!
"Yeah, yeah, you're always right!" Itsuki waved his hand dismissively. "Both times something happened to the Hokage, the Third Hokage came out the biggest winner—just a coincidence, right?"
Shisui, irritated, replied, "Don't forget, the Third Hokage's wife died on the same day as the Fourth Hokage!"
"So naive!"
Itsuki looked at Shisui with disdain and asked, "Do you know what the greatest joy for someone in such a high position is?"
"What?"
"Promotion, wealth, and the death of a wife!"
Itsuki ticked off on his fingers, "The Third Hokage hit all three."
It wasn't a lie!
After the Fourth Hokage's death, the Third Hokage worked tirelessly to suppress the Uchiha Clan.
Who do you think benefitted the most from the Uchiha's concessions?
You don't need to be a genius to figure that out!
As soon as Itsuki said this, several people present darkened their expressions.
He covered a broad range with that comment!
After all, many of them were high-ranking figures too!
Death of a wife?
No, thank you—that's not the kind of happiness they wanted.
"No, it's not like that..."
Shisui stammered, overwhelmed by the shock of Itsuki's words.
"Not like what?" Itsuki rolled his eyes. "I never said the Fourth Hokage's death was the Third Hokage's doing, so why are you getting so worked up?"
"I—"
"I'm merely questioning it!"
Itsuki interrupted again, "You know what I'm questioning? Why did the Fourth Hokage die instead of the Third? As a master of ninjutsu, what technique does the Third Hokage not know?"
"And don't tell me you're unaware of the identity of that little blond kid. Look at the life he's living—such happiness!"
Shisui fell silent.
Anyone in the Leaf Village who wasn't blind or deaf knew what kind of life Naruto was leading.
There was no way to explain it.
The most obvious point: the Fourth Hokage had many friends. How could no one care about his child?
And what about the guards he once had?
What about Jiraiya?
If Jiraiya knew that Naruto was living worse than a dog or pig in the village, he would've returned long ago.
The fact that he hadn't appeared could only mean that no one had informed him.
If things were too clear, it would lose its meaning.
"Alright, let's drop this. It's pointless."
Itsuki waved his hand, "Right and wrong are determined by fists. Whoever has the stronger fist is justice!"
This statement earned unanimous agreement from everyone present.
Even Shisui chose silence this time.
"In short, that's how I awakened!"
Itsuki smiled meaningfully, glancing at Itachi. "If any of you can replicate this, congratulations."
Toji kept quiet with a solemn expression.
How could they replicate that?
He knew full well about the darkness within the Leaf Village. How could he handle that kind of stress?
Itachi, on the other hand, seemed a little uneasy.
Itsuki's situation was somewhat similar to his own.
It was only after listening to Itsuki that Itachi began to observe the world through his own eyes, discovering a different side of the Leaf Village and being affected.
Itachi's Mangekyo Sharingan awakening was likely related to this.
Toji sighed, "Could it be that these things aren't connected, and the awakening of the Mangekyo Sharingan has another cause?"
"No, it's definitely directly related," Itsuki answered firmly.
"Why?"
Itsuki smiled faintly, "Because the Sharingan is the mirror of the soul."
The Sharingan truly reflects one's inner self.
The abilities of the Mangekyo Sharingan are manifestations of one's innermost desires.
The Uchiha are powerful, proud, yet also fragile and sorrowful.
When an Uchiha understands love, their true power awakens.
Itsuki's mind flashed to the moment in the original story when Sasuke shielded Naruto from an attack.
An Uchiha who understands love, once they lose it, can have their power spiral out of control, triggering a special chakra that eventually manifests in a unique form.
The Sharingan!
In Itsuki's view, the Mangekyo Sharingan is simply an amplification of the Sharingan.
When their emotions reach an extreme, the Sharingan evolves into the Mangekyo.
And then!
The strongest emotion within them is reflected, creating their most unique ability.
Take Obito, for example: two different Kamui abilities.
One represented his desire to escape the world, and the other his desire to create a new one—one with Rin, where he could live peacefully with Kakashi, and without war.
Or consider Shisui's Kotoamatsukami.
Pushed to his limits, Shisui desperately wanted to change—completely change—the village and his clan.
The Sharingan responded to his obsession, gifting him with Kotoamatsukami.
Itachi's ocular powers followed the same pattern: Amaterasu and Tsukuyomi.
Tsukuyomi represented his desire to change the village and his clan.
Amaterasu, which followed, symbolized his destructive urge.
If he couldn't change things, he would destroy them!
Ultimately, this desire to destroy fell upon the Uchiha.
That's the original story.
What about now?
Itsuki thought for a moment and came to a conclusion:
Could the birth of Amaterasu this time be because Itachi realized the village wasn't his ideal place, and this extreme child was now considering destroying it?
As for Sasuke, his Amaterasu and Kagutsuchi.
One represented strength, and the other represented the control of that strength—of stronger power.
His Mangekyo Sharingan, though, was earned through his mission, but…
Susano'o!
His ocular power symbolized duplication.
At the time, he was indeed worried that one person wouldn't be enough.
He wanted to change the Uchiha.
He wanted to survive.
He needed more help.
That's why he was constantly training the Shadow Clone Jutsu.
The Sharingan gave him the ability to make copies.
Now, there was one Itsuki in the village—his true self.
Outside, there were two more Itsukis—his clones!
Fugaku and Setsuna's ocular abilities? He hadn't asked—it was their greatest secret.
But wasn't Fugaku's supposed to be genjutsu?
How did it turn into that lightning spear thing?
Whatever!
Itsuki looked at the people present and said, "Everyone, now please listen to my plan."
The group's expressions turned serious.
It was time to get to the main topic.
Itachi and Shisui immediately activated their Mangekyo Sharingan to scan the surroundings, making sure no one else was around.
"Itsuki!"
Fugaku slowly spoke, "We've always known you have your own plans. Now that you're ready to reveal them, it can only mean one of two things."
"One, the plan has spun out of control, and you need our help."
"Or two, you think there's no need to hide it anymore—the plan is in motion, and no one can stop it. Am I right?"
"Exactly!"
Itsuki smiled. "Fugaku, I'll tell you directly—it's the second one!"
"My plan can't be stopped by anyone."
"Today, now that you've heard my plan, you'll have to go all the way with me, no turning back."
"Of course, you can also leave right now."
(End of Chapter)