Time rewinds to just after the four had parted ways.
Sasuke walked home alone, bored. Along the way, people began to cast strange glances at him… or more accurately, at the Uchiha.
Over the past year, the Uchiha Clan's reputation in the village had worsened. Provoked by the higher-ups of Konoha, the Uchiha's Military Police Force had become a powder keg. They wanted to endure but couldn't swallow their pride, and they wanted to lash out but were restrained by Fugaku's authority. This frustration made their enforcement far more brutal than before.
As a result, Sasuke felt immense pressure walking through the streets.
Fortunately, due to the Uchiha's infamy, there were hardly any civilians near the clan's compound. Over the past year, they had all moved away. Sasuke's small head slowly lifted, revealing his bruised and swollen face.
"Hey, Sasuke-kun, are you hurt?" A clear, gentle voice reached Sasuke's ears.
Sasuke turned toward the voice and saw a young woman with long, smooth black hair, wearing a purple jacket and pants. A beauty mark under her right eye and her warm smile added to her charm.
"Izumi-nee."
Sasuke greeted her politely. She was one of the few friends his brother, Itachi, had. In fact, within the Uchiha Clan, she was Itachi's only friend.
"Sasuke-kun, would you like some dango?" Izumi took a skewer of tri-colored dango from the paper bag she was holding and offered it to Sasuke.
"Thank you, Izumi-nee."
Seeing Sasuke accept the dango, Izumi's face lit up with a mischievous smile.
"Since Sasuke-kun accepted my dango, you have to tell me how you got hurt."
Given the Uchiha Clan's worsening situation in Konoha, she was worried Sasuke had been bullied by other kids outside.
The smile on Sasuke's face stiffened. The fact that he had been sparring with Naruto was known only to his parents and brother. As the son of the Uchiha Clan's leader and the younger brother of the clan's top genius, he had his pride. If others found out he kept losing to a peer, he wouldn't be able to face the clan.
"N-no, it's nothing. I just... tripped and fell."
Sasuke told a lame lie, and Izumi certainly didn't buy it. After all, who gets bruised all over their face from a simple fall?
"Sasuke, if someone's bullying you outside, you have to tell me. I'm strong now, and I can help you!" Izumi looked at Sasuke with a serious expression.
Sasuke's face turned red with embarrassment and hesitantly replied: "I-I understand."
Seeing that Sasuke refused to say more, Izumi had no choice but to drop the subject. That was just how the Uchiha were.
"Sasuke-kun, by the way, has your brother been home lately?"
"Hmm~ no."
Sasuke answered while chewing, his cheeks puffed out with food.
Izumi's expression darkened as she stared at the paper bag in her hand, lost in thought.
"Sasuke-kun, you can have the rest of the dango. I have something to take care of, so I'll head off now."
Izumi suddenly shoved the paper bag into Sasuke's arms and ran off.
"Eh-"
Looking at the paper bag in his hand, Sasuke was puzzled. He glanced at Izumi's retreating figure, thinking she was acting strange, but didn't dwell on it. He took out another skewer of dango and started eating.
After all, Sasuke was somewhat of a clan favorite. Unlike his brother, Itachi, who was hostile toward the clan, Sasuke was cute, polite, and talented. As he walked a bit further and reached the clan's entrance, someone else showed concern for him.
"Sasuke-chan, why are you covered in bruises again today?"
It was a kind middle-aged couple.
"Teyaki-san, Uruchi-san."
Sasuke once again bowed politely as he greets the two, then scratched the back of his head and said sheepishly: "I... tripped during training."
The middle-aged couple looked at the well-mannered Sasuke with even more affection. They took some snacks and drinks from their shop, packed them in a bag, and handed them to Sasuke.
"Sasuke-chan, take these. Eat well so you can grow tall and strong."
"Th-this... Teyaki-san, I..."
After some polite back-and-forth, Sasuke finally accepted the bag and left, carrying both the dango and the snacks.
Finally, he reached his home. With both hands full, he struggled to open the door. He was about to call for his mother to help when he suddenly heard loud voices inside.
"Itachi! Where have you been these days?"
"I was on a mission for the Anbu."
"You! Have you forgotten that it was the clan that raised you? Are you even an Uchiha anymore?"
"The Uchiha Clan is also part of the village."
"Konoha doesn't even…"
"Enough!"
Sasuke immediately recognized the voices. Besides his brother and father, the other two were Uchiha Tekka and Uchiha Inabi, who often visited their home. They were said to be powerful members of the Military Police Force, but for some reason, they always argued with his brother.
Sasuke was still thinking outside the door when Tekka and Inabi walked out.
"Captain, we'll take our leave now. Please don't forget about Elder Setsuna's matter."
Tekka's face was still filled with anger, but out of respect for the clan head, he held back.
Fugaku simply nodded, then noticed his younger son standing outside the door. Seeing Sasuke's condition, his brow furrowed.
Tekka and Inabi also noticed and followed Fugaku's gaze, and their expressions shifted.
"Sasuke, did someone in the village bully you?"
Inabi had a fiery temper. Seeing the bruises on Sasuke's face, he immediately got angry. "Tell me who it was, and I'll arrest them all!"
Sasuke quickly shook his head. "I fell out of a tree during training."
Inabi didn't believe him and wanted to press further, but Tekka pulled him away.
Watching the two leave, Sasuke secretly sighed in relief, 'These two uncles weren't bad people, but they were too intense, always wearing stern expressions, much like Father.'
"Come inside."
Seeing the bruises on his son's face, since Fugaku knew the truth, he didn't say anything.
"Okay." Sasuke quickly ran into the house, and saw his brother, Itachi, as soon as he entered the door.
Sasuke immediately set down his things and rushed toward Itachi.
"Nii-san!"
Itachi's gloomy expression softened when he saw his younger brother, and a rare smile appeared on his face. He had come home just to see Sasuke, but he hadn't expected to run into those two.
"Sasuke."
Itachi hugged Sasuke tightly. Seeing the bruises on Sasuke's face, a faint red glint flashed in his eyes but disappeared just as quickly.
"Sasuke, did you lose to Naruto again?"
"Yeah." Sasuke looked a little disappointed, but soon became bright again, "Nii-san, since you're back, can you train with me tomorrow? That way, I can get stronger faster and beat him."
"This..." Itachi hesitated, then shook his head. He tapped Sasuke's forehead with his finger and said, "Sorry, Sasuke. Next time."
---
(A/N: For those who've seen this part in the anime, feel free to skip.)
Late at night, the moon carried a faint blood-red hue.
Inside the Naka Shrine, the atmosphere was eerie yet intense. In the dim, damp environment, a few torches crackled, casting flickering light into the darkness.
Itachi disliked this feeling, especially the oppressive aura emanating from Fugaku, which made him uneasy.
Fugaku stood with his head bowed, gazing at the stone tablet said to have been passed down for centuries. Its contents were allegedly written by the Sage of Six Paths himself.
It recorded the history of the Uchiha Clan, the conditions for the Sharingan's evolution, and many hidden secrets. The contents could only be deciphered layer by layer as the Sharingan evolved.
"Only those in the clan with the Sharingan can read this tablet, but only a portion of it."
"With your Mangekyo Sharingan, you should be able to read more. "
Itachi's eyes widened slightly. He hadn't expected his father to already know about his Mangekyo Sharingan. His eyes had awakened when he felt despair for the Uchiha Clan.
But his expression remained unchanged, and he spoke calmly. "Do you want me to tell you what it says?"
"That won't be necessary."
Fugaku slowly turned around, revealing his own Mangekyo Sharingan, with its hollowed-out three-tomoe pattern.
"Mangekyo! Father, you have it too?"
Itachi was utterly shocked. After all, an Uchiha with the Mangekyo was too dangerous for the village!
"It was during the Third Ninja World War. A friend of mine saved my life at the cost of his own. Through blood and tears, I awakened the Mangekyo. But the Uchiha Clan is now in such a dire situation!"
Fugaku turned back to the tablet, recounting how he had awakened his Mangekyo.
"That that doesn't justify using force to overthrow..."
"The village's higher-ups fear us, which is why they oppress us." Fugaku clenched his fists, cutting Itachi off, "They fear the power of the Sharingan. Since they fear it, then we must seize control!"
"Father, are you planning to become Hokage by force?"
"Because it's the clan's wish, I can't stop them. But to avoid using force, I've kept my Mangekyo Sharingan a secret."
"Why?"
Itachi was confused, 'If Father intended to stage a coup, why hide the Mangekyo?'
"The Mangekyo Sharingan can control the Nine-Tails. If the clan found out about it, they might do something even more drastic. You can see for yourself!"
Fugaku turned back, and the Mangekyo pattern in his eyes spun, pulling Itachi into the future he had seen.
Fugaku controlled the Nine-Tails and triggered the Nine-Tails attack again in Konoha. This time, no one could stop it.
"Haah... haah... haah…"
Itachi snapped out of the Genjutsu, kneeling on the ground, his eyes wide, sweat dripping from his forehead as he gasped for air.
"H-how could this be?!"
"Many in the clan harbor resentment toward the village. If pushed too far, they will act, and both sides will suffer heavy losses."
Fugaku's voice was low but soon grew fervent.
"But Itachi, with your help, we can take the higher-ups by surprise. While small-scale conflicts are unavoidable, with your assistance as an Anbu."
Fugaku turned to face Itachi, his gaze intense.
"A bloodless revolution can succeed!"
"Bloodless... revolution?" Fugaku's words left Itachi feeling lost. 'I could clearly sense Father's reluctance toward a coup, so why...
"Itachi, you're my son. Please, help the clan!"
…
The scene shifted again, and Itachi found himself kneeling before Konoha's higher-ups.