After a calm and friendly negotiation, Fugaku ultimately agreed to hand over all of the Uchiha Clan's Jutsu scrolls and movable wealth in exchange for Naruto's assistance.
On the day of the Uchiha Massacre, Naruto would ensure the survival of twenty Uchiha children.
Of course, Fugaku wouldn't agree to such a robbery-like condition at first. His eyes turned bloodshot, and he was breathing heavily. But when he saw the small black sphere in Naruto's hand, Fugaku suddenly realized that they were already planning a coup. If they won, they'd have everything, and if they lost, they'd have nothing.
'Money and scrolls were just external possessions.'
Fugaku calmed down again.
In his eyes, he had seen a glimpse of the future. If the terrifying Chakra within that black sphere were released, a massive explosion would engulf the entire Uchiha Clan's compound. There wouldn't even be ashes left, let alone a coup. It was the first time he had seen such a horrifying vision. The masked man could have simply taken everything by force, yet he was still willing to offer some help.
Inside a hidden room in the Uchiha Clan's compound, Naruto's usually calm eyes couldn't help but gleam at the sight of the countless scrolls piled high.
'There's so many Jutsu, and if I could also raid the Sarutobi, Utatane, Mitokado, and Shimura Clans... well, maybe not the Shimura clan, since Danzo's place wasn't much… I could amass the foundation of an entire village.'
"These are the Uchiha Clan's accumulated treasures over the years."
Fugaku said with a complicated tone. He couldn't shake the feeling that he was betraying his clan now.
"Clan head Fugaku, there's no need to feel ashamed. You already know the Uchiha's coup has no chance of success."
"Rather than letting Konoha's higher-ups plunder the Uchiha's resources, it's better to entrust them to someone with these eyes."
Naruto comforted the aggrieved Fugaku, and the eyes beneath the mask suddenly began to change. One by one, three tomoe appeared.
"Sharingan! You're an Uchiha?"
Fugaku's eyes widened in disbelief, but he didn't doubt it. After all, only an Uchiha could perfectly wield the Sharingan.
Then, a thought struck him.
"Since you are also an Uchiha, why..."
Naruto's three-tomoe Sharingan released dangerous light as he cut Fugaku off: "Clan head Fugaku, a deal is a deal. These items in exchange for the survival of the Uchiha Clan's legacy… it's fair."
Fugaku clenched his fists, his entire body trembling slightly.
"Is there really no hope for the Uchiha Clan?"
Naruto glanced at Fugaku indifferently and walked toward the pile of scrolls. Then, ink-like patterns flowed from his hands.
"As the clan head, you can't control your clan. As a father, you failed to raise your child properly. In every aspect, you've fallen short."
Fugaku gritted his teeth, stung by the truth.
"But you can rest assured. While the Uchiha Clan of Konoha may perish, the twenty you choose will establish a new Uchiha Clan in a new land."
Fugaku slowly unclenched his fists, his teeth loosening their grip.
A hint of relief appeared in his eyes, and he suddenly felt a bit better.
"Perhaps, your eyes can see farther than Itachi and I."
"Mm, then,"
"Goodbye."
The masked man in front of him suddenly disappeared, and Fugaku realized that the scrolls in the whole room had disappeared.
"Space-Time Ninjutsu? Or Sealing Technique?"
Fugaku didn't return home immediately. Instead, he headed back to the prison.
"Elder Setsuna, do you plan to come out?"
Despite his age, Setsuna possessed a three-tomoe Sharingan and decades of Ninja experience, making him a formidable fighter with Jonin-level strength.
However, Setsuna shook his head. He looked at the scroll in his hand, and said: "That masked man said only two people would attack the Uchiha: your son and another Uchiha. His target is the Military Police Force."
"What?" Fugaku was stunned when he heard this. He didn't expect there were so many traitors within the clan.
"One person plans to take down the entire Military Police Force?"
Setsuna's hand gripping the scroll bulged with veins as he spoke in a low voice: "That man... calls himself Uchiha Madara!"
"Uchiha... Madara? He'd be over a hundred by now. This..."
Fugaku's tone was uncertain. After all, the First Hokage had been dead for decades, and Hiruzen had been Hokage for just as long.
"Humph! A pretentious clown dares to tarnish Madara-sama's name?" Setsuna snorted coldly, his face was very ugly.
"Although these eyes cannot see the future of Uchiha, they can still help cleanse the clan of its filth!"
---
Konoha, Root's Base.
The cold, lifeless environment made Itachi instinctively uncomfortable.
After wandering through the Root's Base for a while, Itachi finally met its master, Shimura Danzo.
The frail old man leaned back in his chair, his missing arm making him appear even weaker. But Danzo's eye was unusually sharp.
"Danzo, why did you call me here?"
Itachi looked gloomily at the old man, who looked like he could be taken down with one hand. He respected the Third Hokage, but he had no respect for Danzo. After all, he knew very well that Shisui's disappearance was definitely related to Danzo.
Danzo's mouth curled up slightly, and he said jokingly: "Uchiha Itachi, I'm curious. What will you do when the Uchiha launch their coup?"
"Will you help Konoha slaughter all the Uchiha?"
'Slaughter all the Uchiha?'
Itachi's heart skipped a beat. He frowned and said, "Not all Uchiha will participate in the coup!"
"But the Uchiha are rebelling! They're staging a coup!" Danzo's voice grew louder.
"Rebellion leads to conflict, to bloodshed, and to new hatred. Can you guarantee that the surviving Uchiha won't resent the village? That the families of Konoha Ninja killed by the Uchiha won't hold a grudge?"
"This…"
Itachi hadn't considered this. His expression darkened. He had thought that dealing with the coup participants would be enough, but now it seemed that for the sake of the village's stability, he would have to…
'But if that were the case…'
'Not all Uchiha were Ninja. Many were elderly, women, children, and civilians.'
'However, as long as even one Uchiha survived, the hatred from the massacre would pose a significant risk to Konoha.'
Itachi was still wrestling with his thoughts when Danzo's smile widened, like a predator closing in on its prey.
"Uchiha Itachi, this is a necessary sacrifice for Konoha's peace. But your brother, Uchiha Sasuke, can survive."
"Sasuke can survive?!"
Itachi's heart leapt with a mix of surprise and relief. Humans are inherently selfish. When faced with the prospect of everyone dying, the chance for someone he loved to survive made the burden easier to bear.
"That's right. But in that case, the village cannot bear the Uchiha's hatred."
Danzo was subtly guiding Itachi, and Itachi understood the implication.
If the village bore the hatred, the Uchiha would still be destroyed during the coup, and Konoha would face grave danger. But if someone else bore the hatred, Konoha would remain unscathed, and Sasuke could live.
Two choices. The weight of each was clear in Itachi's mind.
"This hatred... I will bear it!"