Upon returning to the clan grounds, Itachi immediately received an order from his father, Clan Leader Fugaku Uchiha. He was to head at once to the clan shrine, the Naka Shrine, to meet with Elder Uchiha Taka.
A sense of unease flickered through Itachi's heart, but he arrived at the shrine without hesitation.
Inside the main hall of the shrine, torches on both sides emitted a bright light. However, it was still not enough to illuminate the entire hall. Most of the corners remained shrouded in darkness.
In the center of the hall, Clan Leader Fugaku Uchiha and Elder Uchiha Taka sat on mats.
"Father, Elder Taka."
Itachi greeted the two with polite formality.
Seeing Itachi arrive, Fugaku stood up and spoke first. "I heard you had a conflict with someone from Root?"
Itachi nodded without concealment.
The commotion from his battle with Simu was significant, so it was natural to be discovered.
This was exactly why he had always hoped to avoid conflict with Simu. Once a clash occurred, it would inevitably further strain the relationship between the clan and the village.
However, Simu's actions this time were truly intolerable for Itachi. Therefore, he had decided to teach him a lesson.
Surely, under the torture of the Tsukuyomi, that fellow would have a deep memory of the experience.
Rarely, Fugaku Uchiha did not get angry upon hearing Itachi's answer. Instead, he asked, "Why?"
Itachi told the truth. "To warn him not to use Sasuke to blackmail me. Otherwise, I wouldn't mind killing him."
Fugaku was not particularly surprised by this answer.
In this regard, he still understood his son to some extent.
If one were to ask who the most important person in the world was to Itachi, the first would definitely be his younger brother, Sasuke Uchiha.
The second might be Shisui.
The third would likely be his mother.
As for himself...
Fugaku was not sure where he would rank.
Although thinking about this was somewhat heartbreaking, Fugaku had always followed this iron-blooded method of upbringing. If it weren't for this, he wouldn't have taken a four-year-old Itachi to the battlefield.
During this growth process, it was quite normal for Itachi to have opinions and views regarding him. These were the costs of growing up.
Fortunately, Itachi had not disappointed him.
"Have you awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan?"
Hearing these words, Itachi's heart jolted.
With his brilliant intellect, he immediately realized what had happened.
He had been lured into a trap.
The process of his battle with Yi earlier was likely being pushed by interested parties to become common knowledge.
Root, the Hokage, the clan...
Everyone who should know, knew.
Itachi let out a heavy sigh in his heart, but his face remained as calm as ever.
There was no helping it. This concerned the safety of his younger brother, Sasuke. Even if he had to do it all over again, he would still choose to give that Wood Style ninja a severe lesson.
However, he might have been faster and ensured the combat process was more hidden.
Since it had already happened, he no longer hid it. Meeting his father's gaze, he revealed his Mangekyo Sharingan.
Instantly, the atmosphere in the hall changed.
A glint of light also appeared in Uchiha Taka's aged eyes.
As someone who had survived since the First Shinobi World War, he knew exactly how much power the Mangekyo Sharingan represented!
He hadn't expected that after losing one Shisui Uchiha, another Itachi Uchiha would emerge. Heaven truly blessed the Uchiha!
Seeing the Mangekyo in Itachi's eyes, Fugaku said with uncontrollable excitement, "As expected of my son. You truly have awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan!"
Itachi said nothing.
His father's reaction was entirely within his expectations.
To Fugaku, all he cared about was the powerful strength the Mangekyo Sharingan brought to the Uchiha Clan. He didn't care at all about the painful memories hidden behind these eyes.
However, this time seemed different.
Fugaku Uchiha suddenly turned around, his tone gradually calming down.
"Itachi, do you think I only see the power in you and not the pain behind it?"
Itachi's eyes finally showed a ripple of emotion because his father was right; he truly did think that.
Fugaku Uchiha gave a faint smile. In the next second, against the backdrop of darkness, the black Three-Tomoe in his crimson eyes turned bright red and expanded rapidly until they occupied the entire pupil.
"This is... the Mangekyo!"
Itachi looked at his father's eyes in disbelief.
He never expected that his father had also awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan and had hidden it for so many years!
"I awakened this during a mission. In that mission, I was the only survivor of the entire squad."
Fugaku's tone became uncharacteristically nostalgic for a moment, but he immediately became firm again. "Itachi, the Uchiha is a glorious clan, but also a cursed clan."
"The awakening of every Sharingan signifies a painful memory, and the Mangekyo Sharingan is even more so!"
He turned his head, staring intently at Itachi with eyes like a hawk.
"But we must never immerse ourselves in past pain. Only by surpassing past suffering can we obtain even greater power!"
"The Uchiha now are like lambs waiting to be slaughtered. The conflict between the clan and the village has reached an irreconcilable state. If we don't act first, only destruction awaits the Uchiha!"
In the darkness, the gazes of two pairs of Mangekyo Sharingan connected.
"Two pairs of Mangekyo are enough to take down the Third Hokage before the Anbu can even react. As long as we can force the Third to pass the position to the Uchiha, everything will be resolved!"
"Itachi, the Uchiha need your power."
Fugaku Uchiha issued his final invitation.
Standing to the side, Elder Uchiha Taka watched Itachi's back with a cold gaze.
Now, the Uchiha Clan's coup d'état had reached its final stage.
The Uchiha could no longer tolerate Itachi's wavering attitude. He had to make a clear stand today.
Otherwise, the Uchiha would not allow another traitor to emerge.
Especially a traitor who knew all the secrets of the Uchiha Clan and possessed the formidable power of the Mangekyo.
Rather than letting this pair of Mangekyo disappear again, it was better to keep it in their own hands.
This was the will of the Uchiha.
Itachi had to choose between the village and the clan.
If he chose the village, Fugaku might, for the sake of the Uchiha's overall situation, join forces with Uchiha Taka to keep his Mangekyo here.
Perhaps Itachi sensed this. This time, he did not choose to persuade his father to give up the ridiculous idea of a coup. Instead, he nodded decisively. "I understand."
His gaze became firm as he added, "Rest assured, Father. I will stand on the side of the clan and cooperate with all its actions."