The words exploded in Itachi's mind like thunder. All the color drained from his face as his heart felt tightly clenched, almost stopping.
Did Mother know. How could she know, and how much had she discovered.
A surge of fear washed over him in an instant. He had never imagined that the careful disguise he and Shisui maintained, or his father's seemingly perfect normal behavior, would be seen through by his mother.
Given her gentle and enduring nature, she must have had solid grounds for suspicion, otherwise she would never question him so sharply. Cold sweat soaked Itachi's back as his throat went dry and his mind turned blank.
"Mother," he forced himself to meet her gaze, struggling to maintain calm. "It was Father. Father agreed to help me and Shisui resolve the conflict between the clan and the village."
"The reason we didn't tell you was because it needed to remain secret. The fewer people who know, the better. It concerns the future of the entire Uchiha."
He tried to hide behind talk of the clan and secrecy, yet the panic and pain in his eyes could not be concealed. Mikoto listened quietly, never blinking as she watched his face.
The living room fell into silence, broken only by the faint electrical sound of the lamp and Itachi's heavy breathing.
At last, a voice shattered the quiet.
"Itachi," Black Zetsu's hoarse voice, laced with a smile, came from outside the window. "You said before that anyone who discovers abnormalities must be killed, didn't you?"
Itachi Uchiha spun around toward the source of the sound. At some unknown point, the figures of "Madara" and "Zetsu" stood in the darkness.
"Itachi," his mother said in shock, "who are they, and what does killing everyone who finds abnormalities mean?"
Itachi remained frozen, his body like stone. Moonlight poured through the window, illuminating his pale face and the deep pain and struggle in his eyes.
No, stop. Don't force me. It should not have come to this.
"Itachi," "Madara" spoke in a low voice. "The Konoha Leadership has already discovered abnormalities within the Uchiha Clan. They have organized people who are on their way here, and the mixed-in White Zetsu have all been eliminated."
"You should understand what this means."
"This is your only chance."
"So what are you waiting for?"
"Why aren't you making a move?"
"Don't forget, Sasuke Uchiha, your younger brother will be home soon."
"As long as you gain eyes like Shisui's, you can still realize your so-called greater cause."
"So many people have already died. Are you really going to give up now? Then what meaning did their deaths have?"
The words of "Madara" and Black Zetsu were like whispers from a demon, completely shattering the last trace of hope in Itachi Uchiha's heart. His body trembled violently as three tomoe appeared in his eyes, turning them a deep red.
At that moment, neither Obito Uchiha nor Black Zetsu, nor even Itachi Uchiha himself, noticed something else. Without receiving any instruction at all, Fugaku Uchiha stepped out of the bedroom.
His figure stood silently in the lamplight.
A pale white bolt of lightning suddenly tore open the darkness of the night. The world was washed in the harsh white light, as bright as daytime. At some point, fine rain began to fall, tapping softly against the window and leaving winding trails of water.
Outside the window, two ghostlike figures appeared, reflected in Mikoto Uchiha's eyes. She looked again at her son's lowered back, her voice trembling with disbelief and cold fear. A terrible thought pierced her chest.
"Itachi? You…"
"Mother…"
Itachi Uchiha's voice sounded rough, as if scraped by sandpaper, unable to weave even a single Lie. He raised his head, and his eyes had already turned into a deep, bloodlike red. The sight made her breath catch in her throat.
Thunder crashed loudly after the lightning. Seeing the crimson in her son's eyes, Mikoto Uchiha stepped back without thinking, her body shaking from fear. The thunder and flashing light crossed in a brief instant.
In that instant, another figure arrived silently behind her. There were no words and no sound. The presence was sudden and close.
"Cough!"
Mikoto Uchiha felt a huge force seize her from behind, locking her arms and upper body tight. The strength felt as if it wanted to crush her bones. Her lungs were squeezed, stealing her breath and leaving her only with painful muffled sounds.
She struggled and turned her head, and the face she saw made her pupils shrink in terror. It was her husband, his face close yet hollow, as if without a soul. There was no hatred and no regret on that face, only a dead stillness.
"Fu...gaku..."
This was not her husband. It could not be.
"Mother…"
Itachi's hoarse voice reached her ears. Mikoto Uchiha trembled and looked forward, seeing Itachi Uchiha turn fully around. His scarlet Three Tomoe Sharingan stared at the thin figure of his mother held tightly by his father.
Another flash of lightning streaked outside the window. In the pale light, he slowly drew his blade, the edge reflecting a cold gleam.
"Itachi." Black Zetsu's raspy voice sounded in his ear. "What are you waiting for?"
"If you stop here, the deaths of those clan members will lose all meaning. Nothing will change, and then you will be the real butcher."
Thunder rolled again, wave after wave. Itachi Uchiha felt pain throb at his temples. The whispers of 'Madara' and 'Zetsu' echoed, tearing at his soul without pause.
Yes, 'Zetsu' was right. He had already come this far, and stopping now would make every death meaningless. That was not what 'Zetsu' wanted to see.
Only by completely removing the radical faction of the Uchiha Clan could conflict between Konoha and the Uchiha Clan be erased. Only then could those deaths be given meaning. Finally, Itachi Uchiha took a heavy step forward, gripping the knife as he walked toward his mother.
Seeing Itachi approach step by step, Mikoto Uchiha struggled again, but Fugaku Uchiha's arms were like steel, fixing her body in place. She stopped struggling and looked at her son, her lips trembling. Her voice was soft.
"Itachi... is all of this really worth it?"
She spoke like any ordinary mother asking her child a simple question. Seeing his eyes turn calm and numb, Itachi Uchiha felt a sharp pain in his chest. His breathing grew heavy as his hand shook.
Even so, the knife was raised in the end.
In the spiritual space, the numb Fugaku Uchiha watched everything and let out a hysterical roar.
"No! Itachi!!"
"Let her go! Let her go!"
"Itachi! That is your mother! I beg you!"
"Anyone else is fine, let me kill anyone else! Just not her! Only her!"
His shouts turned into pleading. Outside, his face remained blank as he continued to hold his wife tightly.
In the rain-soaked courtyard, Shisui Uchiha suddenly stopped. Beside him, he was holding Sasuke Uchiha's hand. Shisui had met Sasuke on the way home and planned to send him back.
Then lightning filled the black sky with pale light. In that flash, they saw three figures at the entrance of the house. Sasuke's face was blank with shock, staring at a scene he would never forget.
Mother was held tightly from behind by Father. And his brother was raising a knife.
"Itachi! Stop!"
With a broken scream, Shisui rushed forward on instinct. It was too late.
The blade cut through in a cruel arc. The sound of flesh being pierced seemed amplified, even drowning out the wind and rain outside. Time appeared to freeze.