"Brother, you're back!"
With a heart full of sorrow, Uchiha Itachi returned home.
Seeing him, Sasuke ran up excitedly, his face full of joy.
"Yeah, I'm back," Itachi responded, forcing a faint smile as he looked at Sasuke.
Without saying more, he walked straight into his room and closed the door behind him.
Collapsing onto the bed, grief resurfaced on his face.
Shisui—his dear friend who cared deeply for him and who had shared the same dream of protecting the Leaf—was dead.
And the one who likely killed him… was none other than his own father.
The thought filled his expression with anger.
Why? Why would Father kill Shisui?
"His chakra feels stronger..."
Uchiha Fugaku narrowed his eyes in thought.
With his sensory abilities, he had already detected Itachi's return the moment he stepped into the Uchiha compound.
And he noticed something else—Itachi's chakra had grown significantly stronger.
If his previous presence was like a torch, then now, Itachi burned like a blazing bonfire.
"As expected, he's awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan..."
There could only be one explanation for such a sudden surge in power: Itachi had awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan.
He must have heard of Shisui's death from the Third Hokage. The emotional shock would have triggered the awakening.
"Now that Itachi has awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan, it's time to deal with this ungrateful traitor. But how?"
Fugaku furrowed his brows, clearly conflicted.
His original plan had been to eliminate Itachi just as he had done with Shisui—dispose of the traitor to protect the clan.
But doing so would surely break the hearts of Mikoto and Sasuke.
And Sasuke—his hope for the future and someone with the potential to reach Sage-level power—might grow distant from him.
Even if he quietly disposed of Itachi, the Third Hokage was clever enough to figure it out.
As revenge, he might leak the truth to Mikoto and Sasuke.
And if Fugaku planned to transplant Itachi's eyes into Sasuke later to awaken the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, the truth would be exposed then, too.
He fell into deep thought, and after a while, he made his decision.
He stood up, left the study, and walked into the main hall, calling out to his wife.
"Mikoto, bring Itachi and Sasuke out here. We're having a family meeting."
"Family meeting?" Mikoto was a little surprised but didn't question it.
She first went to fetch Sasuke, then stood in front of Itachi's room and knocked on his door.
"Itachi, come out for a moment."
"Mother? What is it?"
After a while, Itachi opened the door, having barely composed himself.
"Your father said he wants to hold a family meeting. He asked me to call you and Sasuke," Mikoto explained.
Right now, he didn't want to see his father. He was afraid he wouldn't be able to hide his anger.
But just as the Third Hokage had said, until he grew strong enough to stop the clan and correct their path, he couldn't let his father suspect anything.
So he followed Mikoto to the main hall.
Fugaku and Sasuke were already seated at the table. Itachi and Mikoto took seats on the opposite side.
Fugaku glanced at Itachi and activated a soundproof barrier, enclosing the entire room in a square-shaped seal.
The outside world was cut off. But even within the barrier, Fugaku didn't speak immediately.
A suffocating silence filled the room. Even Sasuke, usually energetic, fell quiet under the tension.
Finally, after a long pause, Fugaku spoke.
He raised his head, eyes sharp, and looked straight at Itachi.
"Itachi, why did you betray the clan and become a mole for the Third Hokage?"
After careful consideration, he had decided not to keep it secret from Mikoto and Sasuke.
Rather than letting them find out later and question him, he chose to let them know now—let them understand just how treacherous Itachi really was.
All the color drained from Itachi's face.
His secret... was exposed!
His father had already known about his role as a mole? When did he find out?
Cold sweat ran down Itachi's forehead. So the disguise he thought was perfect had already been seen through.
"Fugaku… is this some kind of misunderstanding?" Mikoto's voice trembled with unease.
She forced a smile and turned to Itachi, her gaze filled with hope.
"Right, Itachi? Tell your father this is just a misunderstanding."
As a proud member of the Uchiha clan, she had a deep sense of belonging to her people.
She couldn't believe that her eldest son had betrayed the clan and become a spy for the Third Hokage.
But the seriousness in Fugaku's tone—and the pale look on Itachi's face—sent a chill down her spine.
Under his mother's expectant gaze, Itachi looked away.
He knew she wanted him to say no, but he couldn't.
Because it was true—he had betrayed the Uchiha and agreed to serve as the Hokage's informant.
And since his father was confronting him so directly, he must already have undeniable proof. Lying would be pointless.
With his head lowered, he said softly,
"I'm sorry, Mother… I've disappointed you. I truly am the Hokage's mole within the clan."
"Brother… betrayed the clan?"
Sasuke stared blankly at Itachi.
He was six now—soon to enter the Ninja Academy.
Precocious as he was, he already understood what it meant to be part of a clan—and what it meant to betray it.
Fugaku had taught him from a young age how important the clan was.
Now learning that his brother had betrayed the clan left him stunned, confused, and deeply hurt.
"Why, Itachi? Why would you betray the clan and willingly become the Third Hokage's mole?"
Mikoto staggered, her voice heavy with pain.
She had feared this answer, but hearing Itachi confirm it still filled her with grief and disappointment.
"To protect the fragile peace of the Leaf."
Still unable to look at Mikoto, Itachi answered.
"Protecting peace… What does that have to do with betraying the Uchiha and becoming a spy for the Hokage?" she asked, clearly bewildered.
"The Uchiha Clan is a source of instability within the Leaf. The threat to the village's peace comes from us. That's why… I chose to betray the clan and work for the Hokage."
Itachi's voice was steady, yet filled with sorrow.
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