Under the silent night sky, it felt like the only sound left was Uchiha Sasuke's heavy breathing.
His eyes burned red, his chest filled with a nameless rage.
Just now, Uchiha Itachi had told him the truth about Uchiha Fugaku.
Sasuke had never imagined he was the son of that kind of man.
The proud clan head of the Uchiha... had actually bowed and scraped, compromising with Konoha's so-called higher-ups?
A man like that had no sense of pride as an Uchiha!
No wonder so many people used to give him a hard time when he was a kid—this was the reason all along.
Damn it!
Seeing Sasuke's expression, Itachi sighed again.
"Sasuke, there's no point dwelling on the past. I'm telling you this now for one reason—"
"Without Lord Mirai, our Uchiha clan would have met a tragic, unimaginable end."
But Sasuke didn't seem entirely convinced.
"Nii-san, Uchiha Fugaku was definitely a disgrace to our clan. But with the power our clan has, the worst we'd have faced was a bit of oppression, right?"
"Isn't that a bit of an exaggeration?"
Itachi's face darkened instantly. He stared hard at Sasuke and said coldly,
"Is that what you really think, Sasuke?"
"You know so little of our clan's history. Of course you wouldn't understand how powerless the Uchiha were in the days when the Mangekyō Sharingan was still just a legend."
"Looks like I've been too lenient with you. That's what led to this attitude."
"Tonight, copy down the clan's historical records. I'll check them tomorrow."
Seeing Itachi this angry was rare, and Sasuke nodded nervously.
He couldn't explain why, but for a moment… he thought he sensed killing intent from his brother.
"Haha... no way. My brother would never want to kill me. I'm just imagining things," Sasuke muttered to himself, then quickly walked off.
After he left, a flicker of complex emotion passed through Itachi's eyes.
Unlike Sasuke, he had lived through the Third Great Ninja War, had witnessed Sarutobi Hiruzen's reign.
He knew how cruel war could be—and how hard-won the Uchiha's current standing truly was.
Now that both the shinobi world and the Uchiha clan had finally found some semblance of balance, he couldn't allow anything to disrupt it.
Especially not doubts cast toward Lord Mirai.
Sasuke had always been self-centered, as if the whole world revolved around him. Left unchecked, that kind of mindset could become a serious threat.
After thinking for a while, Itachi silently disappeared into the night.
He was going to find Shisui. Only Shisui's Kotoamatsukami could possibly change Sasuke's dangerous way of thinking.
...
But Uchiha Shisui refused Itachi's request.
In his view, someone who hadn't lived through that era couldn't possibly understand what it had felt like back then.
Using Kotoamatsukami over just a few words—that was way too extreme.
And to be blunt...
Uchiha Sasuke? That brat wouldn't be able to stir up any real trouble under Mirai's watch.
With no other option, Itachi gave up on the idea. But he still decided he'd begin educating Sasuke daily, starting now.
...
Uchiha Mirai had just finished making dinner when Shisui appeared in front of him.
Mirai didn't even flinch—it was nothing new to him.
"Shisui, what brings you here this time?" Mirai asked as he laid out an extra set of chopsticks and bowl.
Shisui flashed his trademark smile, then sat down and relayed everything that had happened with Itachi and Sasuke.
After hearing the story, Mirai just chuckled.
Ever since he'd overthrown Sarutobi Hiruzen and the others, he hadn't gone out of his way to publicize his achievements.
He didn't like deifying himself the way Hiruzen had.
So, Sasuke turning out like this? Completely expected.
Since Mirai didn't seem bothered, Shisui moved on to the next topic.
"Lord Mirai, about Sasuke wanting to awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan..."
Mirai smiled. "Tell him to come see me. I'll help him awaken it."
That smile on Mirai's face suddenly gave Shisui a strange chill.
He quickly finished his food and slipped away using the first excuse he could think of.
...
Three days later.
Sasuke stood in front of Uchiha Mirai, clearly excited and full of respect.
"Lord Mirai, how do I awaken my Mangekyō Sharingan?"
Mirai said calmly, "It's easy. All you have to do is kill the person you care about most."
The smile on Sasuke's face froze.
Kill the one he cared about most?
Did that mean... kill Itachi? Or Naruto?
What kind of sick joke was this?!
"Lord Mirai... is there another way?"
Mirai nodded again. "There is. But you'd better be mentally prepared."
Sasuke said confidently, "Don't worry. I'm ready."
"Good."
A smile tugged at the corner of Mirai's lips.
"Then go experience the fate that was originally yours."
As soon as the words left his mouth, Sasuke froze where he stood, clearly caught in a genjutsu.
...
Inside the illusion.
Sasuke was just a new student at the Ninja Academy, living a peaceful and happy life.
His father was strict, but he was also the respected head of the Uchiha clan.
His mother was gentle and loving, always doting on him.
His older brother was the brightest rising star of Konoha's new generation.
Sasuke's daily life was filled with warmth and happiness.
"Seriously, class ended ages ago and the teacher's still dragging it out? He's getting worse."
"Whatever. Tonight, I'm practicing shuriken throws with Nii-san. I have to beat him this time!"
Carrying his bag, Sasuke hurried toward the Uchiha district.
Above him, the moon hung bright in the night sky.
But the occasional caws of crows overhead sent an uneasy feeling through him.
"That's weird... why is it so quiet around here?"
Sasuke muttered to himself, then froze at the sight before him.
Corpses. Everywhere.
"W-What... what is this?!"
He nearly fell to the ground in shock, then took off running toward his home.
Damn it, what the hell happened in the clan?!
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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