Undisputed victor of the Forest of Death, Itachi left the grounds the very next day.
With too few participants having qualified, the extra trial was canceled.
The proctors told him to prepare for the third stage in three days.
And…
He had broken Minato's record.
Everyone already saw him as a future Hokage.
Humble as ever, Itachi merely thought he had shortened the distance to his dream.
Upon returning to the Uchiha HQ…
Furious voices greeted him.
"More budget cuts for the Police! This is pure oppression!"
"Even Shisui was pulled from the front lines! They don't want us to shine against Kumo!"
Hachidō's complaints echoed through the room.
Itachi had heard them countless times.
The discontent of the radical factions was turning into hatred toward the village.
"We can't just keep enduring…"
—
Moments earlier, at the Uchiha residence…
Hachidō and his companions left the living room, exchanging brief nods with Itachi.
Once alone, Fugaku appeared under the eaves:
"Itachi, your results?"
"Acceptable…"
As he recounted his exam, Itachi reflected on the increasingly toxic atmosphere in the clan.
The shadow is spreading…
"You truly are my son."
Fugaku allowed a rare smile when he heard about the record being broken.
"Where are Mother and Sako?"
Especially Sako… She better not be off with Naruto.
"Shopping. I'm heading out as well."
Fugaku left without further explanation.
Itachi, lost in thought, finally entered the house.
...
Fifteen minutes later…
While drinking his tea, Shisui arrived, visibly shaken.
"Itachi… Uzumaki Naruto is dangerous."
He downed his cup in one gulp before explaining what he'd observed.
Behind that harmless exterior…
Lurks unfathomable darkness.
"That boy… probably has the darkest soul there is."
Shisui sat down, grave.
"How do you know?"
Can he really read hearts?
"My Mangekyō Sharingan..."
He pointed to his eyes.
No detail escaped that dōjutsu.
Not even the Hyūga's Byakugan can compare.
And that chakra… it's the same as the one on the night of the Kyūbi attack.
After hesitating, Shisui chose to reveal a hidden truth:
"Itachi… the adults lied to you about something…"
He explained the link between Naruto and the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox.
"...The Hokage banned anyone from speaking of it."
Naruto = Kyūbi?!
Itachi, shocked, remembered the horror of that night.
So many lives lost…
"I thought that was just a ridiculous rumor…"
Shisui shrugged.
"But that chakra… it's the same."
Don't repeat this to anyone.
Then why tell me?
Because I'm your closest friend.
"Shisui-nii~! You came to see me~?"
Sako's voice rang out from the garden.
Back with her mother, arms full of shopping bags, she ran over to Shisui.
"Ha, afraid I'll steal your brother?"
Shisui, a master of mood shifts, teased her before leaving.
One final look at Itachi.
Message received:
Keep Sako away from Naruto.
"Big brother, how was your exam?"
Sako, beaming, asked for details.
My brother is truly the best!
I'll go see him at the third stage… with Naruto.
But before she could share her plans…
"Sako…"
Itachi, in an icy tone:
"Don't see Uzumaki Naruto anymore. Ever."
"WHAT?! Why?!"
Naruto's eyes… so lonely…
"You've seen how the villagers treat him."
A weak excuse.
But Sako lowered her head, defeated.
"I… understand."
...
At Naruto's place, same moment…
"So… is that okay with you?"
Aoba, her eyes filled with disgust, trembled in shame.
Her arms shook.
In the next room...
Hinata slept peacefully, unaware of everything.
She was dreaming of Naruto...
Of her healed mother...
Of her baby sister soon to be born...
Aoba, meanwhile, was sobbing.
---
Hokage's Office...
Hiruzen listened to Yūgao and Hayate's report, his brow increasingly furrowed.
The common misunderstanding:
The villagers believe Naruto is the Kyūbi.
*In truth, he is only the vessel.
A misguided policy of secrecy.
Other villages use their bijū…
Konoha locks them away.
The result?
Widespread ignorance about bijū.
And avoidable disasters.
But if...
If Shisui knows the truth…
*If the Uchiha are truly plotting…
Then what?
Hiruzen found himself in a dilemma.
A historical problem...
But the Uchiha are our allies.
What should be done?
Especially after Itachi's record-breaking performance...
Hiruzen felt a deep ambivalence.
The Uchiha problem?
They've never had a Hokage.
With Itachi's talent, that could have changed...
But his clan is too impatient.
They'll destroy him… and themselves.
A temporary solution:
Send Shisui back to the front lines.
Observe the reactions.
"Yūgao, Hayate — from now on, protect Naruto together."
Two guards are better than one.
The two shinobi nodded.