The Third Hokage's expression twitched slightly.
He cared—he cared a great deal.
The Sharingan of the Uchiha clan was extrely dangerous. With it, a user could unleash many powerful and mysterious dōjutsu. There was no way he would risk exposing himself to that kind of power firsthand.
Especially considering his already strained relationship with the Uchiha. For all he knew, Fugaku could seize the opportunity to launch a sneak attack.
"Send soone in."
Hiruzen called toward the door, and an ANBU operative wearing a mask promptly stepped into the room.
"Show him the mory. He'll report back to ."
"Very well."
Fugaku let out a soft chuckle—mocking, perhaps—as if amused by the Hokage's cautiousness.
He turned to face the ANBU, then activated his Sharingan and projected a recorded mory into the operative's vision.
The footage depicted the mont they had encountered two Akatsuki mbers—both dressed in their iconic black cloaks with red clouds.
Importantly, there was no footage of the battle that followed.
Fugaku had deliberately excluded that—during the fight, he had used his Ice Release kekkei genkai, a secret he absolutely couldn't let the Third Hokage discover.
"Hokage-sama," the ANBU said after viewing the mory, "I saw two ninja wearing red cloud cloaks in the footage…"
Hiruzen's expression slowly darkened.
If Orochimaru was indeed connected to the sa group as the Wood Release bloodline user, then this threat wasn't just about a missing-nin anymore.
Now, the enemy potentially included both Orochimaru and this mysterious organization.
"Hokage-sama, I've been on the road these past days, and I'm quite exhausted. I'll take my leave now."
Fugaku didn't wait for a response. With a casual farewell, he turned and left the office, not sparing another glance at the stunned and contemplative Hokage.
Hiruzen looked up at Fugaku's retreating figure.
He hesitated… but ultimately said nothing.
His earlier attempt to corner Fugaku had failed—clearly, the Uchiha patriarch had co prepared.
And now, with the added concern of Orochimaru's possible ties to the Akatsuki, he no longer had the energy or leverage to press the matter.
Back at the Uchiha compound, Fugaku greeted his wife, Mikoto, briefly before entering the hidden chamber beneath his study.
Puff—
A puff of smoke appeared as the body of a man with a fearso facial scar materialized.
Fugaku had intentionally delayed retrieving the corpse. If it had been submitted for autopsy, the Analysis Division would've claid it, and he'd have never gotten it back.
"Corpse slting."
He inserted the body into a slting chamber. It quickly dissolved, breaking down into raw biological material that coursed through Fugaku's own body.
An intense cold swept through him—like being plunged into ice water in the middle of sumr.
White mist began to radiate from his body, chilling the air.
The moisture in the room condensed into frost, icy shards falling to the floor. Even the ground itself began to freeze, coated in a thin layer of frost.
Monts later, the process ended. The white mist dissipated, and his body returned to normal.
Crack… crack…
Fugaku raised a single hand. A crystal of hardened ice, about the size of a clenched fist, ford in the air above his palm.
Perfectly symtrical, diamond-shaped, and glistening like a flawless gemstone.
This was no ordinary ice—it had been compressed to a degree where its hardness surpassed steel.
With his control, it could pierce flesh like it was foam.
"Not much of an improvent, but still sothing," Fugaku assessed quietly.
At his current level, his Ice Release kekkei genkai had already reached Kage-tier strength. Absorbing the remains of an elite jonin from the Yuki clan barely made a difference.
Still, a slight gain was better than none.
To him, Ice Release was a tool—a disguise. Sothing to use when he couldn't reveal his true Uchiha abilities.
It only needed to be powerful enough to be convincing.
When facing a true enemy, he would rely on his trump cards: the Mangekyō Sharingan… and the Shikotsumyaku.
Thinking of Ice Release reminded him of Yuki no Natsu.
It had been so ti since he last visited the secret Uchiha outpost.
In a few days, he would make a trip and check on her progress.
After dispersing the icy crystal and lting away the residual frost to remove any traces of Ice Release, Fugaku exited the basent.
Clang. Clang. Clang!
From the courtyard, the sound of clashing weapons rang out.
He walked over.
There, in the yard, a young boy was sparring against a slightly older one.
The younger child had fair skin and delicate features—adorable, like a living porcelain doll.
He wore a tight-fitting black outfit and held a kunai in both hands, his expression focused and serious.
It was little Sasuke.
His opponent, a teenager in black ninja gear, had slightly longer black hair tied behind him and wielded a kunai of his own.
He stood calmly, one hand behind his back, casually parrying Sasuke's rapid strikes with ease.
It was Uchiha Itachi.
"His talent… even greater than Kakashi's at the sa age. He might even rival Shisui."
Fugaku observed his son in silence.
Despite his disappointnt in Itachi's loyalties, even he had to admit—it was an extraordinary, undeniable talent.
A gift that could be seen with the naked eye.
"Father!"
After a while, the two stopped sparring.
Sasuke, sweaty and flushed, ran happily toward Fugaku.
Itachi hesitated, then followed.
"Father," he greeted quietly.
Fugaku gave a small nod in acknowledgnt but said nothing more.
Itachi fell silent.
The atmosphere turned heavy—thankfully, Sasuke's occasional chatter helped ease the tension.
Itachi studied his father closely.
He had recently learned that Danzo's death may have been orchestrated by Fugaku.
And just days ago, Fugaku had openly defied the Third Hokage, challenging his authority.
The tension between the Uchiha and the Hokage had reached a breaking point.
A storm was brewing.
Itachi felt deeply uneasy.
If things continued down this path, the Uchiha might truly attempt a coup.
Whether it succeeded or not, it would plunge Konoha into chaos—sothing Itachi desperately wished to avoid.
The peace they had fought so hard for could be shattered in an instant.
After a long pause, he finally spoke:
"Father… I heard you went against the Hokage a few days ago."
"Yes, that happened."
Fugaku turned to look at Itachi, his voice calm and indifferent.
He didn't care.
The rift between the Uchiha and the Hokage was no longer sothing that could be hidden.
From now on, such confrontations would only grow more frequent.
"Can't there be peace between the clan and the Hokage? "
Itachi asked, disappointnt creeping into his voice.
"That's a question for Hiruzen Sarutobi, not ," Fugaku replied coldly. "Everything the Uchiha have beco… is because of him."
He sneered.
"Father… you must be mistaken. Hokage-sama has always acted in Konoha's best interests. He would never—"
Itachi frowned, trying to defend the man he still believed in.
Hiruzen Sarutobi was kind, wise, and dedicated to the village. He couldn't possibly be responsible for pushing the Uchiha to the brink.
Fugaku gave Itachi a cold, contemptuous glance, then stood and walked away.
The boy was too far gone. Brainwashed. Beyond saving.
PS: Read Advance Chapters at spatreon/c/Xentronix
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