Chapter : 78

Buzz—

Shortly after Uchiha Fugaku left, two figures emerged from a swirling vortex.

One had gray-green hair, yellow eyes that seemed almost inhuman, and unnaturally pale skin—it was White Zetsu. The other, wearing a black cloak with red clouds and a spiral mask, was Uchiha Obito.

"This is where the White Zetsu disappeared!" White Zetsu announced.

White Zetsu was accompanying Obito to locate the Zetsu clone that had discovered the "impostor Uchiha Obito." However, just as they were about to arrive, White Zetsu had lost contact with the clone, which could only mean one thing: the clone had either been killed or somehow isolated.

"It seems he was discovered and killed!" Obito muttered, his expression darkening as he examined the area.

The bodies of Shimura Daisuke and the others lay nearby, but no trace of White Zetsu's body could be found. Crouching down, Obito inspected the wounds on the bodies scattered across the forest floor.

"Wood Release… Grafting Technique..."

As he continued his inspection, Obito's mood grew darker, his masked face twisted in frustration. Most of the wounds bore the clear signs of Wood Release, specifically the Grafting Technique, which meant that whoever was impersonating him had used Wood Release to stage the massacre. Konoha would inevitably blame him for this.

While Obito cared little about being hated by Konoha, he deeply resented the idea of being framed.

"I want to know who's daring to impersonate me," he said with cold intensity.

With a sharp gleam in his visible eye, Obito activated his Mangekyō Sharingan. Under the heightened perception of his Mangekyō, every small trace left in the forest became visible. Footprints, nearly invisible on the forest floor, began to appear on the trees and rocks nearby.

He began following the trail, attempting to track down his impersonator. But, after a short while, he stopped, frustration evident in his gaze.

"Not a single trace left!"

The trail ended abruptly. None of the footprints led away from the area, and there was no sign of how the person had escaped.

"I found nothing either," White Zetsu said, his tone heavy with suspicion. "It's as if they vanished into thin air."

He considered the possibility that the mysterious enemy might know the Mayfly Technique, allowing them to move without leaving a trace. But the idea was puzzling; the Mayfly Technique required a specific bloodline, making it seemingly impossible for someone else to master it.

"Hmph, if I meet them again, they'll regret it!" Obito snapped, frustration boiling over. He turned away, a vortex appearing in front of him as he entered it, disappearing back to his current base.

White Zetsu, however, was left standing there, stunned. Obito had forgotten about him completely.

...

Using the Mayfly Technique, Uchiha Fugaku traveled swiftly back to Konoha. As he neared the village, he canceled the technique and reappeared, heading towards the Konoha Guard Department.

"Captain, you're back!" greeted Uchiha Satoshi, who had been covering for Fugaku's shadow clone in his absence. He visibly relaxed upon seeing his captain return.

"Yes," Fugaku nodded, releasing his shadow clone and absorbing its memories. The clone had handled a few routine cases and spent a quiet afternoon in the office. Nothing significant had happened.

"Captain, was it successful?" Satoshi asked quietly, aware of Fugaku's intentions for leaving.

"It's been resolved. Once Shimura Daisuke's body is brought back for burial, we'll handle the final arrangements," Fugaku replied.

A slight smile appeared on Satoshi's face. "Understood."

As dusk settled, Fugaku left the Guard Department and returned home.

"Fugaku!"

"Father!"

At home, he was warmly greeted by his wife, Uchiha Mikoto, and his younger son, Uchiha Sasuke, both visibly happy to see him.

"Mm." Fugaku smiled, but his expression shifted slightly as he saw another figure approach him.

"Father," Uchiha Itachi said, his face calm, his voice measured.

"Itachi, you're back," Fugaku replied, his tone neutral.

Though he hid it, Fugaku felt a bitter disdain for Itachi. His son had been thoroughly indoctrinated, convinced he was sacrificing for the village's greater good when, in Fugaku's view, he was little more than a pawn for the Third Hokage.

For now, however, Fugaku needed to maintain the facade. He wouldn't sever ties with Itachi until the right time—specifically, until Uchiha Shisui was removed, which might prompt Itachi to awaken his Mangekyō Sharingan.

After a few minutes, Fugaku entered his study, but a knock on the door interrupted him soon after.

"Come in," he said, recognizing the footsteps.

The door opened, and Itachi entered the room, hesitating before speaking.

"Father, Brother Shisui's right eye is completely blind," he began, his tone careful. "Even Lady Tsunade couldn't heal it. She suggested that he replace the eye. She mentioned that a Sharingan would be ideal for compatibility. Is there… any way for the clan to help?"

Hearing Itachi's request, Fugaku's expression darkened inwardly, though he kept his face composed. He couldn't help but think that the Third Hokage was behind this. During the wars, Konoha had harvested Sharingan from fallen Uchiha, and both the Third Hokage and Danzo had access to some of those eyes. Yet, they still had the audacity to ask him.

"There are no spare Sharingan in the clan," Fugaku replied coolly. "However, I'll keep an eye on this. If a clan member falls in battle, I'll seek permission from their family. If they agree, we'll see about transplanting the Sharingan to Shisui."

It was, of course, an excuse. Fugaku had no intention of supplying Sharingan to aid a potential enemy.

"I see," Itachi responded, anger simmering beneath his calm exterior. He knew his father's response was a way to deny his request, a tactic to avoid helping Shisui. Inside, he felt a burning sense of frustration.

But Itachi remained outwardly calm. Arguing with his father would achieve nothing except upsetting his mother and Sasuke.

"Father, I'll take my leave now," Itachi said stiffly, turning to walk out of the study.

As he left, his clenched fists and the tense muscles in his forearms revealed his suppressed anger.

"Itachi, where are you going? Dinner is about to be served," Mikoto called after him as he passed through the hall.

"I'm going to check on Brother Shisui. You don't need to wait for me," Itachi replied, his voice distant as he walked out into the fading light.

(End of this chapter)

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