Chapter 6. A glimpse into the future

After closing the doors to the clan, Fugaku dismissed the many aggrieved Uchiha members, retaining only the senior officials. This group included the third elder, the fourth elder, Natsuki, Itachi, and Shisui, who was still lying on the stretcher.

In contrast to the other aggrieved Uchiha, the third elder admired Fugaku's performance to the extreme. He recognized Fugaku's strategic intelligence, acknowledging that even as a hawk, he couldn't have reached such a position without a shrewd mind.

Fugaku, however, felt a headache when he observed the third elder's admiring expression. Did he genuinely believe he had no hand in orchestrating the events?

He didn't focus much on the third elder at the moment. His priority was confirming one crucial matter.

"Natsuki, have you activated the Mangekyō Sharingan?"

Surprise rippled through the room. Had Natsuki truly awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan?

Natsuki nodded, and the three tomoe in his eyes transformed into a triangular windmill. His Mangekyō Sharingan had a distinctive pattern, featuring a sword on the outside and a flower on the inside. The surging power emanating from his eyes left Fugaku astounded.

Fugaku couldn't help but express his shock. Natsuki's talent was exceptional; at the age of nineteen, he had already achieved the Three Tomoe Sharingan. Although his proficiency in genjutsu was lacking, his abilities in other areas were exceptional.

Initially, he had been tasked with a challenging mission, and a promise was made to grant the position of acting elder after its completion. However, he went a step further by awakening the Mangekyō Sharingan.

"Hahaha, okay, okay, okay!"

Fugaku couldn't contain his excitement. He understood the difficulty of awakening the Mangekyō Sharingan, having kept his own a secret for years to provide an additional trump card for the family.

Amidst the chaos of the Third Ninja War, Konoha had suffered significant losses, both in terms of troops and skilled shinobi. The Uchiha clan, too, had lost many talented members. Given Natsuki's achievement, Fugaku was overjoyed.

The family was in urgent need of a young, powerful figure like Natsuki to take charge. His strategic thinking and courage, demonstrated through the handling of Shisui's matter, had impressed Fugaku. Natsuki's calculated moves not only frustrated Danzo but also eroded trust in the Hokage.

Fugaku admired him more with each passing moment, unaware that his actions were driven by the certainty that a confrontation would not end well for the Uchiha clan.

Exposing the truth would position Uchiha as victims, making it difficult for other ninjas to side against them. Moreover, with four pairs of Mangekyō Sharingan on their side, a conflict could easily sweep through all major ninja clans.

Though Fugaku was elated, Natsuki wanted to voice his complaints. His pair of kaleidoscopes seemed like nothing compared to the combined power of Shisui and Itachi's Mangekyō Sharingan.

Putting away the sharingan, Natsuki cleared his throat and addressed everyone. "Since the clan leader thinks highly of me, I won't refuse. I have some ideas for Uchiha's development."

Suppressing smiles, the others eagerly waited to hear Natsuki's proposals.

"Firstly, let me talk about my awakened technique. It's called 'Gap in the Sky,' where you can peek into the future."

His words acted like a sudden revelation, causing everyone to react with widened eyes at the notion of peering into the future. 

"If we rebel tonight, our Uchiha clan will surely perish," he declared.

The two elders' expressions changed abruptly. The fourth elder attempted to say something, but Natsuki halted him.

"Fourth Elder, the peace you desire is impossible because, in ten years, the entire Konoha will be destroyed," he proclaimed.

"What!?" Even Itachi, known for his cold demeanor, opened his eyes wide in disbelief.

Natsuki nodded solemnly. "Fourth Elder, Third Elder, Clan Leader, don't resist; I will show you glimpses of the future."

Activating his sharingan, Natsuki created a ripple that seemed to transport several individuals into a vivid painting. Various scenes unfolded, including Fugaku using the Sharingan to control the Kyuubi, the Uchiha coup failing, the entire Uchiha clan being annihilated, and a colossal shockwave destroying Konoha Village.

Carefully selecting future scenes, Natsuki presented them to the group. Though his Sharingan didn't actually offer glimpses into the future, it was an illusion created by Fugaku's eye technique.

While this was a personal conjecture, Natsuki, being aware of the plot, knew it was an effective tool to feign future episodes. As he ceased the sharingan, the shock on the faces of the three individuals was palpable.

The clan leader also possesses the Mangekyō Sharingan. Both elders looked at Fugaku, who nodded in confirmation.

The reason for excluding Shisui and Itachi from the illusions was due to the nature of Itachi's actions, which were not suitable for others to witness. After all, Itachi didn't harbor intentions of destroying the family at that point.

As Fugaku and the two elders regained their senses from the illusion, Natsuki began to speak.

"The two elders and the clan leader all desire strength for Uchiha, but the path we previously pursued was undoubtedly misguided."

The trio remained silent. The scenes they witnessed suggested that the role of the Hokage might not be as crucial as previously thought.

While contemplation filled the air, Natsuki turned his attention to Shisui and Itachi.

"Shisui, your naivety is truly excessive, and your actions were downright foolish."

Before Shisui could respond, Natsuki shifted his focus to Itachi.

"How old is Sasuke, Itachi?"

Itachi, a bit puzzled, lowered his head and replied, "Sasuke is five years old, Deputy Chief."

"Look at me, all of you!"

Itachi and Shisui raised their heads, and indeed, Natsuki activated his kaleidoscope.

Without resistance, the two instantly found themselves immersed in the illusion.

After Shisui's demise, the entire Uchiha clan met its end at the hands of Itachi. Even Itachi's childhood friend, Izumi, perished on the night of the genocide.

The village allowed Sasuke to wander alone, seizing most of the family's assets, and later, Sasuke defected.

Itachi, tormented by the death of Shisui, became dark and twisted. Seeking vengeance for his brother, he eventually met his end in the Five Kage Summit.

Deliberately leaving out details, Natsuki made it seem like Sasuke also perished during the Summit, causing both Itachi and Shisui to believe Sasuke died there.

Witnessing Itachi slay his parents and annihilate the family, only to receive Konoha's callous indifference, led Sasuke to his demise, and the Uchiha clan faced total annihilation.

Shisui and Itachi sat there, stunned, unable to speak for a long time.

Itachi had already become disillusioned with Konoha's leadership after going through Shisui's experiences. Now, witnessing future scenes only solidified his alignment with the family.

Shisui, on the other hand, realized how naive and foolish he had been. His past act of cowardice, choosing suicide, now seemed absurd in light of the revelations.

Natsuki observed the Eye Technique: Illusion disappearing from his attributes column, confirming that it vanished after exhausting its usage.

Natsuki continued, his voice measured: "Uchiha is our family first, and a member of Konoha second. Without Uchiha, what significance does Konoha hold for us?"

"We aspired to become the Hokage, seeking acknowledgment, but the truly strong don't crave recognition!"

"If our entire clan is eradicated, what claim do we have to the name Uchiha?"

His words lingered in the room as those present contemplated them. Indeed, if every Uchiha were gone, where would the glory of Uchiha stem from?

Throughout the years in the ninja world, many powerful clans had risen, but only a few faced extinction. No matter how mighty their reputation once was, it faded with time.