Naruto: Konoha Spring of the Uchiha Prodigies

Thinking of this, Itachi Uchiha probed again: "Alright, Sasuke, let's not talk about this for now. Do you know what happened in the village a few days ago?"

"I know." Sasuke was taken aback when he heard Itachi's question.

"So, what's your opinion on this?" Itachi Uchiha asked.

“The Security Department did a great job. It was clearly the villagers who were in the wrong, and the Security Department made sure they received the punishment they deserved,” Sasuke said.

[There's definitely something wrong with what Uchiha Touhuan taught Sasuke!] Uchiha Itachi thought to himself upon hearing this.

Chapter 75 Brotherly Difference (Part 1)

"Sasuke...why do you think that?" Itachi Uchiha asked after a brief silence.

“The cause and effect of this matter is already very clear.” Sasuke didn’t understand why his brother would ask such a question. “It was these villagers who first spread rumors in the village to slander the village hero, Kakashi. The police department was just doing its job according to the law.”

"Spreading rumors?" Itachi Uchiha asked in confusion. He only knew that the clan and the police force had used violence, but he did not know the specifics.

“Yes, there were rumors all over the village recently that Kakashi was a serial killer and that he killed dozens of his teammates during the Third Shinobi World War,” Sasuke said.

“But even so, the clan shouldn’t use force against the villagers. We are ninjas, we can’t use force against civilians,” Itachi Uchiha said.

“This isn’t right, brother. My teacher taught me that punishing someone without teaching them is cruelty, and punishing someone who is not reformed after being taught is the way of the king. If the garrison does nothing and just takes action, that is indeed wrong. When the rumors first started spreading, the garrison had already issued laws to clearly tell the villagers that what they were doing was wrong, but those villagers still did what they wanted. So it is the right thing for the garrison to take action and educate them.”

"Is this how he taught you?" Itachi Uchiha gritted his teeth. He never expected that his younger brother, who used to be so obedient to him, would say such a thing. Was this still his adorable younger brother?

"What's wrong, brother? Is what the teacher said wrong?" Uchiha Sasuke didn't understand why Uchiha Itachi was reacting so strongly. This was something that even a seven-year-old like him could understand.

"Of course not!" Itachi Uchiha was eager to steer Sasuke's thinking back and retorted on the spot, "The villagers are certainly at fault, but we can't just use violence arbitrarily. The police force could have used gentler methods. Using violence will only exacerbate the rift between the clan and the village."

“No, brother, it’s no use.” Sasuke shook his head seriously. “My teacher taught me that petty people fear power but do not cherish virtue. Only by making them understand the consequences of breaking the rules will they know the seriousness of the law.”

"Sasuke!" Itachi Uchiha's expression turned extremely serious. "How could you call the villagers villains?"

"Brother, that's not what I meant." Sasuke quickly explained when he saw that Itachi was a little angry. "Of course, not all the villagers are villains, but those who were arrested by the police can definitely be called villains."

"Why?" Itachi Uchiha asked, frowning.

“My teacher taught me that believing what you hear is a sign of moral decay. People who readily believe and spread rumors are immoral. If someone has no morals, can’t they be called a villain?” Sasuke explained.

"Enough!" Itachi Uchiha angrily interrupted Sasuke, who was thoroughly annoyed by Sasuke's constant use of the phrase "my teacher taught me." "Didn't he teach you what the Will of Fire is?"

Itachi's sudden outburst startled Sasuke. Sasuke looked at Itachi in confusion, not understanding why his brother would suddenly be so angry.

Itachi quickly realized he might have frightened Sasuke and hurriedly tried to comfort him, saying, "I'm sorry, Sasuke, I lost my composure. Didn't your teacher teach you the Will of Fire?"

Sasuke shook his head and said, "The teacher would occasionally mention it to me during class, but he always said that this kind of thing is taught every day at the Ninja Academy, so he didn't go into details with me."

[Uchiha Touhuan was indeed up to no good; while teaching these things, he didn't teach Sasuke the great Will of Fire.]

Itachi Uchiha thought to himself, then took a deep breath before saying, "Sasuke, do you think the Security Department's actions are in line with the Will of Fire?"

Sasuke Uchiha nodded and said, "Of course it fits. Where the leaves of Konoha dance, the fire will never die out. The firelight will continue to illuminate the village and allow new leaves to sprout. Kakashi is a hero who burned himself for the village, and while we are illuminated by the hero's glory, we must also protect the hero who burned himself for the village. If even the hero who burned himself for the village can be slandered, then in the future, who will be willing to burn themselves for the village?"

"Is this how you understand the Will of Fire?" Itachi Uchiha asked.

"Is something wrong?" Sasuke asked, puzzled. "Then how do you understand the Will of Fire, brother?"

Itachi Uchiha opened his mouth, wanting to refute Sasuke's words, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't find any loopholes in Sasuke's statement.

"Brother, if you were a hero who sacrificed yourself for the village, but after you burned everything for the village, you were slandered and your family was also implicated, what would you do?" Sasuke suddenly asked at this moment. After being taught by Uchiha Touhuan, Sasuke also had his own set of right and wrong. At the same time, he also realized that his brother did not seem to agree with these things, so Sasuke also wanted to persuade his brother.

"I..." Itachi was speechless for a moment when he thought of that scene. After a while, he said with some difficulty, "I will silently endure all of this, because we are ninjas. A ninja is someone who can endure everything."

"Brother, is that really what you think?" Sasuke asked. "You hesitated just now, didn't you?"

Itachi fell silent; he truly couldn't accept the scenario Sasuke had described.

“Brother, you can’t accept this situation either, right?” Sasuke looked at Itachi Uchiha. “Our teacher once taught me, ‘Do not do to others what you would not have them do to you.’”

Itachi Uchiha remained silent for a long time before letting out a long sigh and saying to Sasuke, "I understand, Sasuke. You should go to sleep now. I have something to do."

The brothers' first conversation after not seeing each other for a long time ended without any resolution. After leaving Sasuke's room, Itachi Uchiha sighed, changed his clothes, opened the door, and disappeared into the night.

At this moment, at Uchiha Shisui's home, although he had already finished get off work, Shisui was still in his study repeatedly reviewing the testimonies of the three clans members who had colluded with Orochimaru, which he had interrogated with the Anbu who had come to investigate earlier that day.

A knock came at the door. Uchiha Shisui looked up, a puzzled expression on his face. Who would come looking for him so late?

Shisui put away the documents, arrived at his front door, opened it, and smiled upon seeing who it was: "Itachi? You're back?"

"Shisui." Upon seeing his elder brother, who was both his mentor and friend, Itachi Uchiha briefly smiled.

"Let's go inside and sit down." Shisui led Uchiha Itachi back to his home, where Shisui pulled out a short tatami mat, and the two sat on the floor.

Chapter 76 Brotherly Difference (Part 2)

"Itachi, it's been a while since we last talked, hasn't it?" Shisui said with a smile.

“Yes, we haven’t talked since your eyes were taken,” Itachi Uchiha said.

When Shisui heard Itachi bring this up, he shook his head helplessly. The events of a few days ago had made him see the true colors of many people. In his spare time these past few days, he had also looked through the old files left by the security department. What was hidden beneath the village's seemingly glamorous exterior had greatly changed his mindset.

He realized that Uchiha Touhuan was actually protecting his clan, the village, and himself by taking his eyes. He clearly understood that he had been too naive in the past. If Uchiha Touhuan had not acted in time and had been allowed to use Kotoamatsukami recklessly, then his clan and village would probably have been doomed, and the evils within the village would have remained hidden forever.

Uchiha Touhuan was right. His answer to the inner torment of Kotoamatsukami was too arrogant and naive. In his hands, Kotoamatsukami was no different from a child wielding a sharp blade, dangerous and uncontrollable.

Now, even if Uchiha Tohkan placed his Mangekyou Sharingan in front of Shisui, Shisui wouldn't dare to pick it up again.

Seeing that Shisui had fallen silent, Itachi Uchiha asked after a while, "What exactly happened in the village recently?"

"Have you heard about it?" Shisui sighed and then recounted the whole story of the rumors from a while ago. As someone who had been through the events with the police force, Shisui naturally had a clearer perspective than Sasuke, who could only learn about it through rumors.

After hearing the whole story, Itachi Uchiha frowned deeply. After a while, he looked up and said, "No matter what, the police force should not have used violence against the villagers."

“Itachi, I know what you mean. Do-hwan has already been very restrained in this matter.” Shisui understood his best friend’s thoughts very well. “He originally intended to resolve this matter through legislation, but things developed out of control due to the instigation of some people with ulterior motives. I think Do-hwan didn’t want to do that either.”

"Shisui, you..." Itachi Uchiha never expected that Shisui would speak up for Uchiha Touhuan, who had forcibly taken his Mangekyou Sharingan.

"But if we do that, the divide between the clan and the village will only grow wider. Uchiha Touhuan never even considered integrating the clan into the village! Have you forgotten our dreams?" Uchiha Itachi questioned.

“Itachi, you have a deep misunderstanding of Dohwan. Dohwan has always been trying to integrate his clan into the village! The fact that the Security Department recruits civilian ninjas is the best proof of that,” Shisui said. “Moreover, after this incident, I have also thought about it carefully. Clans can integrate into the village, but the Security Department cannot.”

Itachi was puzzled by Shisui's words, but Shisui quickly cleared up his confusion: "After all, the Security Department is the village's law enforcement agency. What law enforcement agencies need to do is ensure their impartiality, not try to get closer to the villagers. In this matter, Tohwan is far more clear-headed than we were before."

"Shisui, have you forgotten the Will of Fire?" Itachi Uchiha looked at Shisui in disbelief. How long has it been? Even someone like Shisui, who firmly believes in the Will of Fire, has been brainwashed by Touhuan Uchiha?

"Itachi, the Security Department fulfilling its duties is the true embodiment of the Will of Fire." Seeing Itachi's agitation, Uchiha Shisui couldn't help but frown and speak seriously.

The two fell silent again. After a while, Shisui sighed and continued, "Moreover, Itachi, some people in the village may not really care about the Will of Fire as much as they claim."

"Shisui, don't forget what that guy said that day about starting a war!" Itachi Uchiha gritted his teeth.

“I think that was just Douhuan trying to distract me,” Shisui said, shaking his head. “He probably didn’t want to hurt me, which is why he did that. Otherwise, with his eye technique, he would have had a million ways to kill me.”

"Enough! I think you've been brainwashed by that guy and have completely forgotten our dream! Forgot the Will of Fire!" Uchiha Itachi slammed his fist on the table, stood up, and left with a flick of his sleeve.

The conversation between the two ended unhappily. Shisui watched Itachi's departing figure with utter helplessness, thinking to himself, "Itachi, Touhuan once said I was arrogant, but I never expected that your arrogance would surpass mine."

If he could, he would love to show Itachi Uchiha that shocking evidence, but due to confidentiality regulations, he did not have the authority to do so.

"It seems we can only wait until tomorrow to ask Touhuan and see if Itachi can also learn the truth." After Itachi left, Shisui Uchiha returned to his study, took out the documents again, and sighed.

After leaving the Shisui family, Itachi Uchiha wandered aimlessly. He couldn't understand why, after only being away for a short time, he felt as if the whole world had abandoned him. His younger brother, who had relied on him the most, and his older brother, who was both his teacher and friend, had all become strangers to him.

Unbeknownst to him, Itachi Uchiha arrived at the cliff by the Naka River, the place where he once contemplated life with his beloved.

The night wind atop the cliff tousled his hair. As Itachi Uchiha felt each gentle breeze brush past his ears, he began to rethink the relationship between his clan and the village.

Uchiha Itachi was one of the few intelligent members of the Uchiha clan, whose minds were filled with muscle and clan honor. As Hiruzen Sarutobi said, Itachi was able to think from the Hokage's perspective, so he could see that there were problems in the way the clan and the village interacted. But how to solve this problem was something that even Hiruzen Sarutobi, who was sitting in the Hokage's seat, couldn't do, let alone Itachi, who could only think from the Hokage's perspective.

In other words, Itachi Uchiha had the brain to think in this way, but his knowledge and experience could not support the depth of his thinking.

If Uchiha Touhuan were here, he might be willing to guide this lost soul. However, arrogance and prejudice led Uchiha Itachi to make what he thought was the right choice.

As the last leaf of early winter fell, Itachi Uchiha's Sharingan suddenly opened, with three tomoe slowly rotating within it. The fallen leaves, dancing in the wind, were ignited by chakra, and through the light of the flames, he looked towards the Hokage Rock, the highest point in the village. The shadow rocks of the four Hokage were exceptionally clear in his Sharingan.

"The Will of Fire, it can't be wrong." As the ashes of burned leaves drifted in the wind, Itachi Uchiha murmured to himself.

Chapter 77 Itachi Uchiha's Decision

When Itachi returned home, it was already late at night. Sasuke and Mikoto had already gone to sleep, but Fugaku was still busy in the study.

Uchiha Itachi took a deep breath, glanced at the familiar furnishings in his home, and then returned to his room.

Not long after, Itachi Uchiha, carrying a box of luggage, walked out of the room and came to the entrance.

Just then, a dignified voice came from behind him: "Where are you planning to go?"

Uchiha Itachi turned to look at his father and said calmly, "I plan to move out. The clan's missions have taken up a lot of time, and I'll probably have more missions in the Anbu recently. The house is still too far from the village."

Fugaku's face was cold, and his lips twitched slightly. After a long while, he finally spoke: "Itachi, once you make a choice, there's no going back."

Upon hearing this, Itachi Uchiha stopped and turned back, saying solemnly, "Father, what we can't turn back to is the current state of our clan."

Fugaku Uchiha sighed. His Mangekyou Sharingan allowed him to see fragments of the future, and these fragments would change according to his thoughts and choices. He once saw himself and his wife die at Itachi Uchiha's hands, but Sasuke was able to rebuild the glory of the Uchiha clan in the future. He had tried to reverse this future, but in the end, he realized that he did not have the ability to change it and could only quietly wait for his own fate.

However, after Uchiha Touhuan forcefully intervened in the clan's affairs, the previous ending quietly shattered. Uchiha Fugaku saw a completely new future. Although this new future was only a small fragment, it almost blinded his Mangekyou Sharingan due to the backlash. However, he could still vaguely see the clan's prosperity far surpassing that of his ancestors.

However, in this future, the only thing missing is Itachi.

He wanted to save his son, so he made several more attempts after that, including trying to tell Itachi about his eye techniques in their entirety. But even after his Mangekyou Sharingan power was nearly exhausted and his eyesight was almost half-blind, the outcome was still the same. He had to accept the fact that he could not persuade his eldest son to come back, just as he had accepted his own fate.

Calling out to Uchiha Itachi today was merely his last attempt as a father.

As Fugaku watched Itachi's blurry figure disappear into the distance, he couldn't help but recall what Uchiha Touken had told him: if he hadn't brought four-year-old Itachi to the battlefield, things might not have turned out this way.

……

The next morning, Sasuke got up and immediately ran to Itachi's room. Although the conversation last night was a bit unpleasant, Sasuke had made a plan before falling asleep last night: to apologize to his brother first thing in the morning and then have his brother take him to school.

However, when he pushed open the door to Itachi Uchiha's room, he found the room empty. Itachi Uchiha hadn't taken much with him. Apart from a few changes of clothes and his usual ninja tools, he only took a photo of himself and Sasuke that he had always kept in the room. But Sasuke felt something was amiss because of this.

"Mom? Where did my brother go?" Sasuke ran into the kitchen and asked Mikoto, who was making breakfast and preparing bento boxes.

"Itachi will be very busy in the Anbu recently," Fugaku replied to Sasuke, who was drinking tea at a nearby table.

Upon hearing this news, Sasuke lowered his head dejectedly and after a while said, "Did I make my brother angry last night?"

“This has nothing to do with you, Sasuke,” Fugaku said. “Hurry up and finish your meal so you can go to school.”

"Okay," Sasuke said weakly.

……