The Hyuga meeting hall was a blend of traditional elegance and suffocating tension.
Hiroshi sat toward the back, slouched just enough to look interested in the topic, but not enough for his father to scold him in public. The room was packed with clan members, mostly elders whose ages seemed to match the antiques decorating the hall.
The head elder cleared his throat, "Hiroshi, step forward. We must discuss the... unusual technique you used during the Nine-Tails incident."
'What greedy asshole' Hiroshi stood, scratching the back of his head. "Oh, you mean the 'Dragon Fist' thing?"
"Yes," the elder replied, his gaze sharp. "Explain."
"Right, about that..." Hiroshi reached into his sleeve, pulling out a blank scroll. "It's kind of a one-time use deal. Found it in the forest, actually. Super rare. Once the technique's used, the scroll becomes, well, ...useless."
He tossed the blank scroll toward the elder with a casual flick of his wrist.
The scroll traveled in full parabola and smacked the elder square in the chest before flopping open on the table, revealing its content.
"…"
The room went silent, except for a muffled snort from a younger clan member in the corner.
The elder glared at Hiroshi, his hands trembling as he held up the blank scroll. "You expect us to believe this?"
Hiroshi shrugged. "Believe what you want. I'm just saying, good luck finding another one."
His father, seated at the head of the table, buried his face in his hands with a sigh
"Hiroshi, sit down."
Hiroshi grinned and dropped back into his seat, crossing his arms like he'd just solved all the clan's problems.
The head elder huffed but decided to move on. he can do noting, "Fine. Lord Hiashi, let us proceed with the main matter: the Caged Bird Seal."
The air grew noticeably heavier. Hiashi stood, his commanding presence filling the room. "Last night, many of our branch members lost their lives during the Nine-Tails attack. The Caged Bird Seal's limitations make our clan weaker, not stronger. I propose its removal."
"Preposterous!" one elder bellowed, slamming his hand on the table. "The seal is what maintains order in our clan!"
"Order?" Hiashi shot back, his voice sharp. "It's oppression! It's a relic that cost us lives last night—Hyuga lives!"
Another elder huffed. "Without the seal, the branch members could rebel against the main family. Chaos would ensue!"
"Chaos?" Hiashi's eyes blazed with fury. "You're more afraid of losing power than you are of protecting your own people!"
The argument raged on, voices rising like a storm. Hiroshi leaned back in his chair, watching the back-and-forth like it was an entertaining play.
When one particularly fiery elder turned red in the face, he whispered to his uncle next to him, "Do you think he's goanna pop a vein? or maybe worse, we don't have dipper of adults right?."
His uncle strugled to keep his poker face, eventually, the elders rejected Hisashi's proposal. His father's face was tight with frustration, but he sat down, defeated—for now.
The meeting shifted to the Nine-Tails incident. Members who had been on the scene described seeing the beast under the influence of a Sharingan.
"This is the Uchiha Clan's doing!" an elder roared. "They've always been a threat to the village. This confirms it!"
Hiroshi rolled his eyes so hard, it was a wonder they didn't fall out of his head. 'Great, let's blame the Uchihas for everything.'
As the meeting continued devolving into finger-pointing and conspiracy theories, Hiroshi leaned back and crossed his arms, his mind racing.
"These old fossils are dragging the village down," he thought. "Corrupt, stubborn, stuck in the past... Maybe it's time for a little cleaning."
---
Few hours later
Itachi walked beside his mother, carrying baby Sasuke in his arms. His steps were steady, his gaze forward, but his mind was weighed down by the events of the last 12 hours. The Uchiha clan was being relocated to the outskirts of Konoha, far from the village's core.
The Hokage had assured them that the move was a precaution, not a punishment, but the whispers of the villagers told a different story.
"Of course, it's the Uchiha," someone muttered as Itachi and his mother passed by. "They summoned that fox demon!"
"Always plotting something..." another added.
Itachi's grip on Sasuke tightened, but his face remained calm. His mother placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder, her expression weary but composed.
"They're just scared," she said softly. "Don't let their words get to you."
But Itachi couldn't shake the unease in his chest. That morning, the Uchiha clan had held a meeting. Some of the elders, emboldened by the rising mistrust, had suggested rebellion against Konoha. Itachi had stayed silent, his young mind torn between loyalty to his clan and his growing realization that such a path could only lead to ruin.
When they finally reached their new home, a modest but well-built house at the edge of the new district, Itachi handed Sasuke to his mother.
"I'll be back," he said simply, stepping out before she could ask where he was going.
The streets of the new Uchiha district were quiet, the air heavy with resentment and despair. Itachi wandered aimlessly until he stopped in a secluded clearing near the edge of the village. That's when he saw him.
A masked figure stood beneath the shade of a tree, wearing an eerie 'oni' mask.
Itachi's instincts flared. "Who are you?"
The masked man tilted his head, his voice low and calm. "Someone who knows the truth.
Your clan is doomed, Itachi Uchiha. Every man, woman, and child will be wiped out."
Itachi's fists clenched. "What are you talking about?"
"The destruction of your clan is inevitable," the figure continued. "Between the elders of your clan and a certain masked man manipulating the Nine-Tails, it's already set in motion. You'll see it soon enough."
"Enough lies!" Itachi shouted, making hand signs. "Fire Style: Phoenix Flame Jutsu!"
Flames shot toward the masked man, but as they approached, they veered off course, dissipating harmlessly into the air.
Itachi didn't hesitate. He dashed forward, his kunai aimed at the man's chest. But every strike missed, his blade twisting unnaturally in his hand as if repelled by an invisible force.
"Impressive," the masked man said, almost mockingly. "But futile."
Itachi leapt back, breathing heavily, his Sharingan spinning furiously. "What are you? Some kind of jutsu?"
The masked man chuckled. "Let's just say I'm the ghost of what's to come. Your clan is a dying ember, and even you, their brightest spark, won't survive long."
Itachi froze as the figure stepped closer.
"Your disease," the masked man said,
"Every time you use your chakra, it eats you…. slowly, painfully.
Do you think you'll even live to see adulthood?"
Itachi's breath caught in his throat. How could this stranger know about the illness he had kept hidden from everyone?
The masked man took a step back, "You're a boy playing a man's game, Itachi.
The question is... will you be the one to stop the flames, or become flames itself that will burn all Uchihas?"
And with that, the figure disappeared into the shadows, leaving Itachi standing alone, his kunai trembling in his hand.
---
[ Analysis of Itachi Uchiha is 100% complete!]
Hiroshi perked up, intrigued. "Finally. What've you got for me, Nova?"
'Itachi Uchiha is suffering from a autoimmune disease,' Nova reported. 'If untreated, it will significantly shorten his lifespan. Would you like to cure him?...