"Father. Mother. There might be something wrong with your memories."
Itachi spoke as gently as he could, but Fugaku and Mikoto wouldn't listen. In their eyes, Itachi was nothing more than a hopeless romantic, completely bewitched by Shimura Danzō's niece. They believed he had once done all sorts of ridiculous, scandalous things for her.
In their version of the past, Itachi had claimed time and again that he'd cut ties with that woman—only to reconcile with her over and over again. Denial like this was typical. Every time they fought or had a falling-out, Itachi would pretend to be cold and aloof, denying their relationship altogether... only to chase after her soon after like a man possessed.
Mikoto still remembered that woman's vile face—pretty, delicate, and infuriatingly fake. She would speak in strings of flowery, sickening phrases, tears always glistening in her eyes as if the wind alone moved her to sob. It made people think Mikoto was the villainous mother-in-law bullying the poor girl...
Itachi was numb. He ignored the probing look from Kisame beside him. At that moment, he felt an unprecedented surge of murderous intent toward Sasuke.
This was too much!
How dare he desecrate their parents' souls like this!
Seeing Itachi grow flustered, Uchiha Fugaku sighed and slowly opened his eyes—now gleaming scarlet with the Sharingan. A dark, oppressive chakra filled the space.
"Itachi. If you're still so blind, then I'll have to knock some sense into you myself and drain that nonsense out of your head!"
The words had barely landed before Fugaku's body surged with terrifying chakra. Like a bolt of lightning, he shot straight for Itachi.
Fast!
Itachi and Kisame were both shocked, but their reactions were sharp. Dodging swiftly, Itachi counterattacked without holding back.
Unfortunately, Fugaku was in Edo Tensei form. Physical and ninjutsu attacks were almost meaningless. The only real solution was a sealing technique—but who here knew one?
Itachi did.
The Totsuka Blade was one such powerful sealing jutsu.
But... he couldn't bring himself to use it on his parents.
Itachi fell silent—again—for what felt like the hundredth time that night. His expression wrinkled. He had envisioned countless ways his reunion with Sasuke could play out, but this—this—was not one of them.
Weren't brothers supposed to be close?
How did it turn into this nightmare of filial piety?
His long-dead father now wanted to beat him to death. What was he supposed to do?
Even the best actor in the shinobi world couldn't sell a scene like this anymore!
But the arrow was nocked and the bow drawn—there was no turning back now. Sarutobi Hiruzen and the elite ninja unit he led, along with the underground supporters of the City of Peace, were all relying on Itachi to stall Sasuke.
Another impossible choice in a life filled with them.
It was just like that night—the night of the Uchiha massacre. Back then, he had also stood at a painful crossroads. For many reasons, he'd chosen to annihilate his clan with his own hands.
Now history was repeating itself. Would he betray his parents once more?
Lost in thought, he absentmindedly fired a Fire Release jutsu to block Fugaku's attack.
A blazing fireball screamed toward Fugaku.
Kisame frowned.
What the hell is this? Why are you wasting time with attacks that won't work?
Where's your Mangekyō?!
At this rate, the surprise attack was doomed to fail!
"…Sorry," Itachi whispered, voice barely audible, but firm. The tomoe in his eyes spun wildly, shifting into the Mangekyō pattern. With a leap, he shot toward Uchiha Fugaku, eyes unwavering.
He was ready to become the dutiful son once again.
"Itachi, my son… I see the resolve in your eyes. Are you going to abandon us again?" Fugaku sighed, though his fists didn't slow in the slightest.
Thanks to his Mangekyō's insight, Itachi could clearly track Fugaku's movements. He dodged gracefully, closing the gap between them in an instant.
Fugaku's expression remained unchanged. His Edo Tensei Sharingan glowed red and sinister, locked firmly onto Itachi.
Their eyes met.
The Mangekyō in Itachi's left eye began to spin like a windmill. Blood trickled from the corner of his eye.
Tsukuyomi.
In the Tsukuyomi space, time bent to Itachi's will. He wanted to end this fight swiftly within the illusion. Even if it failed, it wouldn't waste precious time.
If Tsukuyomi worked, he wouldn't need to use the Totsuka Blade.
Sarutobi Hiruzen was still waiting for the signal. This had to end quickly.
"Looks like Itachi-san has this in the bag. He even used his Mangekyō," Kisame thought to himself, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.
Smack!
A sharp crack shattered Kisame's thoughts—and Tsukuyomi.
"Itachi, did you forget I'm here too?" Mikoto said calmly, slapping him again across the other cheek.
A mother's love, delivered with a punishing hand.
There was no doubt that Fugaku and Mikoto loved their children—but that love was now tangled with resentment and grief. Itachi had murdered them with his own hands. No amount of affection could erase that.
They hated him for betraying the clan.
They resented him for failing to protect Sasuke.
"What a disappointment. The Mangekyō Sharingan—gifted to you by our clan—and you used it to destroy that very clan."
"And now, with those same eyes… are you planning to kill us again?"
Mikoto's quiet question cut deeper than any blade. She didn't raise her hand again—she simply stared at him, waiting for his next move.
Itachi now wore two perfectly symmetrical handprints across his face. His left eye was bloodshot. Given everything he'd done, those slaps were well deserved.
They didn't cause physical pain—but the emotional blow was crushing.
Mikoto's hands had shaken his very soul. His will faltered.
Is all this worth it?
Will what I'm doing actually lead to anything good? Itachi couldn't help but wonder.
The last massacre had unleashed consequences he could never have foreseen. From it emerged a deranged, vengeful Sasuke. No matter how confident Itachi was, he couldn't claim his choice had been right.
And this time? Would this ambush lead to something even worse?
His gaze met his parents'—and for the first time, he found himself unable to look them in the eye.
Sasuke… was truly ruthless.
Itachi knew this was all Sasuke's trap—designed specifically to torment him—and still, he'd fallen right in. There was no escape.
Simply killing him wasn't enough. This—this endless re-opening of his deepest wounds—this was real vengeance.
Fugaku and Mikoto no longer moved. Once again, they had handed the choice to Itachi. Just like on the night of the massacre, when they stood there and let him cut them down without resistance. No matter what path he chose, his parents would support him in silence.
—And that, in itself, was a crueler blow than any jutsu.
The pain. It was unbearable. It cut straight to the heart.
And yet, Itachi was always someone who could make the hard choices. His spirit may have faltered for a moment, but now…
He steeled himself once more.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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