The two of them offered no resistance and, in the blink of an eye, were drawn into the illusion.
After Shisui's death, the entire Uchiha clan was annihilated by Itachi. Even Izumi, his childhood friend, died that night. The village completely neglected Sasuke, more than half of his family's belongings were seized, and eventually, he defected.
Driven by Itachi's death, Sasuke's personality became dark and twisted. He sought only to avenge Itachi, but in the end, he died during the Five Kage Summit. Kawasaki had intentionally stopped the vision at that point, leading Itachi and Shisui to believe that Sasuke died there.
They watched as Itachi killed his own parents and destroyed his clan. And what did he get in return? The cold indifference of Konoha. Sasuke was dead, and the clan was gone.
Shisui and Itachi were stunned, unable to speak for a long time.
Having already experienced the incident with Shisui, Itachi was already deeply disillusioned with Konoha's leadership. Now, after seeing this future and free from the pressure of Shisui's supposed death, he had resolved to stand completely with his clan.
At that moment, Shisui felt his own naivety was laughable. He had been so weak as to consider suicide.
Kawasaki watched as the dōjutsu "Illusory Realm" on his status screen slowly faded away. Just as he'd thought, it was a single-use ability.
Kawasaki spoke slowly. "The Uchiha is first and foremost our home. Only then is it a part of Konoha."
"Without the Uchiha, what does Konoha have to do with us?"
"We've always wanted the position of Hokage, but that was just a desire for acknowledgment. The strong have no need for the acknowledgment of others!"
"If the entire clan is gone, what meaning does the name 'Uchiha' even have?"
The others mulled over Kawasaki's words. It was true. If all the Uchiha were gone, what Uchiha glory would be left to speak of? Throughout the history of the shinobi world, there had been countless powerful clans. But once a clan was wiped out, no matter how prestigious they once were, their legacy would eventually scatter to the winds.
"Itachi, I know you've been feeding information to the Third Hokage."
Itachi was silent for a moment. "I'm sorry."
"Your desire for peace isn't wrong, but your methods are."
"Itachi, the clan has much to deal with. Resign from the Anbu immediately and come back to help the family."
Joining the Anbu wasn't a job you could simply walk away from. After all, its members knew too many secrets. Without the Hokage's approval, one's status as an Anbu would not change. But now that Itachi's heart was with the clan, he would find a way. Of course, even if Itachi didn't resign, the Third Hokage would no longer trust him anyway.
Itachi agreed.
Fugaku watched from the side, immensely gratified. When he was clan head, neither Shisui nor Itachi had truly been on the same page as him. Fugaku had even sent Itachi into the Anbu to be a double agent, only for Itachi to feed intelligence to the Third Hokage instead. Thankfully, things were now taking a turn for the better. All thanks to Kawasaki.
Fugaku was already contemplating when to pass the position of clan head to Kawasaki.
[Ding! Host's Faction Template has finished loading.]
Kawasaki opened it. At the very top were Uchiha Fugaku and himself. Below were the names and portraits of every member of the Uchiha clan.
Kawasaki clicked on Itachi's icon. Uchiha Itachi.
Loyalty: High. Specializations: Combat, Infiltration.
Tapping on Combat revealed a detailed list of Itachi's skills in taijutsu, ninjutsu, and genjutsu. As for infiltration... there was no need to elaborate on that. Listed separately to the side were his Mangekyo Sharingan and its related dōjutsu.
Kawasaki then opened Fugaku's profile. Instead of Loyalty, Fugaku had an Affinity meter, which was also High. The rest of his details were similar to Itachi's.
This was perfect. Now he knew every clan member's strengths, which would be convenient for future assignments. He checked the pages for two of the elders. In terms of specializations, the Fourth Elder handled internal affairs, while the Third Elder was skilled in administration.
Kawasaki said politely, "For the next phase of our plan, I will be counting on the two of you for your assistance."
Both elders bowed their heads. "You are too kind, Vice-Commander. Please, give us your orders."
By now, a rough plan had already formed in Kawasaki's mind.
What does a clan need to prosper? Money. Other shinobi clans had their own ways of generating income. The Akimichi had their barbecue restaurants, and the Nara had their pharmaceutical business, which supported the medical system. Tenten's family had practically cornered the market on ninja tools in Konoha. Other families also had their own businesses to survive; relying solely on mission pay was enough to eat, but not enough to truly thrive.
The Uchiha clan was not involved in production, and the fortune they had amassed during the Warring States Period was steadily dwindling. The root cause was a lack of specialized talent. Without people suited for the work, such ventures were impossible. The Uchiha had always been battle-focused, with no one bothering to study these other fields. They could seize wealth during the Warring States Period, but now that the Five Great Nations were stable, such actions would easily lead to war. Their income had fallen significantly over the years. While they were still wealthier than the average shinobi, expanding their influence would be difficult.
But now, with the Faction Template, he could see everyone's innate talents. The path forward would be much clearer.
Kawasaki said in a low voice, "After I awakened my Mangekyo, I saw many fragments of the future... Konoha's days of peace are numbered. Countless disasters will befall the village in the coming years."
"Therefore, we must plan ahead. The clan's frustrations also need an outlet."
"We can no longer be confined to the Military Police Force. Acting as law enforcers naturally makes us unpopular. Whether we are lenient or strict, we can't win. It only breeds more resentment among our own clansmen."
Fugaku tapped his hand. "Kawasaki, speak freely. You have our full support."
With that declaration, Fugaku was giving Kawasaki complete authority to act. The others had no objections. After all, Kawasaki was both powerful and intelligent.
Kawasaki pointed to his eyes.
"The future fragments my Mangekyo sees aren't just about battles. They also show many successful business ventures."
"For now, we will select certain individuals to focus on economic development, allowing us to gradually break free from Konoha's control."
The others present had never imagined that foreseeing the future could be used in such a way. If they had enough money, they could manage the clan's affairs themselves without being restricted by Konoha. Considering the disasters that would later strike the village, economic independence was crucial.
The men all nodded in agreement.
Kawasaki continued, "Of course, this won't happen overnight. Fortunately, we still have time."
"During this period, we will relinquish all of the Uchiha's official positions of power. We will make the 'Uchiha conspiracy theory' a laughingstock."
Seeing their confused expressions, Kawasaki took a moment to briefly explain the concept of a "conspiracy theory."
Understanding dawned on them, and their admiration for Kawasaki reached new heights. That mind of his... it was truly incredible