Chapter 55: The Uncontrollable Tide of Public Opinion Turns on Uchiha Itachi

Today. Within the Uchiha Clan’s residential district, an odd rumor had suddenly surfaced out of nowhere.

—Uchiha Iizumi possessed a terrifying eye technique, the Sharingan capable of perceiving both "Past Evil" and "Future Evil." He had seen the "Future Evil" within Uchiha Itachi—the clan heir—and foretold that, in some distant future, Itachi would betray the Uchiha, slaughtering every single member of the clan.

—Men, women, children, elders, even close friends and family—everyone would fall beneath Itachi’s blade. Even his own parents would be murdered by his hand.

—When Iizumi attempted to eliminate this "Future Evil," the clan head, Fugaku Clan Head, had blocked him, choosing to spare the boy who would one day plunge into darkness.

The rumor touched upon the three most prominent figures in the Uchiha Clan.

Even without deliberate incitement, the story spread like wildfire through the clan’s ranks.

Yet the sheer weight of the claims made them seem almost unbelievable.

How could such a power exist?

No one had ever heard of a Sharingan capable of seeing into the future—let alone a future of such monstrous betrayal.

Besides…

Uchiha Itachi, though often aloof and unpopular among the clan, had always been seen as just a loyal son of the Uchiha. He stood on the side of the Hokage, yes—but surely, he wasn’t that cruel?

After all, he was a Uchiha, wasn’t he?

…

“Hey, you! Yeah, you—the new one!”

Inside a women’s restroom in the Uchiha compound, Iizumi had just finished washing her hands when she heard a voice behind her.

She wiped the water from her fingers, her expression still heavy with thought.

Curiously, she turned around.

A female Uchiha in the uniform of the Uchiha Police Force stood there, whispering urgently:

“You’re one of Iizumi’s students. You must know things we don’t. Tell me—was that thing that happened this morning… true?”

Iizumi blinked.

“Huh?”

She had no idea what Tachibana Jiro had done.

“About… Uchiha Itachi,” the woman pressed. “Did Iizumi really see his Future Evil?”

Iizumi’s eyes widened in shock.

Her face went pale.

The answer was already written in her expression.

“…It’s true?”

The woman whispered, trembling.

“…It’s actually true.”

Iizumi watched, stunned, as the woman’s fingers clenched into fists.

Veins bulged visibly on her forearm.

And then, in a flash, her Sharingan flared open—red and unblinking.

“Uchiha… Itachi…”

The words came out one by one, each syllable forced through gritted teeth.

“…You really are something.”

The situation was spiraling far beyond anything she’d anticipated.

And how did this woman even know about this morning’s events?

Iizumi was utterly baffled.

…

With Iizumi now confirmed as a witness, the once-suspect rumor gained sudden credibility.

The air in the Uchiha Clan grew colder.

Hundreds of eyes—fearful, furious, desperate—turned toward the future.

Uchiha Setsuna handed his walking cane to a guard, then slowly lowered himself onto a soft cushion.

His gaze swept across the gathered members of the Uchiha’s radical faction.

“Tell me,” he rasped, voice dry and hollow.

“How much faith do you place in today’s rumor?”

“Seventy percent, at least,” one Uchiha ninja replied firmly.

“Iizumi’s student has confirmed it. And Root’s investigation found that the clan head was seen leaving Iizumi’s house early this morning.

Moreover, given Iizumi’s unprecedented record of solving cases—perhaps his eyes truly are something beyond our understanding. A power we’ve never known.”

Boom!

A fist slammed the table.

“Uchiha Itachi! Uchiha Fugaku! You call yourselves guardians of our legacy? We’ve sacrificed everything—day after day, year after year—for the survival of our clan. And you? You’re ready to destroy it all!”

Another clenched his fists, eyes dark with fury.

“Setsuna Elder, we must eliminate this threat before it ever grows.”

“But what if the intelligence is wrong?” someone asked.

“Can a normal Three Tomoe Sharingan really see into the future?”

“No room for doubt,” another snapped.

“Even a single possibility is too much. And besides—Itachi has never been one of us. I’ve suspected for years that it was he who killed Shisui. After all, the night Shisui died, everyone was at the family gathering—only Shisui and Itachi were missing.”

Silence.

Then, without further debate, a consensus formed among the radicals.

—They believed the rumor.

Even if it was only a sliver of possibility, it could not be allowed to exist.

“Brothers,” Setsuna spoke at last, his voice low and weary.

“Fugaku Clan Head, by choosing to spare Itachi… has forfeited his right to lead the Uchiha Clan.”

All eyes turned to the aging hawk-eyed elder.

…

“Fugaku Clan Head,” the moderate faction—those who advocated for peace with the village—approached Fugaku.

“Is this true?”

Fugaku’s expression darkened.

He had no idea who had leaked the story.

He’d felt the storm of public opinion brewing within the clan, but he dared not step in.

To intervene would only confirm the rumor.

But if he remained silent, the truth might spill beyond the clan walls—into the village itself.

It was a trap.

Was it Iizumi who had told?

But that wasn’t like him—quiet, reserved, never one to draw attention.

Had he changed?

Or… was someone else behind it?

After a long silence, Fugaku spoke, his tone firm.

“It’s all just rumor and distortion.

Itachi will never do such a thing. He never will.

We must stand united as one clan, if we are to maintain peace with the village.

Do not fall for the schemes of those with ill intent.

I, as clan head, swear upon my honor that Itachi is loyal.”

The moderate elder sighed.

“I only hope you’re making the right choice, Fugaku Clan Head.”

…

Noon.

Ninja Academy.

Uchiha Sasuke sat in the first-year classroom, finishing his lunch, when he suddenly noticed something strange.

Three students entering the room were staring at him—whispers passing between them, fingers pointed in his direction.

Sasuke frowned.

Just as he was about to confront them, one stepped forward.

“Sasuke,” the boy asked hesitantly.

“Your brother… Uchiha Itachi… did he kill everyone in your clan?”

Sasuke stared.

“…What?”

…

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end