Naruto: I am Uchiha Fugaku

The Third Hokage's expression twitched slightly.

He cared—he cared a great deal.

The Sharingan of the Uchiha clan was extremely dangerous. With it, a user could unleash many powerful and mysterious dōjutsu. There was no way he would risk exposing himself to that kind of power firsthand.

Especially considering his already strained relationship with the Uchiha. For all he knew, Fugaku could seize the opportunity to launch a sneak attack.

"Send someone in."

Hiruzen called toward the door, and an ANBU operative wearing a mask promptly stepped into the room.

"Show him the memory. He'll report back to me."

"Very well."

Fugaku let out a soft chuckle—mocking, perhaps—as if amused by the Hokage's cautiousness.

He turned to face the ANBU, then activated his Sharingan and projected a recorded memory into the operative's vision.

The footage depicted the moment they had encountered two Akatsuki members—both dressed in their iconic black cloaks with red clouds.

Importantly, there was no footage of the battle that followed.

Fugaku had deliberately excluded that—during the fight, he had used his Ice Release kekkei genkai, a secret he absolutely couldn't let the Third Hokage discover.

"Hokage-sama," the ANBU said after viewing the memory, "I saw two ninja wearing red cloud cloaks in the footage…"

Hiruzen's expression slowly darkened.

If Orochimaru was indeed connected to the same group as the Wood Release bloodline user, then this threat wasn't just about a missing-nin anymore.

Now, the enemy potentially included both Orochimaru and this mysterious organization.

"Hokage-sama, I've been on the road these past days, and I'm quite exhausted. I'll take my leave now."

Fugaku didn't wait for a response. With a casual farewell, he turned and left the office, not sparing another glance at the stunned and contemplative Hokage.

Hiruzen looked up at Fugaku's retreating figure.

He hesitated… but ultimately said nothing.

His earlier attempt to corner Fugaku had failed—clearly, the Uchiha patriarch had come prepared.

And now, with the added concern of Orochimaru's possible ties to the Akatsuki, he no longer had the energy or leverage to press the matter.

Back at the Uchiha compound, Fugaku greeted his wife, Mikoto, briefly before entering the hidden chamber beneath his study.

Puff—

A puff of smoke appeared as the body of a man with a fearsome facial scar materialized.

Fugaku had intentionally delayed retrieving the corpse. If it had been submitted for autopsy, the Analysis Division would've claimed it, and he'd have never gotten it back.

"Corpse smelting."

He inserted the body into a smelting chamber. It quickly dissolved, breaking down into raw biological material that coursed through Fugaku's own body.

An intense cold swept through him—like being plunged into ice water in the middle of summer.

White mist began to radiate from his body, chilling the air.

The moisture in the room condensed into frost, icy shards falling to the floor. Even the ground itself began to freeze, coated in a thin layer of frost.

Moments later, the process ended. The white mist dissipated, and his body returned to normal.

Crack… crack…

Fugaku raised a single hand. A crystal of hardened ice, about the size of a clenched fist, formed in the air above his palm.

Perfectly symmetrical, diamond-shaped, and glistening like a flawless gemstone.

This was no ordinary ice—it had been compressed to a degree where its hardness surpassed steel.

With his control, it could pierce flesh like it was foam.

"Not much of an improvement, but still something," Fugaku assessed quietly.

At his current level, his Ice Release kekkei genkai had already reached Kage-tier strength. Absorbing the remains of an elite jonin from the Yuki clan barely made a difference.

Still, a slight gain was better than none.

To him, Ice Release was a tool—a disguise. Something to use when he couldn't reveal his true Uchiha abilities.

It only needed to be powerful enough to be convincing.

When facing a true enemy, he would rely on his trump cards: the Mangekyō Sharingan… and the Shikotsumyaku.

Thinking of Ice Release reminded him of Yuki no Natsu.

It had been some time since he last visited the secret Uchiha outpost.

In a few days, he would make a trip and check on her progress.

After dispersing the icy crystal and melting away the residual frost to remove any traces of Ice Release, Fugaku exited the basement.

Clang. Clang. Clang!

From the courtyard, the sound of clashing weapons rang out.

He walked over.

There, in the yard, a young boy was sparring against a slightly older one.

The younger child had fair skin and delicate features—adorable, like a living porcelain doll.

He wore a tight-fitting black outfit and held a kunai in both hands, his expression focused and serious.

It was little Sasuke.

His opponent, a teenager in black ninja gear, had slightly longer black hair tied behind him and wielded a kunai of his own.

He stood calmly, one hand behind his back, casually parrying Sasuke's rapid strikes with ease.

It was Uchiha Itachi.

"His talent… even greater than Kakashi's at the same age. He might even rival Shisui."

Fugaku observed his son in silence.

Despite his disappointment in Itachi's loyalties, even he had to admit—it was an extraordinary, undeniable talent.

A gift that could be seen with the naked eye.

"Father!"

After a while, the two stopped sparring.

Sasuke, sweaty and flushed, ran happily toward Fugaku.

Itachi hesitated, then followed.

"Father," he greeted quietly.

Fugaku gave a small nod in acknowledgment but said nothing more.

Itachi fell silent.

The atmosphere turned heavy—thankfully, Sasuke's occasional chatter helped ease the tension.

Itachi studied his father closely.

He had recently learned that Danzo's death may have been orchestrated by Fugaku.

And just days ago, Fugaku had openly defied the Third Hokage, challenging his authority.

The tension between the Uchiha and the Hokage had reached a breaking point.

A storm was brewing.

Itachi felt deeply uneasy.

If things continued down this path, the Uchiha might truly attempt a coup.

Whether it succeeded or not, it would plunge Konoha into chaos—something Itachi desperately wished to avoid.

The peace they had fought so hard for could be shattered in an instant.

After a long pause, he finally spoke:

"Father… I heard you went against the Hokage a few days ago."

"Yes, that happened."

Fugaku turned to look at Itachi, his voice calm and indifferent.

He didn't care.

The rift between the Uchiha and the Hokage was no longer something that could be hidden.

From now on, such confrontations would only grow more frequent.

"Can't there be peace between the clan and the Hokage? "

Itachi asked, disappointment creeping into his voice.

"That's a question for Hiruzen Sarutobi, not me," Fugaku replied coldly. "Everything the Uchiha have become… is because of him."

He sneered.

"Father… you must be mistaken. Hokage-sama has always acted in Konoha's best interests. He would never—"

Itachi frowned, trying to defend the man he still believed in.

Hiruzen Sarutobi was kind, wise, and dedicated to the village. He couldn't possibly be responsible for pushing the Uchiha to the brink.

Fugaku gave Itachi a cold, contemptuous glance, then stood and walked away.

The boy was too far gone. Brainwashed. Beyond saving.

PS: Read Advance Chapters at https://www.patreon.com/c/Xentronix