The Uchiha Clan Compound.
Two young men, one tall and one slightly shorter, returned from outside the village, walking into the heart of the Uchiha district.
The taller one wore a forehead protector and a green flak jacket the uniform of a jōnin. He had short hair and a prominent, rounded nose. A tachi sword was strapped to his back.
The shorter one also wore his forehead protector on his head. He was dressed in black beneath a gray vest. With medium-length hair and strikingly handsome features, his appearance bore a faint resemblance to Uchiha Fugaku.
These two were none other than Uchiha Shisui and Uchiha Itachi, returning from a mission.
"Shisui."
"Itachi."
…
Along the way, clan members warmly greeted the two young prodigies, brimming with pride that the Uchiha clan had produced such talents.
Little did they know these were two white-eyed wolves.
One had been brainwashed by the Third Hokage, becoming a fanatical loyalist and even planned to use Kotoamatsukami to control his fellow clansmen.
The other would one day become the executioner of his own clan even his parents and the key figure responsible for the Uchiha clan's annihilation.
"Clan Head!"
"Father!"
The two arrived at the clan leader's estate, located at the heart of the Uchiha compound, and greeted Uchiha Fugaku with respectful bows.
"Hmph. You've both returned from your mission?"
Looking at them, a surge of murderous intent rose in Fugaku's heart.
These two traitorous wolves they were the ones who would ultimately lead the Uchiha clan to its ruin, and place his own life in danger.
If he could, he would've disposed of them here and now to eliminate future threats.
But reason held him back.
To gain the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, he needed to wait for Itachi to awaken his Mangekyō first.
Besides, Shisui had almost certainly already awakened his Mangekyō Sharingan.
Against another Mangekyō user, Fugaku wasn't confident of victory. And what he feared most was Shisui's Kotoamatsukami — a genjutsu that could permanently alter someone's will, without the need for direct eye contact.
"Yes. We just returned after completing our mission," they replied.
In truth, their mission hadn't been completed they had been urgently recalled by the Third Hokage, and their task reassigned to other ANBU.
But of course, they wouldn't share that with Fugaku.
Though they were Uchiha by blood, both had long since drawn a clear line between themselves and the clan. They saw themselves as existing on a higher plane possessing a broader vision beyond clan interests.
To them, clan-centric figures like Fugaku, who prioritized the family above all else, were narrow-minded and shortsighted.
"You must be tired. Go get some rest," Fugaku said.
Though he couldn't read their minds, he had a good idea of what they were thinking.
He knew they were wolves in sheep's clothing. But for now, he had no choice but to play along.
Unwilling to waste words on these two traitors, Fugaku dismissed them after a few pleasantries out of sight, out of mind.
"Yes, sir."
The two acknowledged and left together. They didn't part ways, as they still needed to report to the Third Hokage.
Once they were gone, Fugaku stood in the courtyard, his face calm, but his mind racing.
The return of Shisui and Itachi had stirred a deep sense of unease in him.
Itachi had yet to awaken his Mangekyō Sharingan, so he posed no immediate threat. But Shisui was another matter.
Kotoamatsukami a genjutsu capable of permanently rewriting a person's will hung over his head like the Sword of Damocles.
He couldn't afford to have his will altered. If that happened, he would no longer be himself just a puppet.
"How can I protect myself from Kotoamatsukami?" Fugaku pondered.
The best way to prevent such a fate was to kill Shisui and either destroy or seize his eyes.
But as a fellow Mangekyō user, Fugaku had no confidence in defeating Shisui.
Not even a sneak attack guaranteed success.
Even Danzo, with careful preparation and nearly all of Root mobilized, had failed to kill Shisui.
If even Danzo couldn't do it, how could he?
His own strength aside, he didn't even command as much power or loyalty within the clan as Danzo did in Root.
As a relatively unpopular clan leader, there were very few within the Uchiha who were fully loyal to him.
"If I can't kill Shisui, then I must find a way to resist Kotoamatsukami," Fugaku concluded.
As terrifying and seemingly invincible as Kotoamatsukami was, no jutsu was truly unbeatable.
Even Obito's Kamui had counters. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been defeated during the Fourth Great Ninja War.
Fugaku believed Kotoamatsukami must also have its weaknesses.
"At its core, Kotoamatsukami is a genjutsu powered by ocular chakra. If my own ocular power is strong enough, I should be able to resist it."
He recalled the deadly battle between Sasuke and Itachi.
During that fight, Itachi used Tsukuyomi, a genjutsu embedded in the Mangekyō, but Sasuke broke free using sheer ocular power.
Although Itachi had held back, it still proved that powerful enough chakra in one's eyes could resist even Mangekyō-level genjutsu.
By that logic, Kotoamatsukami could also be resisted the key was strong ocular power.
"I already possess the Mangekyō Sharingan, so my eye power is formidable. If I integrate Hashirama's cells and eliminate the Mangekyō's drawbacks, I should be able to resist Kotoamatsukami."
His eyes lit up. The more he thought about it, the more viable it seemed.
Hashirama cells could allow him to use the Mangekyō without degradation. While not as powerful as evolving to the Eternal Mangekyō, it would still enhance his ocular power.
With enhanced eyes, his resistance to genjutsu including Kotoamatsukami would increase significantly.
"My first step is to acquire a White Zetsu corpse. By refining and fusing with it, I can gain Hashirama cells."
Fugaku's thoughts became clear. He now had a plan.
He knew that somewhere within the borders of the Land of Rain the stronghold of the Akatsuki White Zetsu would be present.
His next move was to infiltrate the Land of Rain and secure a White Zetsu body.
Screech—
A sharp cry rang through the sky.
Fugaku looked up to see a messenger hawk circling the village above, letting out its call.
It was the signal for a village-wide meeting summoning the village's mid- and high-level personnel.