Red Butterfly

Chapter 71, The Good, The Bad & The Uchiha

Hiruzen's mouth falls agape as I witness the hint of...glistening tears?

There was only silence that drenched this place as everyone tried to comprehend and register all that I've said. Their silence was quite unsettling and didn't sit right with me.

Everyone was in deep shock and it was evident on their expressions.

What will they do?

I hope I succeeded in making them comply to me.

I took a deep breath and tipped my head low, reminding myself that I shouldn't give up.

"If you're still skeptical about what I told you then look me in my eyes", I demand, chinning up to reveal the merging of the three tomoes into the Mangekyō Sharingan.

"Itachi!", father abruptly calls out, pure fear written all over his face. He stands out of his seat hastily and so does all the other members of the Uchiha clan as they gawk at me in astonishment.

Yes, I am willing to go this far for Hanabi...

"Mangekyō?!", someone gasped, as he stared at me with anticipation.

"That's right, the Mangekyō Sharingan", I affirm.

I turn my attention again to my father and ask, "father, we both know how one awakens the Mangekyō Sharingan".

Of course I awakened the Mangekyō when my mind tricked me into thinking that Shisui was dead four years ago. But right now, it's the only way that I can prove to them that I'm saying the truth.

"Itachi...y-you awakened the Mangekyō?"

"Yeah", I reply nonchalantly as I feel a sudden surge of adrenaline, before pivoting on my heel rapidly and capturing Hiruzen Sarutobi in my Genjutsu.

"Lord Third!", someone called out, just as I successfully proceeded to make direct eye contact, therefore, ensnaring him in my Genjutsu.

In my Genjutsu, I made sure to bear Hiruzen as a witness to what traumatized me for the past four years. I made sure to make him see everything, and feel every ounce of pain I felt.

Hiruzen Sarutobi witnessed how Hanabi and I saved Shisui from Danzo. How we established the The SharinGANG. How we discovered Hanabi's Sharingan.

I made sure to embed the memory of Danzo at the Final Valley and how Hanabi was hurled in the wind, how we'd held onto each other right before my body betrayed me into letting go.

I grit my teeth as I forced him to live through the hell we endured. At the Rain Village, how I saw her again for the first time in four years.

There was still so much more I wanted show him, so much more I wanted him to feel from pain, the pain I've endured. But all was cut short, all came to a sudden halt including my Genjutsu when I heard my father yell out my name at the top of his lungs.

I was too caught up in making him see the injustice done to Hanabi to the point where I was rendered completely off guard when two masked Anbu members leapt from behind me and tackled me down on the table resulting in a loud thud.

From my peripheral vision I caught sight of Hiruzen who was being tended to by the other higher ups. He was panting and looked out of breath as he tried to catch the natural rhythm of his breathing again.

"Hiruzen what happened?!", Homura said with concern lacing his voice.

The echoing footsteps of the Anbu and Jonin from earlier stormed the meeting hall in search for me.

"Let go of me you twerp", I choke out when one of the Anbu tackling me pushed his knee in the back of my neck.

"Don't try anything funny", he warned, making me grit my teeth together.

"Damn you"

He pinned my arm behind my back to restrict my movement.

"Take him away!", Homura barked furiously as I saw Shikaku Nara and Inoichi Yamanaka exchange a glance.

What are they planning?

"Let go of him", my head barely managed to pivot under the impact as I rolled my eyes all the way to the other side. My eyes widened in utter shock and I gasped when I caught sight of my own clan members jumping to my defense and activating their Sharingans.

"Itachi is not in the wrong here", a Police Force member hissed at the two Anbu tackling me.

"He dared and threatened the Hokage!", the Anbu shouted back.

"He only ensnared him in a momentary Genjutsu", an Uchiha protested.

"He infiltrated this meeting!", the other Anbu yelled out in protest.

"He was trying to prevent us from making a stupid decision", another dark-haired insisted.

Why? Why jump to my defense like this when I was one push away from slaughtering all of you that fateful night?

"Take him to the Police Station"

My eyes broadened when I heard my father's voice cut above all else. When I met his eyes with my bleary vision, I could clearly see that his decision was  solely to end the fiasco I created here.

"Lord Fugaku?!", someone protested, but father shook his head and simply replied, "stand down", my father firmly stated, "it might've been out of pure anger, but the way he acted was still inappropriate".

"Fugaku", Shikaku says in his raspy voice, "I know this is hard for you, but I request we take him in for further investigation".

Father took one last look at me, before replying, "do whatever's necessary", and he turned his back on me.

But in that split moment, and before he turned away, I could clearly deduce that his response was despite from inside.

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A/N:- Ah yes, we love us some drama. Tell me how you feel about all this cause emotions are clearly runnin' high. I'm really looking forward to writing the upcoming chapters✨✨

~A