Mastermind of the Akatsuki

At dawn the next day, after reporting to Ryuma, a jonin, Itachi was assigned a surveillance mission. The target of his surveillance? None other than his own clan—the Uchiha. 

With a heavy heart, Itachi arrived at the ANBU surveillance room. 

The room was filled with countless screens, displaying nearly every corner of the Uchiha clan's district. Except for a few places like the Police Force Headquarters and Naka Shrine, the rest was completely visible. 

Seeing this, Itachi felt his heart sink and a wave of unease washed over him. 

For the first time, he realized the stark gap between his clan and the village leadership. While the Uchiha spent their efforts trying to gather information about the upper echelon, Konoha's leadership had already established an extensive surveillance network over most of their territory. 

This also meant that every move the Uchiha made, including their ambitions to claim the Hokage position, was under constant scrutiny. 

Under such an overwhelming disadvantage, did his clan truly stand a chance? 

After a moment of silence, Itachi turned to Ryuma, the leading jonin, and asked, "Ryuma-san, why did Lord Danzo assign me to monitor the Uchiha district? And why is the Uchiha clan under surveillance in the first place?" 

"Because the Uchiha are dangerous elements, of course…" 

Ryuma glanced at Itachi, speaking without the slightest regard for his feelings. 

"The Valley of the End battle decades ago and the Nine-Tails' attack a few years back have already proven this. Lord Danzo is worried that your clan will harm the village again. As for why you're assigned this task? It's likely because he trusts you. Heh! Honestly, I'm a little envious of you. You've only just joined Root, yet you've already earned Lord Danzo's favor. Who knows, you might even become his successor one day." 

Itachi forced a polite smile, concealing his emotions, and began his task. 

To most shinobi, watching monitors would be a dull task, but Itachi carried it out with utmost diligence. He wanted to see for himself how the upper echelons truly viewed his clan. 

From morning to dusk, Itachi worked for twelve hours straight before leaving Root headquarters. 

During this time, Itachi came to a clear understanding of his clan's image in the eyes of Konoha's leadership. 

The Uchiha shinobi who served in the Police Force were arrogant and domineering, often abusing their authority to punish village citizens and shinobi harshly for any infractions. However, when their own clan members made mistakes, they were quick to show leniency. 

This disparity in treatment left a bitter taste in Itachi's heart. 

When facing the unfairness of Konoha's leadership, the Uchiha were quick to voice their outrage during clan meetings, accusing the Hokage and his advisors of discrimination. Yet, in front of ordinary villagers, the Uchiha Police Force acted no differently from the upper echelons they despised. 

Konoha's leadership discriminated against the Uchiha, while the Uchiha discriminated against ordinary shinobi and villagers. 

Realizing this contradiction, Itachi sighed inwardly. He suddenly felt that all his efforts were futile and that life itself held little value. 

How many people in Konoha truly upheld the Will of Fire? 

--- 

The surveillance of the Uchiha district continued for three long months. During this time, Itachi also undertook several missions assigned by Danzo, eliminating numerous rogue shinobi who had betrayed the village. 

After killing a rogue genin with his own hands, Itachi wiped the blood from his kunai, collected the forehead protector and severed head, and delivered them to Danzo. 

Danzo glanced at the severed head before turning his gaze to Itachi. "Itachi, you've been with Root for three months now. What do you think of our organization?" 

Itachi chose his words carefully before replying, "Root is an organization that protects the light from within the shadows. There are things that cannot be brought to light, and only Root has the ability to handle them." 

Danzo nodded approvingly. "You're right. Root's purpose is to do what the Hokage cannot. Only by removing the parasites feeding on Konoha can this great tree stand strong. Even if innocent lives are lost in the process, it's a necessary sacrifice. We cannot prioritize the needs of a few over the well-being of the majority. Do you remember the trolley dilemma I once told you about? Would you save five people, or let fate take its course and allow one to survive?" 

Without hesitation, Itachi answered, "I would save the five. I cannot abandon five lives for the sake of one." 

When Danzo had first posed this question, Itachi had chosen to let fate decide. 

But after completing numerous missions for Root, his perspective had shifted. Five lives were more important than one—even if that one person didn't deserve to die. 

Hearing Itachi's answer, Danzo was satisfied. He knew he had successfully instilled Root's philosophy into Itachi's mind. 

With this, when the time came for Konoha to act against the Uchiha, Itachi would stand with the village. 

However, the conflict between Konoha and the Uchiha had not yet reached its breaking point. The Uchiha needed to display their intent to claim the Hokage position before Hiruzen Sarutobi would be compelled to take action against them. 

For now, Danzo only needed to keep pressuring the Uchiha and push the Police Force's spies into action. Eventually, the Uchiha would launch a coup d'état. 

When the Uchiha attacked the Hokage's office, Hiruzen's ANBU would be crippled from suppressing the uprising. At that moment, Danzo could dispatch Root to clean up the mess. 

By claiming credit for ending the rebellion, Danzo could impeach Hiruzen and rise as Konoha's Fifth Hokage. 

--- 

Shisui was not blind to Itachi's changes over the past three months. 

As Itachi's closest friend, Shisui could clearly sense his growing extremism. Itachi's demeanor had grown colder and more ruthless during missions. 

Witnessing this, Shisui had tried to persuade Itachi to leave Root, but Itachi refused. 

Itachi believed that staying in Root had its advantages. If the Hokage faction made any moves, he would be the first to know, and he and Shisui could plan countermeasures to save their clan together. 

Shisui didn't know how to change Itachi's mind or convince him to see things differently. 

The Uchiha didn't have to stay in Konoha. They could leave and build a new life elsewhere. Why did they insist on remaining in the Hidden Leaf Village? 

Torn between his increasingly distant best friend and his stubborn clan, Shisui found himself trapped in a dilemma. 

In the end, he realized that his only choice was to use the gift he had received from Byakuya and seek help from the one person he couldn't fully understand.