"That's right — Hiashi Hyūga is pathetic," spat an Uchiha who clearly had a younger sibling complex. "Hizashi died protecting his niece, and Hiashi just stood there and let his own twin brother take the fall over some foreign thief. What kind of garbage does that?"
"Exactly! If it were the Uchiha, we'd have marched straight into Kumogakure and demanded justice!"
"No doubt!"
"And to think people say the Hyūga are on par with us? What a joke!"
"They're overrated at best."
The Uchiha voices piled on, dismissing the Hyūga with open disdain. It was clear — the clan was once again full of overconfidence.
Fugaku, however, kept his focus. "Itachi, are you implying that the future evolution of the Uchiha might somehow be tied to the Hyūga?"
Only he had paused to think seriously.
Hachidai followed his line of thought. "Now that you mention it… the Hyūga have been around since the Warring States Period, and they're still considered a match for us. There must be something more to them. Could Hizashi's death have had something to do with the evolution of Hiashi's Byakugan?"
"That's right," another elder added. "If we Uchiha can evolve the Sharingan through loss and emotion, maybe the Byakugan can too?"
The crowd gradually grew silent as realization dawned. They turned their eyes toward Itachi, waiting for his explanation.
Even Madara and Obito were stunned. Could the Byakugan evolve too?
"You're not wrong," Itachi said gravely. "The Byakugan can evolve."
"What?"
"Are you saying the Hyūga have a dojutsu that can rival our Mangekyō?"
"No wonder Itachi stopped the coup!"
"That was close!"
"We nearly got played by the Hyūga!"
"If we'd moved too soon and been blindsided by them, we'd be finished…"
The Uchiha murmured amongst themselves, relief mixing with lingering fear. They looked at Itachi with gratitude. If not for him, they might have led the clan to its doom.
Who would've thought the Hyūga were so good at hiding their cards?
"Quiet," Itachi said, his voice cutting through the noise.
At once, the hall fell silent.
Only Madara and Obito still looked baffled. Wait… I've been watching Konoha for years and never heard about the Byakugan evolving!
"When Hizashi Hyūga died, I went to pay my respects," Itachi began. "But instead, I discovered something… extraordinary."
Itachi was about to begin his favorite genjutsu: Talk no Jutsu — a persuasive force so powerful, even the sharpest minds would kneel before it.
In his previous life, back when he was just watching the Naruto anime and manga, he'd always had a wild theory:That the crow Itachi sealed inside Naruto — carrying Shisui's left Mangekyō — was more than just a safeguard.Maybe, just maybe, it reacted with Naruto's Uzumaki blood… maybe even with Asura's chakra……and birthed something ridiculous:
A technique that could talk anyone down. Like Talk no Jutsu fused with Kotoamatsukami — a genjutsu so powerful, it didn't just control minds… It convinced hearts.
Genjutsu · Talk no Jutsu · Kotoamatsukami.
Everyone who ever talked with Naruto ended up getting steamrolled intellectually — emotionally manipulated, overwhelmed with conviction, and talked into submission.
It was just like Kotoamatsukami — an illusion so subtle the target never even realizes they've been influenced.
Now Itachi himself had Shisui's left eye. With the backing of a system and a second chance at life, wasn't it fair that he be allowed a little persuasive drama?
"You may speak, Itachi," said Inaho. "We're listening."
"Yes, Clan Head. Please, tell us," the others echoed.
They were dying of curiosity — especially Madara and Obito. If the Byakugan really could evolve, it could threaten everything they'd planned.
"I discovered that the Hyūga Clan are descendants of the Ōtsutsuki Clan," Itachi said slowly, deliberately.
"…The Ōtsutsuki Clan?" the Uchiha murmured, puzzled.
Uchiha Tajima, cloaked in a dark hood, stepped forward to explain: "The Ōtsutsuki Clan… an ancient bloodline, nearly forgotten. Back in the Warring States Period, they stood as equals to the Uchiha, Senju, and Uzumaki. Their dōjutsu was said to rival even our Sharingan."
"That explains a lot," the Uchiha nodded in understanding.
"You're absolutely right," Itachi continued. "That night, I encountered a man claiming to be an Ōtsutsuki. He said he descended from Hamura Ōtsutsuki, the younger brother of the Sage of Six Paths, and that he came from the moon."
"He said the Hyūga are the bloodline left behind by Hamura in the ninja world."
"Wait — the Sage of Six Paths was part of the Ōtsutsuki Clan?!"
"He had a brother?!"
"And the Hyūga descend from him?!"
The Uchiha were shaken.
Even Madara and Obito were frozen in disbelief. Is this real?
Itachi raised a hand and silence fell once more — though the shock on their faces was impossible to hide. This information was earth-shattering.
"Sage of Six Paths — Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki — wielded the Rinnegan, the Eye of Rebirth. His son Indra, our ancestor, inherited the Sharingan."
"Meanwhile, his brother, Hamura Ōtsutsuki, possessed the Tenseigan, the Reincarnation Eye. His descendants — the Hyūga — inherited the Byakugan."
"So by that logic…" Itachi paused.
"You're saying… the Byakugan can evolve into the Tenseigan, just like our Sharingan evolves into the Mangekyō?" Hachidai asked.
"Correct," Itachi said calmly. "The Byakugan can evolve — and so can the Sharingan. Its ultimate evolution is the Rinnegan."
"Rinnegan?!"
"The eyes of the Sage?!"
"Then… the Mangekyō isn't the final stage?"
The Uchiha Clan erupted.
Even Madara and Obito were stunned. He knows the truth about the Rinnegan?! And about the Ōtsutsuki on the moon?!
The scale of this revelation was enormous.
"Are you saying…" one clan member began, eyes wide with awe, "that what you're about to tell us… is the key to evolving the Sharingan into the Rinnegan?"
Their eyes sparkled. In that moment, Itachi was no longer just a leader — he was a prophet.
Fugaku looked at his son with pride. I made the right choice. Only Itachi can carry this clan forward.
"Yes," Itachi replied. "That's exactly what I'm about to explain."
"Since the time of Kagami Uchiha, our clan has sought a voice within the village. He earned the Second Hokage's trust and became a member of the Shadow Guard — but died young, and his dream died with him."
"Later, when my father became clan head, he recognized the talent of Uchiha Obito — optimistic, kind-hearted, and full of Hokage ambition."
"He recommended Obito to the Third Hokage's student — one of the Legendary Sannin — Jiraiya's disciple, Minato Namikaze. It was a perfect stepping stone to the Hokage seat."
"Knowing Obito had feelings for Rin, my father even arranged for them to be placed on the same team — hoping love would guide him and speed his growth."
I was considered a genius? Obito, still hidden, was stunned. And Rin and I being on the same team — that was planned? Fugaku… did all that for me?
Obito's eyes held gratitude, confusion… and guilt.
"Sadly," Itachi sighed, "Obito was reported killed in the Third Great War. With that, we lost a rising star — and our connection to the Hokage's circle. Fate was truly cruel."
Madara: "…"
So Obito's 'death' disrupted their entire strategy? Well… it was my plan. Guess I crushed that timeline myself. But if the Eye of the Moon Plan works out, none of this will matter.
"I always thought Obito was the bottom of the class," one Uchiha said aloud.
"Yeah, same," another agreed.
Obito: "…"
Offended. Deeply offended. The two of you… your days are numbered.