Countdown to the Clan Annihilation

Early morning, at the entrance to Konoha.

A blood-soaked Uchiha clan member walked toward the gate, carrying three severed heads.

All three heads wore masks, their faces hidden from view.

The man was Senyo, who had rushed back from the Land of Grass after Muku and Ryūsetsu rescued him.

He had traded intelligence for special rapid treatment.

He had not dared linger. Without even changing his clothes, he had hurried straight back to Konoha.

When Senyo arrived at the village gate, Kotetsu Hagane and Izumo Kamizuki, who were on guard duty, immediately stepped forward to verify his identity.

"Uchiha Senyo, Land of Grass mission." Izumo Kamizuki flipped through the documents in his hand as he glanced at the heads. "Did something unexpected happen?"

"Big Brother Senyo, you're back!" a voice called from beside him.

Senyo turned and discovered that it was a younger child from the clan, Uchiha Hiroki.

Hiroki was only four or five years old, not yet old enough for school. He was a tiny little thing, and his voice was still entirely childish.

"If you'd come back earlier, Big Brother Senyo, you could've made it to the Clan Meeting."

"Looks like I made it after all."

Hearing that the Clan Meeting had just ended, Senyo also breathed a sigh of relief.

He had rushed the entire way, without even having time to change clothes, and had finally made it back before the Night of the Massacre.

The Uchiha Clan's meeting had already ended, and Konoha had learned from Itachi that the Uchiha were about to stage a coup.

Danzo had probably already given Itachi the Clan Annihilation Order.

Itachi should have been contacting Obito these past few days, preparing to act.

But since he had made it back in time, there was still a chance to gamble on this.

As he thought, Senyo raised the three heads for the two gate guards to see and said meaningfully, "Of course. Unexpected incidents are always possible during missions."

Kotetsu Hagane reminded him, "Senyo, you'd better put those heads away. Don't scare the civilians."

Senyo snorted. "Are you telling me how to do my job? Hiroki, come with me."

He then took back his identification tag and headed toward the Mission Center.

"Hey... Senyo!..."

Kotetsu Hagane called after him, but Izumo Kamizuki pulled him back.

When he turned around and saw Izumo Kamizuki's grave expression, Kotetsu Hagane's heart skipped a beat. He asked quietly, "What is it?"

Izumo Kamizuki looked around, then whispered into Kotetsu Hagane's ear, "Those three heads belonged to Root personnel."

Uchiha Senyo carried the three heads through the streets in the most conspicuous manner possible.

"What were you doing at the gate?" Senyo asked.

Hiroki had neither Awakened Eye nor ninja training. He was merely an ordinary person who happened to bear the Uchiha name.

Not everyone in the Uchiha Clan was a ninja. There was also a considerable number of ordinary people.

They lacked ninja talent and were simply named Uchiha.

Who could have imagined that this clan of nearly a thousand people would be wiped out overnight?

"The Great Elder told me to wait at the village gate for any clan members returning, then bring them back."

Senyo knew the Uchiha were gathering strength before the coup, but even he had been ambushed by Root while carrying out a mission.

The other squads were probably facing grim odds as well.

"Have any other clan members returned?" Senyo asked, rubbing Hiroki's hair.

Hiroki shook his head. "I've been waiting at the gate for two days. You're the only one who came back, Big Brother Senyo."

Senyo sighed inwardly. The others probably would not be coming back.

After thinking for a moment, he asked, "Do you know where Sasuke and Itachi are?"

"Sasuke went to school. Big Brother Itachi..."

Hiroki pursed his lips, openly showing the dislike he felt toward Itachi.

"I don't know where he went."

Senyo confirmed the timing once more. The Night of the Massacre should be tonight.

"Go back and tell the Great Elder first. Once I turn in my mission at the Mission Center, I'll go see him."

"Don't wait at the gate anymore, either. Go tell Ruri that I still have some things to take care of and won't be home until later."

Hiroki nodded as though he half understood, then ran toward the clan grounds to deliver the news.

Watching Hiroki run away, Senyo knew the clan was already gathering its strength.

They could only send children to handle such tasks. The clan might have sensed something, but they had not expected Konoha to move so quickly.

Within his consciousness, Senyo tapped the star above Hiroki's head.

"Ding. Uchiha Hiroki's Level 1 bond has been unlocked."

"Congratulations, host. You have obtained: Memory Fragment."

Memories of Hiroki practicing Shuriken throwing fused into his mind.

That was also one of the reasons he had rushed back to save the clan.

He had discovered that as long as he formed a bond with someone, he could find that person's name on the template.

There was a corresponding bond progress bar above it, as well as a star that hatched once the bar was filled.

Every star corresponded to one level of bond.

At the first level, he could obtain part of the other person's training memories.

At the second level, he could obtain a certain amount of the other person's Chakra.

Beyond that, Senyo did not know.

He had already tested it. Aside from Uchiha clan members, only named figures from the Hokage's circle would work.

With so many ninjas in the clan, forming bonds was naturally easy.

If the clan was destroyed and he became a Rogue Ninja, the system's usefulness would naturally be much lower.

Besides, Senyo was not alone. He still had family—Ruri.

As he thought, Senyo made his way unhurriedly to the Mission Center, making sure everyone saw the heads in his hands.

After handing over the mission proof, he loudly announced in the Mission Center, "We were ambushed midway through the mission. All my teammates died, but these three were too weak and were killed by me."

Only after displaying the three heads to those accepting missions at the Mission Center did Senyo leave.

After he left, everyone in the Mission Center began discussing it. "The Uchiha have suffered quite a lot of losses lately."

"I think I know who those three heads belonged to..."

Someone beside him immediately covered his mouth.

"No, you don't."

Those in the Mission Center who belonged respectively to the Third Hokage and Danzo quickly carried the news out as well.

After finishing all this, Senyo arrived at the Uchiha entrance.

Seeing Uchiha clan members constantly coming and going, Senyo slowly let out a breath.

Only when he saw that his clansmen were still here did he truly relax.

Even though the original Senyo had died, he had fused with Senyo's soul and naturally inherited his love for the Uchiha Clan.

"Senyo's back..."

"How did you get yourself so filthy..."

"Hurry home. Ruri is still waiting for you..."

Many familiar faces greeted Senyo as they passed by. He exchanged pleasantries with each of them before heading toward the Uchiha Council of Elders.

Uchiha Shihu was the current Great Elder of the Uchiha Clan.

By relation, he was Fugaku's clan uncle.

But he was also the most hardline hawkish Elder in the Uchiha Clan.

Recently, however, the Great Elder had been somewhat anxious.

He flipped through the account book in his hands, his brows furrowed deeply.

Konoha's oppression of the Uchiha had grown increasingly severe in recent times, and the clan's income had dwindled by the day.

Ever since Shisui died two years ago, Konoha had repeatedly suppressed the Uchiha. Now, even the Security Force had been reduced to only two squads.

Furthermore, the Uchiha Clan had suffered significant manpower losses while carrying out missions lately.

And Uchiha Fugaku had remained indecisive.

Although more and more clan members now supported a coup, they had fewer cards left to play.

Recently, clan members sent out on missions had met with accidents one after another, vanishing without a trace, neither dead nor alive.

At the Clan Meeting two days ago, under pressure from the clan members, Fugaku had finally agreed to the coup.

However, the news had not yet spread, and only some Uchiha knew about it.

Fortunately, Hiroki had just reported that Senyo had returned. At least that added another bargaining chip to the clan's coup.

"Great Elder, Senyo requests an audience."