Raising his kunai, Itachi drove the blade into a clansman's chest, killing the clansman who had tried to flee.
Before dying, the clansman's eyes widened as he stared at Itachi in disbelief, seemingly unable to accept that Itachi had turned his butcher's blade against his own people.
Expressionless, Itachi flicked the blood from his kunai and looked toward the residence deep within the clan compound.
That was the home where he had lived for thirteen years, and also the final target of this mission. Once he killed his father, the leader of the coup, the Uchiha would not have to bear the stigma of attempting a coup. All blame would fall upon him alone.
Still, weren't there too few people in the clan compound today? Had they all gone out on missions?
Perched atop a utility pole, Itachi noticed that the number of clansmen was off, but he did not dwell on the detail. To prevent any survivors from slipping through during the clan's extermination, he had specifically invited the mysterious and powerful Masked Man.
Without further thought, Itachi used the Body Flicker Technique several times and arrived before the residence.
Pushing open the familiar door, he walked step by step from the entryway to the living room. Itachi remained fully alert, gripping the kunai in his hand tightly.
His father was the strongest Jonin in the clan. Even Itachi was not certain he could win.
Soon, Itachi found Mikoto and Fugaku in the living room. Their backs were turned to him, and they did not seem to intend to fight.
The quiet scene made Itachi hesitate. He began to wonder whether this was a trap laid by Fugaku. As the leader of the radicals, he should have resisted with all his strength.
Hearing footsteps behind him, Fugaku's voice rang