The Death of Itachi

"Damn it, have these people all gone mad?"

Uchiha Itachi stared into the distance at Hiruzen Sarutobi on the guillotine, his face twisted with anxiety.

Damn you, Uchiha Kazuto. Have you finally revealed your scheme?

From the very beginning, Uchiha Itachi had never trusted Uchiha Kazuto. Prejudice in people's hearts was a mountain. As the former young master of the Uchiha Clan, if not for Uchiha Kazuto standing in his way, he would have slaughtered the entire Uchiha Clan to protect the village's safety.

Unfortunately, he couldn't do it, and during this time, he had found no evidence of anything wrong with Uchiha Kazuto.

But he didn't believe it. He refused to believe that the inherently evil Uchiha could be so loyal to the village. Too many things felt off, yet he had no way to act. He lacked the power to strike at Uchiha Kazuto. He could do nothing but trail him in secret, searching for a flaw.

And now, the flaw had finally appeared. That madman Uchiha Kazuto dared to lay hands on the great Lord Hokage, even trying to kill him. And these villagers—they didn't trust Lord Hokage either.

How could Lord Hokage ever be that kind of person?

"Lord Hokage, I'm coming to save you!"

Uchiha Itachi gritted his teeth, his face contorted with rage. In that moment, his fury reached its peak. The next instant, his eyes began to change, and in the blink of an eye, he awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan.

Yes, for so long, his Mangekyo Sharingan had never manifested—not even when his father was framed and thrown into prison. Not until now, when his beloved Lord Hokage faced a terrifying crisis and all of Konoha was about to fall under the rule of the evil Uchiha Kazuto, did he finally open his eyes!

His body turned into a blur as he charged at Uchiha Kazuto.

"Uchiha Kazuto, die!"

In an instant, Uchiha Itachi appeared on a rooftop not far from Uchiha Kazuto. Driven by such extreme stimulation—for the sake of the village, for the safety of Lord Hokage—he had not only awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan but also two Dojutsu.

Tsukuyomi and Amaterasu.

"Itachi, you've finally come."

Uchiha Kazuto turned his head, looking at the suddenly appearing Uchiha Itachi, a faint smile curling at the corner of his mouth.

Everything was going according to his plan!

"What?"

Uchiha Itachi caught the look in Uchiha Kazuto's eyes and sensed something was wrong. He was about to use Tsukuyomi on him, but before he could act—

"Remember now, Itachi?"

The next moment, Uchiha Kazuto's voice rang out, echoing endlessly in Uchiha Itachi's mind. Uchiha Itachi's eyes went vacant as scenes from the past surged through his thoughts. Though it didn't last long...

It was already too late!

Uchiha Kazuto's figure appeared behind him. A Chakra Scalpel sliced cleanly through his cervical spine, severing his nerves. His lower body instantly lost control, and his body began to fall forward.

A hand caught his chin.

Pfft!

A kunai pierced into his brain without resistance. Then, Uchiha Kazuto wiped a hand across Uchiha Itachi's face, plucking both eyeballs out cleanly.

Thud!

Uchiha Itachi's corpse hit the ground.

"Someone, take this traitor Uchiha Itachi away!"

Uchiha Kazuto ordered. Soon, two ninjas from the Military Police Force appeared and carried Uchiha Itachi's body off.

Uchiha Kazuto had been waiting for this moment for a long time—all for those two eyes of Uchiha Itachi, especially Tsukuyomi. That Dojutsu was a crucial part of his plan. In fact, if Uchiha Itachi hadn't awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan and those two Dojutsu, he wouldn't have killed him. He would have kept him alive, waiting for the awakening, and then struck.

For today, he had specifically used Uchiha Shisui's eye to cast Kotoamatsukami on Uchiha Itachi.

The effect: ignore the Mangekyo Sharingan you see. When you awaken the Mangekyo and its Dojutsu, and feel an overwhelming killing intent toward Uchiha Kazuto, appearing before him, upon hearing the words "Remember now, Itachi?" you will fall into a state of recollection and daze.

This Kotoamatsukami genjutsu normally had no effect on Uchiha Itachi. It barely altered or twisted his consciousness. Even the daze came from recollection, not forced stupor, and it didn't last long.

But it was enough. For a ninja, a moment of distraction in an opponent was the deciding factor in victory.

And Uchiha Kazuto had been planning this for a long time.

"Itachi!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi lay on the guillotine, his face twisted in pain as he watched. He hadn't expected that, in the end, the most loyal one would be Uchiha Itachi. Even the Anbu seemed to no longer believe in him.

"Hiruzen Sarutobi, what's with that expression? Did you really think that traitor's son could save you? You don't actually believe he came to rescue you, do you? Hmph!"

Uchiha Kazuto walked over, looking down at Hiruzen Sarutobi with disappointment, a cold sneer on his lips.

Then, Uchiha Kazuto turned to face the villagers of Konoha, his expression shifting to one of deep sorrow.

"Everyone in the village, I'm sorry!"

Uchiha Kazuto bent at the waist, bowing deeply, apologizing to all of Konoha. As he did, the entire village fell silent.

"Here, I offer my sincere apologies. I never imagined that our beloved, great Lord Hokage could be such a despicable man. If I had known earlier, I would never have followed Hiruzen Sarutobi's orders to impose such harsh controls on the village..."

Uchiha Kazuto began his apology, shifting all his recent actions onto Hiruzen Sarutobi. In short, he, Uchiha Kazuto, had always been a loyal, upstanding citizen of Konoha. The beatings he'd led before? All on Hiruzen Sarutobi's orders.

They believed it! The villagers, even the ninja clans, believed it. After all, Uchiha Kazuto's recent behavior had been too loyal, and none of them had ever gone to the Hokage's office to see the truth.

"Uchiha Kazuto!"

The next moment, a desperate, pained, maddened roar tore from Hiruzen Sarutobi's throat.

But it was already too late!