Uchiha Itachi's Choice

The one who entered Kamui Space with Obito earlier was not Uchiha Rei's main body, but his Genjutsu clone.

The real Uchiha Rei remained in the real world, personally sealing Uchiha Obito.

Before he made his move, he had already quietly emptied the Yellow Springs Space completely. Now, the Yellow Springs Space, apart from the Yellow Springs Fire, was as empty as a silent cage, containing nothing.

Uchiha Rei didn't say much about Obito's fate.

He would let him stay in the Yellow Springs Space for a few months first.

And that Genjutsu clone, still lingering in the Yellow Springs Space, had not sent back any message.

"No way..." Uchiha Rei chuckled, "Uchiha Obito, can't even deal with one of my clones?"

He disdained to comment further on a battle whose outcome was already decided.

After sealing Obito, Uchiha Rei did not choose to rest. Of the two Uchiha CS members who had been relentlessly pursuing him, he had already dealt with one tonight.

The remaining CS member naturally could not be allowed to remain in this world. Why wait for another day when today is perfect? Seizing the momentum, he would settle this score completely today.

With that thought, he turned and headed towards the Uchiha Patrol Base.

That was the headquarters of Konohagakure's Police Force, established by Senju Tobirama at the end of the Second Shinobi World War. Its original purpose was not to house the Uchiha, but to restrain them. By granting them authority, the Uchiha Clan was placed on the front lines of maintaining stability, while also being firmly bound within the cage of the village's system.

Although times had changed and the wars had ceased, the Uchiha Clan no longer possessed the prestige of their peak era. However, the First Division of the Police Force was still almost entirely composed of members from the Uchiha.

Whether out of responsibility or a lingering sense of honor for their clan, most members still performed their duties diligently, maintaining the superficial order of Konohagakure.

Not all Uchiha were pawns of conspirators. Most Uchiha actually yearned for peace. Even Senju Tobirama, who had been the most wary in the past, had once placed immense trust in an Uchiha.

Kagami Uchiha.

However, ideals and reality inevitably clashed. In several high-level meetings, Danzo repeatedly proposed budget cuts for the Police Force. His reasoning was simple yet difficult to refute: the war had ended, Konohagakure's public order had stabilized, and the damage caused by the Nine-Tails' Rampage had been largely repaired. The budget should be directed towards Root and village construction, rather than continuing to allocate resources to the Uchiha.

Although the Third Hokage did not agree with a drastic one-time cut, he tacitly approved the trend of gradual withdrawal. His seemingly gentle procrastination was merely another form of "cold treatment."

Using time and budget to marginalize the Uchiha.

As an old comrade, Danzo naturally understood Hiruzen Sarutobi's intentions. He knew that the Third Hokage did not truly intend to protect the Uchiha, but rather to trap them within the patrol system through a "boiling frog" approach, causing them to gradually lose their influence over the village.

The choice of location for the Police Force headquarters was also quite telling.

It was situated in the most remote corner of Konohagakure. Uchiha Fugaku had questioned this decision to the higher-ups multiple times: "If there's an urgent mission, deploying from the headquarters will cause delays."

Danzo's reply, however, was chillingly indifferent: "Aren't there the Anbu? Just hand it over to them."

This led to overlapping responsibilities and conflicts between the Police Force and the Anbu. Logically, routine cases should be handled by the Police Force, but important missions were often directly interfered with by the Anbu, blurring the lines and repeatedly causing friction. It was only after the Third Hokage intervened to mediate that the situation was temporarily stabilized.

To compensate the Uchiha Clan, Konohagakure granted them a large training ground.

Although remote, it was vast enough. This place also became one of Konoha's few private grounds suitable for large-scale combat drills.

Uchiha Rei was currently heading towards the Uchiha Police Force headquarters.

Meanwhile, at another location, Uchiha Itachi had already begun his plan.

A few days ago, after his final conversation with his father, he had finally made up his mind.

"For a ninja, the most important thing is to complete the mission." This was the creed Konoha instilled in all its children from a young age.

Even though he now bore the name of a rogue ninja, as long as the mission was not over, he would continue to execute it, eliminating the evil Uchiha.

No matter how painful, how desperate, he had to personally sever the fate of the Uchiha Clan.

Uchiha Itachi once dreamed of becoming Hokage, a Kage who could truly achieve peace. Gifted from a young age, he was confident that he could rely on his intelligence and strength to step by step enter the Anbu, infiltrate Konoha's power core, and use political and military means to resolve the disputes between the Five Great Nations, ultimately achieving a Ninja World without war.

But in the end, he understood a cruel reality.

Even if Uchiha Itachi awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan, he could not resolve the deep-seated rift between the village and the Uchiha Clan. The ideal of peace in his heart became pale and powerless in the face of dark reality. Thus, he made an extreme decision: to end hatred with blood.

If the Uchiha Clan ceased to exist, the disputes would also die with them.

Tonight, Itachi stepped into the Uchiha patrol team's headquarters.

That vast and desolate land, once a sacred ground the clan members were proud of, would now become their graveyard.

Itachi's figure, like a crow in the night, silently swept into the camp, his steps soundless, his killing intent already present. The guards stationed here, before they could even react, were already pierced through the throat by a sharp blade in the silence.

Blood flowers bloomed like red plum blossoms under the moon, instantly blossoming, then returning to deathly silence.

The lights were dim, and along the corridor, blood dripped slowly from Itachi's blade, staining the floor at his feet. The ground reflected his stern figure, like the arrival of a Shinigami.

The commotion of the massacre eventually alerted others. Uchiha Itachi did not deliberately hide his presence; he seemed to want the Konoha higher-ups to see clearly.

He, Uchiha Itachi, had not betrayed Konoha. What he was doing was precisely to protect the village.

Fear began to spread among the patrol team. Many ordinary members had already fled, but a portion of Uchiha elites remained confident, attempting to corner Itachi.

To them, Itachi was merely a prodigy who had gained fame at a young age, and now he had to face the entire elite of the Police Force alone.

"He might not even be able to handle a Konoha Anbu squad. With the three of us teaming up, what do we have to fear from him?" one of them sneered in a low voice.

Soon, three figures blocked Itachi's path.

Uchiha Tekka, Uchiha Yashiro, and Uchiha Inabi.

Three confidants of Uchiha Fugaku, and also top experts within the Police Force. They had previously led the supervision of Uchiha Shisui's actions. After Shisui's death, they turned their attention to Itachi, wanting to control him just as they had tried to control Shisui.

They were not here to stop him because of the deaths of their clansmen, but for Shisui's eyes.

The night wind was sharp and cold. Three figures stood at the end of the corridor, the Sharingan flashing red in their eyes.

"Uchiha Itachi," Tekka, the most taciturn of the three, spoke first, his voice filled with suppressed desire. "Hand over Shisui's eyes, and we can let this massacre go unpunished."

He slowly stepped forward, his eyes locked onto Itachi's. "You should understand that as long as the Uchiha's plan can be completed, any sacrifice is worth it. Hand over the eyes, return to us, and we can still..."

His words were cut short by a cold glint.

The response to Uchiha Tekka was not an explanation, nor guilt, nor a plea, but Itachi's blood-stained blade.

"You are no longer the Uchiha I recognize."

Blood splashed once more.