The Clan's Annihilation

The Root ninja couldn't understand Uchiha Itachi's way of thinking.

He didn't want his father, his mother, or his entire clan—he only wanted his little brother... What kind of person thought like that? He was just plain crazy.

"No, he's doing it for his little brother, and for Konoha."

"But even if you add Konoha to the equation..."

"There's nothing that can't be sacrificed for Konoha!"

Danzo reprimanded the Root agent with an unhappy expression.

"You, I, Itachi, the Uchiha, even the Hokage—everyone has a duty to sacrifice themselves for Konoha. Root was founded on that very principle... As my subordinate, if you haven't grasped this, then you're unfit for the job..."

Root always dealt with defective products as soon as they were discovered, and never left behind any loose ends.

The Root agent wearing the Flower Cat Mask immediately dropped to one knee. "Sir, I was wrong. I beg you to give me a chance to make amends."

"I should head home..."

After spending the whole afternoon carving wood, Naruto looked up at the sky. Seeing that it was getting late, he prepared to go home.

Before heading back, though, he had to pack up his things.

The odds and ends were piled on the grass nearby.

They included kunai, shuriken, drinking water, a grill, pots and bowls, carving knives, lumber, unfinished wooden carvings... These genuine odds and ends were there to disguise the Raiden Shogun mixed in among them.

Otherwise, leaving the Raiden Shogun sitting alone on the grass every day at noon, then collecting her every evening, day after day, would look strange and easily attract the attention of anyone who was paying close attention.

"Shadow, Shogun, we... Wait, where are you?"

When he reached the grass, Naruto suddenly realized the Raiden Shogun was gone.

Had she sneaked off to play?

The moment the thought crossed his mind, Naruto dismissed it.

There was no way they'd snuck off to play. Shadow and the Shogun weren't the playful sort. Sunbathing on the grass every day, chatting in the Sealing Space, and playing mahjong was more than enough for them.

It was unlikely they'd left of their own accord. It was much more likely that they'd disappeared against their will.

Which meant...

Naruto's eyes darkened. "Were they taken?"

The thick stench of blood finally caught the Uchiha's attention, and they took up arms to fight back against the enemy.

But all that awaited them was a one-sided slaughter.

The two Uchiha traitors were exceptionally powerful.

Obito used Kamui to turn intangible. Even Uchiha with Three Tomoe couldn't last more than a few moves against him, while ordinary ninja were killed in a single blow.

Itachi was also tremendously strong, especially with Genjutsu. When he swept his Mangekyo gaze over the clan, almost every Uchiha froze for at least an instant.

That single instant was enough to bring down countless Uchiha, leaving them dead on the ground.

Amid the curses and condemnations—"Traitor!" "Konoha's lapdog!" "You'll get what's coming to you!"—Itachi and Obito killed with ruthless efficiency. Before long, the shouts grew fewer and fewer, until they stopped altogether.

The street was strewn with corpses, and the blood had stained the ground red.

Itachi said coldly, "Let's split up and search for anyone who slipped through the net."

"No problem."

Obito, wearing the Spiral Mask, readily agreed.

That foolish clan deserved to be wiped out to the very last member.

"Itachi!"

A voice came from far away.

A Uchiha girl with a beauty mark at the corner of her eye came running toward them.

She saw the corpses covering the ground, then noticed Obito, whose attire clearly marked him as a suspicious figure. Fury filled her eyes as she anxiously called to Itachi, "Why are you with the enemy? Come over here! We'll fight them together."

"What will you choose?" Obito asked Itachi, an intrigued look appearing beneath his mask.

Obito knew the girl. Her name was Izumi Uchiha. She had a crush on Itachi and had invited him to eat Three-Color Dango many times. As for how Itachi felt about her...

That was certainly worth exploring.

"...Izumi, I'm sorry."

As he spoke, Itachi walked toward Izumi.

Izumi was bewildered. "Itachi, why are you suddenly apologizing? What matters now is fighting the enemy..."

—Tsukuyomi!

The three Tomoe collided and formed a Mangekyo. His ocular power surged as he unleashed his Mangekyo technique, Tsukuyomi.

Bloody tears streamed from the corners of Itachi's eyes. Izumi's expression turned blank as her mind became completely trapped in the illusion.

In the illusion, Izumi and Itachi fell deeply in love, married, raised children, and grew old together, hand in hand...

Thud!

A kunai pierced her heart, and blood flowed without end.

Itachi looked at Izumi as she lay dying, a trace of happiness still on her face.

"Tsk, tsk. Itachi, you're really cold-hearted... She loved you so much, from beginning to end."

Obito walked over, sighing as he spoke, while his eyes stayed fixed on Itachi's face, searching for even the slightest change in his expression.

Itachi remained expressionless. "Would the legendary Madara really care about something like this?"

Madara was a hopelessly straightforward man. He never cared about trivial things like romance; he only cared about Hashirama.

But the person standing in front of Itachi was Obito, the most devoted Uchiha of all, who had spent his entire life striving for Rin.

Obito smiled. "No, I'm just curious. What does it feel like to kill a girl who loves you?"

"You'll probably never find out."

Itachi gazed toward his home. At this time of day, his father and mother would normally be waiting for him to come home for dinner.

Seeing this, Obito asked, "Need help? Your father is the Uchiha Clan Head, after all. You've used up a lot of strength, so you might not be able to beat him."

"No. I'll handle it myself."

A minute later, Itachi pushed open the front door. His parents were there, already dressed and waiting.

Fugaku and Mikoto looked at Itachi, their eyes filled with sorrow.

So... it had come to this.

"Obito, I found something fun."

White Zetsu emerged from the ground beside Obito, speaking excitedly.

Obito snapped, "Call me Madara, you idiot!"

Luckily, no one else was around. Otherwise, his carefully concealed identity would have been exposed in an instant.

White Zetsu sounded dejected. "Oh."

"Mmph... Mmph..."

A voice suddenly rang out. White Zetsu looked around in confusion. "What's that sound, Obito? Do you know?"

You've got to be kidding me...

"Call me Madara! Get it wrong one more time and I'll kill you!"

Killing intent surged in Obito's eyes. He'd already decided there wouldn't be another chance. As soon as they got back, he'd deal with this White Zetsu who couldn't keep his mouth shut.

"What are you holding?" Obito noticed the little thing squirming in White Zetsu's hands.

"Oh, this... I get it now. So that sound came from her."

White Zetsu had been upset by Obito's scolding, but he perked up at once. He presented the object in both hands as if offering up a treasure, then opened his tightly cupped palms.

A tiny Raiden Shogun came into view.

"How rude! Who are you? Why have you kidnapped me?"

She'd been sitting at home, minding her own business, and trouble had fallen out of the sky.

Shadow was utterly baffled. She'd been lying on the grass, peacefully asleep, bothering no one and causing no trouble.

She'd closed her eyes and opened them again, only to find herself at a murder scene. The stench of blood was overpowering, and two strange people were standing nearby.

"A puppet? No, she isn't!"