Eve of Extermination

At dusk, Chiya changed into his casual clothes.

He arrived at the Ninja Academy right on time to pick up Uchiha Izumi and take her home.

"Have you been waiting long?" This was the first thing Uchiha Izumi said the moment she saw Chiya.

Although Uchiha Izumi had not yet fully blossomed, she was already a graceful beauty. Her waist-length black hair was smooth and unadorned, looking incredibly clean. Dressed in a pale purple stand-collar dress, she possessed delicate features and fair skin, with a warm smile perpetually gracing her face, as if it could touch the soul of anyone who saw it.

"Not really, I just got here." Chiya raised his right hand, and amidst the envious gazes of the many students at the academy, Uchiha Izumi handed over her backpack quite naturally, and the two walked away side by side.

"Time flies so fast, six years have passed in the blink of an eye," Uchiha Izumi sighed.

"It really does. You're graduating soon, aren't you?" Chiya smiled slightly and asked casually, "Have you thought about what you want to do in the future?"

"Hmm." Uchiha Izumi pondered for a moment, then naturally linked her arm with Chiya's, her face flushing slightly as she said, "I suppose I'll be a bride."

Memories surfaced in her mind of the first time she met Chiya. That night, the catastrophe of the Nine-Tails descended upon the world; her father died, her mother died, and her heart was filled with nothing but bewilderment and helplessness.

In that moment of crisis, it was Chiya who had pulled her without hesitation out of the alleyway that was on the verge of being buried by rubble, leading her to safety.

To this day, that youthful figure remained vivid in her eyes, impossible to cast aside.

More than six years had passed in a flash; Chiya had grown up, and the two had gradually drawn closer together.

Perhaps living like this forever wouldn't be so bad.

Chiya was stunned for a moment, then smiled faintly, whispering in a voice only the two of them could hear, "Then I shall be your groom."

Uchiha Izumi froze, her cheeks turning even redder until even her neck was stained with a pink hue. Her pretty face pressed tightly against Chiya's arm, everything left unsaid.

Before long, the two returned to Uchiha Izumi's home.

Just as Uchiha Itachi had mentioned, no sooner had they entered the house than a ninja from the Uchiha Clan came knocking.

"Itachi-kun?" Uchiha Izumi looked at the visitor with some surprise.

The person was none other than Uchiha Itachi himself.

Uchiha Itachi nodded expressionlessly, his gaze shifting to Chiya. "Chiya. My father wants to see you."

"I understand." Chiya looked at Uchiha Izumi. "Izumi, I'll be back shortly."

"Then come back early before dinner." Although Uchiha Izumi didn't know why the clan head wanted to see Chiya, she didn't ask further.

Chiya returned a reassuring smile, gently patted Uchiha Izumi on the head, and followed Uchiha Itachi out of the house.

Afterward, Chiya followed Uchiha Itachi to his home, where he met Uchiha Fugaku, the most beautiful wife Uchiha Mikoto, and the Second Pillar who had just returned from school.

After some back-and-forth, they finally settled the terms for Chiya to marry into the Uchiha Clan.

At the same time, as a trade-off, Chiya was required to gather intelligence for the Uchiha Clan.

Time slipped by until the eve of the clan's extermination.

Land of Fire, Konoha.

The sun was already setting.

Yet, the entire Uchiha Clan compound in Konoha radiated an unusual atmosphere.

Following the suicide of Uchiha Shisui over a year ago, the Uchiha Clan's dissatisfaction with the high-ranking officials of Konoha had grown, reaching a point where an eruption could occur at any moment.

A coup d'état was inevitable.

At this moment, inside a secret meeting room in the Hokage Building, the members of the Konoha F4—Shimura Danzō, Mitokado Homura, Sarutobi Hiruzen, and Utatane Koharu—sat high in their leadership seats.

Below them, Uchiha Itachi, dressed in Anbu attire, knelt on one knee.

Uchiha Itachi kept his head bowed, his face obscured by shadows. As if having made a grave decision, he spoke in a low, respectful voice: "Three days from now, on the day of the Uchiha Clan's festival, they intend to launch a coup in Konoha."

Hearing this, Shimura Danzō, Mitokado Homura, Sarutobi Hiruzen, and Utatane Koharu exchanged glances, a look of gravity flashing across their eyes.

"The situation is urgent; we must strike first before they make their move," Shimura Danzō, who had always been hostile toward the Uchiha Clan, spoke first, addressing Sarutobi Hiruzen.

"The Uchiha were once our comrades. I wish to resolve this through communication and do not want to resort to force. I will find a way."

Sarutobi Hiruzen put on an expression of extreme heartache, claiming he wanted a peaceful resolution, yet despite saying so, he offered no concrete plan.

"Hiruzen." Hearing this, Shimura Danzō wanted to say more, but Sarutobi Hiruzen stopped him with a look, as if to say, "Enough, Danzō, I am the Hokage."

Considering the presence of Uchiha Itachi, Utatane Koharu, and Mitokado Homura, Shimura Danzō could not vent his frustration and could only think to himself, Hiruzen, you will surely regret this.

"Itachi, you may leave now," Sarutobi Hiruzen sighed deeply and said to Uchiha Itachi.

"Yes, Lord Hokage." Uchiha Itachi gave Sarutobi Hiruzen a look of gratitude, donned his Anbu mask, and turned to leave.

Watching the spot where Uchiha Itachi had disappeared, Utatane Koharu turned her head toward Sarutobi Hiruzen. "Hiruzen, what do you intend to do?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen hesitated for a moment before answering, "I don't know yet, but I believe there will be a way."

In reality, Sarutobi Hiruzen did not care about the Uchiha Clan at all.

What he truly cared about was Konoha and his position as Hokage.

On one hand, if they were to rashly go to war with the Uchiha Clan, even if they won, Konoha would undoubtedly suffer heavy losses.

And then, as Uchiha Shisui had said before his death, other nations would seize the opportunity to invade, triggering the Fourth Shinobi World War.

On the other hand, as the Hokage, he was beloved by all the people of Konoha and had to remain bathed in the sunlight at all times.

If he were to casually order the extermination of an entire clan, his tenure as Hokage would effectively come to an end.

Therefore, there had to be a scapegoat.

The target was obvious, naturally his good friend Danzō.

He believed that with his old friend's devious methods, there were a hundred ways to resolve the Uchiha clan issue without sparking an all-out war.

Sure enough, the moment Sarutobi Hiruzen finished speaking, Shimura Danzō jumped in, "That is to say, you have no way to deal with it right now, correct?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen let out a long sigh, putting on a helpless expression as he took out his pipe, lit it, and took a sharp drag, effectively conceding the point.

Seeing this, Utatane Koharu and Homura knew they could no longer count on Sarutobi Hiruzen, and indeed, this matter was not suitable for the Hokage to handle personally.

Thus, they looked at Danzō with a tacit understanding, "Danzō, do you have a strategy?"

"Leave this matter to me." Danzō's lips curled slightly; he had already calculated his next move.

Since the incident with Uchiha Shisui, his right eye had yet to be replaced, and he had been forced to gouge out one of the few Sharingan he had kept on his right arm, which had been grafted with First Hokage Cells. Now, he was simply waiting for the Uchiha clansmen to provide him with a fresh supply.

ps: Second update, requesting recommendation tickets and monthly votes.