The Third Hokage's Fury

Before long, Uchiha Itachi arrived. After a brief, heartwarming father-son chat, Filial Son's tearful blade sent Fugaku gladly to his death.

Chiya watched the entire time. After Fugaku died, he used Kyoka Suigetsu to transform a crow he had prepared outside into his own likeness. "Itachi, Lord Danzo already agreed to spare Izumi. Why did you kill her?"

At his words, Uchiha Itachi froze. He vanished from the house in an instant, reappearing outside.

He made no attempt to hold back. Knowing ordinary Sharingan Genjutsu wouldn't work on Chiya, he went straight for the Mangekyō illusion that could cripple both the enemy and its user: Tsukuyomi. He dragged "Chiya" into the illusion's world, then took advantage of his mental collapse to strike him down.

Meanwhile, the real Chiya used the opportunity to collect Uchiha Fugaku's body.

[Ding, a special bloodline and Mangekyo Sharingan have been detected. Would you like to extract them?]

"Extract it," Chiya answered without hesitation.

[Ding, extraction complete. Would you like to absorb them?]

"Not yet." The Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan needed both eyes to unleash its full power. Besides, it was still unknown whether he would retain Kotoamatsukami after devouring it.

With his strength, having the Mangekyō or not wouldn't make much difference anyway.

He planned to wait until he had used Kotoamatsukami—or obtained another eye with that ability—before devouring it.

That way, he'd have two sets of Uchiha blood. The two pairs of Mangekyō would resonate with each other; though they weren't brothers by blood, they'd be closer than brothers, and would surely fuse into the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan.

He put Fugaku's body back where it had been. Under Kyoka Suigetsu's influence, Fugaku still looked as if he hadn't lost his eyes.

Uchiha Itachi remained completely unaware of all this, hypnotized by Kyoka Suigetsu the entire time.

After killing "Chiya," he clutched his left eye, aching from the strain of using Tsukuyomi, then returned to the house and waited quietly for Uchiha Sasuke to arrive.

Outside the house, Black Zetsu, White Zetsu, and Obito watched "Chiya's" body from a short distance away, all of them stunned.

"Hey, hey. Is this for real? Chiya's actually dead?" White Zetsu exclaimed.

It had witnessed Chiya massacre the Sarutobi Clan. Apart from Pain's Rinnegan, few in the Shinobi World could match him.

"Looks like we're too late. But to kill an opponent like Chiya, Itachi must have used a Mangekyō ability," Black Zetsu said regretfully. It had been hoping to use Chiya to speed up its mother's resurrection.

Unlike the other two, Obito hadn't seen the recording of Chiya destroying the clan, so he remained relatively calm. He felt an even greater pride in the Uchiha Clan's strength.

Just as he was about to say something, a teasing voice suddenly sounded beside him.

"Who did you just say was dead?"

The next moment, a hand landed on his shoulder without warning.

Obito jolted and immediately turned intangible, hopping backward to put as much distance as possible between himself and Chiya.

Zetsu instinctively pulled in its Pitcher Plant and sank underground.

"Hey, we're supposed to be allies now. Did you really have to react like that? Come on, give me a little more trust."

Chiya spread his hands helplessly, wearing a troubled expression.

Only then did Zetsu emerge from the ground. White Zetsu cried out, "Chiya! Weren't you already dead?"

"Who told you I was dead?" Chiya asked, pretending not to know.

"Then what's that body?" Black Zetsu's Pitcher Plant turned toward "Chiya's" corpse. "It doesn't just look exactly like you—even its chakra is the same. That's beyond realistic."

"The most important thing for a ninja is information. Just as I haven't tried to learn your secrets, I can't tell you this one." Chiya smiled faintly, then turned to Obito. "So, is everything taken care of over there?"

"Everything's ready. If there's nothing else, come with us. Itachi still needs a few things arranged. We'll wait for him outside Konoha." Obito glanced at the "Chiya" corpse below, then looked back at Chiya with even greater wariness.

Not only did he possess Senjutsu and a substitute so convincing it was impossible to tell apart, he had also managed to fool Obito and Zetsu's senses. In terms of danger, he was already far beyond Uchiha Itachi, who possessed the Mangekyō Sharingan.

"Then go ahead. I have a few things to take care of too." Chiya turned to leave, but Uchiha Obito stopped him. "What are you planning to do?"

"I killed so many people from the Sarutobi Clan and the Shimura Clan tonight. I owe them an explanation, don't I? I can't wait to see the Third Hokage and Danzo fly into a rage. Oh, and don't take that 'corpse' with you. If you like it, I'll give each of you one later. They're free, after all."

After saying that, Chiya put on an Anbu mask and disappeared from Obito and the two Zetsus' sight.

Staring at the spot where Chiya had vanished, Black Zetsu asked Obito in a hoarse voice, "Madara, what are you going to do?"

"We're leaving." Obito's face beneath the mask was frighteningly grim. It only eased slightly when Black Zetsu called him Madara. The right eyehole in his mask began to warp, and his body was sucked inside and vanished.

Black Zetsu withdrew its Pitcher Plant and sank into the ground, following after him.

At the same time, Sarutobi Hiruzen sat in the Hokage Office Building, quietly waiting for his son Shinnosuke's report.

He had been about to head to the Anbu base behind the Hokage Office Building and join Danzo in leading a team to the Uchiha Clan Compound, where they would issue a lockdown order and a wanted notice for Uchiha Itachi.

Before long, an Anbu Ninja arrived—but it wasn't his son.

It wasn't his daughter-in-law, either, nor any of his clan members.

Instead, it was another Anbu squad leader.

He knelt before Sarutobi Hiruzen and said in a frightened voice, "L-Lord Hokage, Lord Shinnosuke..."

"What happened to Shinnosuke?" Sarutobi Hiruzen sprang to his feet.

"Everyone in Lord Shinnosuke's squad has been killed, including Lady Shizuka. Three were beheaded, one had his chest pierced, and Lord Shinnosuke was slashed across the chest. He died on the spot."

Boom!

Sarutobi Hiruzen was struck as if by lightning. His body slumped into his office chair, and he nearly fainted.

In less than fifteen minutes, Sarutobi Hiruzen had led the Anbu to the entrance of the Uchiha Clan Compound.

As for Danzo, he craftily headed to the Konoha Military Police Force headquarters. With his slightly protruding belly, he went to collect the Sharingan, suffering and savoring the pleasure at once.

Five of his trusted followers lay dead. Among them were his son and daughter-in-law.

His daughter-in-law and two clan members had been decapitated.

His son had fared little better. A long gash across his chest had nearly split his body in two, leaving only his spine and the flesh on his back holding him together.

His eyes were wide open, as though he'd seen something horrifying before he died. They bulged as if about to pop, his expression frozen in death.

P.S.: Third update