Uchiha Arashi had stocked the Shadow Space with plenty of food and water, enough to last him three months on his own.
Even with a few more people now, they could still manage for a month.
The slaughter outside was over, but the events of that night weren't finished yet.
Root's ninja began moving out, searching for the Masked Man while collecting Sharingan. But Uchiha Arashi had already swept through the area, so Danzo ended up with far fewer eyes than he'd originally planned. And with the loss of Kotoamatsukami, Danzo had taken a major hit.
Konoha Anbu had also stepped in, but they were mostly there to clean up the mess. The Sharingan weren't their target.
There were countless Uchiha bodies to deal with, bloodstains to wash from the Compound, and order to maintain throughout the village... In short, there was a lot to do.
Uchiha Arashi led a group of survivors into the shadows of the Compound and quietly watched everything happening outside. They watched as people came and went above them, gradually emptying out the Uchiha Clan's home.
The clan's thousand years of accumulated wealth, secret techniques, land deeds, and scrolls all became Konoha's spoils.
During this process, Uchiha Arashi quietly reclaimed some of the clan's belongings, especially its secret technique scrolls.
While the Anbu Ninja weren't paying attention, he emptied the studies and storerooms of several important clan members, stopping only when the Shadow Space could hold no more. The funny thing was, when the Anbu Ninja saw the empty bookshelves and storerooms, they weren't surprised at all. They didn't even bother to inspect them closely, simply turning around and heading elsewhere.
"So the village really does know everything..."
Uchiha Izumi stared at all the things Arashi had brought back, murmuring in a daze.
"I've told you how many times, Izumi? Even naivety has its limits."
Uchiha Arashi gave her a sidelong glance. He was even beginning to wonder if he'd saved the wrong person.
"I know. It's just hard to believe all at once."
Uchiha Izumi gave a bitter smile and shook her head, then looked at Arashi. "What do we do now? Stay hidden here forever?"
"Of course not. We're not rats; we can't live in the shadows forever. Let's wait a little longer. Once this all blows over and Konoha High Command lets its guard down, we can go out and get some fresh air."
The biggest problem with the Shadow Space was that it couldn't move. That meant they were trapped here for now, though the people outside couldn't find them because a door stood between them.
But if they wanted to leave, they still had to go out through the main entrance.
If the Shadow Space could move—or no, even if it were just a little bigger, with its boundaries extending beyond the Compound—things would be much easier.
Days passed. Aside from keeping watch on the outside, Uchiha Arashi spent most of his time expanding the Shadow Space. It was simply too small.
Besides that, he kept telling stories to the little ones, continuing to build up the power of "understanding." This time, even Izumi, who hadn't been interested at all before, joined in and listened with rapt attention.
Izumi's most important job during this time was to soothe the little ones and teach them ninjutsu.
They would never be able to return to the Ninja Academy, but they still needed to learn, and they had to grow stronger. Izumi had been a good student at the Academy, so Uchiha Arashi trusted her to teach her younger brothers and sisters.
And just like that, a week passed before they knew it.
Outside.
Sasuke finally left the hospital.
As he walked through the Compound, which looked like a place haunted by demons, his heart was utterly numb.
"Dad, Mom... and Itachi..."
His eyes briefly regained some life, only to grow dull again.
He didn't want to think about what had happened that night, but he couldn't forget it. Even when he closed his eyes, he saw his parents lying in pools of blood.
"Revenge... death... revenge... death..."
A simple, pure hatred began to fill his heart.
"I'll get stronger. I'll take revenge. I'll kill him!"
The seeds of hatred quickly took root. At last, Sasuke's aura shifted slightly; he was no longer as lifeless as before.
He had found motivation, something he wanted—and had to—do.
From that perspective, Itachi's plan had gone rather smoothly.
Behind a wall in the distance, Uchiha Arashi pursed his lips at Sasuke's retreating figure.
In the end, he was just a local who couldn't escape his own limitations. Itachi had somehow ended up siding with Konoha, willingly taking on the village's troubles.
As for revenge, it was nothing but making a big show of catching small fry.
Uchiha Arashi turned his gaze away and looked at the distant sunset, drawing in a deep breath.
"Let's go. We still have things to do."
He spoke to Izumi beside him.
Izumi was still staring at Sasuke.
"Itachi's little brother..."
"Want to go meet him? Maybe he knows more about Itachi."
Uchiha Arashi teased her.
"No need."
Izumi shook her head calmly. "It doesn't matter whether I ask or not. I'm no match for Itachi, and I doubt this little one knows anything."
"So, have you really made up your mind?"
"Yes. He killed my mother and my clanmates. I have to take revenge with my own hands."
Izumi spoke in a low voice.
There was not a trace of emotion in her tone, but Arashi could sense the terrifying power beneath her calm.
"Good. I was worried you still had feelings for him and wouldn't be able to bring yourself to do it."
He said with a smile.
All he got in response was an eye roll.
"Don't mistake me for some lovesick fool. I won't put my feelings above the hatred of the entire clan. Uchiha Itachi's crimes must be paid for in blood."
Uchiha Izumi tossed her long hair and strode forward. At some point, her eyes had turned red. The three Tomoe within them had all vanished, replaced by a new pattern no one had ever seen before.
Uchiha Arashi smiled and followed after her.
His right eye had also turned red. It was the Kotoamatsukami eye he'd taken, but the red vanished in an instant, and his eye returned to its ordinary black.
In the distance, Sasuke suddenly stopped and looked thoughtfully at the spot where the two had been standing.
This was the first time the two of them had gone out properly since the clan's massacre.
The little ones were still in the Shadow Space. It would be inconvenient to take them along, so they had to stay put a while longer.
The village had long since lifted its restrictions on the Uchiha Compound; otherwise, Sasuke wouldn't have been allowed to return.
So, in theory, as long as they didn't reveal their Sharingan or get recognized by someone they knew, Uchiha Arashi and Uchiha Izumi could move around the village fairly safely.
Of course, they had to keep up the Transformation Technique the whole time. Fortunately, as long as they didn't run into Kakashi face-to-face or cross paths with another ninja skilled at sensing, they should be fine.
Before you continue