At that moment, it was dusk.
In Konoha, in the Uchiha Clan compound, outside the clan head's residence.
A short boy, around eleven or twelve years old, stood there.
Two figures knelt behind him. From their clothes, both were members of the Konoha Military Police Force.
After a moment of thought, the boy—Uchiha Natsume—asked coldly:
"How many are willing to leave?"
"A little over half. 426 people in total."
One of the men behind him answered at once.
"More than half? It seems the clan really is tired of Konoha!"
"Sir, preparations for the evacuation are complete..."
Natsume: "Good. Then let's begin!"
"Watch for my signal. Once the time comes, gather everyone and leave immediately. Don't delay for even a moment!"
"Yes!"
"Also, take that little Izumi and her family with you!"
The two men behind Natsume looked surprised, but they still accepted the order without hesitation.
"Understood!"
"Go."
Natsume waved them away, and the two vanished at once.
He alone remained, lifting his head slightly.
He glanced at the vast Konoha behind him and murmured:
"Ten years in this world already, without me even realizing it!"
"Prejudice is like an insurmountable mountain, no matter what world you're in!"
"Konoha? Heh... If you still can't accept the Uchiha Clan, don't blame me for being ruthless!"
"Tonight, I'll rewrite history!"
Then Natsume turned away.
He stepped forward and pushed open the door to the clan head's residence.
Inside the residence.
The front courtyard was empty, with no one else around.
The person Natsume had come to see was already standing on the steps of the main hall, seemingly waiting for him.
Uchiha Fugaku: the current head of the Uchiha Clan and the captain of the Konoha Military Police Force.
"You're here!"
Uchiha Fugaku opened his eyes and stared at Natsume, his gaze sharp.
He certainly lived up to his title, Wicked Eye Fugaku.
"Looks like the clan head already knows what I'm planning?"
Uchiha Natsume smiled faintly. He'd expected as much.
As the head of the Uchiha Clan and the commander of the Konoha Military Police Force, Fugaku wielded considerable authority.
It wouldn't have been difficult for him to learn that Natsume had been 'building alliances and plotting an escape' within the clan.
But just as Natsume had expected,
even though Fugaku knew what he was doing,
he hadn't tried to stop him or expose him.
He'd even quietly helped cover up many of the gaps in Natsume's plans!
Otherwise, Konoha's High Command might have uncovered his escape plan long ago.
"Your plan is far too crude."
"I can't stand by and watch you lead most of the Uchiha Clan to its destruction!"
Fugaku stared at Natsume and spoke slowly, each word heavy.
"I have to stop you!"
Natsume's lips curled slightly as he scoffed:
"Do you think the whole Uchiha Clan can survive if you keep doing nothing?"
"Right now, we can't stand against all of Konoha. We need to wait for an opportunity..."
Fugaku retorted sharply, a conflicted look flashing in his eyes.
No one understood better than he did just how vast the gap was between one clan and all of Konoha.
Even if such a reckless escape succeeded,
the Uchiha would still be ground to dust under Konoha's endless pursuit.
Only through careful planning and catching them off guard could they perhaps seize a chance.
That was why he'd let Itachi join the Anbu as a spy.
Gather intelligence, wait for an opportunity, then stage a coup!
"If we can't stand against them now, what makes you think we'll be able to later?"
"Or is your entire plan just to rely on Itachi, who's in the Anbu?"
"Maybe you don't know this yet."
"By now, your son, Uchiha Itachi, should have received an order from Root. He's on his way here."
"And his mission is to wipe out the entire Uchiha Clan to spare his little brother, Sasuke!"
"Do you think that's fair?"
"Is it worth trading the lives of hundreds of our clansmen for just one?"
"Are we supposed to offer our necks for Itachi and his brother?"
Natsume roared, openly challenging Fugaku.
At that, Fugaku's body trembled.
Perhaps he was shocked by Itachi's decision. Or perhaps he was furious that Konoha's High Command could be so cold-blooded as to issue such a ruthless and insane order.
For a brief moment, silence fell.
At some point, the gentle Uchiha Mikoto had come to Fugaku's side. She wrapped both arms around her husband's shoulders, sharing his burden.
"Phew..."
"If that's Itachi's decision, then I'll support him!"
Fugaku let out a long sigh, took his wife's hand, and spoke with firm resolve.
No one knew Itachi's talents better than he did.
In Fugaku's eyes, if Itachi had made this decision, it must have been after a painful struggle and because he believed it was the best choice.
Even if it was for the sake of the young Sasuke,
as his father, Fugaku could only give in. He could only support Itachi...
"Clan head, I didn't come here to ask for your opinion."
"Whether you agree or not, you can't stop me."
"I'm Uchiha Natsume, a member of the Uchiha Clan! I'm no lamb waiting to be slaughtered in some pen, and I won't offer up my neck!"
"If you insist on stopping me, then I'll have to take you out first!"
Natsume bellowed.
Chakra surged through him, and he attacked without hesitation.
Fugaku furrowed his brow and attacked just as fiercely.
He wanted to see for himself
just how much of Itachi's talent his young nephew possessed.
The boy had managed to win over so many clansmen and plot their escape,
and now he was brazenly attacking Fugaku.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!"
Two enormous fireballs, each as tall as a building, shot out and collided.
"Boom!"
A massive explosion thundered through the air. Countless flames scattered, and the dazzling blaze illuminated half of Konoha.
The fierce battle immediately
alerted most of Konoha, and countless Anbu Ninja and members of the Konoha High Command hurried toward the scene.
Fugaku, caught in the heart of the battle, was secretly astonished and clicked his tongue in amazement.
He couldn't believe it.
His nephew Natsume's Great Fireball Technique was so powerful—
it was every bit as strong as his own!
Fugaku was already forty.
His ninjutsu, chakra, and experience all surpassed those of most shinobi in Konoha.
Yet the boy before him was barely ten and had already mastered the Great Fireball Technique to this degree!
How much chakra did he have?
How deep was his understanding and application of ninjutsu?
What kind of monster was he?!!
And this kid had kept his abilities hidden all this time!
What a calculating mind!
What a deep-laid scheme!
Despite his amazement, Fugaku didn't hold back.
After all, he had survived two Ninja World Wars and remained the head of the Uchiha Clan. His strength was naturally extraordinary.
[Great Fireball Technique]
[Phoenix Sage Fire Technique]
[Phoenix Sage Flower Nail Crimson]
[Majestic Destroyer Flame]
And more...
He unleashed one Fire Release Ninjutsu after another, sending them surging toward Natsume in a relentless barrage.
The countless brilliant flames nearly covered half of the Uchiha compound.
Just looking at them made one's scalp tingle.
Natsume, meanwhile, didn't bother with flashy techniques.
He simply used one Great Fireball Technique after another.
Big enough!
Plentiful enough!
Fast enough!
One enormous fireball after another collided with Fugaku's many Fire Release Ninjutsu, meeting each head-on before cancelling it out.
In other places, on other battlefields,
a wide variety of techniques with different effects might have been remarkably effective.
But here, as two Fire Release masters clashed head-on,
Natsume proved with his actions that a single sufficiently powerful technique could 'break a thousand techniques with one'!
Just like Madara, the Uchiha ancestor.
A single Majestic Destroyer Flame could cover countless Water Release techniques.
The battle continued.
The many Fire Release Ninjutsu nearly turned half the sky red.
In just a minute or two, dozens of Uchiha Clan residences were engulfed in an endless sea of flames.
Meanwhile,
one group of Konoha Anbu Ninja and members of the High Command after another arrived.
Seeing the fireballs flying and the fierce battle raging,
the shinobi were all bewildered.
They'd assumed Konoha had been invaded, which had sparked the battle.
But when they arrived,
they found the head of the Uchiha Clan, Fugaku, fighting a young Uchiha boy!
Everyone was dumbfounded.
What was going on?
Was this an internal sparring match among the Uchiha? There was no need to fight this viciously, was there?
Or had the Uchiha Clan split into factions?
But even if they were fighting among themselves, why would a boy barely ten years old be leading them?
Of course, those questions weren't the main problem.
What truly troubled the shinobi was that they had no idea whom to help!
Help Fugaku put down the rebellion, so he could continue leading the Uchiha Clan's coup plot?
Help that Uchiha kid fight Fugaku, even though he'd attacked Konoha's Military Police Force captain for no reason?
Whichever one he chose, it would be terribly inappropriate!
Besides, the power of the Fire Release battle between the two was absurdly strong!
Every strike was no weaker than a full-powered attack from an elite jonin.
If ordinary Anbu Ninja rushed in, they'd only be throwing their lives away!
As a result, even though more and more ninjas arrived at the scene of the fierce battle,
they still hesitated to join in recklessly.
They could only watch and stand guard from the outskirts,
or block the sparks flying their way to keep the fire from spreading.
At the same time, as Natsume watched more and more Konoha Ninja arrive to observe the battle,
even many Anbu Ninja assigned to monitor the Uchiha Clan were drawn over.
At this point, Natsume felt the time was right.
His [Great Fireball Technique] was indeed astonishingly powerful.
But when it came to chakra reserves, he might not match Fugaku, a standard Kage Level powerhouse.
If he dragged this out into a battle of attrition, things would only grow more unfavorable for him.
He had to unleash his power!
"Clan patriarch, show me what you've got."
"Go all out!"
"Don't disappoint me!"
"Tonight, let Konoha feel pain once more!"
[Mangekyō Sharingan]—Activate!
[Susanoo]—Activate!
The next moment.
Yin and yang reversed, and a surging wave of ocular power roared forth.
A streak of intense crimson light burst from Natsume's eyes.
A moment later, a crimson skeletal Susanoo Demon God rose from the ground, towering into the sky and striking awe into all around.
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