Do Something

Naoki moved with the group, thinking calmly.

If you asked when the Uchiha Clan had planted the seeds of its destruction, there might be many answers. But if you asked when the Uchiha Clan had truly begun its decline, there was only one answer.

Tonight! On this very night of the Nine-Tails Incident!

After Obito used the Nine-Tails to attack Konoha, the Fourth Hokage, Namikaze Minato, and Uzumaki Kushina would both die.

After the battle, with Obito and Namikaze Minato dead one after another, the Uchiha Clan would lose all chance of reaching the pinnacle of Konoha's power. And with Sarutobi Hiruzen back in office, the Uchiha, with no room left to rise, would gradually turn to extremism...

"Hey, Naoki, what are you spacing out for? Keep up!" Uchiha Zongxin tugged at his sleeve and pointed to an alley on the side. "Our squad's responsible for this area. We're going door to door, making sure nobody's been left behind, then guiding people to the Third Shelter in the south."

"Got it."

Naoki took a deep breath and pushed aside his tangled thoughts.

At least for now, he had to focus on the task at hand.

Evacuating the villagers and guiding them to the shelters was a simple job, but it required patience...

After the Nine-Tails appeared, many villagers panicked, and some refused to leave their homes no matter what.

They ran into trouble at the entrance to one house.

A middle-aged man clung to the doorframe and shouted at them, "I'm not leaving! Why should I trust you? Who knows whether you're the ones who let that monster outside loose..."

The man's voice grew quieter as he spoke, but it was still loud enough for the Uchiha gathered nearby to hear.

Uchiha Zongxin's face reddened with anger.

"What did you say?!"

His younger brother's voice rang out, and Uchiha Zongye quickly looked around. Seeing several people watching, he reached out to stop his brother.

"Sir, please calm down! We're with the Konoha Military Police Force, and we've been ordered to protect the villagers and help them evacuate. The Nine-Tails is destroying the village. This place will be very dangerous soon."

The man said nothing, only shaking his head over and over.

"Honestly... everyone else has left. Are you staying here because you want to die?" Uchiha Zongxin snapped.

"Look over there." Uchiha Zongye pointed at the distant Nine-Tails. "The Nine-Tails is rampaging. If you stay here, something's bound to happen sooner or later. Come with us, somewhere more open and safer..." He pointed into the house, where a woman and child huddled in a corner, trembling. "At least think of your family."

The man looked at his wife and child, then hesitated for a moment before finally letting go. Muttering under his breath, he followed the group.

The little incident left the group in a somber mood.

On the way to the next block, Uchiha Zongxin couldn't help grumbling under his breath. "Why would he suspect us? We're protecting them!"

Another Uchiha nodded. "Everyone else left, but he stayed behind. We tried to persuade him, and he still suspected we were up to no good. We shouldn't even have bothered saving someone like that!"

Naoki walked beside them in silence, but his mind kept returning to the future of this world—and the future of the Uchiha Clan.

The Sharingan pattern in the Nine-Tails' eyes, the Fourth Hokage's death, the Uchiha being pushed aside, Shisui's death, Itachi's choice, the night of the clan's destruction... Images flashed before his eyes one after another, like a dull knife slowly sawing through his nerves.

What path should he take from here?

Should he secretly leave Konoha, or stay and do something?

If he stayed, he'd face a thousand times, even a hundred times more trouble. But if he left... without the Uchiha Clan or Konoha to protect him, could he make a place for himself in the Shinobi World?

Could he avoid attracting Obito's attention?

Could he escape the schemes of those who meant him harm?

"Naoki?" Seeing him standing there in a daze, Uchiha Zongye tried to reassure him. "Don't overthink it. People are panicking right now. There are all kinds of people out there."

"This can't go on!"

Naoki's sudden words left Uchiha Zongye staring at him in confusion.

"What did you say?"

Naoki shook his head, as if speaking to himself.

"I have to do something!"

With that, he left the group and disappeared into the alleyways.

"What's Naoki doing?" Uchiha Zongxin asked.

"No idea... I can't leave here. Zongxin, catch up with him. Make sure nothing happens to him!"

"What a pain!"

Uchiha Zongxin grumbled, but hurried after him anyway.

Standing atop the tallest building nearby, Uchiha Fugaku and the Police Force's senior officers watched the battle raging in the distance.

Uchiha Yashiro turned his gaze away and said to the others, "Things don't look good."

"The Akimichi Clan's shinobi alone can't hold back the Nine-Tails. Where's the Hokage? And the Third—what are they doing?"

In response to his subordinate's question, Uchiha Fugaku said slowly, "Since the Nine-Tails has appeared, something must have gone wrong with the Jinchūriki. The Hokage is probably still dealing with the Jinchūriki. As for the Third..." He gave a mocking laugh. "Maybe he's dealing with all sorts of things in the village right now, so busy he can't spare a thought for the Nine-Tails."

"Honestly! Why did the Third give us orders to evacuate the villagers? With us here, how could we let the Nine-Tails rampage so freely?"

Uchiha Yashiro didn't take his companions' complaints seriously. He knew the gap between the Nine-Tails and shinobi couldn't be overcome just by having the clan members join the fight.

Looking at Uchiha Fugaku, he asked, "Are we just going to stand here and watch until it's over?"

Uchiha Fugaku kept his eyes on the distant Nine-Tails and asked without turning around,

"What else can we do?"

"I mean..."

Just as Uchiha Yashiro was about to say more, an Uchiha walked up to them.

"Lord Fugaku, Naoki wants to see you."

"Naoki?"

Uchiha Yashiro looked back in surprise. Naoki stood not far away, watching them.

When Uchiha Fugaku didn't answer, Uchiha Yashiro asked on his behalf, "Did he say what it was about?"

"No. He just said he wanted to see Lord Fugaku."

"I'll go ask him. If it's nothing, I'll send him back. Everyone's busy right now..."

As he spoke, Uchiha Yashiro started toward Naoki.

"Let him come over. Didn't you say Naoki was a clever boy? I'm sure he has a good reason for coming."

Uchiha Yashiro looked a little embarrassed.

As the only child his old friend had entrusted to him before dying, Naoki had always received special care from Uchiha Yashiro. He'd also praised him in front of Uchiha Fugaku more than once... But to be fair, who else would know Naoki's situation better than him?

Naoki was definitely clever. After all, at sixteen, he already had a Two-Tomoe Sharingan. There was no way he could be called stupid. But to say he had any real insights would be pure nonsense.

While Uchiha Yashiro was lost in thought, Naoki walked over.

"Lord Fugaku, everyone..." Naoki greeted them.