The Uchiha Clan Downfall Night

The sea was always strangely calm before a storm.

Just like the Leaf Village at that moment.

Meanwhile, in a dimly lit basement,

a one-eyed old man with white bandages wrapped around half his head and one hand sat in a battered rattan chair, eyes closed as he rested.

It seemed he was waiting for something.

Just then,

a figure hurried in through the door, then dropped to one knee and bowed his head, speaking in a deeply respectful whisper:

"Lord Danzo,"

"Uchiha Itachi has decided to act tonight."

The old man was none other than the leader of Root in the Leaf Village, the village's most powerful Pot Kage—Shimura Danzō.

As the figure finished speaking,

Danzō slowly narrowed his eyes. A moment later, he said:

"I know."

"Go. Keep watching and report back at once if anything happens."

"Yes!"

The figure quickly withdrew and shut the basement door.

But only moments later,

a vortex of chakra suddenly appeared in the basement air. Then a figure emerged from the vortex as if out of nowhere.

He wore a loose black robe and an orange spiral mask with a single eyehole.

It was the mysterious Masked Man of the Akatsuki.

"Well..."

"Shimura Danzō, you're surprisingly... calm."

The moment he appeared,

the Masked Man spoke with a low laugh.

Danzō raised his eyes to look at him, as if he had expected this. His gaze was cold as he said evenly:

"The Uchiha Clan's existence is the greatest threat to the Leaf Village right now."

"Removing them is a necessary measure."

"Everything I do is for the Leaf Village."

As he spoke, Danzō rose from the rattan chair and stared intently at the Masked Man, continuing:

"Besides, aren't you the same?"

"You seem just as calm about tonight's operation to wipe out your own clan..."

"Madara Uchiha."

Danzō spoke the name almost one word at a time.

The Masked Man showed no sign of emotion at this. Instead, he continued to laugh in that same low voice:

"Oh—for the Leaf Village, is that it?"

"What an admirable and noble spirit..."

"Then,"

"when it comes to the clan you hate,"

"you don't need their Sharingan, either, do you?"

The Masked Man stared at Shimura Danzō and spoke in his low, almost mocking tone.

"..."

As soon as the words fell,

Danzō's old face stiffened.

He hadn't expected the Masked Man to suddenly steer the conversation in this direction...

What was he getting at?

Saying I didn't need the Sharingan?

Was the man planning to keep them all for himself?

I may not like the Uchiha Clan, but I never said I didn't want their Kekkei Genkai.

"Hmph!"

Danzō gave a cold snort, narrowed his eyes in feigned anger, and snapped:

"Madara, are you going back on our agreement?"

Danzō wanted the Uchiha Clan wiped out

not only for the lofty principles he professed on behalf of the Leaf Village, but also for his own private gain.

That was... the Sharingan.

The Uchiha Clan's exclusive Kekkei Genkai.

It possessed a power that could drive the entire Ninja World mad with desire.

Danzō had first truly realized just how powerful it was because of a forbidden technique.

Izanagi.

A forbidden genjutsu that could freely alter the boundary between dreams and reality.

The instant it was activated, it could turn all misfortune that befell the user—including injury and even death—into a dream for a very short time.

At the same time, any event that benefited the user, such as an attack, became reality!

With proper use, it could let the user avoid death entirely!

It was practically the power of immortality!

However,

as powerful as the technique was, its price was steep.

Using Izanagi permanently blinded the eye, leaving it unable to use any technique ever again.

That was why the Uchiha Clan had classified it as a forbidden technique.

But things were different now.

Once the Uchiha Clan was wiped out, Danzō would be able to obtain a large number of Sharingan!

From then on, he would no longer need to worry about paying the price of losing his sight. He could use the forbidden technique, Izanagi, again and again!

That meant he would become truly "immortal."

And that

was the selfish reason Danzō insisted on wiping out the Uchiha.

He truly was doing it for the Leaf Village.

But he truly wanted the Sharingan, too.

"..."

Seeing how agitated Danzō had become, the Masked Man couldn't help but sneer inwardly.

Of course he knew Danzō's real motive.

Because

his own motive was much the same.

"Don't worry, Shimura Danzō."

"Our agreement still stands, for now."

"Once the operation is complete, I'll give you the share you're owed."

The Masked Man spoke in a low voice.

Then he raised his hand to cover his right eye and activated Kamui.

He slowly vanished into the dark vortex.

The operation

was about to begin.

At that moment.

Amegakure.

"Ding! System notification!"

"Main quest officially activated!"

"Participate in a major event: Uchiha Clan Downfall Night (0/1), incomplete. Reward unknown."

Chen Xiaoxi was lying at home, thoroughly engrossed in his book, when the notification suddenly rang out in his mind.

He sat up at once, his eyes lighting up as delight spread across his face.

"It's finally happening?"

After all this time, the notification he'd been waiting for had finally arrived.

It seemed

tonight was the night the Uchiha Clan would fall!

Chen Xiaoxi rose with a smile and calmly took a black orb from his system inventory.

Then he quickly infused it with his Reiatsu.

The next moment,

white Reiatsu flashed. The energy inside the black orb rapidly swelled and solidified, eventually transforming into a clone identical to Chen Xiaoxi.

It was the Portable Reigai he had used before.

"Whew..."

Chen Xiaoxi exhaled, a faint smile on his face.

Now,

it was time to let the show begin.

Chen Xiaoxi raised his hand. A golden Reiatsu gathered at his fingertip, radiating a soul-shaking power.

The next moment, he curled his finger slightly and tapped the air.

The air instantly exploded with a sharp crack. Countless fractures appeared, as if a mirror had shattered!

Then the fractures seemed to be pulled apart by an invisible force, revealing endless darkness within!

This was... the Garganta!

Having prepared well in advance, Chen Xiaoxi didn't hesitate. He sprang straight into the Garganta.

All the cracks in the air began to close in an instant.

At last, they converged into a single point.

And vanished.

The room was utterly silent, as if nothing had happened.

Meanwhile, Reigai Chen Xiaoxi smiled, sat back down, and continued reading the book beside him.