Outside Konoha, in front of Naka Shrine.
Masked Man Madara Uchiha walked over to Itachi, helped him up, and spoke indifferently:
"Come on, Itachi."
"Things went a little wrong along the way, but it's over now."
"I'll take you to the Akatsuki hideout first."
"Hiruzen Sarutobi and the others must have noticed the commotion here."
"We shouldn't stay long."
As soon as he finished speaking,
before Itachi could reply, the Masked Man leaped into the air, taking Itachi with him as he vaulted over Konoha's wall and left.
As they bounded quickly through the air, the Masked Man's gaze flickered faintly in the darkness.
He hadn't used Kamui to travel.
After all,
there was still someone wearing a Fox Ghost Mask trapped in the other dimension.
Although he'd temporarily trapped him there with Kamui,
still,
if he really went into the other dimension for a one-on-one fight, he might not win.
No, that wasn't right.
He might not stand a chance at all.
After all, that guy's techniques were all incredibly strange.
His high-speed movement, his powerful crescent-shaped slashes, and even his ability to resist illusions...
It was all too strange.
He was practically on par with that golden-eyed brat Chen Xiaoxi from the Akatsuki.
Come to think of it,
speaking of that brat Chen Xiaoxi,
the two of them seemed to have completely different powers and auras.
The person who'd appeared wearing the Fox Ghost Mask had always given off the oppressive presence of a ferocious beast. He was intensely aggressive and extremely dangerous.
Chen Xiaoxi from the Akatsuki, on the other hand, seemed to be forever shrouded in thick fog, making him impossible to read.
As the Masked Man thought it over, an idea suddenly struck him.
His eyes lit up.
What if—
What if, once I return to the Akatsuki, I have that brat Chen Xiaoxi fight the Fox Ghost Mask head-on...?
Heh. That might—
That would be quite a sight to see...
As he bounded through the air,
Obito's lips curled beneath his mask.
Konoha, Naka Shrine.
Not long after the Masked Man and Itachi left,
a group of figures suddenly arrived at the shrine.
They were all dressed in similar gray uniforms, wore various animal masks, and carried identical straight swords on their backs.
They were Konoha's Anbu, the Hokage's direct action squad.
"Yikes... What happened here?"
"I can't believe the entire Naka Shrine was destroyed. So this is where that explosion came from..."
"So there really was a battle here?"
One Anbu member crouched down and examined the deep cracks in the ground. He drew a sharp breath and exclaimed:
"Damn..."
"Just how powerful would a slash have to be to cause this...?"
Just then,
another Anbu member noticed two bodies in front of the shrine's ruins.
He ran over, quickly inspected them, then stood up and turned around, his voice grave:
"They're Uchiha Clan members who were guarding Naka Shrine."
"They're both dead."
"Judging by the wounds, they're almost identical to those on the other Uchiha found dead in the Uchiha Clan Compound."
"The killer is probably still... Itachi Uchiha."
"..."
At this, all the Anbu members fell silent.
If
Itachi had killed these two Uchiha, then who had he fought here just now...?
After a brief silence, one of them finally spoke:
"Speculating won't help."
"Come on. Let's report this to the Lord Third."
As soon as he finished speaking,
he leaped into the air and disappeared into the darkness.
The others didn't linger either. They all hurried toward the Hokage Building.
Meanwhile, elsewhere,
in a dim underground room in Konoha, Shimura Danzō sat calmly in a wicker chair, apparently still waiting for something.
A moment later, a Root member rushed in and immediately bowed his head respectfully.
"Lord Danzō."
"The Uchiha Clan Massacre... is over!"
"All the Uchiha are dead, except for Itachi's younger brother, Sasuke."
"According to our members' findings, everyone who had awakened the Sharingan has also had both eyes removed... without exception."
Hearing this,
Danzō's expression shifted ever so slightly. He nodded.
"Understood. You may leave."
"Keep an eye on Hiruzen's actions, then report back to me."
"...Yes!"
After bowing respectfully, the Root member left the underground room.
Only then did a faint smile begin to appear on Danzō's aged face.
Success.
Konoha's greatest threat—the Uchiha Clan—had finally been uprooted by my hand.
From now on, there was no chance of an Uchiha rebellion in Konoha!
In the firelight,
the flames flickered across Danzō's face, and his smile grew increasingly pleased.
As expected of the genius Itachi Uchiha and Madara Uchiha, who was known as the Demon of the Shinobi World. They were truly powerful, and they'd acted fast.
Heh heh...
All that remained was to wait for the Masked Man Madara Uchiha to come and trade the Sharingan.
Once I had the Sharingan,
I would be the biggest winner tonight!
Time passed, little by little.
The candle on the wall began to dim.
And Shimura Danzō, waiting in his wicker chair, went from eager anticipation to growing irritation.
He glanced up at the clock hanging on the wall and frowned deeply.
What was going on?
Madara Uchiha...
Hadn't he said he'd come straight to make the trade once the operation was over?
I've been waiting almost half an hour. Why hasn't he come yet?
Could something have gone wrong?
"..."
As Danzō frowned and pondered,
another Root member suddenly rushed into the underground room and dropped to one knee.
"Lord Danzō, we have new information—"
"According to our investigation, there seems to have been a fierce battle outside Naka Shrine in the Uchiha district not long ago. The identities of those involved are unknown."
"But—"
"One of our members stationed outside the village spotted a mysterious man in a black robe and mask coming from the direction of Naka Shrine. He left Konoha with Itachi Uchiha..."
"Hmm?
What did you say?"
"Thump!"
The moment Danzō heard this, his expression changed. He slammed his hand on the chair and sprang to his feet, roaring in disbelief:
"You're saying a mysterious masked man left Konoha with Itachi Uchiha!?"
"Y-yes, Lord Danzō!"
The Root member lowered his head nervously as he answered, unsure why Shimura Danzō had suddenly become so agitated.
But after hearing the man confirm it,
Danzō stiffened, his vision going black, and dropped heavily back into his wicker chair.
His hands clamped down on either side of the chair, veins bulging as though he meant to crush it.
His eyes brimmed with a hatred more intense than he had ever felt before!
Madara Uchiha—
How could you betray me at a time like this?
What happened to the promise we made?
I used Root to protect your plan, and you still ran off with every single Sharingan?
You didn't leave even one for me?
You bastard!
Shimura Danzō gritted his teeth. The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. It was as if his fury had overwhelmed him, and he suddenly began coughing uncontrollably.
"Cough, cough, cough, cough!!"
After all, he was an old man past fifty, halfway to the grave. How could he withstand such a sudden, crushing turn of events?
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