"Ah—"
"Wh... What happened...?"
"Everyone... Everyone's dead!"
Sasuke Uchiha rushed into the Uchiha Clan compound through a barrier deliberately left open by the Anbu, only for the horrifying sight of blood covering the ground to leave his mind blank.
After a long while, worry for his brother and mother consumed his thoughts.
He broke into a run, racing toward home.
At that moment, Itachi Uchiha had also returned home.
"Itachi... Itachi... Y-you... You're back..."
His mother was far from calm. She had clearly spent a long time in terror and had no idea what had happened.
Only when Itachi Uchiha dragged his tachi toward her did she suddenly notice that her eldest son was drenched in blood.
A terrifying suspicion took shape in her mind.
An overwhelming fear of death swept through her body and soul.
"Itachi... You..."
Huddled in the corner, her lips trembled uncontrollably. "What happened outside... Was it... Was it you...?"
"It was me..."
Itachi Uchiha lowered his eyes. "I personally purged this filthy clan..."
"Why... Why... Why..."
Other than asking that over and over, the woman could no longer say anything else.
Because Itachi Uchiha slowly raised his tachi at her.
"For... protection..."
Tears slid from the corners of his eyes.
"Of the..."
With a wet slash, blood splattered across the window lattice.
"Justice..."
Itachi Uchiha remained frozen in that posture...
Wuye stood high atop the opposite roof, his robes fluttering as though he had merged with the night itself.
He truly admired Itachi Uchiha...
A ruthless monster who could turn his blade upon his own mother...
In the alleyway, Sasuke Uchiha ran at full speed.
The cold wind struck his face, stinging and faintly chilling.
"Brother! Mom!"
He returned to his doorstep as quickly as he could and shouted inside, drenched in sweat.
"Sasuke... Don't...