Uchiha Massacre Night Begins!

Inside Konoha.

Several black shadows silently passed through the streets and alleys.

They did not alert the patrolling ninja.

They did not trigger the barrier alarms.

Even Konoha's outer sensory unit detected nothing unusual.

Because in their perception, the chakra fluctuations within the Uchiha Clan Grounds remained normal.

The clansmen were still there.

The lights were still on.

The Police Force continued its usual patrols.

There was nothing unusual.

But they did not know.

Half of that "normality" was an illusion created by Shisui.

The other half was chakra misdirection arranged in advance by Uchiha You.

And part of it was the "Uchiha chaos" Itachi had deliberately allowed the ANBU to see.

Truth and falsehood layered together made for the perfect disguise.

Outside the Uchiha Clan Grounds.

Uchiha Chuan was already waiting there.

When he saw the black-robed figures behind Uchiha You, his pupils contracted slightly.

Though he had known You had outside support.

Seeing these people in person still made him feel an oppressive pressure.

Especially that orange-haired man with the Rinnegan.

Simply standing there, he resembled a cold, godlike statue.

And there was that shark-faced man carrying a massive sword.

That green-eyed freak.

And that person hiding within a puppet.

Who exactly were these people?

Uchiha Chuan was shaken.

Just what kind of monsters had You brought in from outside?

But he did not ask.

Tonight was not the time for questions.

Uchiha Chuan said in a low voice:

"The route has been cleared."

"The eastern entrance to the clan grounds is under our control."

"The ANBU has not noticed anything for now."

Uchiha You nodded.

"Good."

He turned to look at Pain and the others.

"Do not make a move after entering."

"Wait until Danzo brings Root in."

"Let the Uchiha fight the first wave themselves."

"Once Root's main force is exposed, cut off their retreat."

Kisame grinned.

"So you're planning to lock Root in and slaughter them?"

Uchiha You replied calmly:

"No."

"I'm going to let them learn what it means to walk into a trap."

Kakuzu asked:

"Where is the Root Treasury?"

Uchiha You pointed to a marker on the map.

"Third underground level."

"But the entrance isn't within the clan grounds."

"Once Danzo's main force enters the clan grounds, I'll give you the signal."

Kakuzu nodded.

"Don't forget my twenty-five percent."

"Don't worry."

"Danzo will pay the bill tonight."

Sasori asked:

"What about my information?"

"The Root Archives."

"Pain is going there too."

Uchiha You looked at Pain.

"Once Danzo's main force enters the clan grounds, the Root Base's defenses will be thinned out."

"That will be the best time to enter the archives."

Pain said coldly:

"I'll verify it myself."

Uchiha You nodded.

"After you verify it, deal with Root however you want."

The chill in Pain's Rinnegan deepened.

Yahiko's death.

Danzo.

The Root Archives.

Tonight, he wanted answers.

And he would make Konoha's darkness feel pain.

Uchiha You led them through a secret passage in the clan grounds.

Along the way, the Akatsuki members saw the Uchiha preparations.

On the surface, quite a few lights still burned throughout the clan grounds.

But many of the actual residences had already been emptied.

The elderly, weak, women, and children had been moved away.

The fighters were hidden in the darkness.

Rooftops, alleyways, walls, underground passages—everything had been fitted with traps and escape routes.

Kisame could not help but laugh.

"How does this look like a clan about to be wiped out?"

"This is clearly an ambush."

Kakuzu said coldly:

"If Konoha's higher-ups knew, they'd probably regret it."

Sasori rasped:

"It's already too late for regret."

The corners of Uchiha You's lips curled upward.

"They will not regret it."

"Someone like Danzo will only think he did not act early enough."

"So tonight, he will definitely come."

Elsewhere.

The Root Base.

Danzo stood in the underground hall.

One Root ninja after another stood in silent formation.

Black clothes.

Masks.

Danzo stood above them, his single eye sweeping over the crowd.

"Tonight's mission."

"Eliminate the unstable core of the Uchiha Clan."

"Priority targets."

"Uchiha You."

"Fugaku Uchiha."

"Shisui Uchiha."

"The radical faction of the Uchiha Police Force."

"Itachi Uchiha will cooperate with the operation."

The Root ninja below remained silent.

Danzo continued:

"If you encounter resistance, kill without mercy."

"If any clansmen attempt to flee, treat them as rebels."

"If Uchiha You activates his Mangekyo Sharingan, do not engage him for long."

"Use Sealing Jutsu, poison, Explosive Tags, and long-range ninjutsu to wear him down."

"His Mangekyo Sharingan consumes an enormous amount of chakra."

"Once his ocular power is exhausted, seize his eyes immediately."

As he spoke those final words, a flash of burning greed passed through Danzo's eye.

Seize his eyes.

Uchiha You's Mangekyo Sharingan.

Shisui's Kotoamatsukami.

If Fugaku possessed any hidden ocular power, seize that as well.

After tonight, the Uchiha Clan's power would become Root's power.

Konoha's power.

His, Shimura Danzō's, power.

A Root ninja said in a low voice:

"Lord Danzo, the Hokage's ANBU are already on standby around the perimeter."

Danzo sneered.

"Hiruzen really did send people after all."

On the surface, they were there to supervise.

But in truth?

Everyone understood.

If Root succeeded, the ANBU would seal off the clan grounds and prevent the Uchiha from escaping.

If Root reached a stalemate, the ANBU would provide support.

If the matter was exposed, the ANBU would cut themselves free of responsibility.

Hiruzen Sarutobi had not given his approval.

But his ANBU had come.

That was enough.

Leaning on his cane, Danzo slowly walked forward.

"Move out."

The Root ninja vanished as one.

In the darkness.

A butcher's blade belonging to Konoha's darkness finally reached toward the Uchiha Clan Grounds.

The Hokage Building.

The Third Hokage stood by the window, looking toward the Uchiha Clan Grounds.

The night was deep.

Yet the village was so quiet that it made his heart tremble uneasily.

Behind him, an ANBU said softly:

"Lord Hokage, Lord Danzo has already departed."

The Third Hokage was silent for a long while.

"And the ANBU?"

"They have been monitoring the perimeter as ordered."

Monitoring.

That word weighed heavily on the Third Hokage's heart for no reason.

He knew he had not formally ordered the Uchiha Clan's extermination.

But he also knew what it meant to send out the ANBU.

If everything went smoothly, perhaps the Uchiha crisis could be suppressed.

If it did not...

The Third Hokage closed his eyes.

"Do not expand the casualties."

The ANBU lowered his head.

"Yes."

The ANBU vanished.

Only the Third Hokage remained in the office.

The ember in his pipe flickered uncertainly.

He murmured to himself.

"Fugaku."

"You."

"Don't force me."

But after saying those words, even he found them hollow.

Who, exactly, was forcing whom?

He did not want to think about it any further.

Uchiha Clan Grounds.

The night was heavy.

The streets were deserted.

Yet the lights were still on.

As if the clan members were still sleeping peacefully inside their homes.

Danzo led the Root ninja silently toward the outskirts of the clan grounds.

Several ANBU were concealed high above the perimeter, saying nothing.

They were only responsible for "monitoring."

But everyone knew that after tonight, Konoha might never again have a complete Uchiha Police Force.

Danzo raised a hand.

The Root ninja stopped advancing.

He looked at the Uchiha Clan Grounds ahead, his lone eye narrowing slightly.

Quiet.

Too quiet.

Still, that was normal.

Uchiha You's ocular power had been severely depleted.

The Uchiha Clan had yet to be fully consolidated.

Itachi had also confirmed that the clan's defenses were not yet complete.

Tonight was the best opportunity.

Danzo said quietly.

"Proceed according to plan."

"First squad, seal the exits."

"Second squad, proceed to Fugaku's Residence."

"Third squad, proceed to the Police Force warehouse."

"Fourth squad, search for Uchiha You."

"If Shisui is found, report immediately."

The Root ninja dispersed soundlessly.

Danzo stood in the shadows, a cold smile appearing at the corner of his mouth.

Uchiha You.

This old man has come.

How much longer can your Mangekyo Sharingan hold out?

At the same time.

Deep within the Uchiha Clan Grounds.

Atop a tall building.

Uchiha You stood in the night wind, quietly watching Root enter the clan grounds.

Behind him, Deva Path Pain, Kisame, Kakuzu, and Sasori hid in the shadows.

Shisui stood on the other side, his Mangekyo Sharingan slowly emerging in his eyes.

Itachi, meanwhile, wore ANBU attire and stood on a more distant rooftop.

At this moment, he still looked like Konoha's ANBU.

Like a blade planted within the Uchiha Clan by the higher-ups.

But the edge of his blade had long since turned in another direction.

Fugaku Uchiha stood in the center of the clan grounds, calm and composed, the Three-Tomoe Sharingan in his eyes slowly turning.

No one knew that beneath those Three-Tomoe Sharingan lay another pair of Mangekyo Sharingan.

Tonight, the Uchiha Clan's true cards were finally being laid on the table one by one.

Uchiha You looked in Danzo's direction as the system notification sounded in his mind.

[Key plot point detected: Uchiha Massacre Night.]

[Konoha Root has entered the Uchiha Clan Grounds.]

[Hiruzen Sarutobi's ANBU have been deployed around the perimeter.]

[Core members of Akatsuki have successfully infiltrated the Uchiha Clan's territory.]

[Main quest: Stop Uchiha Massacre Night, entering final stage.]

[Quest objectives updated:]

[One: Protect the Uchiha Clan members.]

[Two: Defeat Root's main force.]

[Three: Preserve Shisui, Itachi, and Fugaku's core combat strength.]

[Four: Settle accounts with Shimura Danzō.]

[Five: Seize the Root Archives.]

Uchiha You's lips slowly curled upward.

It was here.

Finally.

Danzo thought he was the hunter.

The Third Hokage thought he could still remain outside it all.

The ANBU thought they were merely monitoring.

Root thought tonight would be the Uchiha Clan's funeral.

What a pity.

Uchiha You raised his hand.

A black-red kunai spun lightly around his fingertips.

The next instant, dozens of hidden nodes deep within the clan grounds lit up simultaneously.

Shisui's genjutsu barrier activated.

Inside the empty houses, false Uchiha figures silently appeared one after another.

The Root ninja did not yet know that they had already stepped into a double kill zone of genjutsu and traps.

Uchiha You said softly.

"Danzo."

"Welcome to the graveyard the Uchiha Clan prepared for you."

Deva Path Pain's Rinnegan lit up in the darkness.

"The Root Archives."

"Do not forget your promise."

Uchiha You smiled faintly.

"Don't worry."

"After tonight, Danzo will personally prove it."

"Just how many debts he owes."

Kisame grinned, and Samehada trembled faintly.

"Then can I begin?"

Uchiha You watched as Root's first squad stepped into the designated area, his gaze abruptly turning icy.

"Not yet."

"Let the Uchiha Clan collect the first debt first."

As his words fell.

In a distant alley, a Root ninja pushed open the door of a brightly lit house.

An Uchiha Clan member sat inside.

With his back to him.

The Root ninja's eyes turned cold, and his kunai shot forward.

Squelch.

The kunai passed through the figure.

There was no blood.

No scream.

Only a phantom slowly shattered.

The Root ninja's pupils contracted sharply.

"Not good!!!"

Boom!

An Explosive Tag formation beneath his feet lit up.

Flames shot into the sky.

Almost at the same time, dozens of traps around the entire outer perimeter of the Uchiha Clan Grounds erupted simultaneously.

The explosions tore through the night.

The screams of Root ninja rose and fell one after another.

Danzo abruptly looked up, his lone eye shrinking sharply.

"What happened?"

The next moment.

Pairs of scarlet Sharingan lit up in the darkness atop the rooftops.

Uchiha Chuan appeared with a combat squad, his voice as cold as a blade.

"Root."

"You think you came tonight to wipe out the clan?"

"Wrong."

"Tonight, you came here to die."

Danzo's expression instantly darkened to the extreme.

And atop the distant tower, Uchiha You looked down over the battlefield, his smile cold.

The first slap.

Had already landed across Danzo's face.

Next.

It was time for the second slap.