Bad, We Fell for It

"What an overwhelming presence."

Jiraiya's expression turned grave.

From that aura alone, he could tell that the man before them was anything but ordinary.

"Junior, I'll take the lead. You control the Nine-Tails and hold the rear." Izuna Uchiha drew the samurai sword at his waist and charged at Hiruzen Sarutobi.

"So fast." Hiruzen Sarutobi narrowed his eyes. Before he could make a move, a squad of Anbu ninjas stepped in front of him to guard him.

Swish! Swish!

Two afterimages flashed past. The two Anbu ninjas standing before Hiruzen Sarutobi let out agonized screams as their throats were slit, and they fell dead.

"Hmph, insignificant trash." Izuna Uchiha coldly stared at the last Anbu ninja blocking his path.

"A ninja who uses two swords—now that's a rare sight!"

"I won't let you harm the Third Hokage." Beneath the Anbu ninja's mask, a Three-Tomoe Sharingan fixed itself firmly on Izuna Uchiha.

"What a fast blade." Hiruzen Sarutobi frowned, bit his finger, and said, "Summoning Jutsu."

Bang!

An old monkey king appeared before Hiruzen Sarutobi.

"Damn, why is the Nine-Tails out again?" The old monkey king noticed the Nine-Tails immediately, his face full of shock.

"I'll have to trouble you again, Demon Monkey King," Hiruzen Sarutobi said solemnly.

"I understand. Transformation, Golden Cudgel." With a bang, the Demon Monkey King transformed into a staff and fell into Hiruzen Sarutobi's hand.

"Sharingan... Are you from the Uchiha Clan?" Izuna Uchiha looked at the Anbu ninja before him, his brows slightly furrowed.

"No. This eye was the most precious gift my best friend gave me," the Anbu ninja said.

"So you stood by and watched others slaughter every member of your best friend's clan without doing anything. How ironic." Izuna Uchiha looked at the Anbu ninja with contempt.

The Anbu ninja remained silent. Even if he had wanted to help, he had been powerless to do so.

"Let me see whether you deserve that Sharingan." Izuna Uchiha raised his blade and vanished as he rushed forward.

"Watch out, Kakashi!" Hiruzen Sarutobi shouted.

"So fast, but I can still track his movements." Kakashi gripped his twin swords with taut nerves, his gaze locked onto Izuna Uchiha's trajectory.

"Jiraiya, keep Shadian occupied. Itachi, suppress the Nine-Tails. Don't let it keep hurling Tailed Beast Bombs at the village. I'll work with Kakashi to deal with that man. All other ninjas, stay mobile and be ready to provide support at any time," Hiruzen Sarutobi ordered.

"Oh? Setting up tactics, are we?" Shadian curled his lips into a cold smile. "Senior, have some fun with these people. I have something to take care of."

"Go on. These people aren't worth my notice," Izuna Uchiha said domineeringly.

"Very well. Let the Nine-Tails keep Senior and them company." Shadian spoke calmly.

"Shadian, what exactly are you planning?" A bad feeling suddenly surged in Hiruzen Sarutobi's heart.

"You gathered everyone here. What do you think I'm planning?" Shadian smirked. "Rin, come here."

"Brother Shadian." Rin Nohara stepped over to Shadian.

Shadian scooped Rin Nohara up in a princess carry. "It'll get bloody here. I'll take you away first."

Seeing Rin Nohara carried in Shadian's arms, Obito Uchiha, hidden in the shadows, clenched his fists tightly. His entire body trembled.

She isn't Rin. She isn't Rin. Damn Shadian, why did he summon a woman who looks like Rin? What is he trying to do?

Kakashi, who was fighting Izuna Uchiha, lost focus at the sight and had his arm slashed by Izuna Uchiha.

"Kid, you dare lose focus while fighting me? The next strike will be at your throat," Izuna Uchiha said.

Shadian glanced at Kakashi with an unreadable smile. In the next instant, he vanished from the spot with Rin Nohara.

"The Flying Thunder God Technique? That guy has actually mastered even such an incredibly difficult ninjutsu. This is troublesome." Hiruzen Sarutobi's heart pounded wildly, as though something terrible was about to happen.

"Sensor Unit, immediately use your full strength to locate Shadian."

"He got away. What a sly bastard." Jiraiya's brows knitted tightly. An extremely bad feeling had risen in his heart as well.

"He didn't even take the Nine-Tails, only that girl who looks like Rin. Shadian, what exactly are you trying to do?"

"Bad. We fell for it." Itachi Uchiha suddenly realized something and shouted.

"Itachi, what did you think of? Say it quickly!" Hiruzen Sarutobi demanded urgently.

Itachi Uchiha said, "It's a lure-the-tiger-away-from-the-mountain strategy. Uncle used the Nine-Tails to draw all of the village's elite ninjas here. Konoha is empty inside now, so Uncle's target is Konoha itself. He must have gone back to Konoha."

"Konoha is in danger."

Upon hearing this, Hiruzen Sarutobi immediately said urgently, "Quick, Jiraiya. Your summoning beast moves quickly. Hurry back and stop Shadian's scheme."

"Yes." Jiraiya's expression was solemn.

"Gamaken, let's go."

"Got it!" Gamaken leaped high into the air and sped back toward Konoha.

Izuna Uchiha glanced at Gamaken leaping away but did not stop him. A cold smile appeared on his lips as he thought:

Once Shadian obtains Eternal Power, it will be time to summon me again. Eternal Power is even stronger than my current ocular power. Other than my brother and that Hashirama Senju, who can stop him?

"Old man, you dared order the slaughter of my Uchiha Clan. I'll kill you." Izuna Uchiha forced Kakashi back with a slash, then charged toward Hiruzen Sarutobi.

On Shadian's side, he appeared with Rin Nohara inside a house in the Uchiha Compound.

"Brother Shadian, did Konoha really order the killing of every other member of the Uchiha Clan?"

With no outsiders around, Rin Nohara voiced the doubt in her heart.

Shadian did not answer. He pushed open the door behind him and said, "Go look at the street outside, and you'll understand."

Upon hearing that, Rin Nohara slowly walked out of the room. The stench of blood immediately hit her face. Then she saw corpses littering the ground—young people, elderly people, and even small children.

"How could this happen?" Rin Nohara staggered and collapsed to the ground, staring at the scene before her in disbelief. Was this still the Konoha she knew? It had actually carried out such a cruel massacre of innocent children from its own village.

"Why did this happen? Why did Grandpa Third allow something like this to happen?" Rin Nohara's worldview collapsed in an instant. Kind-hearted as she was, she could not understand why the village she trusted had suddenly become a dark, bloody, inhuman place.

Shadian said calmly, "For the Uchiha's power—the Sharingan. You helped Kakashi transplant Obito's Sharingan, showing them that ordinary people could use the Sharingan's power. So they had long planned this. They exterminated the Uchiha Clan in order to gouge out their Sharingan afterward and transplant them into themselves, thereby gaining the incomparable ocular power of the Uchiha Clan."