Natsu nodded slightly. A pale blue system panel quietly appeared before his eyes, and the progress bar for the novice mission had reached 95%. Only the final step remained.
He looked toward the depths of the secret chamber, where a massive teleportation array had already been constructed. Following the coordinates provided by the system, he had personally carved every line of the formation. All it needed was a final infusion of chakra to open the gate to the New World.
"Have all the formations been checked?"
"Three times, without the slightest discrepancy. The outer defensive formations and Enemy-Trapping Formations are all complete as well. Even if the Hokage led the Anbu in an all-out assault, we could hold them off for at least six hours."
Natsu gave a quiet hum, lightly tapping the stone table with his fingertips. A cold crimson gleam flashed in his eyes.
Over the past month, Hiruzen Sarutobi's arrogance, Fugaku's cooperation, and even Uchiha Itachi's repeated futile probing had all unfolded exactly as he had anticipated.
Fugaku's voluntary surrender of the Police Force and request for Anbu surveillance had not been an act of submission. It had been a reassurance offered to Hiruzen Sarutobi.
It made him believe that surrounding them from all sides would let him control everything, while he forgot that the Uchiha Clan's true trump card had never been the clan streets out in the open, but this Naka Shrine—a place he could never enter.
As for the contract that would not be handed over until a month later, that was an additional safeguard Natsu had left behind.
By the time Konoha realized what was happening, they would already be long gone. The daimyo's people would arrive with the contract to take over the businesses, and even if Konoha wanted to pursue them, they would first have to settle matters with the daimyo of the Land of Fire. That would be more than enough time for them to establish themselves in the New World.
"Young Master, regarding Itachi..." Kei began hesitantly.
"Leave him alone." Natsu waved a hand, his tone calm. "Fugaku will deal with him. If he wants to die alongside Konoha, that is his own choice. We do not have time to waste on him."
He walked to the entrance of the secret chamber and pushed open the stone door. The late autumn evening wind swept in with fallen maple leaves. In the distance, the lights of Anbu sentry posts along the clan grounds' border were clearly visible, while the outline of the Hokage Building flickered in and out of sight beneath the night sky.
Less than eleven months remained until the Night of the Uchiha Massacre from the original story.
And only three days remained until they left this land, which had buried countless Uchiha lives, blood, and hatred, for good.
All preparations were complete.
A few minutes later, the lights within the underground chamber of Naka Shrine cast a hard, cold glow across the stone walls.
Uchiha Natsu stood before a stone platform, with a grave-faced Uchiha Fugaku beside him.
Below the platform, sixteen figures sat cross-legged. Their chakra was restrained to perfection, yet it could not conceal the sharp, battle-hardened aura surrounding them—
Six Elite Jonin with Three-Tomoe Sharingan, and ten Jonin with at least Two Tomoe. They were all the Uchiha Clan's most formidable hidden strength.
The six at the front were Uchiha Taoho, Uchiha Tetsuka, Uchiha Yashiro, Uchiha Yakumi, Uchiha Kei, and Uchiha Yaoyu. Any one of them could stand alone as a fearsome force in the Ninja World.
"Has the news outside been spread?" Natsu placed the sealed scroll in his hand on the stone platform, raised his eyes toward Fugaku, and lightly tapped the edge of the scroll.
"Everything has been handled as you instructed." Fugaku immediately nodded, his voice lowered. "The news of our confrontation with the village has been spread through merchant caravans along the border.
Both Hidden Stone and Hidden Cloud have made moves. Fourth Raikage A in particular has already gathered a defensive force at the border, waiting for Konoha to fall into chaos so he can take a bite."
Natsu nodded slightly, then turned around. His gaze swept over the sixteen upright figures below, and his previously calm tone suddenly deepened with undeniable gravity.
"The operation ahead is no small matter. It concerns whether our Uchiha Clan can break free of the Sharingan's curse, whether more of our clansmen can awaken their eyes, and whether we can even reach the Mangekyo Sharingan or an even higher realm. So I ask every one of you to give this everything you have. There can be no mistakes."
As soon as he finished speaking, all sixteen straightened their backs. Their voices were low, but carried the ruthless resolve of those with no way back as they answered in unison, "Please give your orders, Young Master Natsu!"
"Uchiha Kei!"
"Here!"
Uchiha Kei immediately stepped forward half a pace and dropped to one knee. A Three-Tomoe Sharingan flashed through his eyes as he answered in a deep voice.
"Starting today, take two men and infiltrate beneath Kage Rock.
"At the Hour of the Ox, three days from now, detonate every Explosive Tag Genno planted, according to the predetermined sequence—
"First, destroy Kage Rock. Then hit the outer residential district. Finally, strike the Hokage Administrative District.
"Once the explosions are complete, immediately conceal all traces of yourselves and move to the outside of the Hokage Building for support. Do not get drawn into battle, and do not create any unnecessary complications. Understood?"
"Understood! We guarantee the mission's success!"
"Taoho! Tetsuka!"
"Here!"
The two stepped forward half a pace together and bowed as they answered.
"After nightfall tomorrow, each of you will take two men, avoid every Anbu watchpost, and hide near the Hokage Building.
"When Kei's Explosive Tags detonate three days from now, as soon as Hiruzen Sarutobi is lured away, infiltrate the underground chamber of the Hokage Building immediately. There is only one objective—the Book of Seals."
Natsu paused, his gaze fixed firmly on their faces as he said each word with deliberate force. "I do not care what method you use. Your first priority is to obtain the complete scroll of the Flying Thunder God. Your second is Impure World Reincarnation.
"If anything goes wrong, you may abandon Wood Release and the Eight Branches Technique. Even if you obtain only the Flying Thunder God, you must withdraw immediately. Do not remain for even one extra second!"
"After you get out, rendezvous with Kei first and wait for word from Yashiro's group. Finally, contact the Ninja Cat Clan that signed the contract and use the Reverse Summoning Technique to return to the clan grounds. Is that clear?"
"Yes! We guarantee the mission's success!"
"Yashiro! Yakumi! Yaoyu!"
"Here!"
The three stepped forward in response, their eyes filled with solemnity.
"You three will take the remaining five men and hide outside the Root Base after nightfall tomorrow.
"When the Explosive Tags detonate and Danzo leads Root's main force out to stabilize the situation, infiltrate the base immediately.
"Three objectives: living samples of Hashirama Cells, the core research materials on cellular propagation, and all related experimental data."
Natsu's tone softened slightly, but it still carried an unquestionable bottom line. "Remember, living Hashirama Cells are a mandatory objective. You must obtain them.
"As for the other two, if there is even the slightest risk in acquiring them, abandon them immediately and leave. You are not to fight or become entangled with anyone."
"Remember this well. Every one of you is a spark of the Uchiha Clan, more precious than any scroll or any piece of research. The mission must succeed, but every one of you must return safely and whole. Understood?"
"Understood! Please rest assured, Young Master Natsu! We will never fail the clan's trust!"
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