The Final Arrangements

Natsu nodded slightly. A pale-blue system panel quietly appeared before him, the novice mission's progress bar already at 95%, with only the final step remaining.

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 formation line stroke by stroke. All that remained was to inject chakra and open the gateway to the New World.

"Have all the formations been checked?"

"Three times. Not a fraction off. The outer defensive formations and Enemy-Trapping Formation are all complete. Even if the Hokage led the Anbu in a full-force assault, we could hold them off for at least six hours."

Natsu gave a quiet hum, his fingertips lightly tapping the stone table as a cold Feihong glint flashed through his eyes.

Over the past month, Hiruzen Sarutobi's arrogance, Fugaku's cooperation, even Uchiha Itachi's repeated and futile probing—all of it had been within his expectations.

Fugaku had voluntarily handed over the Police Force and requested Anbu surveillance, not because he was yielding, but because he was feeding Hiruzen Sarutobi a reassuring pill.

He was making him believe that a siege from all sides would let him control everything, while forgetting that the Uchiha's true trump card had never been the clan district's streets in plain sight, but this Naka Shrine—a place he could never enter.

As for the contract that would not be transferred until a month later, that was an extra 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 sort things out with the Land of Fire's daimyo. That would be enough time for them to establish themselves in the New World.

"Young master, about Itachi..." Kei began hesitantly.

"Don't worry about him." Natsu waved a hand, his tone calm. "Fugaku will handle it. If he's willing to die alongside Konoha, that's his own choice. We don't 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 maple leaves. At the distant edge of the clan district, the lights of Anbu guard posts were clearly visible, while the outline of the Hokage Building flickered in and out of sight through the night.

There were less than eleven months left until the Night of the Uchiha Massacre from the original story.

And only three days remained until they completely left this land, buried beneath the countless bloodstains and hatreds of the Uchiha.

All preparations were in place.

A few minutes later, the lamps in the underground chamber beneath Naka Shrine cast a hard, cold sheen across the stone walls.

Uchiha Natsu stood before the stone platform, with the grave-faced Uchiha Fugaku at his side.

Below the platform, sixteen figures sat cross-legged. Their chakra was restrained to perfection, yet it could not conceal the sharp aura of warriors seasoned by countless battles—

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, sent out alone, was a ruthless figure capable of standing on his own in the Ninja World.

"Has the word outside been spread?" Natsu placed the secret scroll in his hand on the stone platform, lifted his gaze to Fugaku, and lightly tapped the edge of the scroll with his fingers.

"Everything was handled as you instructed." Fugaku nodded at once, keeping his voice low. "The news of our standoff with the village has been spread through the merchant caravans at the border.

Hidden Stone and Hidden Cloud have both started moving. Fourth Raikage A in particular has already gathered a garrison 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 formerly calm tone suddenly deepened with unquestionable weight.

"The operation ahead isn't some minor skirmish. It concerns whether our Uchiha can break free of the Sharingan's curse, whether more of our clansmen can awaken their eyes, even whether we can reach the Mangekyo Sharingan and still greater realms. So I'm asking all of you here to give it everything you have. There can be no mistakes—not even the slightest."

As soon as he finished speaking, all sixteen straightened their backs. Their voices were low, but carried the ruthless resolve of people ready to stake everything on one throw 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. The Three-Tomoe Sharingan flashed through his eyes as he answered in a deep voice.

"Starting today, take two men and infiltrate beneath Hokage Rock.

Three days from now, at the Hour of the Ox before dawn, detonate every Explosive Tag Genno buried, in the predetermined order—

First Hokage Rock, then the outer residential districts, and finally the Hokage Administrative District.

Once you're done, conceal all traces of your presence immediately and lie low outside the Hokage Building to provide support. No lingering in battle, no unforeseen complications. Understood?"

"Understood! We'll complete the mission!"

"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 pair of Anbu eyes, and hide around the Hokage Building.

When Kei's Explosive Tags go off three days from now, as soon as Hiruzen Sarutobi is drawn away, infiltrate the underground secret chamber beneath the Hokage Building. You have only one target—the Book of Seals."

Natsu paused. His eyes locked tightly onto their faces as he said, word by word, "I don't care what methods you use. Your first priority is obtaining the complete scroll of the Flying Thunder God. Your second is Impure World Reincarnation.

If anything goes wrong, you can abandon the Wood Release and Eight Branches Technique that come after. Even if you only secure the Flying Thunder God, you must retreat immediately. Do not remain for even one second longer!"

"After you get out, rendezvous with Kei first and wait for word from Yashiro and the others. Then contact the Ninja Cat Clan that signed the contract and use the Reverse Summoning Technique to return to the clan district. Is that clear?"

"Yes! We'll complete the mission!"

"Yashiro! Yakumi! Yaoyu!"

"Here!"

The three stepped forward in response, their eyes filled with gravity.

"You three will take the remaining five men and hide outside the Root Base after nightfall tomorrow.

When the Explosive Tags go off and Danzo takes Root's main forces out to stabilize the situation, infiltrate the base immediately.

Three targets: living Hashirama Cells samples, the core data on cellular propagation, and all related experimental records."

Natsu's tone softened somewhat, yet his words still carried an unquestionable bottom line. "Remember, living Hashirama Cells are a mandatory objective. You must get them.

As for the other two, if there is even the slightest risk in obtaining them, abandon them immediately and leave. You are not to fight or get entangled with anyone."

"Remember this well. Every one of you is a spark of the Uchiha. You're more precious than any scroll or any set of records. The mission must succeed, but all of you must also return to me whole and unharmed. Understood?"

"Understood! Please rest assured, Young Master Natsu! We will never fail the clan's trust!"