The Plan Ends, Shisui Arrives

"Orochimaru, even if I die, I'll seal away your ability to use Ninjutsu!"

The Shinigami's Phantom slashed through the two souls locked in a tug-of-war. Orochimaru lost all feeling in his hands, and Hiruzen Sarutobi collapsed.

Time to leave!

Karin Uzumaki turned and left without looking back.

"Amaterasu!"

Black flames, carrying the aura of death, burned straight through the purple barrier.

Uchiha Itachi rushed in, and the flames of Amaterasu swept toward Orochimaru.

Orochimaru cried out in pain and took the form of a snake. He thrashed and roared until he was reduced to ash.

"Lord Hokage!"

Uchiha Itachi caught Hiruzen Sarutobi.

With the last of his strength, Hiruzen Sarutobi said, "Take good care of Konoha!"

He closed his eyes peacefully. He believed Uchiha Itachi would be a good leader. As for himself, he would enter the Shinigami's belly and beg the previous Hokage for forgiveness.

In the moments before his death, scenes flashed through his mind. For the sake of so-called peace in Konoha, he had handed Hizashi Hyuga over to the Raikage. For that same peace, he had erased the Senju Clan's identity and made its members blend into Konoha. And for Konoha's peace, he had driven White Fang to suicide...

He bore much of the blame for Konoha's decline. Still, he felt choosing Uchiha Itachi as Hokage might have been the one thing he had done right in his life.

"Lord Hokage!"

Everyone present bowed their heads in silence.

The Sound Ninja had already escaped, their whereabouts unknown!

The next day.

All of Konoha's Ninja dressed in black mourning clothes and attended the Hokage's funeral.

Rain poured from the sky, as though it too were weeping for the Third Hokage.

"Why did Grandpa Hokage have to die?"

Naruto Uzumaki kept his head down, his heart heavy, as he returned to the Uchiha Clan's compound.

"Naruto, you're back! Come eat. I made a feast today!" Uchiha Yoru called as he came out of the kitchen in an apron.

Seeing no trace of grief on Uchiha Yoru's face, Naruto felt a sudden surge of anger.

"Grandpa Hokage just died. How can you still be so happy?"

"Uchiha Itachi gets to become the Next Hokage. From now on, I'll be the Hokage's little brother. Isn't that worth celebrating?"

"That old man's dead. So what?"

"How can you say that about Grandpa Hokage?"

"I'm just telling the truth. But now that he's dead, we can call his past deeds settled." Uchiha Yoru spread his hands.

"What deeds?"

"Do you really want to hear?" Uchiha Yoru looked uneasy. He honestly did not want to ruin the child's fond image of the Third Hokage.

The man was dead, after all. He could at least leave him with a good name.

"Just tell me!"

"You're the one asking. I'm not forcing this on you!"

"Just tell me!"

"Don't get too upset when you hear it!"

"Just tell me!"

"And don't get angry!"

"Tell me already!"

So Uchiha Yoru told him, from his own perspective, everything the Third Hokage and Shimura Danzō had done.

After all, with Uchiha Itachi as Hokage, Danzo, once a major threat, was a tiger with its fangs pulled. He was nothing to worry about.

"You're saying my father was the Fourth Hokage?"

Uchiha Yoru nodded.

"You're saying they deliberately kept that from me?"

Uchiha Yoru nodded.

Naruto Uzumaki was close to breaking. He might have been slow, but he was not stupid. He did not know why the Third Hokage had done it, but the old man had played a part in Naruto being treated like a monster, having no friends, and being shunned by everyone.

If not for him, perhaps Naruto's childhood would not have been so miserable.

The Third Hokage's once-kind, gentle face now seemed sinister and ugly to him.

Naruto Uzumaki wondered if Uchiha Yoru was lying, but then he thought it over. There was no reason for him to make this up.

He had not cried once since becoming a Ninja, yet now his heart hurt so much. The kind, caring Grandpa Hokage he had believed in had deceived him.

"Yoru! Naruto!"

Jiraiya walked into the Uchiha Clan's compound as though he owned the place.

"What happened to Naruto?"

Uchiha Yoru said, "I told him everything."

"He knows..." A bitter smile crossed Jiraiya's face.

"You didn't want Naruto to keep living a lie without even knowing who his parents were, did you?" Uchiha Yoru asked.

"Pervy Sage!"

Naruto Uzumaki threw himself into Jiraiya's arms, utterly lost.

Jiraiya held Naruto and patted his back. "Let's go for a walk."

Naruto Uzumaki nodded.

Jiraiya had meant to discuss the succession with Uchiha Itachi, but he could not leave Naruto like this.

"So you told Naruto."

Uchiha Itachi stood behind Uchiha Yoru and patted his shoulder.

"He's a kid. It's only natural he'd have trouble accepting the truth. How are preparations for the inauguration going, my Fifth Hokage brother?"

"No problems. The Daimyo was pleased with my performance and has already approved my succession!"

"The inauguration will be held in three days!"

Uchiha Yoru nodded.

The Sand Ninja had also realized Orochimaru had played them and gotten the Third Hokage killed. But if they paid compensation now, their entire village might not be able to cover its basic expenses.

All they could do was write an IOU and pay later.

"What do you plan to do about the two advisers and Danzo?"

Uchiha Yoru drew a finger across his throat.

Uchiha Itachi acted as if he had not seen it. "I'll disband Root first. Danzo's getting old. I'll let him go home and live out his remaining years."

Uchiha Yoru sighed helplessly. "Fine. We'll do it your way."

My foolish Big Brother! If you won't do it, I will!

"Don't you do it either," Uchiha Itachi said, as though he had read Uchiha Yoru's mind.

Uchiha Yoru flinched. "What are you talking about?"

Doing it secretly works just as well. I can pin it on anyone afterward!

Uchiha Itachi went on, "You aren't thinking of doing it behind my back, are you?"

"Of course not! Shimura Danzō is Kage Level, after all. Do you think I could take him?" Uchiha Yoru waved both hands.

"The food's going to burn! I have to get back to cooking!" Uchiha Yoru fled.

Uchiha Itachi shook his head helplessly. In the end, he still did not tell Uchiha Yoru that he knew the Masked Man was him.

Uchiha Yoru had done it for his sake.

What right did Uchiha Itachi have to condemn him?

"Lord Itachi!"

Two Uchiha Ninja rushed in.

"You don't need to call me that, Uncle Sankai, Uncle Kū!"

He was the Next Hokage, but hearing his elders address him so formally still made him uncomfortable.

"Forget that. Shisui has entered the village!"

"Kurenai and Kakashi have already confronted him. Hurry and take a look!"

A memory flickered through Uchiha Itachi's eyes. As he ran, a smile crept across his face.