Assassinate Uchiha Sora

With the documents in hand, Uchiha Sora activated the Flying Thunder God Technique again and took them back to his Mirror Space.

Only in the Mirror Space would these documents be safe from loss.

While Uchiha Sora was in the Mirror Space...

In Konoha, Danzo opened the door to the Third Hokage's office with a grim expression.

"Sarutobi! We have a serious problem!" Danzo spoke before the Third Hokage could ask why he had come.

"What's wrong?" Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at Danzo in surprise. "What happened?"

He had never seen Danzo look so rattled before.

Clearly, the trouble this time was far from minor!

"What we did has been exposed! Before Shisui died, he sent word back and told Uchiha Sora!" Danzo explained. "And Uchiha Sora just stormed into my Root headquarters and caused havoc! He took a large number of Ninjutsu documents! He's trying to turn everything upside down!"

"What?!" The Third Hokage paled in shock, and the pipe in his mouth clattered to the floor.

"Leaving aside how the matter with Shisui was exposed, how could Uchiha Sora possibly be that strong? How did he get out of Root unscathed?" the Third Hokage hurriedly asked.

Danzo sighed deeply. "We both underestimated him this time! Who would have thought he would possess such power at just eleven years old!"

"Hiruzen, Uchiha Sora has mastered the Flying Thunder God Technique! Konoha's defenses mean nothing to him now!" Danzo said, stressing every word.

"The Flying Thunder God Technique!" the Third Hokage exclaimed in shock. "How is that possible? How could he have learned the Flying Thunder God Technique? Could it be...?"

He suddenly remembered something. More than two years ago, when Kumogakure had pressured Konoha, someone had broken into the secret chamber in his study!

Their analysis at the time had suggested an insider was the more likely culprit!

But no clues had surfaced in the two years since, leaving them with no choice but to wait for the culprit to expose himself.

Now it seemed beyond doubt that the person who had secretly read the Scroll of Seals was Uchiha Sora!

Even so, the Third Hokage still found it hard to believe.

After all, more than two years ago, Sora had been a child of eight, not even nine!

"Hiruzen! We must act now! Otherwise, all of Konoha will be in serious trouble!" Danzo reminded him.

The Third Hokage fell into a long silence.

How could he fail to understand what Danzo meant?

But with a troublesome Ninjutsu like the Flying Thunder God Technique at Sora's disposal, dealing with him would already be extremely difficult!

"Hiruzen, everyone has a weakness! I've already sent people into the Uchiha Clan in secret!" Danzo said. "He's very close to that mother and daughter in the Uchiha Clan. If we capture them and use them to threaten him, I believe it should work!"

The Third Hokage frowned, finding Danzo's methods rather contemptible. But with no other options available, he could only nod. "Show some restraint. Don't go too far."

"Yes! Wait for my news! When the time comes, you and I will have to work together!" Danzo said.

With the Third Hokage's support, Danzo felt certain he could launch an effective counterattack this time!

"Uchiha Sora! You're still just a brat! How could you ever outmaneuver me?" Danzo muttered to himself.

Yet half an hour later, Danzo hurried back to the Hokage's office.

His expression was utterly grim. "My men couldn't find that mother and daughter anywhere in the Uchiha Clan!"

"They seem to have disappeared several days ago!"

The Third Hokage's expression changed as well. "How is that possible? I have no record of them leaving the village!"

Danzo said darkly, "Uchiha Sora! It must have been him! He must have moved them away in advance!"

"What cunning! It seems he's been guarding against us for a long time!"

The two exchanged a glance, each seeing deep concern in the other's eyes.

At that moment, Uchiha Sora had become an utterly mysterious figure in their minds, even a little frightening!

They could not imagine how an eleven-year-old child could conceal so much, secretly reading the Scroll of Seals more than two years ago and even learning the Flying Thunder God Technique, only to reveal it now!

He had even anticipated Danzo's methods and moved the people important to him away beforehand!

How could an eleven-year-old child possess such cunning?

"Damn it! What do we do now?" Danzo asked, completely out of options this time.

The Third Hokage pondered as he looked out the window at Konoha. Only after a long while did he speak. "Perhaps we can use another method to catch him off guard!"

"Uchiha Sora is no ordinary person. How do you intend to catch him off guard?" Danzo asked with a frown.

The Third Hokage said evenly, "It's time to expose the ambitions the Uchiha Clan has harbored all along! Go and bring Uchiha Itachi here!"

"Uchiha Itachi?" Danzo's eyes lit up. "Hiruzen, that's just what I'd expect from you!"

Uchiha Itachi was a prodigy who had always drawn considerable attention. As the son of the Uchiha Clan's leader, he carried great weight in the eyes of the Konoha High Command.

The higher-ups also placed great importance on nurturing his Will of Fire. After he joined Root, Danzo not only refrained from restricting his freedom but frequently instilled in him the belief that he must protect Konoha.

On top of that, the Third Hokage often summoned him for a little brainwashing.

As a result, Uchiha Itachi had come to truly regard Konoha as his home, placing it above his clan in his heart.

Most importantly, Uchiha Itachi and Uchiha Sora were friends!

Using Itachi as a pawn would certainly catch Sora off guard!

Meanwhile, Uchiha Itachi was at home on leave. He had already read Shisui's final letter, which Uchiha Sora had left with Fugaku.

Tears spilled uncontrollably from his eyes.

"Shisui..." Uchiha Itachi stood in the courtyard, overwhelmed with grief.

If there was anyone in the entire Uchiha Clan whom he truly trusted, it was probably Shisui alone!

There were many things he could not tell his family, but he could tell Shisui!

There were many things he could not trouble his family with, but he could ask Shisui for help!

When he had felt lost in life, who had shown him the way forward? Shisui!

Both mentor and friend, they were not brothers by blood, yet their bond ran deeper than brotherhood!

Uchiha Itachi squeezed his eyes shut. Tears rolled down his cheeks and dripped onto the ground.

Suddenly, he opened his eyes, revealing a sea of scarlet!

Three tomoe spun rapidly, gradually merging into one before finally forming a three-bladed pinwheel!

Even the shape of his Mangekyō looked so much like Shisui's eyes!

"Itachi! Dinner's ready... your eyes?!" His mother, Uchiha Mikoto, came into the courtyard to call him. At the sight of the striking Mangekyō Sharingan on her son's tear-streaked face, her mouth fell open in shock.

Uchiha Itachi wiped away his tears and slowly closed his eyes. When he opened them again, they had returned to normal.

"I understand, Mother," he said calmly.

During dinner, Fugaku naturally learned that Uchiha Itachi had awakened his Mangekyō.

Uchiha Fugaku was both shocked and delighted.

"That's my son! Well done, Itachi!" Fugaku praised him.

But he failed to notice the trace of disappointment in his son's eyes.

Was praise all he had for me? No comfort?

Father, what am I to you, really?

After finishing his meal in silence, Uchiha Itachi refused his younger brother Sasuke's request for help with Shurikenjutsu and left the house alone.

Watching her son walk away, Mikoto, whose feelings were more sensitive than her husband's, shook her head and told Fugaku, "You shouldn't have only praised him for awakening his eyes. You should know what Shisui meant to Itachi..."

Uchiha Fugaku paused briefly, but paid it little mind.

He believed that his son, who had been such a prodigy since childhood, would not care about these small details.

Someone strong should have a strong heart from childhood!

Only the weak needed comfort!

Uchiha Itachi arrived at the small grove where he and Shisui had often trained together.

Standing in that familiar grove, Uchiha Itachi took out his ninja tools and began training furiously.

Shurikenjutsu, Fire Release techniques, the Body Flicker Technique, Taijutsu...

Only after venting until he was utterly exhausted did Uchiha Itachi lie on the ground, panting and staring up at the sky as though recalling the past.

An unknown amount of time passed, and the sky grew dark.

Itachi was about to get up and head home.

Just then, a voice came from nearby. "Itachi, the Third Hokage wants to see you!"

Uchiha Itachi looked closely and saw Danzo slowly emerge from behind a large tree.

"Lord Danzo?" Uchiha Itachi frowned slightly, looking puzzled.

"It's a top-secret mission. Lord Hokage will explain it to you himself when you arrive." Danzo offered no further explanation. With those few quiet words, he led Itachi away.

The two arrived at the Hokage Building, where Naruto's office was still lit.

Itachi followed Danzo into Naruto's office and found the Third Hokage working.

The Third Hokage wore a solemn expression, his usual kindly smile nowhere to be seen.

When he saw Uchiha Itachi, the Third Hokage tossed him a stack of documents with a cold expression.

Uchiha Itachi took them and looked through them, his expression changing drastically!

"Th-this is...?" The documents in Uchiha Itachi's hands were all reports about his clan's plans for a coup.

Although he knew about these plans, he had yet to pass them on to the Konoha High Command. Yet they already knew!

What did that mean?

The clan had not even launched its coup, yet the Konoha High Command already had the intelligence. Clearly, even if the coup went ahead, it would have almost no chance of success and would only lead to needless casualties!

"Itachi! I have long known in secret about the Uchiha Clan's ambitions. But as the Third Hokage, I do not wish to see the day that coup actually happens!" The Third Hokage let out a long sigh. "That is why I called you here today. I want to give you a chance!"

"What... chance?" Uchiha Itachi looked up and asked hoarsely.

Beside him, Danzo said coldly, "Assassinate Uchiha Sora!"

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