In every major ninja village, the streets and alleys buzzed with discussion.
Inside the Konoha Ninja Academy, Sasuke Uchiha stood frozen after watching himself have his arm severed and suffer horrific torment on the Sky Screen. His face was deathly pale, and his entire body trembled uncontrollably.
Shock, anger, and confusion filled his eyes. He stared at the Sky Screen, screaming wildly in his mind:
Wasn't Uchiha Itachi the one who massacred the clan?
Then go after him!
Why cut off my hand?!
Why torture me?!
And what secrets do you know? Why won't you explain them?
Sasuke was filled with bitterness and a sense of injustice. His conviction to seek revenge had descended into chaos.
Hatred for the mysterious man and resentment toward Itachi surged through him, pushing him to the brink of collapse.
The Land of Rain.
Uchiha Itachi had always been aloof and impassive, as though nothing in the world could stir his heart.
But now, an utterly bone-chilling killing intent erupted from him.
That undisguised, devastating bloodlust instantly alarmed every member of the Akatsuki inside the base.
Sasori, Kakuzu, and the others turned toward Itachi, their faces full of disbelief.
The man who had always remained expressionless now looked so utterly out of control. His intense killing intent seemed almost tangible, sending chills down their spines.
Itachi stared fixedly at the Sky Screen, his fingernails digging deep into his palms. Blood slowly seeped between his fingers, but he did not notice.
Reason told him he had to endure, to maintain his unruffled facade. He could not reveal even a hint of emotion in front of the others.
But he could not control himself!
The anger, pain, regret, and murderous fury in his heart erupted like a volcano, consuming every last shred of reason.
Damn you, Uchiha Sen!
How dare you hurt Sasuke like this!
That was the little brother he had sacrificed everything to protect, even if it meant bearing the infamy of slaughtering his clan, becoming a rogue ninja, and making an enemy of the entire world!
His only remaining attachment to this world. His only light.
That was the little brother he loved most.
He had personally cut off every path of retreat, endured his own flesh and blood's hatred, and lived on beneath a crushing burden of humiliation...
His sole wish had been for Sasuke to grow up safely and live a good life.
Yet now, the little brother he valued as much as his own life had been brutally stripped of his left arm, tormented at will, and reduced to a pawn in someone else's revenge against him!
How could he possibly endure that?!
In an instant, Itachi's eyes transformed. His scarlet Mangekyō Sharingan fully awakened, radiating terrifying ocular power.
Bloodthirsty killing intent filled his eyes. He wished he could tear through space that very instant, charge into the Sky Screen, and rip Uchiha Sen to pieces.
Hatred raged within him as Itachi swore a solemn oath in his heart:
Whatever the cost, I will find Uchiha Sen as soon as possible!
I will drag him out, no matter what it takes!
And then I'll make that bastard experience every torment this world has to offer. He'll wish he were dead!
As for what Uchiha Sen had said about the clan members' ultimate fate, Uchiha Itachi ignored it entirely.
You're all dead anyway. Sasuke is the one in danger!
"Uchiha Sen must die!"
Orochimaru's narrow eyes remained fixed on the Sky Screen before shifting meaningfully toward Uchiha Itachi, whose killing intent seethed around him.
His long, slender tongue swept over his face. Almost crazed curiosity and greed churned in his eyes.
There had to be more to Uchiha Itachi's loss of control.
"Heh heh... It seems there's an enormous secret hidden here."
Orochimaru slowly stepped forward, his voice hoarse and eerie, his smile suggesting he saw through everything. "Uchiha Itachi, what deal did you make with those old men in Konoha?"
"The massacre, your defection... and this unusual attachment to Sasuke..."
"How fascinating."
Faced with Orochimaru's probing, Uchiha Itachi showed not the slightest unnecessary emotion.
He merely glanced coldly sideways, reining in his scarlet Mangekyō Sharingan slightly. A bone-chilling cold swept over Orochimaru, that single look silencing a thousand words.
There was no need to answer. He disdained to explain.
The next instant, Itachi turned and silently left.
Watching his tall, solitary figure retreat, the fervor in Orochimaru's eyes burned even hotter, his greed almost spilling over.
"A perfect body... the ultimate ocular jutsu... the pinnacle of the Uchiha Clan..."
"I want it... so badly!"
Orochimaru's tongue swept frantically across his cheeks, and a sickly smile curled his lips.
"I will have you, Uchiha Itachi."
"Whatever the cost, your body will belong to me."
At that same moment, in Konoha's Hokage office.
The air was deathly still, heavy, and suffocating.
The four members of the Konoha High Command had gathered, each wearing a dark expression. Irritation, apprehension, and profound helplessness clouded their faces.
In the short time since the Sky Screen had appeared, every secret and every carefully laid plan had been thrown into disarray.
"Damn it... The information about the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki has been completely exposed."
Mitokado Homura looked grim, his tone deeply grave. "The entire Shinobi World has confirmed Naruto's identity. Every nation will be eyeing him. We must devise countermeasures as soon as possible, or Konoha will be in danger."
"Who has time to worry about the Jinchūriki now?!"
Utatane Koharu's brows were tightly furrowed, and she could not hide the panic in her voice. "The Sky Screen itself is the most terrifying thing!"
"It can show the past and project the future! No one knows what it will reveal next!"
"Some of the methods we've used in secret... I'm afraid they'll all be made public sooner or later!"
"Even though we did it for Konoha..."
"I'm afraid some people simply won't understand us!"
Those words struck at the deepest fear of everyone present.
Hiruzen Sarutobi let out a heavy sigh. His head felt ready to split, and exhaustion weighed on his heart.
The secret of the Nine-Tails he had concealed for years, the peace of Konoha he had painstakingly maintained, and the darkness of its leadership he had struggled to hide could all be mercilessly laid bare by the Sky Screen before the eyes of the world.
And that was not all.
The truth behind the Uchiha Clan Massacre, Danzo's greed, the filth of Root, Itachi's painful circumstances...
If the revelations continued, Konoha's very foundations might collapse!
After all, which of those things aligned with the will of fire?
If nothing the Konoha High Command had done embodied the will of fire...
"We must reconsider how to handle Naruto," Hiruzen Sarutobi said gravely.
But the moment those words left his mouth, his heart sank again.
There was also Sasuke.
The Sky Screen had already begun showing details of the massacre night, Danzo gouging out eyes, and Itachi's helplessness.
No one knew whether it might reveal the entire truth behind the Uchiha Clan Massacre in the very next instant.
If all of that became public...
Hiruzen Sarutobi rubbed his throbbing temples, his frustration reaching its limit.
Barely any time had passed since the massacre.
Why did it have to happen now?
Why did one crisis have to follow another?
Just as the atmosphere in the office grew unbearably oppressive, a sinister voice abruptly broke the silence.
"If you find this troublesome..."
Shimura Danzō narrowed his one eye, making no attempt to hide his greed. He said coldly, "Then hand both those brats, Naruto and Sasuke, over to me."
"I will train them myself. I guarantee I'll turn them into Konoha's strongest weapons."
He wanted the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki. He wanted the Uchiha orphan!
"Shut up, Danzo!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi instantly flew into a rage and snapped at him!
This was the fundamental line that could not be crossed.
Looking at the furious Third Hokage, Danzo curled his lips into a disdainful sneer.
He understood perfectly.
Hiruzen Sarutobi merely wanted to keep those two supreme "tools" firmly in his own hands.
Utter hypocrisy.
Bang!
The Third slammed his hand onto the desk, truly enraged now. He glared at Danzo. "You bear full responsibility for the Uchiha Clan Massacre!"
Danzo froze, utterly bewildered, before demanding angrily, "Why is it all my responsibility?!"
"You insisted on pushing the massacre plan forward. You led the purge of the Uchiha!" Hiruzen Sarutobi's gaze was sharp, every word heavy.
"But you failed to finish the job. You overlooked a survivor like Uchiha Sen, who possesses the Mangekyō Sharingan!"
"He now hates Konoha and Uchiha Itachi. He has become an enormous threat to the village!"
"All of this began with you!"
"So..." Hiruzen Sarutobi sneered. "You still claim it isn't your responsibility?"
Mitokado Homura spoke at just the right moment, calmly twisting the knife. "Ultimately, Danzo, you acted recklessly and left far too many loose ends."
Utatane Koharu nodded in agreement. "Your arrogance and carelessness, your underestimation of the enemy, left us with this disaster."
The two echoed each other, every word pointing to Danzo's failings.
Disdain and contempt filled Danzo's eye.
These two old fools did nothing but coast along and paper over disputes. What right did they have to judge him?
If they had not been his contemporaries, neither would have deserved a place here.
Danzo snorted. "I've already deployed Root to track down Uchiha Sen with everything they have. The massacre was recent. He won't stay on the run for long."
"Enough."
Hiruzen Sarutobi made the decision outright, his tone brooking no argument. "Effective immediately, Root's funding will be cut by half. All of those funds will be transferred to the Anbu to strengthen Konoha's security and intelligence capabilities."
"Agreed."
"No objections."
Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu immediately voiced their support.
Danzo's pupil contracted sharply. He was completely stunned.
Only after several seconds did he recover. His chest heaved with anger as he roared, "You! You're casting me aside now that I've served your purpose!"
He saw through it instantly.
With the Uchiha Clan destroyed, he had lost his greatest "usefulness."
Now that crises were erupting everywhere, the leadership's first move was to weaken him!
Those old foxes!
"Hmph." Hiruzen Sarutobi gave him a cold glance, his tone indifferent yet intensely oppressive. "I am the Hokage."
If not for the Sky Screen and his continued need for Danzo, he would have preferred to force him into retirement outright and give Konoha's various clans an explanation.
"Monkey! You-!"
Danzo slammed the desk and sprang to his feet, nearly mad with rage and ready to erupt.
But just then, Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu spoke at the same time to stop him.
"Stop arguing."
"Watch the Sky Screen!"
"If we miss anything, Danzo, that will be your failure to do your duty."
Danzo trembled all over with fury.
Working with vermin like these...
When would Konoha ever rule the Shinobi World?
Before you continue