After a brief exchange, Shimura Danzō left indignantly.
Although he always knew how the other person would respond once he said those words, he just couldn't help himself.
It's like feeling uneasy if you don't say it before leaving, but then you feel even more uneasy after saying it.
bother!
After Shimura Danzō left the Hokage's office, the sinister look in his one eye almost materialized.
He used his cane to navigate through layers of barriers and arrived at the most secluded underground conference room at the Root.
"Summon Uchiha Itachi to see me."
Not long after.
Uchiha Itachi knelt on one knee on the damp stone slab, while Shimura Danzō tapped the Uchiha Clan Crest on the table with his fingertips.
The candlelight shrouded half his face in shadow, revealing only one eye that resembled a venomous snake eyeing its prey.
" The Hokage has approved my plan," Shimura Danzō bluntly, "Deal with the Uchiha Clan."
Uchiha Itachi's eyelashes trembled almost imperceptibly. "This subordinate does not understand your meaning."
"Don't play dumb." Shimura Danzō slammed his cane heavily on the ground. " Fugaku can't control his clansmen, and a coup is imminent. Konoha can't afford internal strife, especially after the Nine-Tails Attack."
Upon hearing this, Uchiha Itachi's eyes gleamed in the shadows, and his Adam's apple bobbed.
Of course he knew.
The radical clamor at those clan meetings, my father's increasingly haggard face, and the resentful glances cast by clansmen at Hokage Rock during patrols.
But he never expected things to have developed to this point.
Shimura Danzō pulled a scroll from his sleeve and slowly unfurled it on the table.
Under the candlelight, the map of the Uchiha Clan Compound was clearly visible, with every building and every path precisely marked, and even the residences of the clan's Jonin were specially marked with red circles.
All this information came from the boy kneeling before him.
" The Root will act on the night of the full moon in three days," Danzo, pointing to the center of the map. "However... if you're willing to handle it yourself, I can guarantee your brother's survival."
Uchiha Itachi's breathing suddenly stopped, and the surrounding air seemed to freeze.
Sasuke...
He raised his head slightly and caught a glimpse of Shimura Danzō staring intently at every change in his expression.
"Why me?" Uchiha Itachi's voice was eerily calm.
"Because you understand the Uchiha's weaknesses better than anyone else," Shimura Danzō sneered. "And... this is your last chance to prove your loyalty to the village."
Upon hearing Shimura Danzō's words, Uchiha Itachi's fingertips trembled slightly inside his sleeve as countless images flashed through his mind.
Sasuke clumsily throwing Shuriken on the training field, his father's tired profile at the clan meeting, and his mother preparing warm rice balls for the two brothers.
His stomach felt like it was being squeezed by Kunai, and a metallic, bloody taste rose in his throat.
Extermination of the clan... done by my own hands...
This thought gnawed at his reason like a venomous snake.
Even more frightening, he found himself calmly calculating the success rate.
With his abilities and that person's help, they could indeed complete the task in the shortest possible time.
If he refuses, Sasuke might...
" Shisui, if it were you, what would you choose?" Itachi silently cried out in his heart.
The Mangekyō Sharingan before he jumped off the cliff seemed to reappear before his eyes.
The silence in the stone chamber lasted as long as an eternity.
Shimura Danzō waited patiently, knowing that this young man would make the "right" choice.
Finally, Itachi raised his head. "I accept."
His voice was so soft it was almost inaudible, "But Sasuke must live, and... never know the truth."
As he spoke, his fingernails dug deep into his palms, and blood dripped from between his fingers onto the stone slab, making a soft 'drip-drip' sound.
Seeing Uchiha Itachi make his choice, Shimura Danzō's lips curled into a sinister smile.
This gifted boy was caught between his family and his village, and this older brother was willing to bear all the sins to protect his younger brother.
What a perfect tool!
"Very good." Shimura Danzō slowly stood up, tapping the ground with his cane, and continued, "Remember, this is for the future of Konoha. Your sacrifice..."
He paused, a hint of mockery flashing in his single eye. "It will be remembered."
When Uchiha Itachi stepped out of the Root Base, the pale moonlight shone on his ashen face.
He looked up towards the direction of the Uchiha Clan Compound.
The lights there were sparse, like stars about to go out.
Three days later, these lights will be gone forever, and the one who started this fire will be the genius son whom the Uchiha Clan Head is so proud of.
The Uchiha Clan Compound was eerily silent on this rainy night.
Uchiha Itachi stood under the eaves of the Naka Shrine, rain streaming down his face, indistinguishable between rain and tears.
"Come out, I know you're spying on the Uchiha."
As soon as he finished speaking, a strange vortex-like spatial distortion occurred, and a man wearing an orange Spiral Mask appeared out of thin air.
"You're quite perceptive, Itachi-kun." The Masked Man's voice carried an exaggerated mockery. "Did you need something?"
The rain grew heavier.
In Uchiha Itachi's Sharingan, three Tomoe connected to form a blade-like pattern. "I need you to help me exterminate my clan."
Upon hearing this, the Masked Man was stunned, then burst into maniacal laughter.
"Hahaha... Interesting, very interesting! The Uchiha genius is going to destroy his own clan!"
"We'll move in three days," Uchiha Itachi said calmly. "You'll be in charge of the East District, and I'll be in charge of the West District, but there's a condition..."
" Sasuke, I know him." The Masked Man waved his hand. "Don't worry, I'm not interested in brats, but..."
He suddenly leaned closer, his mask almost touching Uchiha Itachi's face. "Are you sure you can do that? Those are your clansmen who watched you grow up."
A flicker of emotion crossed Uchiha Itachi's eyes, but it quickly returned to its deathly stillness as he said, "This is the only way to avoid even greater casualties."
"Tsk tsk, what a great spirit of sacrifice."
The Masked Man shook his head dramatically, his figure beginning to twist and dissipate. "See you in three days! My dear... genocide partner."
When the spatial fluctuations completely subside.
Uchiha Itachi knelt on the ground, sobbing uncontrollably, repeatedly murmuring words like "I'm sorry."
at the same time.
Sunagakure, Reform Society Building.
Hoshino left the underground laboratory on the second basement level after a long absence and came to the surface.
A moment later, a white light flashed, and a boy who looked exactly like Hoshino appeared beside him.
Both of them turned their heads at the same time, looking east, towards Konoha.
The message from the Shadow Clone suggests that a coup d'état by the Uchiha Clan has most likely already begun.
After all, they made no attempt to hide it.
All I can say is...
As expected of the Uchiha Clan, they make a bigger fuss about their rebellion than others, as if they're afraid the higher-ups won't know.
The night of the massacre should be in the next few days.
"Perfect timing. People who spend all their time in the lab are getting rusty. It's good to get out and stretch our legs."
The Spirit Control Beads on the Swift Release Puppet's wrist suddenly detached automatically and landed on Hoshino's hand.
After storing the puppet in the sealing scroll.
The surrounding dust moved on its own without wind, swirling up the Hoshino sky and rushing towards the east.