When Itachi returned home.
He happened to run into Shisui, who was about to head out.
"Is it about to begin..."
Itachi nodded, patted his close friend on the shoulder, and said softly, "Don't worry."
Shisui watched Itachi's retreating figure, his eyes filled with complicated feelings.
Then, with a soft sigh, he concealed his identity and swiftly left Konoha.
Shisui knew what would happen next.
So, powerless to do anything, he chose to leave.
Fugaku, Haruma, and Itachi.
The three discussed matters in the room for quite some time, filling in the details of the plan ahead.
Only when Itachi turned to leave did a trace of reluctance flash through Fugaku's eyes.
Then he murmured, "All of this is necessary, isn't it..."
It was unclear whether he was talking to himself or asking Haruma beside him.
Dressed in a black robe with red clouds, Haruma nodded calmly. "You should understand that."
"If you want to return to the pinnacle, the necessary sacrifices are unavoidable."
The clan compound.
The residence of the Uchiha Clan's grand elder.
A secret meeting about rebellion was underway.
Setsuna sat at the head, his tone solemn. "The higher-ups must have been involved in the human experimentation."
"Right now, public sentiment in the village is in turmoil!"
"We rebel now to seek justice for everyone! We raise our banner against the higher-ups' forbidden acts!"
"If we succeed, our cause will be justified!"
"If we fail, the village won't dare wipe us out at a time like this!"
"We cannot miss such a favorable opportunity."
"Exactly!!"
Uchiha Tekka, also a member of the Hawk Faction, voiced his agreement loudly. "Given the village higher-ups' attitude toward us, a battle is inevitable."
"We cannot let this heaven-sent opportunity slip away!"
Another of Setsuna's confidants slammed the table and stood!
"It's only a bloody battle! What's there to fear!"
His face was vicious, his words crazed. "At worst, we'll bring all of Konoha crashing down! Draw in the other nations' ninja to watch the show!"
"Even if we can't win! Once we draw the wolves' attention, those old dogs in the village will have to join us in death!"
As expected of the Hawk Faction!
These mad words called for mutual destruction, even if every last one of them perished.
Yet quite a few agreed.
"Why trample so readily on such precious, hard-won peace?"
"How are such words and actions any different from those of foreign spies?"
"Who?!!"
Setsuna barked and looked toward the voice!
Wind.
A gentle black wind swept through the sealed chamber.
Dozens of pitch-black crows swept past in a swirling flock.
At the center of the chamber, crows circled.
Itachi appeared there, dressed in ninja combat gear, his expression solemn.
"Uchiha Itachi?"
Setsuna frowned deeply, looking at Itachi, whose intentions were unclear, and asked gravely, "What have you come here for?"
"Didn't you invite me?"
Itachi lowered his head and said softly, "You invited me here to ask me to take part in villainous acts."
Setsuna and his trusted subordinates exchanged glances, baffled for a moment.
When had they invited Itachi?
Lately, Fugaku had been demanding that he disband the Hawk Faction, and they had even nearly come to blows.
How could Setsuna possibly invite Fugaku's eldest son, Itachi, who was also in the Anbu, to discuss rebellion?
Setsuna asked in confusion, "Who invited you?"
At that,
Itachi did not even raise his head. He merely slowly drew the katana at his waist.
He continued, paying them no heed. "Then I refused, but you prepared to seize me."
"You intended to use my identity to force the Uchiha Clan's leader to act alongside you."
"Even if Father refused, as long as you dragged me onto the battlefield bound, even as a corpse, you would inevitably drag him into it."
"Thus creating an irreconcilable conflict between the village and the Uchiha Clan."
Setsuna did not understand what Itachi intended by this behavior.
But the act of drawing his blade... made his intentions clear enough.
There were around thirty members of the Hawk Faction discussing rebellion in the chamber.
The instant Itachi drew his blade, everyone pulled out their weapons and braced for battle.
An absolute genius of the Uchiha Clan!
He had graduated from the Ninja Academy at seven.
Become a chunin at ten.
Joined the Anbu at eleven.
And now he was already an Anbu captain!
He had made his name at a young age, and his talent was outstanding!
They dared not underestimate him.
The atmosphere instantly froze!
In the vast chamber, only Itachi's lone voice remained.
"Facing an attack from the entire Hawk Faction, I could not afford to hold back."
"In the end... at the cost of severe injuries, I wiped out the entire Hawk Faction!"
As his words fell,
Three shuriken whistled straight toward the grand elder's face!
Setsuna reacted swiftly, pushing off with his toes and retreating at speed!
Itachi used the Body Flicker Technique, taking advantage of the moment Setsuna put distance between himself and his confidants.
His blade pierced Tekka's heart!
Blood slowly seeped along the sword's hilt.
Tekka's eyes were blank. Even as he died, he could not believe his death had been so unceremonious and tragic.
"Uchiha! Itachi!!!"
The enraged grand elder turned his gaze back.
Scattered, searing sparks shot toward him like blades loosed from a barrel, carrying scorching gusts!
Itachi did not dodge. He lowered his head to look at the falling Tekka, a trace of gloom flashing through his eyes.
The flames shattered Itachi's entire body!
"A clone!!"
Setsuna barked, his eyes turning into the Three-Tomoe Sharingan.
Whoosh!!
Another five shuriken came hurtling down from the roof.
"Fire Style: Crow Storm!"
Caw!
Over a hundred crimson crows swooped down with a deadly aura!
"Stop hesitating! Kill him!"
Seeing everyone's extreme hesitation, Setsuna shouted hoarsely!
Clearly, Itachi's status as Fugaku's eldest son had kept several of them from acting immediately.
The moment the grand elder finished speaking,
Everyone pushed aside their extraneous thoughts and chose to obey.
"Fire Dragon Bullet!"
"Great Flame Ball!"
"Wind Sage Fire!"
The sudden battle completely tore the chamber apart!
Boom!!!
The chamber's entire doorway, along with its thick, heavy roof!
After being heated red-hot, they exploded completely!
Dust and smoke billowed into the sky!
The waves of heat in the air were visible to the naked eye!
Only then did everyone see the scene outside!
"Uchiha Itachi!!!"
Outside the chamber, dozens more Hawk Faction members had been organizing their equipment and weapons, waiting to set out.
At first, Setsuna had wondered why they had not come in to help despite all the commotion inside.
Until this moment!
Crimson blood covered the ground, and the fallen corpses wore bewildered expressions.
Rage!!!
Uncontainable rage surged skyward!
These had all been the backbone of the Hawk Faction!
Among the corpses were even Setsuna's own direct blood relatives!
Young and hot-blooded, they could not endure the daily surveillance at the compound's entrance.
They could not endure the higher-ups relocating the compound to a corner of the village.
They could not endure the wary, guarded looks the other clans gave them.
The Hawk Faction had originally been formed only to secure the status and treatment they should rightfully have enjoyed in Konoha.
Was any of that wrong?!
Yet, unexpectedly, more than half their forces had died not in the struggle against the higher-ups, but at the hands of one of their own.
How tragic!
Those bewildered eyes, in particular, pierced Setsuna's heart.
"You truly deserve to die!!!"
Setsuna turned to stare at Itachi, his eyes filled with nothing but surging killing intent!