The moonlight in the sky was bright.
Yet, to some, this moon appeared as though it was cloaked in a layer of blood.
Uchiha Itachi was crouched on a utility pole, resembling a crow about to swoop down for its prey, his eyes a deep crimson.
In the next moment!
Uchiha Itachi vanished from his spot!
The moment Uchiha Itachi disappeared, the first wail of grief was heard. This genius of the Uchiha clan finally turned his ninja blade against his own people!
It was an indiscriminate massacre!
Regardless of age or gender, all fell under his blade!
The smell of blood...
Spread everywhere.
A group of Uchihas, still in shock, screamed as they fled through the streets, with Uchiha Itachi swinging his ninja blade closely behind, cutting down his clansmen in the street!
In the shadows under the moonlight.
Shisui's soul watched all this in agony, desperately begging Akihara Kagura to rush out and stop Uchiha Itachi, to prevent this bloody slaughter!
"At least..."
"Let me stop him, save some children..."
Shisui's soul desperately pleaded with Akihara Kagura's will, witnessing Uchiha Itachi's indiscriminate killing, knowing that this genius ninja, once seen as a brother, had completely lost his mind!
"Let's talk first."
"Do you know why he did this?"
Akihara Kagura's demeanor remained calm, even serene: "Uchiha Itachi killed his own clansmen solely to protect his brother, Uchiha Sasuke..."
"..."
Shisui's soul was frozen.
Even Akihara Kagura's physical form was still calmly drinking tea: "Perhaps he was too close to Shimura Danzo, always claiming it was for the sake of Konoha, even believing he was doing it for Konoha, ultimately wanting only to ensure his brother's survival..."
"Let me... save some children."
Shisui, seeing the aftermath of Uchiha Itachi's actions, his soul shaking violently, his agony almost piercing his soul: "Just to save some of the Uchiha kids..."
Shisui had no hope of saving more.
Because the first person Uchiha Itachi killed was an old man who had lived near the entrance to the clan's residence, who had watched them grow up.
"Akihara Kagura."
Shisui's soul's voice gradually quieted down, almost gritting his teeth as he spoke: "If you didn't want me to save people, you wouldn't have let me out, right?"
"You better think this through."
Akihara Kagura shook his head, not understanding the thoughts of his own creation: "If you save some people, and their disappearance becomes known, it could prevent Uchiha Sasuke, Uchiha Itachi's brother, from surviving."
Akihara Kagura questioned his own creation: "Uchiha Itachi must believe that only by killing the other Uchihas can his brother, Uchiha Sasuke, survive. If you save even one person, Uchiha Sasuke's future could be jeopardized by Konoha..."
Akihara Kagura sensed the emotional turmoil of his creation, then suddenly chuckled: "Although some children, like his brother, are innocent, Uchiha Itachi wouldn't care, as he deprives others of their lives to preserve his brother's life..."
"I..."
Shisui found himself unable to answer.
"So many people are at fault."
"What a pity..."
"You always said I was extreme."
"Now you see who truly is extreme."
Akihara Kagura slowly set down his teacup and sighed deeply, saying, "Alright, the night of clan annihilation is destined to happen. It's fated that someone must bear the burden of this mistake, and many have erred..."
"The First Hokage made mistakes, the Second Hokage made mistakes, the Third Hokage made mistakes, both Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado made mistakes, but Danzō and Uchiha Itachi were the greatest mistakes of all..."
"Danzō always meddled in affairs he shouldn't have..."
"After tonight, the power he so cherished will likely no longer be in his hands."
Akihara Kagura clasped his hands together, sitting alone in his room, pondering over the situation in Konoha after this turmoil was still ongoing.
This clan annihilation will undoubtedly cause upheaval in Konoha.
To ensure the other clans of Konoha do not harbor resentment towards the higher-ups, a scapegoat must be found, and Shimura Danzo is undoubtedly to be ousted from the top by the Third Hokage.
At that time...
Will the Third Hokage disrupt the Root to enter the Anbu, or will he let someone who aspires to lead the Root take control?
If one becomes the head of the Root, Danzō's people can no longer stay, and a suitable group of people will be needed...
"If you want to do something, just do it..."
"But don't draw Uchiha Itachi's attention. Save those who can live out the rest of their lives, save those who are not so radical. They will aim for revenge against Uchiha Itachi, and they will be the Root of my new Root..."
"I have always said that the position of Root's future leader is mine. Danzō has been reluctant to hand over that position to me, so I had to take it myself..."
"The future will be interesting, won't it?"
"The very person who wanted to eliminate Uchiha Itachi the most, Danzō, the first leader of Root, has to watch as his Root is filled with the remaining Uchihas..."
"Right..."
"I shouldn't say that..."
"The will of the Root requires forgetting their names. It seems they can no longer use the Uchiha surname, after all, they are the clan of coup plotters in Konoha..."
"I will find a way to make these new subordinates, who must hide their real names, become strong, making Root the strongest armed organization in the future..."
"Only in this way can I repay Danzō."
"I still remember the first time I met Danzō, the first thing he had me do was change a crude name that someone else had used..."
"..."
Shisui felt an inexplicable unease.
Although he did not know the fate of the Uchihas that Akihara Kagura allowed him to save, it was better than letting them be slaughtered by Uchiha Itachi!
The Uchiha clan's territory.
Cries of anguish had already awakened many.
Many Uchihas, upon learning that someone was slaughtering them, either locked their doors tight or fled their homes desperately, hoping to run towards the clan leader's family for protection.
However...
Uchiha Fugaku, the clan leader whom the Uchihas trusted, made no move.
This leader of the Uchiha clan sat in his home, seemingly deaf to the cries outside, as if he had anticipated all of this.
"Fugaku..."
Uchiha Mikoto looked at her husband worriedly.
"It's okay."
Uchiha Fugaku calmly shook his head, his eyes a deep red, already in the form of the Mangekyō Sharingan, and whispered, "Don't worry, we just need to stay here. I've already sent a shadow clone to check the situation..."
"Okay."
Uchiha Mikoto believed her husband, nodded her head, and then couldn't help saying, "Sasuke hasn't come home from school yet, could it be..."
"It won't be."
Uchiha Fugaku shook his head and softly replied, "Perhaps many people will be in trouble tonight, but Sasuke will certainly be safe..."
"Others..."
Uchiha Mikoto frowned, listening to the occasional wails coming from within the clan's territory: "Which family has encountered trouble, I wonder?"
"I'm sorry."
Uchiha Fugaku remained kneeling in front of the collapse, only his palms were slightly trembling: "Perhaps... something has happened to every family. Let's go change our clothes."
If nothing goes wrong, something will happen to every household in the Uchiha clan territory.
However, after Shisui's soul received permission from Akihara Kagura, he sneaked into a household under the cover of darkness.
"..."
Shisui knew the male head of this household.
This man advocated for a coup d'état against Konoha.
Even if he was saved, he might defy Akihara Kagura's orders in the future, likely leading Kagura to eliminate the surviving Uchihas.
Akihara Kagura is an extremist.
If he truly believes the Uchiha clan cannot be utilized, he would likely eliminate all Uchihas immediately to avoid risks!
Shisui emerged from the shadows, dragging the elderly, women, and children of this household into the shadows, leaving only the man to face death.
"I will let you keep your lineage..."
Shisui couldn't even apologize to this former clansman.
Uchiha Itachi was desperately slaughtering within the Uchiha clan territory, while Uchiha Shisui avoided Itachi's path, doing his best to rescue survivors...
However...
Uchiha Itachi would eventually notice something amiss.
Uchiha Itachi, wielding a ninja sword, killed a madman and sought his family but found no trace of them.
"Are they hiding?"
Uchiha Itachi frowned, and after searching to no avail, he had to temporarily leave to kill another family.
This situation became increasingly common.
This also led to Uchiha Itachi's worsening mood.
Because the Konoha higher-ups had already grasped all information about the Uchiha clan, including the number of Jōnin and children, through his constant transmission of information!
In this case...
If the Konoha higher-ups do not believe he wiped out the Uchiha...
What if the Konoha higher-ups do not acknowledge it? Would they still protect Sasuke for him?
A shadow fell over Uchiha Itachi's heart, but since there was no turning back, he could only attempt to use Uchiha Obito's contingency.
Now, by killing his father Uchiha Fugaku and his mother Uchiha Mikoto, and causing a Three-Tails disturbance in the Uchiha clan territory, using Tailed Beast Balls or other techniques to cleanse the territory, no matter where these people hide, they cannot escape...
On a long street.
This is the longest street of the Uchiha clan.
Uchiha Itachi killed the last fleeing man and saw his father Uchiha Fugaku's figure at the end of the street.
Uchiha Fugaku stood at the end, his eyes were the Mangekyo Sharingan, as if he could see through everything to the future: "Is this what you wanted me to see, Itachi?"
"Look."
Uchiha Itachi, indifferent to the fresh blood on his face, his eyes also turned a deep red: "The future of the village, the future of our clan..."
"Are you entrusting it to Sasuke?"
Uchiha Fugaku's eyes returned to normal, and his body instantly turned into a puff of smoke, this was just a shadow clone sent to investigate.
"..."
Uchiha Itachi's expression immediately became alert!
He knew how powerful his father was, and he also knew how difficult it was to deal with the Mangekyo Sharingan, especially since he himself was a user of the Mangekyo Sharingan!
Uchiha Itachi leaped onto an electric pole and quietly jumped into his home in no time, carefully checking if his father had left any traps.
However...
There were no traps in the house.
Uchiha Fugaku and Uchiha Mikoto, dressed in ordinary clothes, knelt in the room, their eyes seemingly losing the desire for life, kneeling there as if their hearts were dead ashes, quietly waiting for the slaughter from their eldest son.
...
Uchiha Itachi's figure stiffened.
"I don't want to fight a bloody battle with my own son."
Uchiha Fugaku showed no intention of resisting, his voice even seemed gentler than before: "Since you've already sided with them, then so be it..."
"Dad... Mom..."
"We understand, Itachi."
Uchiha Mikoto's voice was somewhat stiff, as if she was trying hard to suppress her emotions, not letting her voice become abnormal: "Take care of Sasuke..."
...
Uchiha Itachi painfully raised his ninja sword.
"Don't be afraid."
Uchiha Fugaku seemed to understand his son's intention, softly persuading his son to swing the ninja sword: "Our pain will be over in an instant."
"This is the path you've chosen."
"Even though our thoughts differ, I'm still proud of you."
"What a kind child..."
"Since it has come to this, don't hesitate."
"I'm sorry, I have more important things to do..."
Uchiha Itachi swung his ninja sword in agony, and blood sprayed out as Uchiha Fugaku and his wife, who had been kneeling, fell down!
Tonight...
There's still the need to wrap things up.
There are still many people hiding in places like basements, just that he hadn't found them yet. He needs to meet up with Uchiha Obito and use the power of the Three-Tails to turn this clan land into barren ground!
In the sky.
The moon returned to normal, still as bright as before.
However, the sky seemed to have turned red, as if it was stained with someone's blood.
Uchiha Sasuke stayed a little longer at school after class, and on his way home, he saw a pool of blood, as well as his parents who had been brutally murdered.
Then...
He also saw the brother who killed his parents.
Uchiha Itachi grabbed his neck, choking the brother he had always loved, staring intently into Uchiha Sasuke's eyes!
"Tsukuyomi..."
Uchiha Itachi's Sharingan slowly transformed into the Mangekyo Sharingan, trapping Uchiha Sasuke in the Tsukuyomi genjutsu, presenting everything that happened tonight within Tsukuyomi!
"This is..."
"My foolish little brother..."
Uchiha Itachi, looking into Uchiha Sasuke's eyes, slowly revealed a trace of red, his voice becoming eerie and ruthless: "Hate me... Despise me... Live on in ugliness! When you have the same eyes as mine, come find me for revenge!"
"Ah ah ah ah... Nii-san!"
Uchiha Sasuke, unable to believe it, covered his head!
The boy howled a few times in the Tsukuyomi before being completely overwhelmed by pain, and he passed out instantaneously.
"I need to use the power of the Three-Tails."
Uchiha Itachi, carrying the unconscious Uchiha Sasuke, appeared on a high platform, looking at Uchiha Obito, who had already finished slaughtering the Konoha Police Force on the other side.
Tonight.
Both places were happening simultaneously.
Uchiha Itachi was in charge of cleaning up the Uchiha clan area, while Uchiha Obito took care of clearing out the Konoha Police Department building, both ensuring no one slipped through the net.
"The Three-Tails, huh? Here you go."
Uchiha Obito stood on a high platform, looking at Uchiha Itachi who appeared before him, a space-time vortex appeared in his Mangekyo Sharingan.
The figure of the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura, appeared before them.
"Why did you bring Sasuke?"
Uchiha Obito became curious, contemplating a possibility: "Oh? Are you planning to leave Konoha with him?"
"No."
"Just to avoid collateral damage."
Uchiha Itachi shook his head, put down Uchiha Sasuke, and crouched in front of the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura: "We need the power of the Three-Tails to clear out the rest..."
Uchiha Itachi looked into Yagura's eyes.
Suddenly, a massive tailed beast appeared in the Uchiha clan area!
The moment the tailed beast appeared, it began to gather a Tailed Beast Ball, and the explosion turned the Uchiha clan area into ruins!
The explosion of the Tailed Beast Ball was earth-shattering!
This scene immediately awakened everyone in Konoha!
Akihara Kagura calmly changed his clothes, gently opened his door, and saw a panicked ninja, grabbing him: "Hey, what exactly happened outside?"
"Lord Kagura!"
The ninja recognized Akihara Kagura's identity and hurriedly reported: "The Three-Tails suddenly appeared in the village, going berserk in the direction of the Uchiha clan area!"
Before he could finish reporting, ANBU members came to inform Akihara Kagura that the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, ordered him to immediately head to the Uchiha clan area to confront the Three-Tails!
"I'll head over immediately."
Akihara Kagura put on his ninja forehead protector and leaped towards the direction of the Uchiha clan, with the wind gently blowing the tie of his forehead protector.
Inside the Uchiha clan area.
Uchiha Itachi stood on top of the Three-Tails, controlling this massive turtle creature, attempting to have the Three-Tails gather another Tailed Beast Ball to continue cleaning the Uchiha clan area!
A thick vine suddenly burst out!
This thick vine directly grabbed the Three-Tails by the neck!
The Three-Tails struggled desperately to break free, but it was unable to escape!
"Akihara Kagura..."
Uchiha Itachi did not need to think too much to know who had come, as only Akihara Kagura in the whole of Konoha could use such powerful Wood Release!
"Amaterasu!"
Blood flowed from one of Uchiha Itachi's eyes!
Accompanied by Uchiha Itachi's soft chant, a black flame appeared out of nowhere on the vine, quickly burning it and freeing the Three-Tails from its restraints!
This was his Mangekyo Sharingan's jutsu, Amaterasu!
As long as it was within sight, it could be released quickly, far beyond ordinary jutsu, and Amaterasu's flames would never extinguish unless controlled by the caster!
"Wood Release: Wood Human Technique!"
That vine was not dead; in fact, it grew a massive wooden figure from inside. It appeared before Uchiha Itachi!
"I need to ask..."
Akihara Kagura stood on top of the wooden figure, looking at the Uchiha clan area, now ruins and corpses everywhere: "What exactly happened tonight?"
~~~
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