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July, Konoha Year 56
Itachi found Obito in a dense forest.
Up until now, Obito had never worn the Akatsuki robe. Within the Akatsuki organization, he donned a black outfit paired with a swirl-patterned mask. But here in Konoha, he switched to a mask with red markings.
"Hey!" Itachi called out to Obito.
Obito turned around, his gaze beneath the mask steady and emotionless, silently observing Itachi.
"I need your help with something," Itachi said.
Obito remained silent, his eyes signaling Itachi to continue.
Itachi spoke plainly and directly. "I need you to help me wipe out the Uchiha clan."
---
In a room, Danzo sat across from the Third Hokage.
"We cannot allow the Uchiha to stage a coup. On this point, at least, we are in agreement, are we not?" Danzo spoke first.
The Third Hokage nodded in response. "Yes."
However, upon hearing the Third's reply, Danzo stood up abruptly, as if he had already received the answer he wanted and was ready to leave.
The Third Hokage found this odd. Normally, discussing such a matter wouldn't conclude after just two sentences. He quickly stood and called out, "Wait, we haven't reached a decision yet."
Danzo turned to look at the Third. "Since the Uchiha are already preparing, we must prepare as well."
The statement seemed reasonable, but the Third Hokage sensed something deeper in Danzo's words. He issued a warning, "Remember, it's only preparation, Danzo."
Without a word, Danzo left the room.
---
Back in the dense forest.
"We move tonight," Itachi said.
"Alright, as agreed, I'll help you," Obito replied.
"Then it's settled," Itachi said, turning to leave.
Obito crossed his arms, emphasizing his intentions once more. "The reason I'm helping you destroy the Uchiha isn't just for revenge. I have other goals. Pretend you don't see them."
Itachi glanced back. "Are you saying I shouldn't use my Sharingan to record your actions?"
The Sharingan could memorize everything a person saw and later project it as an illusion for others to witness.
Obito nodded. "Exactly. This is also proof that I'll spare your brother. I have no use for a child without the Sharingan."
Itachi turned away, facing away from Obito. "So I can trust you completely, is that it? I have no other choice but to believe you."
"If you're ever out of options, you can join my organization," Obito offered.
"Your organization?" Itachi asked.
"It's called Akatsuki. Uchiha Kagaya is part of it now, my partner. Speaking of which, if you're planning to wipe out the Uchiha, why not ask Kagaya? He has the strength for it."
"Kagaya and I have different ideals. He would never raise a blade against his own clan," Itachi replied.
"I see," Obito said.
---
That afternoon, Obito sought out Kagaya.
"Uchiha Itachi asked me to help him kill off the Uchiha clan tonight. Are you coming?" Obito asked.
Kagaya wasn't surprised. "I'll go."
Obito, however, was taken aback by Kagaya's response. "You're actually going? I heard from Itachi that you wouldn't lay a hand on your own clan."
Kagaya shot Obito a sideways glance. "I'm going, but I won't act. I just want to take one last look at my clan."
"Heh, I see," Obito said. "By the way, I also plan to collect some Sharingan."
"Looks like we're on the same page," Kagaya replied.
"I just don't want Danzo to get his hands on too many of our clan's Sharingan."
"Danzo? He's not an Uchiha. Using the Sharingan would consume too much chakra for him. It's not worth it," Obito remarked.
Kagaya's eyes narrowed slightly. Was Obito testing him? With that thought, he spoke up. "I heard that Orochimaru was once researching the First Hokage's cells. Back then, Danzo was his biggest supporter. On the surface, the experiment failed, but who knows? If Danzo has the First Hokage's cells, using the Sharingan wouldn't be difficult for him."
Obito's suspicion, hidden beneath his mask, began to fade. "Is that so?"
Obito had suspected that Kagaya was still in contact with someone in Konoha. Such connections weren't unusual in Akatsuki—many members had informants in their former villages. But what Obito feared was that Kagaya's contact was the Third Hokage. If so, Kagaya's defection from Konoha might not be genuine.
Fortunately, Kagaya's openness about past rumors earned him a sliver of Obito's trust.
---
That night, the moon was full, its light bathing the Uchiha clan grounds in a serene glow.
Yet, in a fleeting moment, Kagaya seemed to see the sky turn blood-red, the clouds stained crimson, and even the pure white moon glowing an eerie red. It was as if the entire world had been drenched in a terrifying scarlet hue.
Outside the Uchiha clan grounds, Itachi appeared using the Body Flicker Technique, donning a fox mask before vanishing again.
The tragedy had begun.
---
On the other side, with a swirl of a vortex, Obito, clad in black, and Kagaya, wearing an Akatsuki robe, appeared at the entrance to the Konoha Military Police Force.
Obito charged into the police headquarters, beginning his slaughter.
Kagaya stood quietly outside, neither stopping nor able to stop the massacre.
The agreement between Obito and Itachi was clear: Itachi would handle the inner circle of the Uchiha clan, while Obito took care of the outer defenses—essentially, the stronger armed forces of the clan. Itachi, meanwhile, dealt with the weaker members.
Obito relentlessly cut down his targets, while Itachi, expressionless, raised his blade, struck, moved to the next, raised his blade again, struck, and moved on. Like a machine, Itachi mercilessly slaughtered his clan, blood staining his face as the pain in his heart grew unbearable, far beyond what tears could release.
"You—!"
"Who… who are you?!"
"Ahhh!!!"
The screams of the dying echoed constantly. In that moment, the moon in the sky seemed to truly turn red.
"St—" Kagaya instinctively took a step forward, the cries urging him to save them.
But what was the point?
Obito and Itachi were merely executioners. Even without this massacre, the tension between the Uchiha and Konoha would not have lessened. In the end, it would only lead to war between the Uchiha and Konoha, with other nations taking the opportunity to slaughter the Uchiha instead.
Kagaya ultimately did not act.
"I'm searching for a place I can call 'home.'"
Comrades, parents, Shisui, the Uchiha…
"I no longer have a 'home.'"
What lay at the end of this massacre? Peace for Konoha, laughter and joy for its other clans, relief for Danzo, a sigh from the Third Hokage, and gratitude from the other ninjas.
But there was no place for the Uchiha clan, for Kagaya, for Itachi, or for Sasuke.
The dead were gone, and the living bore even greater pain.
Speaking of which, Sasuke's carefree life ended here.
Sasuke, does tonight's breeze feel as cold to you as the snow did to me that day? Or perhaps even colder?
Soon, the screams faded, and silence returned to the area, as tranquil as it had been before Obito and Kagaya arrived. But the peace was gone, replaced by the stench of blood.
After slaughtering everyone in the Konoha Military Police Force, Obito emerged from the building. The first person he saw wasn't Kagaya, but a girl standing in a defensive stance, her eyes bearing the rare three-tomoe Sharingan.
Uchiha Izumi.
Obito spoke, surprised. "Oh? Nice eyes."
He had taken a liking to her three-tomoe Sharingan. Obito couldn't wait to gouge them out and add them to his collection.