After your talk with Sasuke, you sat quietly by his window, watching the clouds drift across the sky.
A strange stillness filled the air. It was the kind of silence that came before a storm — thick, heavy, and suffocating.
You couldn't shake the feeling that time was running out.
"If my guess is right… the Uchiha Massacre happens tomorrow."
That thought had been echoing in your mind for hours. And now, it refused to leave.
You had checked everything — the faces of the villagers, the tension in the air, the increased ANBU patrols around the district.
Everything pointed to the same conclusion.
You couldn't escape. You aren't strong enough.
And even if you somehow managed to run, your parents wouldn't.
Akimitsu Uchiha — your father — would never abandon his duty. Nanao Uchiha — his mother — would never abandon her home.
So, Akira decided on the only thing he could do.
Delay it.
If you couldn't stop the massacre, you would delay it — even if it cost you everything.
---
That evening, when your parents were busy downstairs, you slipped into your father's room.
The faint scent of oil and steel filled the air — the familiar atmosphere of a shinobi's quarters.
You moved silently toward the wall behind the closet, where your father once kept emergency tools.
There, half-concealed beneath a layer of wooden panels, was a small chest.
You pressed lightly on the corner — click.
The panel popped open, revealing a reinforced box with an intricate Uchiha seal.
You unlatched it carefully.
Inside were dozens of shuriken, pills, and more than a hundred detonating talismans. Each one bore his father's meticulous handwriting — fresh, sharp, and deadly.
They weren't ordinary; they were amplified tags, meant to vaporize entire walls.
You stared at them in silence for a long time, the flicker of candlelight dancing across your eyes.
Then, without hesitation, you took fifty.
You restored the chest, sealed it perfectly, and replaced the mat over it — the same way you found it.
Then, clutching the stolen tags tightly, you hurried back to his room.
---
In your room stood a plain wooden box — something he had found weeks ago in the training fields near the Forest of Death.
It already contained a few dozen old talismans from that same pit — weak, unstable, but still useful for layering explosions.
You opened the box and carefully mixed your father's talismans among them, stacking layer upon layer like a deadly puzzle.
When you were done, you took a deep breath and attached a small fuse to one of the outer tags.
The other end of the fuse he connected to a thin incense stick.
You wrapped the incense in aluminum foil and covered it with paper so the smoke wouldn't escape — hiding its presence entirely.
Then, through a small hole in the box's corner, you left just the faint tip of the incense visible — enough to light, but nothing more.
Finally, you wrapped the entire box neatly with bright paper and placed it into a white gift bag.
It looked harmless — beautiful, even.
A child's present, nothing more.
When you were done, you stared at it for a long time.
"This… might save them. Or maybe it'll just destroy me."
You smiled bitterly, then slipped the white gift bag into an ordinary shopping bag, covering it with vegetables and groceries.
---
The streets of Konoha were lively that evening. Lanterns swayed gently in the breeze, merchants shouted in cheerful tones, and children played along the sidewalks.
You walked among them, acting perfectly normal — a small boy doing errands for his mother.
But inside, your mind was a storm.
Every few steps, you recalculated. Where would it explode? When? Who might be nearby? Would it even matter?
You told yourself over and over — it wasn't vengeance. It was necessity.
As you turned down the main road near the Sarutobi District, you spotted your target — Sarutobi Akichi, a boy about eight years old, one year older than Sasuke.
The child of a high-ranking Sarutobi elder working just under sarutobi hiruzen, the clan leader. Proud. Loud. Always boasting about his clan's prestige.
Your heart steadied.
You approached calmly, keeping your eyes lowered.
Akichi noticed you and frowned. "What do you want, Uchiha? You trying to pick a fight?"
You smiled faintly, holding up the white gift bag.
"Not a fight. A favor."
Akichi snorted. "A favor? For you? Forget it. I don't take pity gifts from your clan."
Your tone didn't waver. "It's not from me. The Hokage asked me to deliver this to Elder Homura at the elders council building . He said it was his apology for that matter the day before yesterday."
That made Akichi pause. "What? Which matter ? Why would Hokage-sama ask you to deliver anything? He's got ANBU for that!"
You shrugged lightly. "I asked him the same. He said ANBU can't be used for personal errands. Said it's about bonds — trusting the young, building friendship between clans."
You smiled as if embarrassed. "He even promised me a thousand ryo for it."
At the mention of money, Akichi's suspicion flickered into greed.
He tilted his head arrogantly. "Then I want half."
You hesitated, pretending reluctant defeat. "...Fine. Five hundred. But you have to deliver it directly to Elder Homura. And get his reply about it and give the reply to hokage sama .
I have to go to home because, its late and my mother will scold me so, I can't do it."
Akichi grinned smugly. "Deal."
Akichi reached for the bag. You handed it — then paused.
"Wait a second," you muttered, pretending to adjust the wrapping.
In truth, you took out a lighter, shielded by your hand, and ignited the incense tip through the small opening. A faint ember glowed before you covered it again with a folded piece of paper.
Then you smiled and handed it back. "All yours."
"About time," Akichi said, clutching the bag proudly. "Don't worry, I'll handle it."
Akira nodded. "Thank you. You're doing something important today."
As the boy turned and walked toward the Sarutobi estate, you stood silently under the evening light, the wind brushing against his hair.
"Blame me if you must," he murmured. "But this… is my answer."
---
You walked home slowly, blending with the crowd.
You bought a few vegetables along the way, your steps calm, your face unreadable.
Inside, however, every thought burned with calculation — distance to the building, fuse time, detonation radius, witness angle.
You repeated it over and over until you were sure: no mistakes. No evidence.
From where you stood, the walk to the elders council building would take Akichi fifteen to twenty minutes depending on the speed.
The incense would burn out in twenty minutes.
By the time the explosion happened, you would already be home and there is no witness of you and akichi meeting.
Akichi is sure to die under the explosion of the talisman and might even take Homura elder with him if he is lucky.
"This is dangerous," you thought, clutching the bag of vegetables, "but this is the only way. Even if I fail, I'll at least go down fighting."
When you finally reached your home, the evening sky had turned golden-red.
You stepped inside quietly, greeted your mother with a soft smile.
Nanao Uchiha looked up from the stove. "You seem lighter today," she said, smiling gently. "Like something's changed."
You nodded faintly. "Yeah. I guess… I just finished something important."
She laughed softly. "Then go rest, Akira. Dinner will be ready soon."
You went to your room, sat by the window, and watched the fading light of the sun stretch across the rooftops of the Uchiha District.
For the first time in days, your heart felt light — almost peaceful.
Maybe, you thought, this was what it meant to take fate into your own hands, even if it meant touching the fire.
The breeze slipped through the curtains, carrying with it the faint, distant hum of Konoha's evening bells.
And as the last rays of sunlight faded into dusk, you whispered:
"Even if tomorrow never comes… I've done my part."