Day 26
Today was the funeral of Elder Homura.
All the families of Konoha — shinobi and civilians alike — gathered in the graveyard dressed in black, mourning in silence beneath the drifting smoke of incense.
You didn't go.
Only the higher-ups of the Uchiha clan attended. You stayed home, watching the street from the window as lanterns floated by, glowing faintly like tired souls heading for their rest.
You knew this funeral changed nothing.
The storm hadn't passed — it had only been delayed. The Uchiha massacre would still come. Danzo still schemed. Itachi still sharpened his blade. And somewhere out there, Obito still moved like a phantom, hungry for destruction.
But as you thought about all of this, one name surfaced again and again — Fugaku.
Maybe, just maybe, he could be used.
If anyone could help your family escape the coming disaster, it was him.
That night, you went to sleep with the plan forming slowly in your head.
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Day 27
Morning came cold and gray. The air in the Uchiha district was still, heavy with a silence that felt like the breath before a scream.
You walked to the Clan Leader's residence and knocked on the door.
Mikoto Uchiha opened it.
"Akira? Sasuke went to school already," she said, smiling gently.
You bowed slightly. "Good morning, Mikoto-san. I want to speak to the Clan Leader."
She blinked, surprised — you sounded far too serious for your age. But after a moment, she nodded.
"Fugaku's in his room. Go on in."
You thanked her, slipped off your shoes, and stepped inside.
Fugaku Uchiha was sitting in seiza before a low table. Steam rose from a cup of green tea that had long gone untouched. His eyes were closed, and his expression was carved from stone.
When you opened the door, he spoke without looking up.
"You came."
The words froze you.
You hesitated, wondering if you should say" I shouldn't have come" but, the words died in your throat.
Still, you managed to ask, "Clan Leader Fugaku… did you know I would come?"
He opened his eyes.
The Mangekyō Sharingan glowed crimson — dark, endless, alive.
You felt your heart stop. For a second, you thought he would cast Amaterasu right there, burning you alive. You even thought about throwing off your clothes if the black flames appeared — but that would've been pointless.
He said only one word.
"Sit."
You sat opposite him, mirroring his posture. The air between you was thick enough to choke on.
Then he said, calmly, "I agree."
You blinked, confused. "You… agree? To what?"
Fugaku didn't answer. Instead, he said, "Do you know about the Mangekyō Sharingan?"
You tilted your head, feigning ignorance. "Isn't there only one-tomoe, two-tomoe, and three-tomoe Sharingan?"
He sighed quietly, eyes half-lidded.
"Our clan's eyes go beyond that. After three-tomoe comes another stage — Mangekyō Sharingan, the eyes of Uchiha Madara. The eyes that see what others cannot."
His tone was detached, ancient — as if he were explaining fate itself.
You tried to sound impressed, childlike. "Then Fugaku-sama, are you as strong as Madara-sama now? Can you help the Uchiha?"
He didn't smile. He didn't even blink.
Instead, he said flatly, "I know it was you. The explosion at the Elders' Council."
The words hit like a kunai to the chest.
You stared at him in disbelief.
He continued, calm as ever.
"The fuse, the incense stick, the detonating talisman. Wrapped in mixed alloy to block chakra sensing. Hidden in a gift box. Ingenious."
You sat frozen, blood draining from your face. He knew everything.
Fugaku took a slow sip of tea and said, "You plan to take your family out of the village, don't you?"
You didn't answer.
"My left eye, Ame-no-uzume " Fugaku continued, "can glimpse fragments of time — past or future . My right eye is Tsukuyomi, a world where a single second lasts three days. When I investigated yesterday's explosion, I saw you."
That explained everything — how he knew your steps, your thoughts, your fear.
But one question haunted you.
"If you can see the future… why doesn't the Uchiha massacre stop?"
He closed his eyes. "There are limits. I cannot see far enough to change everything. I saw only fragments — just enough to trace yesterday's fire to its source."
You understood then — Fugaku was not a man of endless power. He was a man watching a doomed play from the front row.
Finally, you spoke.
"Six days ago, when I was near the Forest of Death, I overheard Anbu talking. They said the Uchiha rebellion is close, that someone named Danzo has surrounded us, and that Itachi-niisama will kill everyone in the clan — except Sasuke."
Fugaku's face didn't change.
You clenched your fists. "I didn't believe it… until Sasuke told me he'd be home late home from school two days ago . Then I knew. Itachi-niisama sold everyone."
Your voice trembled. "I was angry. I was scared. So I killed Elder Homura. I thought maybe… if I did that, I could delay the massacre. Or at least buy us time."
Fugaku nodded slowly, eyes unreadable.
"You've done what others could not — forced the future to move."
Then, quietly: "You were reckless. If Akichi had left the council before the explosion then there would have been evidence of Uchiha clan rebellion against Konoha village ."
You gave a small, bitter smile. "I didn't have a choice. I didn't know what to do at that time. At that time the first thing that came into my mind was revenge. I knew that Hokage-sama is strong and alert ninja and Hokage office will be filled with sensing barrier and I can't reach there without alerting anyone. Then I thought of Homura elder, he starts in elder council building everyday. "
"He hasn't left the office for years and hasn't gone to the battlefield. That makes him less alert.
All I had to do was place the detonating talisman box near him.
But I couldn't reach there myself.
So I reached out to Sarutobi Akichi — the perfect fool. He is famous in the ninja school for being arrogant, for knowing konoha high level official while passing messages and documents of his father to them. He is the perfect individual for carrying the box but, then came the problem that why will he ignite the talisman in front of elder and however weak the elder is atleast, he will stop this then, I came with the plan of incence stick. The time for incence stick is 20 mins so I calculated everything and luckily everything was perfect."
After a long silence, Fugaku said, "I can arrange for your family to leave Konoha."
You looked up. "But… what about you, Clan Leader? You know what's coming. What will you do?"
He turned away. "You shouldn't ask. Tonight, your father will receive my order. He will take you through the river near Nanga shrine. Follow it — the sensing barrier and anbu won't detect you. That's all you need to know."
You bowed deeply. "Thank you."
When you left, the faint smell of green tea lingered — calm, bitter, and final.
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Day 28 — Midnight
Your father's eyes had changed — the two-tomoe pattern had evolved to three. His gaze was hard and cold, proof that he'd been through hell.
"Akira, Nanao," he said, voice steady. "Pack everything. We're leaving Konoha tonight."
Your mother hesitated, confused and frightened, but obeyed. Together you sealed your belongings into storage scrolls.
At the river near Nanga shrine, you met Fugaku one last time. His expression was the same — unreadable stone. He handed your father a scroll and a map.
"This route will take you beyond the Fire border. Follow the river east; no one will find you."
Your father bowed. "We owe you our lives, Clan Leader."
Fugaku replied quietly, "Live."
Then you left.
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