"Time really does pass quickly…"
Time flowed on, and before anyone realized it, the bell marking Konoha Year Fifty-Six rang quietly. A new year arrived as expected.
Standing on the upper floor of the building, Ren looked down at the drifting snow below, his thoughts tangled and heavy.
This year was anything but unfamiliar to him. On the contrary, the events about to unfold were more than enough to shake the entire shinobi world.
At times, Ren couldn't help but ask himself one question—
Was something wrong with Uchiha Itachi's mind?
Looking back at the entire sequence of events, the final outcome never had to be so extreme. If even a few steps along the way had been handled properly, things would not have reached the point Ren remembered so clearly.
"Konoha already gave them a chance…"
They had knowingly allowed Itachi—the clan head's son—into the surveillance room, letting him personally witness the Uchiha clan being monitored in its entirety.
That alone was a message.
Konoha wanted Itachi to pass it on.
They wanted the Uchiha to understand that the village knew exactly what they were doing.
With such a warning, no matter how radical the clan was, they should have stopped pushing forward.
Yet judging from the current situation, Itachi either never conveyed that message—or chose not to.
Just like after he joined Akatsuki, when he failed to provide Konoha with any meaningful intelligence. Nearly every Akatsuki member was ultimately dealt with by Naruto and the others through their own investigations.
Especially Nagato.
Jiraiya had even given his life for that information.
"With that kind of cause… did it inevitably lead to Shisui's death?"
Ren extended his hand, letting snowflakes land on his palm as he murmured quietly.
From Konoha's perspective, the Uchiha had ignored the warning. And Shisui, foolishly revealing the secret of his dōjutsu, had drawn Danzo's attention.
Danzo's hatred for the Uchiha was no secret, and even Konoha's higher-ups would naturally fear Kotoamatsukami.
A power capable of silently rewriting another person's will—no one could truly accept such a thing.
Grasping that opportunity, Danzo had been able to move against Shisui without obstruction.
"If that's really how it happened… then Itachi…"
Ren let out a quiet sigh.
He genuinely didn't know how to judge that man.
If he tried to, there wasn't a single kind word he could honestly offer.
"Why are you standing here alone?"
A voice sounded beside him.
Ren turned his head and saw Hikaru walking up onto the upper floor.
"It's lively downstairs. You're not going to join them?"
"And you?" Ren asked instead. "Didn't you hide up here as well?"
Hikaru shook her head lightly.
"I'm thinking about some things. Compared to the timing, they feel out of place. Better to think alone."
Ren glanced at her for a moment, then spoke calmly.
"You hate the Uchiha deeply. You want them destroyed, don't you?"
Hikaru turned to look at him. She didn't answer, but the fire burning in her eyes said everything.
Ren didn't seem bothered. He casually brushed the snow from his hand and continued.
"But have you ever considered this? People aren't all the same. A clan's direction is always decided by those at the top."
"Those below follow orders. Some are loyal and cooperate willingly. Some think it's wrong but have no power to resist."
"And within a clan—whether it was the Senju of the past, the Uchiha of the past, or the Uchiha of today—it's all the same."
"Elites. Ordinary ninja. Civilians."
"Elders. Children."
"They have no say in decisions."
"I won't say they're all innocent," Ren said evenly. "But when it comes to clan policy, they have no voice at all."
"Do they all deserve to die?"
This was something Ren had wanted to say for a long time.
But before now, there had never been a suitable opportunity.
Soon, Itachi's name would echo across the shinobi world, rising to infamy alongside Danzo's.
Ren needed to know what Hikaru truly thought.
Especially since she was still part of his plans—plans that involved facing Uchiha Obito.
Her Mangekyō ability was simply too terrifying to ignore. Understanding her mindset mattered.
After all, Shisui and Kabuto had already finalized most of the plan.
Everything was waiting to begin.
"Innocent people?" Hikaru repeated softly.
She fell silent for a moment, then looked at Ren with a faint, almost mocking smile.
"Then am I an innocent person?"
"Yes," Ren replied without hesitation. "You are. So am I."
The fire in Hikaru's eyes burned even hotter.
"If we're innocent, then why do we bear the sins?"
"Why us? Why should it be us?"
The word we landed heavily.
"Yeah," Ren said quietly. "Why us?"
"I've asked myself that question too."
He looked at her steadily, noting that while her emotions were intense, she wasn't losing control.
"Later, I wondered if fate did it on purpose."
"As if it wanted people like us to act—to prevent more 'innocent people' from being dragged into the same abyss."
"Maybe that sounds foolish. After all, when we suffered, no one came to save us."
"But later, I heard a line—hard to understand at first, but simple once you grasp it."
Ren stepped closer, silently thanking his ancestors. Without their words, even motivational speeches would be hard to improvise.
"When Heaven is about to place a great responsibility on someone, it first hardens their resolve, exhausts their body, starves them, deprives them, and frustrates their efforts—so as to strengthen what they lack."
"In your era, those words probably made more sense."
"We suffered. But we endured."
"Maybe fate wants us to change something."
He paused, then added lightly.
"Of course, that's just my interpretation."
"And by the way—there isn't much time left before the Uchiha are reduced to ashes."
"I told you I'd help you."
"I think you'll see that scene very soon."
With that, Ren patted her shoulder and turned to head downstairs.
That was enough.
He planned to find Yugao and deepen their relationship a bit.
After all, it was a new year.
And he was sixteen now.
The new year filled most people with hope.
The Uchiha clan was no exception.
Inside Naka Shrine, Uchiha Fugaku looked at the gathered elite members of the clan, his expression complex.
These were the highest-ranking figures within the Uchiha.
And this meeting was to discuss their future rebellion.
If possible, Fugaku would rather not go this far.
But in his eyes, Konoha had already forced them into this corner.
His eldest son had provided little insight into the thoughts of the village's leadership, and the intelligence he brought back from ANBU was pitifully sparse.
To Fugaku, this meant Itachi was isolated within ANBU, unable to access meaningful information.
Any hope of using him as a conduit was gone.
Shisui's death, in Fugaku's view, was a warning.
But such an extreme warning wouldn't pacify the Uchiha—it would only inflame them further.
Shisui had been the bridge.
And Konoha had burned it down.
"Clan Head," Uchiha Yashiro said quietly, "once the timing is set, we can move. The clan members are barely holding back."
"I know," Fugaku replied, his gaze flickering. "This time, I won't disappoint them."
He knew he was indecisive by nature. He also knew he was being carried forward by the clan's anger.
But he, too, was furious.
Remembering Shisui's death, Fugaku knew he had to make a decision.
"If we act, we act properly," he said. "Have the arrangements been completed?"
"Clan Head," Uchiha Inabi reported, "the prison is ready."
"I've contacted the inmates who resent Konoha. I'll open the cells at the right time. They'll lead the riot."
"As for those still loyal to Konoha—none of them will get out."
"And after?" Fugaku asked.
"I promised them freedom," Inabi said with a smile.
The rest went unsaid.
Only so much cake existed. The Uchiha had no intention of keeping dangerous criminals around long-term.
Those who survived earned their freedom.
Those who died… died.
"Clan Head," Uchiha Tekka added, "we've also secretly recruited rogue ninja and bounty hunters."
"They're expensive," he admitted, "but as disposable forces to divert ANBU and regular ninja, they're sufficient."
The Uchiha were arrogant and unstable—but they were competent planners.
"Good," Fugaku nodded.
The Uchiha were few in number. Lacking expendable manpower was a critical weakness.
Letting outsiders serve as cannon fodder was the obvious solution.
"What about Akatsuki?" Yashiro suddenly asked. "They include people familiar with Konoha—Orochimaru, and Uchiha Obito."
"With them, dealing with Ren's Wood Release might be easier."
Fugaku considered it briefly, then shook his head.
"Too conspicuous. Konoha is watching them closely."
"We have a way to deal with Wood Release," he continued. "Don't forget—we still have Itachi."
Silence fell.
None of them trusted Fugaku's eldest son.
Since joining ANBU, Itachi rarely attended clan meetings and shared little intelligence.
Some even suspected him of betraying the clan.
But Fugaku raised his hand.
"He's my son. I'll handle it."
The elites exchanged glances, then fell silent.
Early the next morning, Ren yawned as he walked out with Yugao and Karin.
"Working on New Year's Day," he complained. "Tragic."
"You're so lazy," Yugao said, nudging him. "Karin still has classes. Don't corrupt her."
Ren smiled and took Yugao's hand.
Wood Year Fifty-Six.
Ren was sixteen now.
Yugao felt her sense of crisis growing.
Soon, they reached the Academy—and ran into a familiar group.
Naruto. Shikamaru. Choji.
And not far away—Sasuke, with Izumi beside him.
Time moved forward.
The curtain had risen.
And the stage was set.
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