In the Uchiha compound, there was only the sound of the wind blowing.
Everyone, including Fugaku and Shisui, stood slack-jawed, staring at Itachi, who was only ten years old.
They all looked as if they had seen a ghost. Fugaku's expression was even worse than if he were crying. No one in the entire clan could believe their ears.
Uchiha Itachi? 'He' was the one who carried out the massacre?
As for Danzō being among the participants, the Uchiha were not surprised. They had already guessed as much when the Sky Screen had previously exposed that arm embedded with ten Sharingan.
As for that Mr. Simp—although they didn't know why he was involved, they didn't even know who he was. The Uchiha had no specific target for their hatred!
But—
They absolutely could not accept this!
One of their own, Uchiha Itachi, the son of the clan head, had voluntarily betrayed the clan and acted as the village's executioner!
If there weren't only one person named Itachi in the entire Uchiha clan right now, they would have thought the Sky Screen was talking about someone else.
"Itachi… how is that possible?! He's only ten years old! Even if he's incredibly talented, there's no way he could wipe out the entire clan by himself, right?!"
"Hahahaha! No wonder the future Uchiha planning a coup had their intelligence leaked. Who would have thought the clan head's son would be the traitor?!"
"Itachi!! Why? Why did you betray us?"
"Exactly! You ate our food, used the clan's resources, and in the end, you turned your blade against us!"
Faced with the accusations of his clansmen, Fugaku's entire body trembled. He slowly raised his hand and pointed at his eldest son, his voice so hoarse it was almost inaudible.
"Itachi… whose side are you really on?!"
His eyes were filled with disbelief. "Why would you do such a thing? Could it be… have you already awakened the Mangekyō?!"
Everyone's gaze focused on Itachi, waiting for his explanation.
Itachi stood where he was. Unexpectedly, he showed no emotional fluctuation in response to his clansmen's accusations. He was far more mature than a child his age should be.
He looked up at the people surrounding him, at his father's face twisted with shock, at Shisui in the crowd—his mentor and best friend.
Finally, Itachi let out a deep sigh.
"Father, I have not awakened the Mangekyō yet."
Fugaku breathed a sigh of relief. "Then in the future? Why would you in the future…"
In response to his father's question, Itachi was silent for a moment, then slowly spoke: "Father, what do you think the village is?"
Fugaku was stunned, then laughed in anger. "Then what do you think the Uchiha are? Are you questioning me right now?!"
Itachi ignored Fugaku's counter-question and continued on his own.
"Since I was little, you taught me that the Uchiha are a part of Konoha and must live in harmony with the other Shinobi clans. But in reality, the Uchiha and the village are irreconcilable. In the future, you will even lead the clan in launching a coup."
"Father, which side should I really stand on?"
The surrounding voices suddenly fell silent. Itachi's gaze swept across every person present.
"Moreover, even if I were to stand with the Uchiha, let everyone ask themselves: can one clan's power win against the entire village? Once the coup breaks out, it will trigger a brutal civil war. Not only will countless shinobis be killed or wounded, but it may also invite other villages to take advantage of the chaos. The village might even cease to exist. How can you bear that?"
"So—you chose to slaughter your own clan, not even sparing the elderly and children?!" Fugaku's pupils dilated. He could hardly believe that these words were coming from his eldest son, the one in whom he had placed so much hope. In that moment, he truly wished he had never had this child at all.
Seeing the situation escalating, Shisui took the initiative to break the deadlock. He pulled Itachi aside and gently tried to calm him down.
"Itachi, you're still young. There are some things you shouldn't have to bear."
Itachi lowered his head and said no more.
But his silence had already said everything.
The voice from the Sky Screen rang out again, shattering the silence of the Uchiha compound.
[As a normal person, your first reaction would probably be to leave Konoha, escape from the center of this Uchiha vortex, and go into hiding somewhere in the Shinobi World under an assumed name in order to survive.]
[Congratulations. At this point, you will face three choices. First: take the initiative to apply for a mission outside the village. You will then discover that the Uchiha mainly serve in the Police Force, responsible for internal village security, and are rarely sent on outside missions. Your unusual behavior will be discovered by the Root, which is constantly monitoring the Uchiha. After Shimura Danzō learns of it, he will send people to kill you along the way. Escape failed!]
---
[Konoha, Year 60]
Inside the Akatsuki hideout, the atmosphere had relaxed considerably.
After all, this had nothing to do with them.
Deidara sat in his spot, watching the first choice on the Sky Screen, and exclaimed dramatically: "Hah? Apply for a mission outside the village on your own initiative? That's way too stupid!"
"If it were me, I'd just sneak away. Who leaves the village by openly applying for a mission?!"
Kisame grinned: "Exactly. Back when I defected, I just fought my way out. Whoever got in my way died."
Kakuzu counted on his fingers, expressionless: "I've lived over ninety years and defected countless times. The simplest method is to change your identity, change your location, change your name. No one will notice an ordinary rogue-nin."
Hidan interjected: "Kakuzu, if you've defected that many times, is it because you're always robbing people?"
Kakuzu glanced at him: "I do it to accumulate funds for the organization."
The group chattered on, treating the Sky Screen's choices as a complete joke. Only Itachi stood quietly in the corner, saying nothing.
His gaze remained fixed on the Sky Screen.
Escape…
How could one possibly escape?
[Second choice: Having gained some experience, you decide not to leave the village openly but to slip out under cover of night. Fortunately, your actions do not alert anyone, and you successfully leave Konoha. However, you haven't gone far when you run into Mr. Simp, who happens to be loitering near Konoha. In order to take your Sharingan, Mr. Simp kills you. Escape failed!]
Hokage Office.
When the name Mr. Simp appeared again, Hiruzen, Jiraiya, and Tsunade all frowned.
"This Mr. Simp…" Jiraiya said in a low voice. "Is he after the Sharingan?"
Tsunade clenched her fists, her knuckles cracking. "And he just loiters around Konoha for no reason?!"
Hiruzen took a deep drag from his pipe and slowly exhaled the smoke.
"The key question is, he can loiter near Konoha without being detected by the barrier. What does that mean?"
Jiraiya and Tsunade exchanged a glance.
"It means he's very familiar with Konoha's barrier," Jiraiya continued. "Either he's someone on the inside, or…"
He didn't finish, but Tsunade and Hiruzen understood. Either he was an insider, or he was strong enough to ignore the barrier. Either way, it was very troublesome.
Hiruzen said in a deep voice: "We must modify the village entry barrier. No matter who he is, we can't let him come and go as he pleases anymore."
Tsunade nodded: "I'll arrange for the Sealing Squad to reconfigure it tomorrow… No, let's start tonight."
---
[Konoha, Year 50]
Minato arrived at the same conclusion as the three of them.
"Mr. Simp… loitering near Konoha? His goal is to obtain the Sharingan?"
Kushina walked over and gently took his arm: "Minato, what are you thinking? This person might not necessarily be around Konoha right now, right?"
Minato was silent for a few seconds, then said: "I'm thinking… could this Mr. Simp be connected to the Nine-Tails incident?"
In an instant, Kushina's body stiffened slightly.
Minato noticed the change in Kushina, turned, and gently patted her hand: "Kushina, don't worry. No matter who he is, I will find him."
*****
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