Uchiha Fugaku could have never imagined, even in his wildest dreams, that the one who would one day annihilate the Uchiha clan would be none other than his proudest son—Uchiha Itachi!
However, from Hattori's perspective, the true cause behind the fall of the Uchiha wasn't Itachi, nor was it Konoha's leadership—it was the Uchiha clan itself.
The Sharingan's immense power made the Uchiha arrogant, prideful, and obsessive. When faced with unfair treatment, they neither sought peaceful negotiations with Konoha nor chose to endure.
Instead, they opted to confront Konoha's leadership, which already viewed them with suspicion, even going as far as to plan an armed rebellion against all of Konoha with just their clan's strength.
This was undoubtedly a path to self-destruction.
So, in Hattori's view, the fates of both Konoha's Uchiha and the Kaguya clan in the Hidden Mist were self-inflicted.
No matter how many contributions a clan or individual has made for the village, if they threaten the village, they will be wiped out without hesitation. This is the way of the ninja world.
Even from an outsider's perspective, Hattori didn't find Konoha's actions unreasonable—in fact, he thought they were correct.
If the Uchiha clan had truly revolted, it would have taken an enormous toll on Konoha to suppress the rebellion. It might have even led to a prolonged battle with mutual destruction.
In such a scenario, if an enemy were to invade, the one facing extinction wouldn't just be the Uchiha—it would be the entire Konoha village.
Without Konoha's protection, the Land of Fire would inevitably be carved up by other nations.
To prevent such a scenario, Hiruzen Sarutobi the pacifist, had tacitly approved Danzo's plan. He believed that even if Konoha lost the Uchiha, it wouldn't be a major issue, so he allowed clan eradication.
And in hindsight, he was indeed right. Konoha continued without any significant repercussions after Uchiha gone.
The skies grew clearer, the waters became more serene, and relationships among people improved. It was a win-win for everyone involved.
With just the promise of "protecting Sasuke," Konoha gained the loyalty of Uchiha Itachi, a capable individual who not only wiped out his clan of rebels but also infiltrated the enemy's Akatsuki organization as a spy.
It was a major bargain!
Thinking this, Hattori suddenly realized that, compared to Konoha's sly leaders, he was practically a kind-hearted soul.
"Sigh, I'm always too soft-hearted, taking on all the troubles myself…"
Humming a familiar tune from his previous life, he strolled out of the Uchiha compound and was surprised to find himself already outside the village.
He smacked his lips in slight annoyance.
"Wow… The Uchiha really lived way out here. Compared to the other clans in Konoha, it's like they're on the outskirts!"
With a shake of his head, he remarked, "This isn't just one circle removed—it's layer upon layer… Poor old Fugaku, things will only get worse for him."
With this thought, Hattori suddenly felt that Fugaku's earlier attempt to use the Genjutsu on him wasn't all that unforgivable.
"Since he'll have such a tragic end, I'll let it slide this time!"
Feeling an elevation in his own moral character, Hattori continued on with a lightened step.
As he walked, he found himself at the entrance of an old, eerie shrine.
Peering inside, he saw three rows of 27 grotesque demon masks staring back at him.
At the same time, a task notification flashed before his eyes:
[Unlock Graduation Task: The Pinnacle of Sealing Jutsu – Dance with God.]
Task Details: Find it, Awaken it, Appease it, Seal it!
Stage 1: Find it (Completed)
[EXP +27]
Stage 2: Awaken it (Completed)
[EXP +270]
[Level +1]
Stage 3: Appease it (In Progress)
Stage 3 Time Remaining: 3649 days, 23 hours, 59 minutes, and 46 seconds
Hattori: ╭(°A°`)╮
What the—? I've already completed half of the task? And I even leveled up? I haven't done anything!
Gaining free experience… this is definitely suspicious!
Staring at the shrine before him, Hattori's intuition told him that this was a rare opportunity, yet it came with significant risks.
He pondered for a moment, then cautiously backed away.
"I'm not too worried about danger, but I have more than enough opportunities already. This time, I'll leave it to someone else!"
After taking several steps back, he looked around to make sure there was no threat and then turned around, bolting away at full speed!
"Sprinting freely with the wind as my guide, chasing the strength of thunder and lightning, filling my chest with the vast ocean—no sail is too small to reach far…"
Singing as he ran, he quickly covered hundreds of meters.
But the next moment, just as he was hundreds of meters away, he felt an invisible force grab him and pull him back at a speed ten times faster than he had run!
"Ahhhhhh…!"
Amid a chorus of terrified screams, he was flung into the eerie shrine.
The moment he was inside, the doors slammed shut with a loud "bang."
Around the shrine, layers of blood-red barriers sprang up, isolating it from the outside world.
The strange activity at the shrine quickly caught the attention of nearby Konoha shinobi.
Minutes later, several masked Konoha Anbu appeared around the shrine.
"What happened here?" one of the Anbu asked. "What's going on?"
"I don't know!" The questioned Anbu shook his head and glanced at the shrine.
"This looks like the Uzumaki clan's Mask Hall. It shouldn't be an important site, so why is there a barrier?"
Stepping forward, he drew a short blade from his back and touched it to the red barrier.
As soon as his blade made contact, a massive, grotesque demon face appeared before him, snapping at him with jagged teeth.
"Ugh…"
He didn't even have time to scream before his consciousness plunged into endless darkness.
The Anbu standing nearby saw only that his comrade touched the barrier and collapsed immediately.
"Hey, what's—?"
Rushing to check, he soon realized his fallen comrade had no signs of life.
"He's… dead?"
His eyes widened, and he immediately shouted to the others, "Everyone, fall back! Don't get close to this barrier or touch it by any means. Report this to the Third Hokage at once—now!"
"Yes, sir!"