The Echo of Rumors
The morning in Konoha seemed calm. Children trained at the academy, merchants opened their stalls, and the ANBU watched from the shadows. But among the crowd, words were sharper than any kunai.
At the corner of the marketplace, two jonin spoke in hushed voices while buying supplies.
"Have you heard what they say about Danzō?" one murmured, glancing around."That depends on which rumor you mean," replied the other with a weary smile."That… maybe he had something to do with the fall of Hatake Sakumo. That he was forced into an impossible mission, and then… someone within the village smeared his name."
The second jonin frowned."That's dangerous to repeat.""Maybe. But don't you think it's strange? Sakumo was a hero. And suddenly, all of Konoha treated him like a traitor. Who had the power to twist public opinion like that?"
Elsewhere, in a tavern, a group of chunin weary from a mission drank sake. One slammed the table with contained rage."My comrades did not die in vain! They were sent to die. And we all know who gives those orders from the shadows: Danzō.""Shhh… keep your voice down," warned another nervously. "The ANBU are listening.""Let them listen. Or don't they know that 'Root' never appears in official reports? That there are shinobi who vanish and no one ever asks again?"
The murmur spread like a hidden fire. Market vendors repeated it in whispers, young ninja listened in disbelief, and even some veterans remembered with pain: Could it be true that Sakumo was a victim of Danzō's intrigues?
In the Hokage's council room, an ANBU messenger bowed before Minato."Sir, the rumors… they are spreading quickly. More villagers each day believe that Danzō was involved in the fall of the White Fang."
Minato narrowed his eyes, resting his elbows on the table."Source?"
"No one knows for sure, Hokage-sama. They're murmurs born in the street, taverns, the market. But they are repeated with too much consistency."
At his side, Hiruzen Sarutobi, invited as an advisor, took a deep breath."I've always said… rumors are more dangerous than jutsu. A lie repeated often enough becomes the truth for the people."
Danzō, seated at the far end, struck the table with his cane."This is a conspiracy against me! Someone is manipulating public opinion to weaken the village's security!"
Minato looked at him calmly, though a spark of doubt flickered in his eyes."Then, if you have nothing to hide… you won't mind if I investigate the origin of these rumors."
Danzō clenched his jaw in silence.
From the shadows of the room, Itachi listened as his father spoke with two men of the clan who had just returned from the market.
"Everything is going according to plan," one of them said with a satisfied smile. "We don't even have to speak directly. People repeat on their own what they want to believe."
Fugaku nodded, arms crossed."Danzō will start to grow desperate. And when a powerful man grows desperate… he makes mistakes."
Itachi remained silent, analyzing every detail. He knew this was only the first step. But seeing how a whisper could unnerve even the Hokage, he realized he had entered a battlefield far more dangerous than any warfront.
Night stretched across the forests surrounding Konoha, the air heavy with humidity and silence. Fugaku walked at the front, his silhouette outlined against the moon. At his side, Itachi kept pace, his Sharingan glowing with expectation.
"This mission is between you and me only. No one can know," Fugaku whispered without turning his head. "Tonight we will prove that the clan's power can change the village's destiny."
Itachi regarded him seriously."Who is the target?"
"A member of Root. Not just any soldier… someone close to Danzō's inner circle. Eliminating him won't shake his foundations, but it will be the spark to ignite our fire."
Itachi didn't answer immediately. He felt the weight in his chest of crossing an invisible line—the one that separates an obedient shinobi from a conspirator. Finally, he nodded."Understood."
They advanced in silence, moving among the high branches. The chosen location was a narrow path near a river, used by Root messengers for discreet travel.
Fugaku stopped on a tree and began laying explosive tags, hidden beneath the soil."You'll handle the distraction. Force the target to retreat… and I'll close the trap."
Itachi tilted his head, evaluating the strategy."Then the final blow will be yours."
"As it should be," Fugaku replied sternly, though a faint glimmer of pride shone in his eyes.
Moments later, the hooded figure of the Root ninja appeared on the path, moving with the rigidness of one accustomed to constant vigilance. He carried a sealed scroll on his arm, and now and then glanced at the trees, as if sensing danger.
Fugaku signaled with his fingers. Now.
Itachi leapt first, hurling a flurry of shuriken that glistened under the moonlight. The man reacted with brutal reflexes, deflecting several with a kunai—but the trap was set.
The ground erupted around him in a red flash: Fugaku's seals activated, raising a wall of smoke and dirt that trapped him in a circle of fire.
The Root ninja growled, revealing a partial mask that covered his face. With a swift hand seal, he unleashed a gust of wind that cleared part of the smoke. His eyes locked onto Itachi's. They were not ordinary eyes; they carried a cold gleam, trained to obey without hesitation.
"Uchiha…" he spat with disdain. "So you finally bare your fangs."
Itachi felt his blood boil, but did not let rage control him."You will not leave this forest alive."
The ninja let out a dry laugh and took a combat stance, brandishing several kunai tied with explosives.
Fugaku appeared at Itachi's back, his Sharingan burning like embers."Itachi, don't lower your guard. This man is no ordinary pawn."
The three stood in silence, breathing the same heavy air. The nearby river roared, and the embers of fire danced around them.
The battle was about to begin.
The seals still crackled with fire when the Root ninja charged fearlessly. His speed surprised even Itachi: in a blink he was upon him, delivering a heel strike that forced the young Uchiha to retreat.
Fugaku intervened, blocking the next attack with a kunai infused with chakra."Itachi, focus on reading his movements! Don't underestimate him!"
The enemy smirked under his mask."Not even the leader of the Uchiha can stop me."
Suddenly, his hands moved with military precision:"Suiton: Suiryūdan no Jutsu! (Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu)."
The river surged violently, and from its surface emerged a roaring dragon of water that crashed toward father and son. Fugaku countered with a wall of chakra-imbued shuriken, but the impact forced him back several steps.
Itachi, however, fixed his crimson eyes on every detail. Each seal, each twist of the enemy's fingers was etched into his vision.
The Root ninja pressed his advantage and formed another seal:"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"
Three perfect copies of himself appeared around him, each wielding kunai. They rushed at Itachi like a storm.
The boy barely had time to react, but his eyes shone intensely: the chakra flow was real… these were substantial clones, not illusions.
He bent backward, dodging a thrust, and at the same time his hands mimicked the seals he had just seen."Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"
With a flash of chakra, two clones of Itachi appeared at his side.
Even Fugaku widened his eyes in surprise."He copied it… in the middle of battle?"
Itachi's clones blocked the enemy's advance, giving the original space to retreat and analyze the situation. Every movement was recorded in his mind like a machine.
The enemy growled, driving his fist through one of Itachi's clones, which burst into smoke."You're fast, boy… but still immature."
Fugaku stepped forward, his gaze ablaze."You will not lay another hand on my son."
The four fighters—Fugaku, Itachi and his clones, against the Root ninja and his copies—stood aligned under the moonlight, the river roaring behind them, ready for the brutal clash that would decide who would command the darkness that night.