"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
Before even arriving, the Third Hokage heard countless explosions.
When he reached the Uchiha compound, he saw swaths of Uchiha buildings reduced to rubble.
Through the towering smoke stood a massive orange Susanoo, clashing violently with another purple-black giant.
The two titans slammed into each other, and the shockwaves blasted smoke and dust across the entire area.
"How can this be…" The Third stared in shock.
Was Susanoo truly this terrifying?
Of course, the Third knew what Susanoo was. The Second Hokage, Tobirama, had explained it in detail to him.
It was a divine power—an ultimate technique granted only to Uchiha who had awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan.
So Fugaku and Itachi… both possessed Mangekyō Sharingan?
All these years, Fugaku had never revealed it.
And Itachi—at his age—was already a Mangekyō wielder?
Not to mention Shisui—did the Uchiha clan now have three Mangekyō Sharingan?
Half the compound had been flattened.
The Third's heart grew heavy. The Fourth Hokage had died unexpectedly, Orochimaru had defected, Tsunade and Jiraiya were away from the village.
Could he rely on the other clans to fight the Uchiha to the death?
The dust was too thick, the chakra pressure overwhelming. No one could get close enough to see what was happening inside.
Through the chaos, Itachi's voice could faintly be heard.
"Father, what's left in Konoha to stay for? If they dared steal Shisui's eye, then you'll be the next target."
Fugaku roared back, "Silence! The Uchiha have been part of Konoha since its founding. What happened to Shisui was an accident. The Third will return justice to us—"
The rest was drowned out as another deafening blast shook the ground.
Outside the compound, more and more onlookers gathered. The Hyūga were among the first to arrive.
Hiashi activated his Byakugan, but all he saw were two massive masses of chakra. He couldn't make out what was happening within.
Others couldn't even get close.
At last, the two Susanoo vanished.
From the smoke came Itachi's fading voice: "Forgive me, Father." Then silence.
The Third waved his hand, and everyone surged into the compound.
They found Fugaku, pale and drenched in sweat, sitting weakly on the ground.
It was obvious—he had nearly exhausted all his chakra.
The Third leapt forward, immediately calling medical-nin to treat him.
Since medical chakra revealed much about the patient's body, most ninja never allowed outsiders to heal them. But Fugaku offered no resistance.
He opened his mouth and weakly said, "A tragedy for the clan, Lord Third… My son, and Shisui… they've defected."
One of the medics signaled discreetly to the Hokage: it was nothing serious, only chakra exhaustion.
The Third calculated silently.
Just then, a figure landed nearby—it was Uchiha Natsuki.
"Clan Leader, while you fought with Itachi, I evacuated the clansmen to safety. Aside from a few minor injuries, everyone is fine."
The Third's eyes flickered before he spoke. "Fugaku, don't speak so harshly. Many Konoha ninja have gone on training journeys. If Itachi wished to leave with Shisui for training, that's nothing unusual."
Natsuki feigned sudden realization and quickly chimed in, "Yes, exactly! Itachi and Shisui only went out to train. Clan Leader, don't worry too much."
Fugaku seemed dazed, staring blankly at the half-destroyed compound.
Supporting him, Natsuki said to the Hokage, "Lord Third, we deeply apologize for the chaos caused tonight. But the Clan Leader is badly injured and needs treatment—we'll take our leave."
The Hokage nodded, allowing Natsuki to escort Fugaku away.
Other clans arrived shortly after.
Seeing the devastation, they were stunned—most would have believed a tailed beast had attacked.
But this… was the work of just two Uchiha.
The gathered clans watched the Hokage silently, waiting for his decision.
The Third studied them. In their eyes, he saw no fighting spirit—only hesitation and fear.
He drew in a long breath of smoke, then exhaled slowly.
"Tonight, the Uchiha only departed. There was no rebellion."
Thus, the Third defined the incident.
The other clans relaxed, their tension easing, and turned their attention to the shattered compound.
Each year the Uchiha expanded their grounds, yet with so many dying on missions, much of it lay unused.
And since Natsuki had evacuated everyone beforehand, only minor injuries occurred—no deaths.
Was this truly an accident… or a staged performance?
Back at the residence, Natsuki helped Fugaku inside.
His weakness was no act. He had awakened the Mangekyō years ago, but ever since learning of its effect on eyesight, he had rarely used it.
Thus, his ocular power remained strong, but that didn't mean his chakra reserves matched it.
Maintaining Susanoo's first form had nearly drained him dry, even though he only destroyed parts of the compound.
As for Itachi, it was the same. He had only recently awakened the Mangekyō, and Fugaku had just taught him Susanoo on the spot. The destruction of half the compound had nearly knocked him unconscious.
After all, he was only eleven—his body couldn't yet withstand such immense chakra techniques.
Fugaku touched the corner of his blurred vision. His eyesight had declined further.
"Natsuki, do you think the Third will see through this act?"
Natsuki shrugged nonchalantly. "Of course he'll see through it. But this isn't a secret plot—it's an open one. Even if he knows, he won't dare tear off the mask."
"First, because the Uchiha have already voluntarily surrendered their authority. Second, because we have three Mangekyō Sharingan."
"Right now, Kumo is negotiating peace. If the three Mangekyō turned against Konoha, even if the village won, the cost would be devastating."
"In that case, Kumo wouldn't be coming to negotiate—they'd be coming to destroy us."
"All we need to do is stick to the plan."
Suppressing his discomfort, Fugaku discussed the next steps with Natsuki, then left the work of calming the clansmen to the Fourth Elder before finally sinking into a deep sleep.
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