Outside the Uchiha Compound
The night was cold. Still.
Sarutobi Hiruzen stood at the edge of the district, silent.Anbu flickered around him—no civilians, no witnesses. Only the elite. Only those chosen to erase the Uchiha.
He stepped forward—and stopped.
Danzo was gone.
Hiruzen frowned, but said nothing.
With a flick of his hand, the Anbu moved. Shadows in motion. They slipped through the barrier like ghosts.
Then—they saw it.
A golden Susanoo, towering, warping the very air. Its pressure pressed down like gravity made of glass.
Danzo… what did you unleash?
Inside the Compound
Uchiha Fugaku stood amid the wreckage.
His Mangekyō spun.
Across from him, Itachi's gaze was unreadable.
"If they see their kin slaughtered," Itachi said, voice low, "more will awaken their Mangekyō."
Fugaku nodded.
"It's already begun."
In the distance, Uchiha Tekka watched the golden titan with awe.
"This… this is true Uchiha power."
All around them, warriors gripped their weapons tighter.
Then—Kaito moved.
One swing of his blade split the ground open. Earth shattered. Bodies flew. Screams echoed.
Those who ran didn't get far.
The shockwave cracked stone and shattered windows.
And then—Hiruzen arrived.
The Third Hokage stepped onto the field, flanked by Anbu. Behind him, Uchiha leaders assembled—Fugaku, Tekka, others.
For a breath, the chaos paused.
The Uchiha stood divided.
The Hokage waited.
Then—
"Kaito!" a voice called.
Uchiha Haruto.
He stepped forward, hands shaking. The sight of Hiruzen—and the missing Danzo—had changed everything.
Kaito didn't even turn.
"Leave it to me."
Tekka stepped back. So did Kaito's loyalists—silent, tense.
But from the other side, voices stirred.
"Clan leader… what's happening?"A young chunin looked between Kaito and Hiruzen, confused, afraid.
Fugaku hesitated.
I'm trading your lives for Sasuke's future.
Before he could speak—
"Don't ask, fool," Tekka barked."Our great leader wants his son to kill us all."
The silence that followed was a wound.
"What?!"
Dozens turned to Fugaku.
Waiting.
Begging for a denial.
Then Danzo stepped out of the smoke.
"Don't be deceived!" he roared."Kaito seeks rebellion. Fugaku opposes him. That's why Kaito's turned on his own!"
It was rushed. Sloppy. Transparent.
But Danzo knew one thing:
The Uchiha still wanted to believe in Konoha.
Their eyes turned to Fugaku.Pleading.
Fugaku's hands clenched. His thoughts raced.
If I can win Itachi back… if I align the Mangekyō… maybe—maybe I can still save us.
He looked at Kaito.
And saw it—Danzo's smirk.
Bait.
Fugaku paused too long.
Then—
"Elder Danzo is correct."
The world broke.
"WHAT?!"
Cries turned to howls.
Kaito's loyalists surged, eyes full of betrayal.
"Fugaku! Have you forgotten your blood?!"
One man stepped forward. Mid-thirties. Face lined with grief.
"You were our clan leader!"
Behind him, others stood—some stunned, some trembling.
"Traitor."
The word wasn't shouted.
It was spoken.
Like a death sentence.
Fugaku didn't move.
But his hands trembled.
He had led them through war. Through exile. Through rebuilding.
And now—
All he saw in their eyes was hate.
No loyalty. No brotherhood.Only betrayal.
A boy, no older than Sasuke, clutched his father's sleeve.
"Dad… what does it mean?"
The man didn't answer.
His eyes never left Fugaku.
One by one, the clan bowed their heads.
Not in surrender.Not in respect.
In grief.
A woman dropped to her knees, staring at nothing.
"No… no, this isn't real…"
Another voice—quiet. Broken.
"You'd trade us… for your son?"
Fugaku tried to speak.
What would he say?
That Sasuke was worth more?
That it was all decided already?
There were no words.
Some turned away. Others stared at the sky, blinking hard, refusing to cry.
The Uchiha didn't cry.The Uchiha didn't beg.The Uchiha didn't break.
Tonight—they did.
And at the center of it all, Kaito stood unmoved.
Watching.
Waiting.
As if he had seen this from the beginning.
The Uchiha were shattered.
And there would be no putting them back together.