*Clang—*
The chakra of Mangekyo Sharingan unleashed by Kuroki instantly invaded the neural pathways of the nine individuals, severing their brain's control over their bodies.
"What's happening? My body won't move!"
"That's… Mangekyo!"
On the tree branches, the nine people exclaimed in shock as their pupils turned blood red, imprinted with the blade-like shape of Mangekyo.
This was the power of the Eight Thousand Spears!
Mind control!
"As long as the Yin Release chakra in one's brain is stronger than the opponent's, you can brand them with a mark, achieving mental control. You can also control their chakra. Such a simple yet brutal ability!"
For a ninja, this was a one-hit kill.
For an ordinary person, it was impossible to resist.
Kuroki remained calm, contemplating.
He easily gained permanent control over the minds of the nine, at the cost of consuming ten percent of his brain's Yin Release chakra. His eyes felt slightly sore and swollen.
The nine stood frozen on the tree branches, their spines chilled.
They hadn't done anything.
In just one exchange, they were completely controlled!
Was this the power of Kuroki's Kaleidoscope?
It was truly unfathomable!
"Ladies and gentlemen, I know some of you are confused, some are angry, and some wish to kill me right now. Soon, you'll know the reason behind all of this."
Without further ado, Kuroki used the ability of the Eight Thousand Spears, controlling the nine to move with him toward the edge of the village.
During this, he created a shadow clone to return to the clan grounds and wait for an opportunity to act.
Passing through the forest, at the end of this path was the edge of the Hidden Leaf Village, where a cliff provided a wide view of the surroundings.
Standing here, one could overlook the entire Uchiha clan district.
"Everyone, don't blink."
Kuroki arranged the nine in a line behind him, facing the clan's territory.
He stabbed his sword into the ground and sat at the cliff's edge.
The nine were puzzled by his intentions.
Uchiha Izumi and Uchiha Naruki were still immersed in wondering why Kuroki had killed so many clan members. Was it to awaken his Kaleidoscope?
At this moment, was there something more important than this horrifying internal massacre?
Uchiha Naruki swallowed hard, testing the waters, "Kuroki, even if you have Mangekyo, doing this... Fugaku, the clan leader, and Itachi... they won't let you go!"
"Itachi and Fugaku, huh?"
Kuroki shook his head, not answering.
...
**In the Uchiha Clan District.**
At the main street entrance.
The masked man looked toward the eastern mountains of the village, his sharp gaze piercing through the single eye hole of his mask as he said calmly:
"Someone got away. Our plan has been discovered by other Uchihas."
"The plan is only known to the top of Konoha. It must be some minor characters with sharp instincts. I'll take care of them after the massacre."
Itachi showed no expression as he drew his ninja sword from behind him.
From this moment on, for peace and for the village, he was willing to descend into hell and offer his soul to the devil.
"Let's begin."
The masked man spoke coldly, disappearing like a ghost into the streets of the Uchiha clan. According to their agreement, his target was the Uchiha police headquarters.
There, the Sharingan were most abundant!
*Whoosh—*
The autumn evening wind swept through the streets, making the fan flags outside the shops flutter wildly.
Tonight, the Uchiha district was eerily quiet.
*Clang—*
A store door opened, and a well-behaved Uchiha boy walked out. Upon seeing Itachi, his face lit up with joy.
Itachi was a genius of their clan!
He was an idol to the younger generation!
"Itachi, it's you outside? It's so late, are you still on a mission? Do you want to come in for some dessert? My mom bought some at the market this morning!"
"Even if the mission is urgent, taking a few minutes to rest shouldn't be a problem!"
The boy excitedly grabbed Itachi's hand, trying to pull him inside.
"Sorry…"
Itachi removed the ANBU mask from his waist and placed it on his face. The blade of his sword reflected the last expressions of the family of three: smiles of welcome and confused bewilderment.
"Ahhhh…!!"
A piercing scream echoed throughout the Uchiha district.
A splash of crimson stained the store's paper windows, the flickering lights shaking violently before the house fell silent.
Itachi stepped out, removed the mask soaked in warm blood, and, sword in hand, rushed toward the next wooden house.
*Flap—*
At that moment, countless crows flapped their wings and circled above, as if they smelled death, or perhaps were part of the plan. They perched on the walls, watching over the Uchiha district.
...
**On the Mountain.**
The nine Uchiha police guards were jolted awake by the distant screams and immediately looked toward the clan district.
They saw a black figure darting in and out of the wooden houses. Each time it entered, a desperate wail would echo from the district.
They instantly realized that the clan was under attack. Someone was slaughtering the Uchiha people!
"Kuroki, you have accomplices!!"
Uchiha Naruki's face turned pale, his expression livid. He could no longer control his emotions, and his voice became shrill.
Izumi's large, beautiful eyes trembled, unwilling to believe what she was witnessing.
The figure massacring civilians…
She knew that silhouette very well.
"No, that's not my accomplice. The one slaughtering the Uchiha civilians is the person you just mentioned—Uchiha Itachi!"
Kuroki spoke calmly.
His words exploded like thunder in their minds, causing their pupils to contract violently.
Uchiha Naruki shouted, "How could it be him! That's impossible!"
"How is it impossible?" Uchiha Tamao roared. "That Uchiha Itachi has been acting all distant and silent lately. You could tell just by looking at him that he's up to no good! If Brother Kuroki says it's him, then it's him!"
"It's... Itachi."
Izumi choked out, tears streaming from her large, clear eyes. At that moment, she seemed petrified.
Despite the distance…
She could recognize Itachi's Shunshin (Body Flicker) technique from the way that shadow moved.
The other Uchiha police guards were dumbfounded. If anything could be more terrifying than Kuroki slaughtering the ninjas in the police station dungeon, it was the one they had pinned their hopes on—Uchiha Itachi—turning his blade against his own clan's civilians!
"How could Itachi do such a thing?"
"It's genjutsu! It must be genjutsu!"
"My family… my family lives in that part of the district… why is he doing this…?"
Some of the police guards were already breaking down, sobbing and mumbling to themselves.
Suddenly, a few lines of text appeared in Kuroki's mind.
**[Main Quest]: Night of the Clan's Massacre**
**[Options]:**
1. Kill all other Uchiha.
2. Successfully escape the Hidden Leaf Village.
**[Reward]:** (Plunder) Steal the Mangekyō Sharingan of others, absorb their eye power, and gain the abilities of that Mangekyō.
Kuroki's expression became serious as he analyzed the quest.
At this stage, killing all the Uchiha, both civilians and ninjas, wouldn't be too difficult.
But Fugaku, Itachi, and Obito, who had two and a half pairs of Mangekyō Sharingan combined, were beyond his current ability to handle.
He could only choose the second option for this main quest.
Successfully escape the Hidden Leaf Village.
Kuroki glanced at the forest's barrier behind him. Even if he left the barrier, it wouldn't count as successfully escaping Konoha.
He'd still have to avoid pursuit from both Konoha forces and people like Itachi and Obito.
Judging from the reward…
It seemed to encourage him to later plunder the Mangekyō Sharingan from Itachi, Obito, and others.
"Kuroki... Captain…"
Izumi spoke woodenly.
Kuroki turned around, indicating he was listening.
"Why are you doing this?"
"And why is Itachi doing this too?"
*(End of Chapter)*