Night had fallen.
The full moon hung high over the trees, its cold light casting long shadows across the village.
Uchiha Itachi returned home, troubled. He approached his father, who sat calmly sipping tea in the quiet of their home.
> "Father... have you been spending too much time around the Nine-Tails' Jinchūriki lately?"
Fugaku paused mid-sip. He gently set his cup down, his tone neutral:
> "You mean Naruto? He's a good child."
If not for Naruto, Fugaku would still be buried in worry over the Uchiha's future.
But Itachi's voice pressed further—firm, insistent:
> "I'm asking if the Uchiha Clan is getting too close to the Jinchūriki."
Fugaku's eyes darkened. He rose slowly from his seat and stared at his eldest son.
> "Watch your tone. Who are you speaking to right now—your father, or your clan's leader?"
> "Are you warning me? As a son? Or as a loyal agent of Konoha?"
> "Remember who you are, Itachi. You are Uchiha Itachi."
From his perspective, Itachi had overstepped.
But from the Leaf's point of view—he was doing his job.
Itachi bowed slightly.
> "...Forgive me. I was out of line."
The conversation ended there, a hollow silence settling between them.
Neither of them said what they truly meant.
Each had a different understanding of what was at stake.
Fugaku believed the village was nearing its breaking point.
He needed to act—for the clan. For Sasuke.
Itachi believed his father was preparing a coup—possibly with the help of Naruto and the Nine-Tails.
> "If they plan to take the Nine-Tails... then countless lives will be lost."
He had to move.
Soon.
---
Elsewhere, in a dimly lit space, a man in a swirling orange mask sat across from Itachi.
> "The Uchiha are preparing a rebellion," he said.
> "Fools. They don't realize they're digging their own graves."
This was the man from the Nine-Tails' attack—the masked man, the supposed "Madara."
He had approached Itachi long ago.
Together, they formed a plan:
The Uchiha Clan would be destroyed.
As the masked man ranted about Uchiha arrogance, Itachi silently polished his katana.
> "When do you want to strike?" the masked man finally asked.
> "Tonight," Itachi replied coldly.
"Sasuke is at the training grounds. He'll come home late."
The masked man grinned beneath his mask.
> "How touching. You don't want him to see the bloodshed?"
> "No," Itachi replied flatly.
"It's for his eyes. For the Mangekyō Sharingan."
> "Only the blood of one's kin can awaken the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan."
> "And I'll need that power."
The masked man chuckled darkly.
> "Oh, you'll love that power. I promise."
---
Meanwhile, in another part of the Uchiha compound...
> "Fugaku, are you ready?" asked Minato—the Fourth Hokage—his form flickering faintly in the moonlight.
> "The Flying Thunder God array is ready. Uzushiogakure is prepped for your arrival."
Fugaku sighed. He turned to look at his home one last time, regret lingering in his eyes.
> "The time has come. I can no longer suppress the voices of the hardliners.
The village has made its choice... there is no longer any path to peace."
> "Tonight, Naruto and I will help you," Minato said.
Fugaku paused.
> "Naruto? Isn't it too dangerous for him?"
Minato smiled faintly.
> "Don't worry. That boy's strength… is far beyond your imagination."
Tonight—everything would change.
Konoha, the Uchiha, the masked man…
All had chosen tonight.
---
The night was eerily silent.
The village streets were empty. The lamplight flickered in pale yellows.
Above them, a blood-red full moon glowed ominously.
Fugaku stared up at it.
> "This moon… it's just like the night of the Nine-Tails."
A chill passed through him.
> "Let's move."
One by one, Uchiha clansmen stepped into the Flying Thunder God teleportation seal, vanishing in pulses of light. Minato had prepared the seal to transport them safely to the Ruins of Uzushiogakure.
They were the advance party—the ones Fugaku trusted most.
In total, 120 people. A mere fraction of the thousand-member clan, but a seed of survival.
If Konoha struck, these would be the last hope of the Uchiha name.
As the final figure vanished into light, Fugaku let out a long breath.
Now, only his own family and the main body of the clan remained.
> "I'll try to talk to the rest," he told Minato.
"I owe them that much."
> "Of course," Minato nodded.
But just as those words left his lips—
> Boom—
A shockwave.
The earth trembled.
> The massacre had begun.
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