Konoha Village.ANBU Headquarters.
Itachi Uchiha stood before the Third Hokage and Danzo Shimura, calmly reporting the outcome of his latest mission.
Once the debriefing ended, Danzo leaned forward, studying Itachi with narrowed eyes.
"Itachi," he began, his voice cold but deliberate, "I've heard rumors... that the Uchiha clan is becoming increasingly dissatisfied with the village."
He paused for a beat, then continued, "To preserve peace in Konoha, and to protect the honor of the Uchiha clan from self-destruction, I hope you'll monitor their movements closely—especially those of your father, Uchiha Fugaku."
The Third Hokage let out a soft sigh.
To ask a son to spy on his own father... there was no greater cruelty.
But what choice did they have?
As Danzo implied, if the Uchiha clan did rebel, it could plunge the entire village into chaos.
So the Hokage remained silent, letting Danzo deliver the order.
Even though, in name, the Hokage was the head of ANBU, in practice—he often let Danzo take responsibility for the more ruthless decisions.
Let Danzo play the villain. The Third Hokage only needed to look burdened... and puff on his pipe with pained reluctance.
Half a month later.
"Ding ding ding!"
The end-of-day bell rang throughout the Ninja Academy.
But instead of dismissing class as usual, Iruka-sensei calmly packed up the teaching materials on his desk, then turned to the students with a small smile.
"Everyone," he announced, "I've got some great news."
"Starting today, as students of the elite class, you're now eligible to learn the Three Basic Jutsu."
"So, with that in mind..."
"Dismissal will be delayed until 8 p.m. going forward."
"You're free to move around after class, but you'll have to stay on campus. Dinner will be served in the cafeteria."
The students had mixed reactions.
For children from civilian families—those without anyone at home to teach them the basics of ninjutsu—it was thrilling news.
Today would be their first official step into the world of shinobi.
But for students who had already mastered the Three Body Technique?
This felt like nothing short of a punishment.
"Ugh… now we have to eat at school too?" Ino groaned. "That's just depressing."
Sure, the food was nutritious. But the flavor? Very average.
"Haha, it's fine," Hinata said softly, her cheeks turning bright pink. "As long as I'm with Yoruha-kun... everything tastes good."
Yoruha glanced at the two girls beside him and patted their heads gently, smiling.
But unlike the others, who were focused on food or training—
Yoruha's thoughts were elsewhere.
His attention wasn't on cafeteria meals or jutsu drills.
He was thinking about Uchiha Sasuke.
If his assumptions were correct...
Tonight was the night.The night of the Uchiha massacre.
After all, the Ninja Academy didn't randomly extend class hours. And this sudden push to teach the Three Body Technique?
Why couldn't it wait until tomorrow?
The only explanation was that it was a deliberate move—keeping elite students like Sasuke at the Academy longer, preventing them from going home.
Only then...
Only then could Sasuke survive the massacre without being caught in the bloodshed.
And if nothing unexpected happened, by tomorrow...
Sasuke would become a boy consumed by pain and hatred.
Konoha's strength would take a devastating blow from the loss of the Uchiha clan, and the village would soon face pressure and challenges from rival Hidden Villages.
But for Yoruha?
None of that mattered.
His priority was simple: Protect the people he cared about.
As for the rest?
Sorry, not his problem.
As Yoruha sat there, pondering the quiet darkness that lay beneath Konoha's peaceful surface...
DING!
His internal system suddenly rang out, startling him from his thoughts.
"Host, please accompany Uchiha Sasuke to the Uchiha compound tonight to complete your check-in. Duration: at least fifteen minutes."
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