Late at night, beneath the main hall of the Naka Shrine, the Uchiha clan was holding a closed council meeting with the clan head and his elders. [ image ]

"The moon's been shining brighter these last few nights - that's a good omen," rasped one of the elders.
"Kohaku-san, you're absolutely right. Tsukuyomi is watching over us, waiting for our success. Fugaku-dono, have you changed your mind about the plan?" asked another, his sharp gaze betraying a mind that missed nothing.
"No," Fugaku replied, shaking his head gently. "The power of the Nine-Tails would be a huge advantage, but even I can't fully control it. The consequences would be just as disastrous as they were eleven years ago - maybe even worse."
"Authority should be built on strength and respect. I agree with the head - using the Nine-Tails would only breed fear and needless bloodshed. We don't need a reputation as madmen. Or do you have another idea, Hikaru-san?" Shidara, the third elder, turned to the head.
The other two elders - the twins, Shoku and Ginmu - stayed silent as usual, preferring to speak only at the end of any meeting.
"My own idea? Of course I have one. I say we play it smart - let the Nine-Tails rampage outside the village. That'll draw most of the village's forces away and give us more room to maneuver." All five elders raised their eyebrows and looked at Fugaku.
"Using Kushina-san's daughter… Mikoto would never forgive me for that. And after that, I don't think I could look her in the eye without shame. But if it gives us a better chance…" Fugaku's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a sliding panel moving in the next room.
Fugaku and the elders tensed. No matter how old they were, their senses were still sharp.
"Shisui-kun?" one of the elders said in surprise, seeing the young man enter the hall.
"This is a closed meeting. What are you doing here? Apologize and leave, now," Kohaku snapped.
But Fugaku, staring at Shisui's face, noticed something was off. His eyes… they'd lost their usual intensity, as if his vision had faded. [ image ]

Without waiting to see more, Fugaku jumped up and shouted, "Don't look him in the eyes!" Unfortunately, only two of the elders understood in time and reacted.
The other three turned toward Fugaku and the twins, their intentions suddenly dark.
"Katon: Fire Burial!" Kohaku shouted, and in the next instant, the peaceful night in Konoha was shattered by a thunderous explosion.
The explosion tore through the silence like a living nightmare. The ancient wooden beams of the Naka Shrine groaned and splintered, sending burning debris raining down on the council.
****
Leaping onto the roof, Itachi stared anxiously at the smoke and flames rising from the direction of the clan shrine.
The explosions had woken her instantly. It took less than a minute to get dressed and climb up for a better view.
"We're under attack!" she realized, disbelief flooding her. She rushed back inside, where Mikoto was already in the living room, dragging a sleepy Sasuke by the hand.
"Mom " Itachi started, but Mikoto cut her off.
"I know. Find your father. I'll help everyone else get to the shelter." Seeing how quickly her mother had geared up, Itachi just nodded and hurried out.
On her way to the shrine, Itachi came across a fight between clan members in the street.
"No… this isn't a fight, they're trying to kill him!" Itachi couldn't make sense of it - two Uchiha were attacking another, and judging by the wounds, they meant to kill.
Not hesitating, she dropped behind them and knocked both out with precise strikes to the head.
"What happened?" she asked the wounded man, already pulling bandages from her pouch.
"Ah, Itachi-chan, I don't know. I was just heading home when Hoshura and Emiku jumped me out of nowhere… and what was that explosion? Do you know?" he asked, taking the bandage.
"Someone's attacking the clan. Stay alert," Itachi replied, then vanished in a blur, racing toward the shrine.
The streets of the Uchiha district had become a war zone. Bodies lay sprawled across the cobblestones, some still twitching, others already eerily still. The night was alive with the clash of steel, the crackle of fire jutsu, and the guttural cries of wounded shinobi. Itachi darted between burning houses, her sandals slipping in pools of blood.
****
The Naka Shrine - or what was left of it after the blast - was being devoured by fire, smoke billowing in every direction.
The smoke made it hard to see, but the clash of kunai was clear as day. With her Sharingan, Itachi spotted two figures locked in battle, one attacking from every angle.
"Futon: Gale Break!" She quickly formed three hand signs and exhaled a powerful gust of wind. Within seconds, the smoke cleared, but the fire roared even higher.
"Father! Shisui?!" Seeing the two figures in the shrine square, both shielding their faces from her wind, Itachi was even more confused.
"Itachi, Shisui is our enemy now. He used his Mangekyo Sharingan on some of the elders - they're fighting each other in the woods. They need backup," Fugaku called out. [ image ]

"Shisui… betrayed us? Why? There must be a reason." Itachi froze, torn.
"Itachi!" her father shouted. She looked up just in time to deflect a shuriken thrown her way.
Staring at Shisui in disbelief, she bit her lip.
"Something's wrong with him. He won't answer my questions, but now's not the time. Go help Shoku and Ginmu," Fugaku yelled.
"Right. Father can hold off Shisui. If I can free the elders from Kotoamatsukami, we can subdue Shisui and find out what happened." Itachi was about to head for the woods, but paused to tell her father, "On my way here, I saw clan members fighting each other. I think… Kotoamatsukami wasn't just used on the elders."
"Then… I have no choice," Fugaku muttered, revealing his own Mangekyo Sharingan to Shisui. [ image ]

****
"Heh, looks like Fugaku's going all out," Ginmu chuckled, spotting the towering, translucent armored figure in the distance.
"He's not the only one. That kid really is a genius. Maybe we should use our Susanoo too?" Shoku said, half-joking.
"Or maybe you two could just finally move on to the next life?" Kohaku grinned.
"Kohaku-san, if it weren't for that cane, your words might actually sound threatening," Hikaru laughed.
"Ugh… I hate using Susanoo. My back always hurts after, and my eyes get even worse," Kohaku complained.
"Can't we just talk this out? Let us break the jutsu on you," Ginmu tried again.
"Oh, come on. You really think we're under a jutsu? This was our plan all along. The Uchiha clan has to fall tonight, or hundreds of thousands of innocent people will suffer. Shisui-kun understands that - that's why he joined us."
"Forget it, brother. Shisui's Mangekyo is stronger than we thought. They really believe they're acting on their own. No point arguing."
Suddenly, a flurry of shuriken arced toward the three elders, their paths so perfectly calculated that dodging in any direction would have meant injury. But these were elders for a reason - years of experience didn't just vanish. Their reflexes, speed, and strength weren't what they used to be, but blocking two shuriken at once and stepping back in time was still easy.
"Well, well… Itachi-chan, our clan's rising star. What a shame," Kohaku said, his eyes flashing with a complex pattern. All the metal that had flown past the elders suddenly reversed course, flying back at Itachi even faster.
The twins were about to step in, but stopped, stunned, as Itachi twisted and spun through the air, dodging every shuriken. For a moment, all the elders just stared.
"Not bad, not bad. A real prodigy," Kohaku nodded, clapping. "But I'm not done yet." The shuriken flew at Itachi again. To the twins' horror, Itachi didn't move - she just flicked her wrist.
"What?" Kohaku was shocked to see some of the shuriken suddenly veer off, knocking the others off course. "Ha, I see. You managed to thread wire through them while dodging. Impressive. Well, friends, I'm afraid we can't hold back if we want to beat the twins and our young genius," the old man smiled.
"Too bad, I'm out of eye drops," the second elder grumbled as the third nodded.
"Itachi, don't go after Kohaku or Hikaru - you can't handle their Mangekyo. Shidara's blind in one eye, he can only neutralize ninjutsu. Try to draw him away - with him here, we don't stand a chance," Ginmu said, then leapt aside to dodge a spike of earth rising from the ground.
"Pfft, terrain control. I forgot how many of your opponents fell to that," Shoku said, rubbing his shoulder where a branch had grazed him.
"You'll have to try harder if you want to beat me…" Hikaru smirked, catching his own right hand with his left just as it swung a kunai at his throat.
"Tch," Ginmu grunted, seeing his attack fail.
"Funny, isn't it?" Kohaku said with a laugh. "We all know each other's tricks, and our Mangekyo's secondary abilities only work partially."
*Mangekyo Sharingan really is that powerful? I need to be careful and take Shidara-san out of the fight,* Itachi thought, gripping her kunai tighter as she eyed the elder with the white pupil.
****
[ Meanwhile, in the Hokage's office. ]
"The Uchiha have split into two camps: some want a coup, others want a peaceful solution. Who would've thought it would come to bloodshed?" Danzo shook his head, feigning regret.
"I'm shocked myself," Hiruzen admitted. "I know the Uchiha can be impulsive, but this… I'm afraid we'll have to intervene."
"Interfere in a clan's internal affairs? If you want every clan in the village to turn against you, that's the way to do it. You might as well start writing your retirement letter now," Danzo said with a smug look.
"So what do you suggest?" Hiruzen grunted, exhaling a cloud of smoke.
"Just wait. The more of the coup supporters who die, the better for us. Let them kill each other. The clan's influence will weaken, and any future ideas of rebellion will die out - at least for the next ten or twenty years."
"I don't like it," the Hokage said quietly.
****
"As soon as you awaken your Mangekyo Sharingan, no one in our clan will be your equal, kkh…" Shidara coughed up blood. "Taijutsu, speed, strategy, mastery of weapons, and a perfect understanding of the Sharingan - this was a great fight, and I lost. I hope… the clan lives on." Itachi, catching her breath, watched sadly as the elder ended his own life.
This wasn't the hardest fight of her life. The elders' Mangekyo only limited her ninjutsu options a bit - it was foolish to think someone at the end of their life could match her agility. Still, she'd learned plenty of new tricks - like the kunai hidden in sleeves during strikes. She'd remember them all.
*And still, I used up a quarter of my chakra.*
"Suiton: Release." Itachi formed a few hand signs, cheeks filling with water. Slowly, gulp by gulp, they shrank back to normal. Thirst gone, she popped a soldier pill and headed for the other elders.
But Itachi's help wasn't needed anymore.
"Well, you did it, kid? Impressive," Ginmu smiled as Itachi arrived. "Help an old man out, would you?"
Itachi scanned the battlefield. The ground for dozens of meters was torn up, every tree either burned or shattered. In the distance lay what barely resembled a human body - a pile of charred bones, still smoking. Next to Ginmu, Shoku lay in a pool of blood, his body riddled with holes. Kohaku-san was nothing but scattered limbs.
Not a pretty sight, but after serving in ANBU, she was used to it.
Ginmu himself was sitting on what was left of a fallen tree. His right arm was gone below the elbow, and his kimono was riddled with holes, slowly soaking with blood.
"Your eye…" Itachi said, approaching with a painkiller syringe, noticing one of Ginmu's eyes had lost its color.
"Izanagi," Ginmu rasped. "Damn technique - had to kill each of them twice. Even blind, they were dangerous. Thanks." He nodded after the shot. "Go find Fugaku-dono and help him. I'm heading to the center of the district - someone's raising hell there."
When the battle finally ended, the district was unrecognizable. Smoke hung low over the ruins, hiding the full horror from the moon's cold gaze. The bodies of friends and kin lay scattered among the wreckage, their faces frozen in masks of pain and disbelief. Blood pooled in the gutters, running in dark rivers toward the heart of the clan's home.
****
"This isn't normal! How does he have so much chakra?" Fugaku summoned a translucent Susanoo arm to block Shisui's strike.
*This fight's dragging on. His mind won't yield to my Mangekyo, and I've got less than a tenth of my chakra left. Should I use Izanami?* Fugaku leapt aside, throwing a kunai with an explosive tag at Shisui, but as expected, it bounced harmlessly off Shisui's Susanoo armor. [ image ]

"Katon: Vacuum Incineration!" came a shout from the side, and a stream of fire spiraled beneath Shisui and his Susanoo, swirling into a fiery tornado.
"Itachi, report!" Fugaku called, using the moment to pop another chakra pill.
"Elder Ginmu's badly wounded, he should be helping in the district. The others are dead," Itachi said, appearing at his side.
"Understood… We need to deal with Shisui. His mind's immune to my control, and his chakra reserves are off the charts," Fugaku said, watching the firestorm slowly die down.
"He… he's not going to make it," Itachi said suddenly.
"What do you mean?" Fugaku glanced at his daughter, who was scanning Shisui with her Sharingan.
"I don't know what technique this is, but I saw a Root ANBU use it once. It destroys the cells, releasing a huge amount of chakra," Itachi said confidently.
"Yeah… now that you mention it, I can see some of his chakra pathways are invisible to the Sharingan. What a terrifying jutsu."
A series of explosions from the district made Fugaku and Itachi glance away for a split second - just long enough for Shisui to unleash a barrage of chakra needles at them with his Susanoo.
"Doton: Earth Shield!" Itachi quickly formed hand signs, raising a thick wall of earth in front of them. She and Fugaku jumped back, shielding their eyes from the flying debris.
In the chaos, there was no danger in looking Shisui in the eye with the Mangekyo. When the dust cleared, Fugaku immediately noticed one of Shisui's eyes was closed.
"Don't tell me…" Fugaku's heart skipped a beat as he turned his head.
"Damn!" Deflecting shuriken thrown by Itachi, Fugaku jumped aside, keeping both Shisui and Itachi in his line of sight. Shisui didn't give him a chance to regroup, charging in for close combat with Susanoo.
Seeing Itachi coming at him from the side, Fugaku had no choice but to summon his own Susanoo for defense.
With Susanoo's halberd, he blocked Shisui's direct attack, while Itachi's strike couldn't break through the armor.
*I have to try… NO!* Fugaku's eyes widened as he spotted a kunai with an explosive tag stuck in the ground half a step away. *When did she?*
To avoid the blast wave focusing inside his own Susanoo, Fugaku had to dispel it and leap away.
He felt a sharp blade pierce his back, and couldn't help but smile.
*She planned it all. I was right - my daughter surpassed me.*
"Itachi… I'm proud of you." Fugaku's lung was pierced clean through.
"Father…" Feeling the blade tremble, Fugaku turned his head and saw Itachi, tears in her eyes, staring at her hands.
"You even awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan. Amazing." Fugaku was about to smile, but froze as Itachi, raising her kunai, aimed it at her own throat. "No!"
Fugaku couldn't react in time - Itachi was too fast. The tip of the kunai was just inches from her neck. Thanks to the Sharingan, Fugaku saw it all in slow motion. Blood sprayed everywhere as the blade struck home.
"Foolish girl… She broke Shisui's jutsu for a second, just long enough to cast her own Mangekyo illusion on herself," Fugaku muttered, torn between pride and grief. As a father, he was proud his daughter would go so far for him, but he'd gladly trade his life for any family member's.
"Luckily, I made it in time." Reaching out with a bleeding hand, Mikoto knocked Itachi out with a blow to the neck before she could recover.
A clone appeared beside Mikoto, immediately carrying Itachi's unconscious body away.
"What a day - first Itachi awakens her Mangekyo, now you. Is there some kind of special going on today?" Fugaku tried to laugh, fighting the tremor in his voice. [ image ]

"Honestly, I can't leave you alone for a second," Mikoto muttered with a faint smile, watching the wound on her palm close up, leaving flawless skin behind.
"A Mangekyo that affects Yang energy?" Fugaku wondered, wincing as Mikoto yanked a wakizashi from his back.
"Hm, other people's wounds are trickier," Mikoto noted, pressing her hand to Fugaku's puncture. Unlike the Mystical Palm, no visible chakra appeared.
"Just stop the bleeding," Fugaku said quickly. "And tell me - what's the situation in the district?" he asked after a moment.
"I helped most of the women and children get to the shelter, but then a lot of them wanted to go back out and help."
"And you let them leave?" Fugaku asked.
(Author's note: Gotta love those mid-battle conversations. All according to Kishimoto.)
"Of course not. I convinced them someone had to protect the kids. So, what do we do about that bastard?" she said, nodding at Shisui as he started to move.
"Watch your words - he's under someone's mental control," Fugaku said, straightening up.
"I don't care. Because of him, my daughter almost killed herself. Controlled or not, tonight that monster dies. If it takes my life to stop him, so be it - I'll hold him back by any means necessary."
Susanoo clashed against Susanoo, titans of chakra tearing the night apart. Each blow sent shockwaves through the district, shattering windows and toppling walls. Fugaku fought with a desperate resolve, pouring every last drop of strength into the battle, determined to protect what remained of his family - even if it meant sacrificing himself. Somewhere in the chaos, a woman's scream rose above the din, only to be cut short by the roar of another explosion.
The sky above the Uchiha compound glowed red, as if the moon itself had caught fire, bearing silent witness to the Uchiha's final battle. [ image ]

****
"Danzo-sama, the operation is complete. Nearly all Uchiha forces have been wiped out. Most of the survivors are children, women, and the elderly. The police force is gone. The survivors are receiving medical aid, and the clan is now under the control of Fugaku's wife. The head himself is presumed dead or in critical condition."
"Good. Dismissed," Danzo said coldly. As soon as he was alone, his face twisted in anger.
"What happened to my squad? Where did thirty ANBU go?!" Smashing a ceramic cup, Danzo tried to calm himself, but it wasn't working. In his plan, not a single Uchiha was supposed to survive.
🔥~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~🔥
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