The five Uchiha had only been travelling for a few hours when trouble found them.
They were just past the outer forests, far enough from the village to be considered alone, when a group of masked shinobi blocked their path.
Their movements were too smooth, too well-trained to be ordinary bandits. These weren't missing-nin or mercenaries.
Izumi's eyes narrowed. She had a feeling—just like Kiyomi—that things weren't as simple as they seemed. And this was the proof.
They wore ANBU masks, making it impossible to tell their real identities. Though one could often guess by the kind of jutsu they used and the way they fought.
One of the Uchiha stepped forward. "Who are you?" he called out.
The masked ninja didn't answer. Instead, they moved quickly—and attacked.
Shuriken flew through the air, kunai clashed, and in moments, a full battle broke out.
These were Root shinobi, of course.
Exactly as Hiruzen had anticipated, Danzo had acted in secret. He had sent his loyal men to stop the Uchiha, disguising them to make it look like a random ambush. No one could connect them to Konoha.
Hiruzen himself had never sent any guards or observers to watch the Uchiha, nor had he given Danzo any word about their movements. In fact, Danzo wasn't even supposed to have control over Root anymore. And yet, he had still found out what was going on and sent his men.
On paper, Hiruzen had nothing to do with this incident. Directly or indirectly, he had taken no action—he simply believed Danzo would.
That was partly why he had given permission in the first place. It was also the reason he had reduced the group size to only five people. If the sacrifice of five could stop the rest from going to their deaths, then so be it.
After all, whether they died by Root's hands or by Itachi's, the outcome would be the same.
The Uchiha fought back fiercely. Fire jutsu lit up the forest. Sharingan eyes spun, tracking every movement. They were strong—but so were the Root.
And worse, the Root shinobi fought like machines. They had no hesitation, no fear. Every move was precise, deadly, and meant to kill.
These Uchiha were not the elites the clan had once boasted. They were what little fighting power the clan still had left.
One of the Uchiha was taken down by a kunai through the chest. Another fell to a poisoned blade.
Now, there were only three left standing—including Izumi.
"We can't keep this up!" one shouted, breathing hard. "There are too many!"
Izumi gritted her teeth. She didn't want to do it—not here, not like this. But she had no choice.
She closed her eyes for a moment.
When they opened again, her Mangekyō Sharingan glowed.
Suddenly, black holes materialised around her, manipulating gravity itself. They created rifts to protect her fellow Uchiha while attacking the enemy at the same time.
The forest shook as chakra surged from her.
The masked Root shinobi froze. They hadn't expected this. At first they thought it was an ordinary jutsu—until they saw the scale of it.
"A Mangekyō…" one muttered under his breath.
"She's the priority target!" another snapped. "Kill her! Now!"
They attacked harder than before, all focus shifting to Izumi. But the black holes deflected their jutsu or outright sucked them in.
This was Izumi's first time using these eyes, and fatigue was already catching up to her.
The remaining Uchiha stared in awe.
"She awakened the Mangekyō…" one whispered.
"We Uchiha still have hope…"
"Save her! Push them back!"
Even in chaos, a spark of hope lit in their hearts. For the first time since Itachi's betrayal, they saw something powerful—something that could rival him.
Izumi didn't waste time. She had never used the Mangekyō before and knew she couldn't keep it up for long. Its chakra consumption was immense, and she didn't have enough reserves to sustain it.
She directed the black holes toward the enemy.
That was the biggest problem.
"Fall back!" she shouted to her allies. "Get out of range!"
They hesitated but obeyed. The two Uchiha pulled their injured comrade and ran deeper into the trees.
Izumi stayed behind to cover them, her black holes forcing the Root shinobi back.
The Root pressed forward, more aggressive than ever. They could not let her escape—especially her.
Danzo's orders were clear: kill them all. But the moment it was confirmed that Izumi Uchiha had awakened the Mangekyō, she became the top priority. Killing her would be worth it even if the others escaped.
Izumi was breathing hard now, her body trembling. Her chakra was nearly gone, and the strain on her eyes was unbearable. She lacked the control to use the technique at its full potential, and the toll was immense.
That was when Sukuna stumbled upon the scene.
He had been returning from his first bounty mission. Before re-entering the village, he always followed a routine—teleport outside, clean himself, and check for scent marks or tracking seals. No one needed to know where he had been.
He had stopped by a river to wash away the blood and dirt. As he checked his clothes and tools for seals, he felt it—an enormous surge of chakra deep in the forest.
Wild. Powerful.
Curious, Sukuna abandoned his cleaning and moved quickly. He reached the edge of the clearing and saw several masked Root shinobi fighting a group of Uchiha. One girl had activated her Mangekyō.
First she used an ability resembling black holes, but when that failed to finish them, she summoned her Susanoo.
From the ribcage form alone, Sukuna knew this was either her first time using it or she was overconfident that the first stage would be enough. He doubted the latter—no Uchiha was supposed to have a Mangekyō aside from Itachi and Shisui, and perhaps Fugaku if filler was considered.
This had to be a new Mangekyō user—likely a side effect of the massacre.
Sukuna didn't know the girl, but now that he knew she had the Mangekyō, he intended to find out.
He crouched low on a branch, watching silently.
He had no reason to help—he wasn't some sage who rescued strangers. But the chance to ruin Danzo's plans? That was reason enough.
And who else could it be but Danzo? He recognised the hollow, cold feeling of Root shinobi.
Meaning Danzo was behind them—meaning it was perfectly fine to mess with him.
Still, Sukuna wouldn't reveal his identity or powers. He waited for the perfect moment—when none of the Uchiha were looking.
Then, he struck.
A smoke bomb exploded in the clearing, blinding everyone. Hidden in the fog, Sukuna moved like a ghost—fast, precise, brutal. One by one, the Root shinobi were beheaded before they even realised what was happening.
By the time the smoke cleared, it was over.
The remaining Uchiha looked around in shock.
All the enemy ninja were dead.
At the edge of the battlefield stood a small masked figure—small like a child. He wasn't even facing them, and his chakra was so well-hidden they could barely sense him.
They kept their guard up—if anything, they were more wary of him than before.
Izumi, drained from her Mangekyō, collapsed from chakra exhaustion. She couldn't sustain such powers for long.
"Who are you…?" one of the two remaining Uchiha asked.
"Consider this a debt. I intend to get compensation in the future. I hope you'll find it appropriate." He ignored their questions, thinking only of his own benefit.
He wasn't sure how—or if—they'd repay him later, but it was worth asking.
"And a warning: don't trust the village, especially Danzo Shimura." Just another jab at the old war hawk.
Sukuna had trained his voice to sound different and kept his words short before leaving.
The Uchiha were left in contemplation. What they'd heard only confirmed their suspicions—the village was up to something.
But new questions arose. Who was that masked boy? Why had he helped them?
He was young—by his height, he could be an academy student at best.
"We need to return to the village. We can't continue this search mission anymore. Izumi's safety is the priority now. We must take her back safely."
xxx
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