After sending a few Uchiha children into hiding underground, Naruto couldn't help but feel a spark of excitement. These kids would one day become valuable talents for Umbrella.
He needed to rescue more. Ahem—rescue, not kidnap! Naruto shamelessly corrected himself in thought.
Soon, a chorus of anguished cries echoed through the district. It wasn't just Uchiha Itachi who was moving—Root operatives were also at work.
Perhaps even the Anbu were involved.
Otherwise, how could a single person, no matter how gifted, slaughter an entire clan like the Uchiha?
Endless battles alone would drain Itachi's chakra, and there were many elite jōnin among the clan who weren't so easy to kill.
Naruto's eyes shifted toward the training grounds. Beyond them lay the Uchiha residential district. He could feel countless life signatures—some young, some seasoned, and some nearing the end of their lives.
These were the Uchiha children and their families.
Many of them were ordinary civilians, not shinobi.
If it were in my previous life, how could I ever kill these people? Naruto clenched his fists.
Itachi had been brainwashed by the higher-ups of Konoha.
Who else could have orchestrated such a tragedy? Years of subtle manipulation from the Third Hokage and the growing rift between the Uchiha and the village had warped Itachi's perspective. He came to believe the clan's stubborn pride alone was to blame—and to prevent civil war, he chose to bear the sin himself.
Naruto sneered. This world was twisted. No matter how talented Itachi was, Naruto despised his actions.
Itachi had no right to decide Sasuke's future for him, forcing his little brother onto a path of vengeance. Sasuke deserved the choice to walk his own way.
As for Itachi… I'll let Sasuke decide his fate.
Suppressing his chakra, Naruto's form blurred and slipped once again into the earth, hidden from sight.
Inside the Uchiha compound, the massacre resembled hell itself. Elderly men, children, and even unarmed women fell under the blades of masked shinobi.
Itachi gazed upon the slaughter. For the briefest moment, pity flickered in his eyes—quickly replaced by the image of Sasuke.
Whatever hesitation he felt was crushed. The clan's destruction was inevitable. The only thing he could do was spare Sasuke. One day, the name Uchiha would resound across the land once more, carried by his younger brother.
For that purpose—
He would bear everything.
A swirling distortion split the air. From within stepped a figure in a spiraled mask. Itachi's eyes hardened; even he found the man's space–time ninjutsu troublesome.
"Dear Itachi," the masked man sneered, "hesitating already?"
Itachi gave no reply. His blade moved instead, cutting another clan member down. Blood spattered across his face, but his expression remained cold, like the god of death itself.
The masked man chuckled. This youth's ruthlessness was remarkable, even to him.
As they advanced, curses and screams echoed across the district. The Uchiha's fury blazed in their eyes—Sharingan spinning wildly. One tomoe became two, two became three, but awakening the Mangekyō was no simple feat.
"Uchiha Itachi! You're not worthy of the name Uchiha! Aaaah!"
Several Uchiha shinobi finally rallied to resist. But they were no match. Itachi's Mangekyō flared, his chakra surging as his power climbed to the level of a Kage.
And he wasn't the only threat. Almost all of Root had been deployed, with Anbu reinforcing them.
The Uchiha were outnumbered and surrounded. Even their strongest fighters found themselves crushed under the coordination and sheer numbers of their foes.
Itachi cut through them mercilessly, eventually reaching the residential quarters. Root operatives were already there, cutting down helpless civilians. For a moment, the face of a young girl flashed in his mind—but it was soon replaced by Sasuke's image. Nothing mattered more than his brother.
The blade in his hand fell once again.
Turning away, a single tear slid down his cheek as he walked toward the clan leader's home. He knew what awaited him there.
Through the corridor, across the yard, into the quiet room—two figures sat calmly, waiting.
Uchiha Fugaku. Uchiha Mikoto.
Neither spoke. Neither screamed. They simply looked at their son in silence, as though they already understood everything.
Uchiha Fugaku slowly raised the teacup in front of him. His hand trembled faintly—betraying the calm mask he wore.
"It seems… you've chosen Konoha."
He let out a quiet sigh. "You are my son. Whatever path you take, I will support you…"
The words trailed off. Fugaku knew it was pointless to say more. The fate of the clan had already been sealed. Looking at the seemingly indifferent young man before him, he could still sense the crushing weight his son carried.
"Woo… woo…"
"Itachi, please… protect Sasuke. Protect my dear Sasuke!"
Mikoto's voice broke through the silence, her tears streaming freely.
"Mother… I'm sorry." Itachi's voice was calm, but heavy with sorrow. "I cannot allow Konoha to be dragged into war."
His hand moved behind him, drawing the short blade from its sheath.
"Father," he whispered, his eyes spinning into the shape of a three-bladed shuriken, "you should see this clearly with your own eyes."
The tomoe of his Sharingan rotated swiftly, fusing into the Mangekyō.
Fugaku's expression flickered with shock, then softened. "You are my son… Protect Sasuke."
Blood trickled from the corners of Fugaku's lips. The same crimson trail stained Mikoto's mouth. Only then did Itachi notice the kunai wounds piercing their abdomens, faint traces of chakra still lingering. They had severed their own life force, rupturing their organs from within.
Itachi's grip tightened on his blade. His body trembled, but he forced himself to turn away. Without another word, he strode from the room. His hands blurred through a string of seals, unwilling to leave their remains to be desecrated by Root.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
Flames roared, engulfing the room in a blazing inferno. But as the fire raged, black flames ignited from his eyes—Amaterasu. The strongest of all flames, devouring even fire itself, spread across the building, reducing it to nothing but consuming darkness.
Unseen to him, just as he turned away, the earth shifted silently. Naruto, hidden underground, extended his chakra into the soil. With Earth Release, he encased the bodies of Fugaku and Mikoto, spiriting them away before the black flames could consume them.
If their bodies are preserved… then perhaps, one day, there's still hope of resurrection. In this world, even death is not always final.