Chapter 5 – I Came, I Saw, I Ran Away
If one were to speak of the oldest clan in shinobi history that still managed to preserve its lineage, it would probably be none other than the Uchiha.
The poor Senju had all but perished, with most either dead or crippled, leaving only Lady Tsunade as the last survivor. Yes, Tsunade truly was, in every sense of the word, the last fruit.
The Uchiha compound at Nanga Shrine had always been the place where the clan gathered and held its most important meetings. Even the fateful decision to betray their own leader, Uchiha Madara, had been made there.
Of course, if those ancestors had known the clan would one day fall to such a miserable state, they might have reconsidered betraying their forefather.
"Perhaps everyone has already noticed—Konoha has decided to strike against the Uchiha tonight. That's right, tonight."
Uchiha Fugaku's words instantly set off an uproar in the meeting hall—after all, nearly all of the clan's key figures were present.
"Clan Leader, then let's rebel! Since Konoha has made this decision, the Uchiha are not to be trifled with. Worst comes to worst, we go down fighting!"
"That's right, Clan Leader, better to go down with a fight than submit!"
"I'll keep it short. All these years I've done my best for our clan, but the treatment of the Uchiha has only worsened. I owe you all an apology—for being such an unqualified clan head."
After saying this, Fugaku bowed deeply to everyone present.
Though many of the Uchiha considered him too weak, no one could deny the effort he had put in for the clan over the years. Mediating daily between the village and his people was an exhausting and hopeless task.
But with the Fourth Hokage's death, the Third's return, and Danzo stirring up trouble, the clan's situation had plummeted again. After all, the disciples of Tobirama Senju were never going to truly treat the Uchiha fairly.
The key difference was that, though Tobirama despised the Uchiha, he at least had both the power and the magnanimity to not fear open conflict with them—unlike Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo.
"But now, there's still hope. Uchiha Akira has awakened the legendary Mangekyō Sharingan. His technique can help us escape Konoha together. Everyone, pack only what is vital and prepare to evacuate at once. The Uchiha can still be saved!"
"Forget about silver notes and money—just bring every clan member and as many jutsu scrolls as you can carry. If you can, safeguard some of our important heritage. I, along with the Clan Head, will be waiting for you—hurry!"
Hearing Fugaku and Akira's words, the Uchiha no longer hesitated. They quickly dispersed to pack their valuables.
Akira let out a sigh of relief. Thankfully, no one had stood up to question him; otherwise, things could have taken a disastrous turn at such a critical moment.
"What's wrong, Akira? A moment ago, when you gave that rousing speech, you didn't look this uneasy." Fugaku, for once, allowed himself a small joke. With his people finally seeing a way out, his own heart felt lighter than ever.
"I'm just worried they won't trust me at a moment like this. People's hearts are hard to predict."
"The Uchiha are hot-headed, yes, but they're always unexpectedly tolerant of their own. Look at me—a clan head this unqualified, and they've endured me all these years. Even when I confessed that the village was going to attack tonight, no one blamed me."
"That's what makes the Uchiha such a stubborn yet lovable people."
In a dim underground chamber, Danzo glanced at the Sharingan embedded in his arm.
"Tonight, I will gain even more materials. From tonight onward, the Uchiha will become nothing more than history."
"Yamanaka Fū, are Root's forces ready?"
"Lord Danzo, the Root are fully prepared. We can move at any time."
"Bring the sealing unit, create a soundproof barrier. Tonight, the Uchiha will be erased from Konoha's history."
"Yes, sir."
As they stepped out of Root's base, a black figure suddenly appeared. Yamanaka Fū immediately moved to guard Danzo.
"No need. This is Uchiha Itachi—an excellent Uchiha who truly carries the Will of Fire. In tonight's purge, Itachi will be our main force."
Even someone as thoroughly brainwashed as Yamanaka Fū couldn't help but give Itachi a strange look. Good heavens, this man was ruthless—he was going to slaughter his own clan. Even Fū himself couldn't bring himself to such extremes.
He hadn't joined Root to betray his clan but to protect it.
But this Uchiha Itachi? This wasn't brainwashing—this was stage-32 brain tumor mixed with stage-27 idiocy.
"This rotten clan can no longer be saved. They will become nourishment for Konoha, to fuel its growth," Itachi muttered coldly.
Meanwhile, all of the Uchiha had already packed and gathered together.
"Mangekyō Sharingan—Open!"
In front of Uchiha Akira, a dimensional gate appeared. On the other side, the sun shone brightly, a stark contrast to the current night in the shinobi world.
Akira pushed his ability to the limit, widening the portal.
"Quickly! This consumes a huge amount of chakra."
No one wasted words. Most only looked at Akira with tearful eyes before stepping into the gate in an orderly fashion. Thanks to its width, the entire clan—barely more than a thousand people—evacuated swiftly.
Next came the ninja cats. Of course, not all of them chose to leave with the Uchiha; some decided to remain. The Uchiha didn't stop them, even gifting them silver notes.
Those who did choose to stand with the Uchiha would forever be family and comrades.
"Clan Head, now it's just you, Lady Mikoto, and Sasuke."
Looking at little Sasuke in Fugaku's arms, Akira thought to himself that the balance of the shinobi world might soon change.
"No. Sasuke and I will stay. You take Mikoto and go." Fugaku shook his head.
"Why? What's the point in you staying behind? We still can't resist Konoha. Your sacrifice will be meaningless!" Akira didn't understand what Fugaku was planning.
"There's still a little time, so let me tell you."
"I have lived through three Hokage—Tobirama Senju, Hiruzen Sarutobi, and Minato Namikaze. In Tobirama's time, I was only a child, but I still fought in the Second Shinobi War. Later, the Third War."
"I have fought and bled on battlefields, but the glory of the Uchiha has never shone again."
"We were the betrayers of our ancestor Madara. And though I still believe he was wrong, if I had to choose again, I would still forsake him."
"But it's true—the honor of the Uchiha has only fallen lower and lower in my hands."
Uchiha Akira listened silently to Fugaku's heartfelt words. He could leave at any moment, his chakra reserves were still enough. There was no need to rush.
Do you want me to continue translating this chapter to the very end, or stop here where Fugaku is still speaking his final thoughts?