Chapter 17: Various Reactions
Bandage-wrapped Shisui leaned against the cold stone wall, the cave filled with damp air.
Last night Yu had left abruptly mid-conversation, leaving him somewhat concerned.
He tried moving his body, immediately feeling sharp stabs of pain from his wounds.
"That kid Itachi... hopefully didn't disappoint..."
Before his thoughts could settle, footsteps suddenly echoed from outside the cave. The chakra signature was familiar—Yu had returned.
"Yu-kun," Shisui called softly.
What answered him was an ice-cold voice: "Final treatment."
Before the words finished, intense tingling sensations violently struck! This treatment was unusually rough, as if trying to forcibly piece shattered bones back together.
Shisui's body instantly tensed, cold sweat beading on his forehead.
Fortunately, this treatment ended unexpectedly quickly.
"Remove the bandages."
When light returned to his vision, Shisui saw Yu standing there expressionlessly, a sleeping little girl on his back.
The air was filled with indescribable oppression.
"What... happened?" Shisui asked tentatively, unconsciously lowering his voice.
"Uchiha Itachi conspired with external enemies and slaughtered all clan members remaining in Konoha, including the clan leader and his wife."
"Impossible!"
Shisui's Mangekyo Sharingan instantly activated, blood-red pupils trembling violently as his voice shook: "How could Itachi..."
Yu didn't explain, only raising his hand. Space twisted as a mangled human form was thrown to the ground. The figure's legs were completely severed, hair disheveled and face dirty, numbly muttering: "I was wrong... I was wrong..."
Despite being unrecognizable, that familiar voice and clothing struck Shisui like lightning.
"Itachi?!"
In just a few days, his former close friend had become this pitiful sight.
"Ask him yourself." Yu glanced disgustedly at the figure on the ground. "When you're done, take him to the temporary camp to atone."
Yu narrowed his eyes, speaking word by word:
"Make sure all surviving clan members know what this traitor has done."
With those words, space rippled and Yu's figure vanished.
Shisui stood frozen, unable to accept this news.
"I... was wrong..."
The hoarse groaning brought him back to reality. He hastily helped Itachi up, beginning simple treatment of his injuries. When his Mangekyo Sharingan met Itachi's unfocused pupils, he discovered an intricate genjutsu cage nested within.
But this posed no challenge for the genjutsu master Shisui.
"Release!"
As the Mangekyo spun, the bloodshot appearance in Itachi's eyes gradually faded. The next second, those eyes suddenly widened as he desperately grabbed Shisui's clothes.
"Shisui! Kill me! Kill me now!"
Itachi's hysterical screaming echoed through the cave, Shisui feeling his entire body trembling.
Images from the genjutsu realm still flashed in Itachi's mind—his parents' disappointed sighs, Sasuko's hateful gaze, countless clan members' spirits cursing him. The scene of Konoha collapsing in flames replayed endlessly, every detail stabbing his pride full of holes like knives.
"Please... let me atone..." Itachi's voice was already hoarse, tears mixed with blood streaming down, "It was me... it was me... I killed them with my own hands..."
Shisui's legs gave out as he collapsed to the ground.
So... it was true.
---
Deep beneath Konoha, in a dark chamber.
Danzo caressed the scroll in his hands, the corner of his mouth beneath the bandages curving in satisfaction: "That brat Itachi certainly cleaned up the Uchiha thoroughly."
Suddenly, his page-turning finger paused.
"The bodies of Fugaku's family... weren't found?"
His single eye beneath the bandages flashed with sinister light.
Not finding Uchiha Sasuko was understandable—after all, sparing her had been one of the conditions agreed upon with Itachi.
What about the others? Uchiha Yu could be dismissed as a mediocrity, but Fugaku and Mikoto's eyes would have been excellent experimental materials.
Had that brat reneged at the last moment? Impossible. Given Fugaku's nature, he could never abandon his clan members to flee alone with his family. The bodies must have been destroyed by fire—after all, reports indicated Fugaku's residence had been completely incinerated.
Danzo paced anxiously in the chamber, inexplicably feeling palpitations and a sense of impending doom.
He suddenly clenched the scroll and barked toward the shadows: "Go! Tell the Third that Uchiha Itachi betrayed the village and slaughtered his allied Uchiha clan!"
If someone had to take the blame, how could they leave out that old fool who had tacitly approved this? Danzo thought coldly.
That night, like himself, Hiruzen had specifically withdrawn all ANBU surveillance of the Uchiha to facilitate Itachi's performance of this "fratricidal" play. This would tell other allies that neither ROOT nor ANBU would attack allies—the Uchiha's destruction was caused by their own internal conflict, and Konoha remained the united Konoha it had always been.
Once the exiled remnants were eliminated, the next Hokage position... Danzo's single eye flashed with greed, as if already seeing himself sitting in that seat, wearing the Hokage hat.
After decades, it was finally his turn.
Danzo picked up the tea from his desk and took a light sip.
---
In the Hokage's office in the Hidden Leaf Village, smoke curled through the air.
Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi took a deep draw from his pipe, then slowly exhaled. He stared at the classified report in his hand, his wrinkled face showing uncertainty.
"Is the Uchiha... really finished just like that?"
The tobacco in his pipe made faint "sizzling" sounds. The plan had indeed proceeded smoothly—that rebellious Uchiha clan had finally been removed, like excising a malignant tumor from Konoha's body. No more worry about the Nine-Tails incident repeating; the village's greatest internal threat was eliminated.
But why...
He still felt uneasy, as if something was still watching Konoha.
The whereabouts of Fugaku and Mikoto's bodies remained unknown—this stuck in his mind like a thorn. But on second thought, even if they were still alive, what could two Uchiha do against him, the so-called "Professor of Ninjutsu"?
Hiruzen puffed on his pipe stem again.
"Whew."
The exhaled smoke ring slowly dissipated in the air.
The Third shook his head with a self-deprecating smile, adding more tobacco to his pipe.
Probably just getting old and paranoid.
Let it be—this farce should end.
Hiruzen set down his pipe, picked up his brush, and wrote on the scroll:
-Official Notice Regarding the Uchiha Clan Incident-
To all residents of the Hidden Leaf Village:
Last night, we experienced a heartbreaking tragedy. The Uchiha clan suffered a massacre with heavy casualties. Preliminary investigation reveals this incident was caused by former ANBU member Uchiha Itachi's betrayal of the village and brutal slaughter of his own clan. Currently, this rogue ninja has fled Konoha and is classified as an S-rank criminal. The entire village is on high alert.
Since Konoha's founding, the Uchiha clan has been an important pillar of our village. Their Sharingan achieved great military accomplishments for Konoha, and generations of Uchiha ninja protected countless comrades' lives on the battlefield. Though recent years brought disagreements for various reasons, history will not forget their sacrifices and contributions.
On behalf of Konoha's leadership, I offer our deepest condolences to our departed Uchiha comrades and will properly care for surviving clan members. We have strengthened village security to ensure such tragedies never occur again.
We ask all villagers to remain calm, ignore rumors, and watch for suspicious individuals. Report any leads immediately to ANBU or the Police Force (now managed by a temporary squad directly under the Hokage).
—Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi
Year 56 of Konoha
Hiruzen gently placed the scroll on his desk, carefully reviewing the wording once more to ensure it expressed condolences while not arousing excessive suspicion among villagers.
Tap tap— Crisp knocking interrupted his thoughts.
"Come in," he said without looking up.
A twelve or thirteen-year-old boy entered through the door.
...
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