Nightfall.
Musashi was cooped up at home, training.
Lightning Chakra crackled around his hands. For some reason, he felt increasingly agitated.
Suddenly, he stopped channeling his chakra and walked out of the house.
The night sky was illuminated by a blindingly white moon, with a few dark clouds drifting lazily across it.
Musashi turned his gaze toward the direction of the Uchiha district. Gradually, his expression turned serious.
It was too quiet.
Even though most people would be home at this hour, it shouldn't be this silent.
He stared toward the Uchiha compound, his gaze heavy, as if some unspeakable horror lay hidden there.
He could hear his own heartbeat clearly.
Musashi knew—Itachi Uchiha's operation must have already begun.
Orchestrated by Danzo, with Hiruzen Sarutobi's tacit approval, Itachi's move was happening tonight.
The history of the Uchiha clan was about to turn a bloody new page.
Musashi's hand gripped the railing.
The iron railing twisted and flattened under his grip, but he didn't even notice. Staring at the Uchiha district, he muttered softly to himself.
"It has nothing to do with me."
"Absolutely nothing."
"Danzo made the plan, Itachi is the executioner. The people dying have nothing to do with me."
"That annoying Izumi... our relationship isn't even that good. If she dies, she dies."
"Just NPCs in the ninja world."
"Just NPCs."
He muttered on, the railing in his hand snapping into segments and twisting into unrecognizable shapes.
"Itachi already has the Mangekyo Sharingan."
"Bloodlines in this ninja world... they're completely unreasonable."
"Plus, that bastard Obito should be there too."
"I remember he was supposed to help Itachi. I don't know if he'll get involved personally."
"Too troublesome. Way too troublesome."
"Go back inside, sleep. Tomorrow is a new day."
He said this and moved his feet.
But his feet seemed to have a mind of their own, moving in the opposite direction.
"Can't go. Absolutely can't go!"
"The ones dying are NPCs!"
"But if they are NPCs... then... what am I?"
"Izumi, that arrogant woman. Her strength isn't even that great."
"She'll probably die quickly."
"That woman insulted me with those words. She deserves it."
"Dying this easily... she's getting off light."
"Yeah, getting off light."
"Right!"
"I can't let her get off this easily!"
The scenery rushed past his ears.
Musashi moved rapidly across the rooftops.
"I can't let her off that easy! I have to deal with her slowly later!"
He told himself this, his pace quickening until he was barely a blur under the night sky.
His eyes twitched unconsciously. Musashi didn't even realize that his gaze held a trace of madness.
A trace of rage.
The image of the rampant Nine-Tails from years ago flashed before his eyes.
He trembled. He hid.
He was powerless.
Mustering his courage to get close, only to look helplessly from a distance at the corpses of Kushina and Minato.
Just like yesterday.
Retreat?
Why can't I do it?!
Buildings flew by.
Passing the Konoha Police Force headquarters, the stench of blood filled his nose.
"Izumi shouldn't be here. She should be at home. At home."
He saw bodies strewn about from a distance but didn't stop for a second, continuing his sprint.
He sensed several chakra signatures nearby but ignored them.
As the gust of wind passed, several masked ninjas stepped out, looking at each other.
"Who was that?"
"Too fast! I couldn't even see clearly."
"What do we do?"
"Ignore him. Continue executing Lord Danzo's orders."
The Uchiha district was in sight.
From afar, he could see a semi-transparent barrier. Not a sound escaped from within.
"Itachi... or maybe Obito set up this barrier."
To hell with it!
Musashi didn't slow down.
With a piercing whistle of wind, like a wild boar gone mad, he plunged headfirst into the enemy's net!
---
Several screams woke Izumi Uchiha.
She walked out of her house in confusion, but the sight before her froze her in place.
Blood. Silence.
Several bodies lay prone on the ground.
The absence of breath and their pale faces made it undeniable—they were dead.
What is happening?
Someone is killing people in the clan district. Where did the enemy come from?
This is the prestigious Uchiha clan! Who has the guts and the skill to do this?
She panicked, checking her clansmen for signs of life. But... they were all dead.
No survivors.
"What do I do... what do I do... Right!"
"Find the Clan Head! Find the Clan Head! There are strong ninjas in the clan!"
She tried to move her trembling legs.
Footsteps from behind snapped her out of her thoughts.
"Izumi."
The familiar voice made her turn around. Seeing who it was, she instantly felt a sense of relief and security.
Thank goodness, you're here.
"Itachi! There are enemies! Go tell the Clan Head quickly! The clan..."
Her voice stopped abruptly.
Her eyes went from panic to joy, then rapidly to shock.
Her pupils trembled violently.
Under the moonlight, Itachi stood in full combat gear.
The long sword in his hand dripped blood, staining the ground red.
A trace of complexity flashed in his eyes, quickly replaced by a coldness and murderous intent she had never seen before.
This Itachi was a stranger.
So strange that her mind froze. The intense killing intent made her tremble instinctively.
"Itachi."
"What... what is going on..."
A terrifying guess surfaced in her heart, which she immediately denied.
Impossible!
It's enemy blood! Yes! It's the enemy's blood!
Her answer was him raising his sword.
Is it not Itachi? Is it Genjutsu?!
The thought flashed in her mind and solidified the next instant.
She forced her chakra to circulate, disrupting it violently within her body.
"Release!"
The scene before her didn't change at all.
She couldn't believe it and tried again.
Still the same.
As an Uchiha, she was naturally sensitive to Genjutsu. She vaguely understood—this was not an illusion.
The person in front of her carried that familiar, aloof aura.
"Itachi, is it you? What... happened? What is going on?"
"I'm sorry, Izumi."
"Did... did you really do this? Everything here... did you really do it?"
The response was a blade slashing toward her with blinding speed.
Cling-cling-cling-cling!!~
She mustered the courage to throw shuriken.
The figure didn't move, his blade flashing as he deflected every shuriken with familiar moves.
Her gaze began to tremble.
Why? What happened?
Why is Itachi attacking the clan?
The clan has changed recently; even a Genin like me could feel it.
But, how could it come to this...
She had imagined the clan might clash with the village higher-ups one day.
But she never imagined this scene.
This man, the man she grew up with, was killing her family.
And he wanted... to kill her.
The blade slashed toward her throat.
Izumi stood motionless.
The massive shock left her eyes empty and lost.
This is a nightmare, right?
In the next moment, I'll wake up, right?
WHAM!
The sound of wind roared in her ears, followed by a violent impact.
A familiar green figure stood before her.
Itachi was knocked back by the sudden clash.
Izumi's vision slowly focused. In front of her was that familiar green spandex.
"Mu... Musashi."
"Are you stupid?! Don't you know how to dodge?!"
The furious voice instantly pulled her back to reality.
"I..."
"I-what-I! Get back!"