Naruto Uzumaki lay on his bed, gazing out the window.
For some reason, the Hidden Leaf Village was eerily silent tonight.
The quiet was unsettling, unlike the village's usual liveliness.
[Is the night of the clan massacre starting?]
[The Anbu watching Naruto have dwindled. Have most been sent to the Uchiha clan?]
In Naruto's subconscious, Chu Ran sensed the fading presences around them.
His face grew pensive. If his guess was correct, tonight was likely the night of the Uchiha massacre.
Though slightly later than in the original Naruto story, due to changes caused by Naruto's altered actions, the timeline had shifted.
But from subtle signs, Chu Ran was certain there was a high chance tonight was the night.
[Oh, right, I've been meaning to bring Sis Izumi some grilled fish.]
[She hasn't tried my grilled fish yet.]
[I made extra today. Maybe I'll bring her some.]
As part of his plan, Chu Ran needed Naruto to witness the massacre's beginning and end firsthand.
He immediately began subtly nudging Naruto in his subconscious.
"Grilled fish…"
Naruto glanced at the nearby clock. It was just past eight, still early.
Without hesitation, he got up, dressed quickly, packed the grilled fish, and slipped on his shoes to head out.
It was only a little after eight, but the Leaf Village streets were pitch-black.
Only a few streetlamps lit the paths, and the eerie silence made Naruto's heart race for reasons he couldn't pinpoint.
…
Atop the Hokage's office building in the Hidden Leaf Village.
The village's four top leaders were gathered.
Hiruzen Sarutobi's face was grim, his eyes tinged with sorrow.
"After tonight, the Uchiha clan will cease to exist."
Hiruzen turned to Danzo Shimura, speaking softly.
He knew part of the rift between the Uchiha and the village stemmed from his old comrade's machinations.
Though Hiruzen often understood this, he'd chosen to let it happen.
As Hokage, he had his own reasoning, needing to eliminate threats to the village's stability from all angles.
"You're too soft, Hiruzen."
"Otherwise, we wouldn't have waited until now."
Danzo opened his eyes, glancing at Hiruzen before turning to the Uchiha compound.
Unnoticed by others, a faint smile crept onto Danzo's face as he looked.
"Prepare the village's narrative about the Uchiha."
"And after tonight, issue an S-rank bounty for Itachi Uchiha."
Hiruzen gave Danzo a deep look, then turned and left.
He knew that after tonight, the Leaf would undergo a major upheaval.
Beyond the Uchiha, other noble clans might grow wary.
Hiruzen's next task was to reassure them all.
…
Within the Uchiha clan compound, a massacre was unfolding.
Itachi Uchiha's eyes were bloodshot, his Mangekyo Sharingan awakened by the deaths of kin.
But alongside Itachi's slaughter, another mysterious figure emerged, ensuring no Uchiha survived.
Wearing a spiral mask with a single exposed eye, his identity was clear.
Seven years ago, he'd unleashed the Nine-Tails: Obito Uchiha.
Currently, Itachi didn't know Obito's true identity, as Obito called himself Madara Uchiha.
Together, the Uchiha compound echoed with screams and wails.
Outside the Uchiha security team's headquarters, as Obito slaughtered his former clansmen, a figure appeared, halting his actions.
"What's going on?"
"Who are you?"
The ground was soaked in blood, littered with corpses, the stench overwhelming. Naruto covered his mouth and nose.
Facing the chained man, Naruto instinctively felt fear.
The pungent blood smell blanked his mind, his legs frozen in place.
"You are?"
Obito's pupil contracted as he looked at Naruto.
In an instant, he recognized him.
After killing the Uchiha in his grasp with a kunai, he advanced toward Naruto.
"Don't come closer…"
Naruto stared at the bodies and Obito's blood-red eye.
Fear consumed his eyes. This was different from Mizuki's threat.
The killing intent and danger were on an entirely different level.
It was a visceral threat of death. Under its weight, Naruto couldn't even flee.
This was his first time facing death directly, seeing so many corpses.
For a child, the impact was soul-deep.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
As Obito closed in, a massive fireball surged from the forest toward him.
Facing the terrifying technique, Obito merely glanced at it, not bothering to dodge.
A shocking sight unfolded: the fireball passed right through him.
It struck the ground nearby, exploding violently.
Boom!
The blast's shockwave hurled Naruto several meters, about to crash into a tree.
A figure swiftly caught him.
"Sis Izumi!"
Naruto's pupils trembled, gripping Uchiha Izumi's arm tightly in fear.
This masked man's strength far surpassed Mizuki's.
And he had a Sharingan, its oppressive aura making Naruto acutely aware of his own weakness.
But when Naruto saw Izumi, another pair of eyes met his.
Three-Tomoe Sharingan.
"Naruto, listen."
"Go back now. Don't come to the Uchiha compound again."
"Find a Jonin, find the Hokage!"
Izumi propped Naruto aside, drawing two kunai from her waist.
She'd only thought of fleeing, but now she knew she couldn't.
Whether from the pressure of life and death or the need to protect someone, she'd awakened her Three-Tomoe Sharingan, later than in the original story.
(End of Chapter)
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