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Short Booklet Street.
"Teacher Yoru, you're back."
After the snowstorm, the sunshine spilled over the land, dazzlingly reflecting off the pristine white snow, making it difficult for people to open their eyes.
"Itachi, the mission is complete, we can return to Konoha now."
Uchiha Yoru, who returned dusty and weary, did not elaborate on the mission's details. Beneath his relaxed and confident smile, he was already preparing to reveal his true fangs.
The information within the village indicated that the Uchiha clan was becoming increasingly isolated. The village had already started preparations, and the current situation was such that the village was forcing the Uchiha to rebel, providing a legitimate reason to eliminate what the higher-ups saw as a cancer.
He no longer had time to lie low. Hence, on this mission, he straightforwardly reported back to the village with incorrect intelligence, indicating that the target had left earlier than expected.
As for the mission, it wasn't that he was slacking off, but rather he would act only if it was in his interest.
As for the village? He had made a dusty, hurried trip this time, which was enough of a facade, similar to the current situation with the Uchiha clan in the village. They were eager to get rid of them but still maintained a facade of decency.
"Teacher Yoru, father has sent a letter. After escorting the elite of our clan to the frontline, he will return soon, which works well for our journey back."
The usually calm Uchiha Itachi showed a rare hint of relief in his eyes. For almost every child, their father is their first idol, only to be rebelled against as they grow and seek independence.
"The clan head is returning just in time."
Upon hearing this, Uchiha Yoru also showed a smile. It seemed that he needed to have a good talk with the clan head this time.
The confidence he gained from this trip to the village came from three sources: the foundation left by the Sannin Orochimaru, the seventh squad of the police department, and his family.
Elder Setsuna was already old, and Uchiha Yoru, now at his prime as a ninja in the family, had surpassed the term 'genius'.
Having grown up, he could now be called a strong warrior. Upon his return, he would be appointed as the next elder, meaning he would gradually take over Elder Setsuna's influence.
As a member of the militant 'hawk faction,' Uchiha Yoru saw it as an advantage, as this faction represented power.
With the support of these three forces, he had the foundation to negotiate the future of the clan with the clan head and deservedly step into the limelight.
"Itachi, I will teach you well when we return."
Looking at the young Uchiha Itachi, Uchiha Yoru smiled. He had two aces in the family, Itachi and Shisui. After this return, he was about to undergo a transformation in status.
From a ninja, to later holding some power but still unable to shake off the identity of a ninja, at most being a powerful one.
Now, he was about to become a powerful ninja with high authority and the ability to influence the situation.
This was the transformation of his status.
"Thank you, Teacher Yoru."
The young and naive Uchiha Itachi clearly understood what he would have to face when he returned, yet he was one of the few who showed a hint of a smile, his hand involuntarily touching the tool pouch.
After returning, Teacher Yoru would rarely leave the village unless it was something important. At that time, not only would he have plenty of time to teach Itachi, but Itachi would also be able to ask about the ideal world mentioned in this book.
Quack, quack~
Just then, an ominous black crow, regarded as a bad omen, landed on Itachi's shoulder, cawing, which brought a relaxed expression to Itachi's face.
"Teacher Yoru, father and the others have arrived."
This crow was Uchiha Itachi's summoning creature, and naturally, there was a unique communication channel between father and son.
Uchiha Yoru, standing by, also showed a confident smile at this scene. He was fully confident in persuading the clan leader, who still harbored illusions.
In fact, both of their goals were the same: an armed coup was not an option, especially with Itachi joining their cause.
As Uchiha Yoru smiled, suddenly, a flurry of startled birds flew past in the distance.
Through the window, Itachi, who had been relaxed, inexplicably felt a sense of foreboding, while Uchiha Yoru just casually smiled and shook his head at the sight.
The frightened birds were likely a result of ninja battles in the forest or wild beasts stirring up trouble. After all, the ninja world was never truly peaceful.
"Welcome, guest. Here is your lunch."
At that moment, a servant from the inn respectfully knocked on the door. With a soft hum from Yoru, the door opened, revealing a lavish lunch brought inside.
As the servant left, Uchiha Yoru and Itachi, maintaining the dignified demeanor of their prestigious family, sat down to eat.
The moment the chopsticks lifted food to his mouth, Uchiha Yoru's relaxed expression suddenly changed, and a cold light flashed in his eyes.
Thump, thump~
Suddenly, there was a soft knocking sound. Itachi, who was chewing his food, looked up without a sound, seeing his teacher tapping a secret signal on the table with his finger.
The excitement in Itachi's heart instantly faded, and with a cold expression, he slowly spit out the food, his hand already reaching for the tool pouch.
Thud~
The door was forcefully opened, and the person who had delivered the meal was kicked inside. The intruder was Uchiha Yoru.
"Shadow Clone! When did you...?" The person who delivered the meal was shocked, looking at Uchiha Yoru sitting inside the room and at the one who had grabbed him.
Clearly, one of them was a shadow clone. In the next moment, with a snap, the sheath of a sword broke the jaw of the intruder, preventing him from crushing the deadly poison in his teeth to commit suicide.
"Since you came in, although you hid it well, your eyes clearly showed a hint of surprise, probably shocked by my sudden return. So, your target is Itachi."
The shadow clone was stepping on the intruder's chest, while the seated Uchiha Yoru spoke indifferently.
"And you, a servant delivering food, brought an extra meal, directly from the food cart at the door. Hotels usually don't prepare extra meals; this would require a redo. Such poor acting, yet it doesn't seem like the style of the Root division."
With his jaw shattered, Uchiha Yoru saw the curse mark on the opponent's mouth and tongue, revealing a hint of disgust.
"So, did you expose yourself on purpose, or are you not really from the Root Division?"
At this moment, Uchiha Yoru looked at Itachi beside him and shook his head, realizing that Itachi's intelligence had been leaked, and someone wanted to stir internal strife in Konoha.
The Root Division's attempt to assassinate the son of the Uchiha clan leader failed, and the tactic of framing others for their crimes is common among countries and villages.
"Teacher Yoru."
The clever Uchiha Itachi instantly understood that the opponent deliberately came to die to provoke dissent.
Itachi's whereabouts!
Although it seemed trivial, Uchiha Yoru narrowed his eyes, feeling a sense of gravity. Only the village and his father were aware of Itachi's intelligence.
After the incident at the Fire Temple, there were many Konoha ninjas within a hundred miles of Short Book Street. This could only be done by an insider.
How old was Uchiha Itachi now, and was it worth the village taking such a risk? Then, the target!
Suddenly thinking of something, Uchiha Yoru's face changed, and he urgently asked, "Itachi, when is your father expected to arrive?"
"By evening, from the northwest."
"Let's go!"
As the window shattered, two figures swiftly moved toward the northwest. Uchiha Yoru's expression was extremely grim.
Just after the incident at the Fire Temple, the Daimyo's mansion suspected Konoha. If something happened to both the father and son of the Uchiha clan leader at this time, under the instigation of those with ulterior motives, wouldn't it be a warning from the Daimyo's mansion?
Provoking the conflict between the Uchihas and the Daimyo's mansion, at worst, they wouldn't cooperate. The Uchiha clan would be completely isolated within the Land of Fire.
One trap led to another!
"Itachi, inform the clan leader of the ambush."
Although Uchiha Itachi was still stunned, the intelligent and calm Itachi, known for obedience, didn't doubt his teacher Yoru and immediately summoned his spirit beast, a crow.
Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique
Just as they left Short Book Street, huge fireballs attacked from all directions in the woods. Seeing this, Uchiha Itachi was about to form seals when a strong force hit him on the shoulder.
Boom~
Under the roaring sound of the Fire Release Ninjutsu, a hawk's cry echoed through the sky amid the explosion's smoke. Uchiha Yoru instantly summoned his spirit beast and flew into the sky with Uchiha Itachi.
"Not good, Uchiha Yoru is back! Change of plans."
"Send a signal flare immediately!"
The Uchiha Yoru flying in the sky looked down and saw shadows emerging from the forest below, their methods extremely ruthless, clearly aiming to kill and silence.
Thunderous sounds filled the air as exploding tags tied to kunai were rapidly fired towards the target in the sky. It was then that Uchiha Itachi displayed his extraordinary shuriken skills, far surpassing his peers.
The chaotic flight of the shurikens on a strange trajectory managed to knock down all the incoming kunai, causing the exploding tags to detonate mid-air.
"Lord Yoru," someone called out.
"Proceed full speed towards the northwest."
Facing Uchiha Yoru's stern voice, the summoning beast, an eagle, didn't hesitate at all, even ignoring the kunai fired by ninjas below.
"Itachi, now tell me all the information in detail."
Uchiha Yoru's face was extremely grave at this moment, as if everything was starting to connect, part of a scheme from the beginning.
For the current Uchiha clan, if the clan leader and his son were to die, one outcome would be chaos and leaderlessness within the clan, and there was another possibility.
They were framing him! No wonder the village always delayed his return with missions, he had thought it was the village's attempt to divide and coax the ninjas who had returned to the village.
So they were waiting for him. Even if the framing failed, if the Uchiha clan leader and his son died here, the village just needed to spread the news that he happened to be in Short Book Street at the time.
Tsk tsk, the clan leader ambushed, and the genius Uchiha Yoru did nothing. Returning to the village was originally to take over the responsibilities of the aging elder, but now with the clan leader's position vacant, who in the current Uchiha clan could stop him?
Thinking it over, Uchiha Yoru's expression became even more serious. He had always been protected by Orochimaru and his family, and he hadn't yet reached a noticeable standard.
But now it was different. When the news of him preparing to take over the elder's position spread within the family, he stepped into the forefront.
He was no longer a ninja hiding under the wings of others but a ruler who spread his own wings to protect others.
The situation with Orochimaru's forces, perhaps one village was unable to handle it, another didn't expect him to grow so fast, and another was the death of Shinzo!
Shinzo had suddenly disappeared on the frontline, despite his numerous previous achievements.
"Teacher Yoru!"
Uchiha Itachi also showed a tense expression. Despite his calm and intelligence, he was still a child, and now his father was in danger.
"My communication with my father has always been through the summoning beast, the crow. I never revealed it in Short Book Street, and before that, it was at the Whirlpool Country base on the frontline, at that time…"
As Uchiha Itachi calmly recounted all recent events, a terrible thought suddenly struck his mind.
The information about Uchiha Fugaku had leaked from him!
…
The eagle's fierce cry echoes in the sky above, its sharp eyes intently scanning below as it swiftly flies.
"Lord Yoru!"
Suddenly, with a soft cry from the eagle, Uchiha Yoru, with his hair fluttering in the wind, sharply focuses his eyes, noticing a rising cloud of dust in the distance.
Amidst swirling smoke, a vague and huge shadow violently dissipates.
"Susanoo!"
Realizing something is amiss, Uchiha Yoru shouts, "Itachi, protect yourself in the sky."
With a loud bang, Uchiha Yoru swiftly takes out a signal flare from his blade pack and sets it off in the sky.
At the same time, his body is instantly covered in curse marks, and with the fierce cry of the eagle, it swiftly flies away, ready for action.
In the distance, amidst the swirling smoke, signs of ninjutsu attacks are everywhere, and everyone notices the signal flare in the sky.
"Oh no, it's a signal flare from the Uchiha clan!"
Masked black-clothed ninjas exclaim in surprise upon seeing this, sensing a change in the situation, almost there!
The elite members of the Uchiha clan, trapped and in disarray at the center, roar in fury upon seeing the signal flare.
"Reinforcements, it's our reinforcements!"
Boom! Amidst the chaos of ninjutsu, the eagle's fierce cry resonates above, and young Uchiha Itachi, witnessing the scene below, has his Sharingan eyes spinning wildly.
Fire Release: Great Fire Annihilation
A sea of fire, like a torrential waterfall, descends from the sky, its range and power terrifyingly immense.
Uchiha Yoru, with his full power and Wood Release body enhanced by the curse mark, has executed a ninjutsu surpassing the A-rank level.
In an instant, an entire forest is transformed into a sea of fire.
A single ninjutsu changes the landscape, and in the crackling blaze, not even screams can be heard.
A bolt of lightning strikes from the sky, revealing several battered figures under a skeletal phantom in the sea.
"Lord Yoru!"
Upon seeing the arrival, one of the battered Uchiha Jōnin immediately cries out in surprise. It's then that Uchiha Yoru sees clearly.
The four Jōnin of the Uchiha clan, though battered, still stand guard around, while Uchiha Fugaku kneels on one knee, protected by the others.
However, he looks terribly wretched, with black blood at his chest and mouth. He is panting heavily, and most eerily, one of his eyes is a bloody, empty socket, while the pattern in his other eye is even more sinister.
The Mangekyō Sharingan, now exuding a strange black and purple aura.
~~~
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