Outside the Uchiha Compound
In the cold night air, Sarutobi Hiruzen stood in silence, his eyes unreadable. Around him, masked Anbu operatives shifted like shadows, waiting for his signal.
He had chosen them carefully. No regular shinobi. No witnesses.
Only the elite. Only those he trusted to wipe away the Uchiha problem without question.
As he moved through the outskirts of the clan district, he noticed something immediately—
Danzo was absent.
Hiruzen frowned but said nothing. His grip tightened behind his back as he gave a silent hand signal. The Anbu followed, slipping past the barriers like ghosts.
Then—
They saw it.
A towering golden Susanoo loomed over the battlefield, its sheer size distorting the very air around it. Its aura was so vast that even from a distance, Hiruzen felt the pressure weighing down on his lungs.
Danzo... what the hell have you done?
Meanwhile, within the compound, Uchiha Fugaku stood at the center of chaos.
His Mangekyo burned red as he faced his eldest son. Around them, the Uchiha elites—hardened warriors who had trained for this moment—watched the battlefield unfold with a mix of awe and terror.
"Father, this battle... if more Uchiha witness their kin being slaughtered—" Itachi's voice was calm, but his eyes were sharp, calculating.
Fugaku nodded. "More will awaken their Mangekyo. It is inevitable."
Itachi exhaled slowly. And yet, Fugaku still stood at his side.
In the distance, Uchiha Tekka watched the golden Susanoo with admiration. His eyes gleamed with excitement.
"This... this is the ultimate power of the Uchiha!" he declared. Around him, warriors tightened their grips on their kunai, their eyes burning with the fury of a clan prepared to fight to the death.
Then, Kaito moved.
With a single swing of his sword, a trench ripped through the battlefield. The ground split apart, bodies thrown into the air as screams tore through the night.
Those who tried to run—never made it far.
The sheer force of his attack sent shockwaves through the Uchiha district, shaking even those within their homes.
And then—Hiruzen arrived.
The Third Hokage, flanked by his Anbu, stepped onto the battlefield just as Uchiha warriors rushed toward the golden titan.
A flicker of motion—Fugaku, Tekka, and other clan heads arrived as well.
For a moment, everything stood still.
The Uchiha, divided.
The Hokage, watching.
Then—
"Kaito," a voice called.
Uchiha Haruto.
The elder's voice was strained, his hands twitching. The presence of Hiruzen and Danzo had changed everything.
Kaito barely turned. "Leave it to me."
Tekka nodded immediately, stepping back. Behind them, the Uchiha loyal to Kaito remained silent, their gazes unwavering.
But—
A second faction, the Uchiha from the inner circle, looked toward their leader.
"Clan leader ... what is going on?" a young chunin asked, his voice wavering.
Fugaku's lips parted. The truth sat on his tongue, waiting to be spoken.
I am trading your lives for Sasuke's future.
But before he could speak—
Tekka sneered.
"Don't ask, you fool. Our 'good clan leader' wants his eldest son to kill us all!"
A stunned silence fell over the crowd. Then—
"What?!" The young Uchiha's voice shook with disbelief. Others turned toward Fugaku, waiting for him to deny it.
Danzo struck immediately.
"Don't listen to his nonsense!" he called out, stepping forward. His voice was sharp, cutting through the uncertainty. "Uchiha Kaito seeks rebellion, but Fugaku opposes him! That is why Kaito seeks to slaughter those who refuse to join him!"
The words were rushed, filled with obvious holes—
But Danzo knew something important.
The Uchiha from the inner circle? They were still loyal to Konoha.
And they wanted to believe in their Hokage.
Their eyes turned to Fugaku—waiting. Hoping.
Fugaku clenched his fists.
His mind spun, calculating.
If he could turn this moment around—if he could win back Itachi, win back the power of three Mangekyo Sharingan—
Then, maybe, the Uchiha wouldn't fall tonight.
He opened his mouth.
Then—
He saw Danzo's smirk.
The man was baiting him. Luring him into a trap.
Fugaku hesitated for one second.
Then—he nodded.
"Elder Danzo is correct."
The battlefield exploded into chaos.
"WHAT?!"
The Uchiha erupted.
Kaito's faction turned on Fugaku, rage twisting their faces into something inhuman.
"Uchiha Fugaku! Have you forgotten your blood?!"
The voice ripped through the night.
A middle-aged man stepped forward, his face twisted in anguish. It wasn't just rage—it was pain. A pain that cut deeper than any blade.
"Fugaku... you were our clan leader!"
His voice broke mid-sentence. The words barely escaped him, as if saying them aloud made them more real—more unbearable.
Behind him, more Uchiha stared in disbelief. Some trembled, some clutched their chests as if something inside them had shattered. Others... others just stood still, as if their bodies had forgotten how to move.
"TRAITOR!"
The cry rang out, but it was hoarse, almost hollow. It was the voice of a man who didn't want to believe what he was saying.
Fugaku stood firm, but his hands were shaking.
For the first time in his life, he felt small.
He had given everything for the Uchiha. Led them. Protected them. Held their future in his hands.
And yet—
As he looked into their eyes, all he saw was hatred.
No understanding.No trust.No loyalty.
Just betrayal.
Decades of devotion—erased.
Centuries of unity—shattered.
A young Uchiha boy, no older than Sasuke, stood behind his father. His tiny hands clutched the man's robe, his small body trembling.
"Father... what does this mean?" the boy whispered, his voice barely audible.
The man had no answer. His lips trembled, his eyes glossed over, but he didn't look away from Fugaku.
One by one, the warriors of the clan—his clan—bowed their heads. Not in submission.
In grief.
Because they finally understood.
Fugaku had abandoned them.
A woman fell to her knees, her hands pressed to the cold earth. Silent tears fell from her eyes as she stared blankly at the ground.
"No... no, this isn't real... It can't be real..." she murmured.
Another man let out a choked breath. He wasn't crying, but his entire body shook.
"You would trade us... for your son?"
Fugaku opened his mouth—but no words came.
What could he say?
That they were expendable?That Sasuke mattered more?That their lives had already been decided?
What words could ever justify this?
Some ninjas turned away, unable to look at him any longer. Others stared at the sky, blinking rapidly, trying to hold back the tears they refused to shed.
The Uchiha did not cry.The Uchiha did not beg.The Uchiha did not break.
But tonight—they did.
And at the center of it all—Kaito stood.
Silent. Watching. Waiting.
As if he had known all along.
The Uchiha had splintered.
And there was no turning back.