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"If it's for the sake of the village, then there's no need to explain. The Uchiha clan is also part of the village." Sarutobi Hiruzen knew that Itachi must be nearby, so he emphasized this deliberately, before saying impatiently, "Fine, I will issue the order tomorrow. For now, stay home and reflect on your actions."
After that, Sarutobi Hiruzen turned and left.
His grandson, Konohamaru, was not even four years old. If he found out that his parents had died, the shock would be unimaginable.
Sarutobi needed to go back and console him.
But before that, he had to meet someone—Uchiha Itachi—to confirm whether Kirito was truly dead.
Meanwhile, the analysis team was using mind-reading techniques on Shinnosuke to look into his memories.
He had to know who the killer was.
"Danzo, I saw it, and I'll keep watching. If you make any move against Sasuke, I'll leak all of Konoha's secrets to enemy nations."
As soon as Sarutobi Hiruzen left, Itachi created a Crow Clone to confront Danzo, warning him, just as he had done in the original timeline.
Under Danzo's furious gaze, Itachi turned into a flock of crows and vanished within the Uchiha compound.
At the same time, Kirito had already arrived at Kurenai Yuhi's residence.
As usual, after parting ways with Might Guy, Genma Shiranui, and the others, Kurenai had returned home to indulge in her evening drink, with her favorite wasabi octopus as a side dish.
Suddenly, she felt sleepy, and her wine glass slipped into Kirito's hands.
Kurenai herself slumped on the sofa, dazed.
"Such a troublesome girl," Kirito sighed helplessly as he cleaned up for her, just as he had in the past during their time together as Jōnin.
He then carried her to her bed, tucked her in, and placed a pure gold ring—already prepared—on a thin string, hanging it around her neck and tucking it under her collar.
Finally, he used his Sharingan to plant a subtle suggestion in her mind: that the ring was incredibly important to her, never to be removed or shown to anyone.
Only then did Kirito feel at ease to leave.
He didn't tell Kurenai the truth. Even if he did, it would cause more harm than good.
For him, the so-called fake death was just a smokescreen to deceive Konoha's higher-ups.
If Konoha's leadership had any sense, they would know from the dead bodies of the Sarutobi clan members that Kirito was involved.
At least, it was carried out by someone in his ANBU gear—his mask, his ninja sword.
But his body had vanished in plain sight, leaving no trace.
This was enough to confuse everyone. By the time the Third Hokage and the others caught on, it would already be too late. He had long since escaped.
This would save a lot of trouble.
Elsewhere, Uchiha Itachi had followed Sarutobi Hiruzen to a massive building outside of Konoha.
Sarutobi Hiruzen had his hands clasped behind his back, while Itachi, dressed in his ANBU attire, knelt on one knee.
"You must have something important to say, since you've come here. I've dismissed everyone else," Sarutobi Hiruzen said gravely, without turning to face Itachi.
Itachi bowed his head in gratitude. "Thank you, Lord Hokage."
"First, I want to express my thanks. In this way, Konoha has avoided a civil war and preserved its peace. But I still regret not finding any other way," Hiruzen began, praising Itachi's efforts.
At another time, Itachi would have felt deeply touched by these words.
But after witnessing the massacre of his clan, seeing Danzo's manipulations, and knowing that the Third Hokage had silently condoned it, his feelings had changed.
At this moment, his only concern was Sasuke.
But Hiruzen remained unaware of this.
When the time felt right, Sarutobi Hiruzen finally asked the question that was on his mind: "What are your plans now?"
"I've allied myself with a man who calls himself from the Akatsuki to destroy the Uchiha clan. I plan to stay with him to prevent him from breaking his promise and attacking Konoha," Itachi responded respectfully, presenting himself as useful to Hiruzen.
"So, you plan to join the Akatsuki, then?" Sarutobi Hiruzen's eyes darkened, his suspicions falling on the Akatsuki for his son's death.
"Yes. In return, I ask for a promise," Itachi said, revealing his true purpose.
"Don't worry about your brother. I will keep my word. Sasuke will remain safe, attend school like the other children, and eventually grow up to be a Konoha ninja," Sarutobi Hiruzen reassured him, turning to face Itachi. "But before that, I have a few questions."
"I'll tell you everything I know," Itachi nodded.
"I assume you know about the disappearance of the bodies of Kirito, Fugaku, and several Uchiha clan members. Do you know who was responsible? And is Kirito really dead?" Hiruzen asked.
After a moment of thought, Itachi replied, "The only person who could have made seven corpses disappear without a trace is the one who helped me destroy the Uchiha clan. He possesses a strange space-time ninjutsu that allows him to teleport and absorb people without leaving any trace."
"As for Kirito, he is truly dead. He was killed by my Mangekyō Sharingan technique, Tsukuyomi. I confirmed his death with my own hands."
Relieved, Sarutobi Hiruzen continued, "So, does that mean my son also fell to this masked man?"
"If Lord Shinnosuke encountered that masked man, then it's a possibility," Itachi responded respectfully.
"I see..." Sarutobi Hiruzen clenched his fists, suppressing his rage. With his back still turned to Itachi, he spoke, "From this point on, Konoha will classify you as an S-rank traitor, wanted dead or alive."
"I leave the Akatsuki matter to you. If you get the chance, eliminate the masked man who poses a threat to the village. This will be your final mission."
"Understood," Itachi acknowledged, and with those words, he vanished from the top floor of the Hokage building.
As soon as Itachi left, Sarutobi Hiruzen punched the wall nearby, his face twisted with anger. Veins bulged on his forehead as he cursed, "Damn Danzo, damn masked man!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen had long known that Danzo had been secretly working with the masked man.
But with the Uchiha coup on the horizon, he had no choice but to turn a blind eye.
Now, with the Uchiha threat eliminated, Sarutobi's eldest son and daughter-in-law were dead—something he could never forgive.
But there was nothing he could do about the masked man, and he couldn't take real action against Danzo either.
He had no choice but to swallow his fury.
(End of the Chapter).
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