The news of the entire Uchiha Clan vanishing struck Konoha's high-ranking officials like a thunderbolt.
When Hiruzen Sarutobi led a group of elite Ninja to the Uchiha Clan's territory, what greeted his eyes was only young Sasuke, lying alone and helpless on the cold ground, his figure appearing exceptionally desolate.
Immediately, Anbu members swiftly and secretly took Sasuke away for a detailed and thorough investigation.
The subsequent grim news of Danzo Shimura being attacked made Hiruzen Sarutobi realize the seriousness of the situation.
He decisively sealed off all information regarding the attack on Konoha's high-ranking officials and urgently ordered Anbu to intensify their efforts to gather the most detailed intelligence in the shortest possible time.
Making the entire Uchiha Clan vanish was not something an ordinary person could achieve.
Hiruzen gazed at the rows of silent houses before him, fine beads of sweat forming on his forehead.
Is it related to you?
Uchiha Itachi.
On the other side, a man wearing a tiger-striped mask stood silently atop a tree, his right eye gleaming with all-seeing insight, closely monitoring every movement in the Village.
When he received the news of the entire Uchiha vanishing, he scoffed at it.
The entire Uchiha Clan vanished?
Leaving behind only a young child?
What kind of fairy tale is this?
But when he saw Konoha's Ninja running around the Village, his resolve began to waver.
Driven by curiosity, he eventually arrived at the wall of the Uchiha compound.
Before him, numerous houses were as dark as night, with only a few lonely lamps flickering in the cold wind, emitting faint and desolate light.
He snuck in and was astonished to find that all the houses were indeed empty, the quiet atmosphere even revealing a sense of eeriness.
He stood on the tree branch outside the wall, gazing at the residences before him, a slight chill running down his spine.
It's truly unbelievable...
Who exactly has the ability to transfer all members of the Uchiha Clan?
Could Konoha have intentionally hidden them?
No, impossible.
If it were truly them, they wouldn't have dispatched so many elite Ninja to gather intelligence...
Just as he was deep in thought, the bushes below the tree suddenly rustled.
Obito instantly became alert, a Shuriken shooting out from his hand, and at the same time, his figure flashed as he leaped down from the tree.
His right Sharingan activated suddenly, his cold gaze sweeping the surroundings.
"Who's there? Come out if you don't want to die."
As the dark clouds dispersed and the bright moon hung high, casting silver light, Obito clearly saw the face of the approaching person.
"You are... Uchiha Itachi?"
The man he somewhat feared, now appeared before him in a disheveled state, his right shoulder pierced by a sharp sword, his body soaked in blood, which shocked him.
Unprepared, Itachi looked up, his voice weak.
"You've been lingering around Konoha; you must know the Uchiha's current situation, right...?"
"So, you've always known of my existence?"
After catching his breath slightly, Itachi leaned against the tree trunk and sneered.
Seeing Itachi severely wounded, combined with the changes that occurred to the Uchiha tonight, Obito cautiously asked him:
"So, what exactly happened tonight?"
"I have one condition; if you agree, I will tell you everything I know."
The masked man stood in the shadows of the tree, Itachi narrowed his eyes, trying to glean some useful details from him.
"Alright."
"Provide me with a sanctuary."
Obito paused, a meaningful smile curving under his mask:
"Coincidentally, our Akatsuki Organization needs someone like you."
Their conditions perfectly aligned with each other's needs, and thus, an agreement was smoothly reached.
Seeing Uchiha Itachi easily brought under his command, Obito relaxed slightly. He crossed his arms, gazing at the pale-faced Itachi, and pressed again:
"And then? What exactly happened tonight?"
Itachi's expression was calm; he adjusted his breathing and slowly began to recount:
"I escaped from that Akuma..."
"Akuma?"
"That's right. He coveted the Uchiha Clan's Bloodline Limit, intending to create a dedicated Ninja army. His own abilities are still unknown because I haven't fought him."
"But just the abilities of his subordinates nearly overwhelmed me, and I watched helplessly as he used a Ninjutsu I had never seen to abduct all of the clan members..."
"How did you escape then? And the one who survived is your younger brother, right? Why did only he survive?"
The temperature around Obito grew heavy; he stared intently at the man before him, weighing every word he spoke in his mind.
"Before this, the conflict between Konoha and the Uchiha had reached a critical point. They ordered me to massacre the entire clan, otherwise, the Uchiha, including myself, would be annihilated."
"But I discovered that all of this was related to Danzo Shimura. I inadvertently overheard his conversation with the Akuma in the Root Organization's base. The plan was to frame me for the Uchiha's demise, then seize the opportunity to collect Uchiha eyes for research..."
Itachi paused slightly, and the masked man before him, with his arms crossed, tilted his chin.
"So you escaped from them?"
"As you can see, they discovered my presence and imprisoned me in the Root Organization's base. I fought desperately to escape, wanting to warn the clan, but I was still too late."
"I warned Danzo that if he dared to harm my younger brother, I would spread all of Konoha's intelligence to enemy nations, plunging Konoha into eternal damnation."
From Itachi's cold, flickering eyes, Obito actually felt a hint of fear.
If such a person joined Akatsuki, the task of collecting Tailed Beasts should proceed more smoothly.
Under his mask, Obito smiled with satisfaction.
"Alright, I'm not interested in the Uchiha's fate. But that Akuma you mentioned is indeed someone to be wary of."
"In any case, welcome to the Akatsuki Organization. From now on, you are one of us."
Itachi was noncommittal, clutching the wound on his shoulder, and slowly walked towards him.
His dark eyes were as calm as still water, without a ripple.
The two walked side by side into the dim forest, merging into the night.
........
"Please, don't hurt my younger brother..."
In this cold and solitary world, a faint yet incredibly familiar voice, like a flickering candle in the cold wind, struggled to emit its final plea.
The thick black mist before him gradually dissipated, revealing a heart-pounding scene.
A sharp blade mercilessly pierced Itachi's body, that glaring crimson, like falling petals, slowly dripping onto the ground.
The suffocating, rusty smell of blood permeated the air.
"Brother!...!"
Sasuke, using his slender arms, propped up his trembling body and stumbled towards Itachi.
"Brother! Are you alright, Brother...?"
In the empty, black world, Itachi hung his head, viscous blood continuously sliding from the gaps in the shadows, gathering into a shocking pool of blood on the ground, sending shivers down one's spine.
"Please, don't hurt my younger brother..."
Itachi's voice came again, still repeating the same words.
It was as if it were the only light in the dark world, yet it was gradually fading, becoming the last echo reverberating at the edge of reality.
Overwhelmed by sorrow, tears welled in Sasuke's eyes, and he struggled to breathe.
His trembling hands slowly reached out to the dying Itachi, as if wanting to awaken his brother in his final moments.
Just as his fingers were about to touch Itachi's cheek, he suddenly lifted his head.
What met his eyes was not a familiar face, but a blood-stained, terrifyingly fanged Evil Oni mask.
"I found you... Uchiha Sasuke..."
Accompanied by a low, eerie laugh, countless shadows surged from all directions, binding Sasuke tightly, rendering him immobile.
The masked Itachi stood up, exuding an eerie aura.
Sasuke struggled fiercely, trying to break free from these invisible shackles, but the shadows, like living things, tightly wrapped around his limbs, and a sense of suffocation washed over him.
He tried to open his mouth to breathe, and the shadows seemed to find an entrance, rushing into his throat.
"Sasuke! Sasuke! Wake up!"
Suddenly opening his eyes, the images in his mind still hadn't faded. Sasuke uncontrollably grabbed the person's neck beside him and flipped her over, pinning her underneath.
His forehead was already covered in fine beads of sweat, and he gasped for air, his grip tightening unconsciously.
When he saw Chizhao, who was nearly suffocating, before him, sanity instantly returned to his mind. He quickly released his right hand and recoiled.
The pressure on her neck suddenly vanished. Chizhao clutched her throat, propped herself up on her arms from the hospital bed, and coughed a few times in discomfort.
She looked at the terrified Sasuke with concern, trying to soothe him.
"Cough, cough... Sasuke... are you alright?"
"I... I'm sorry... I..."
Sasuke's voice trembled; still shaken, Itachi's image echoed in his mind.
He jumped out of bed recklessly, his bare feet hitting the cold floor, pushed past the nurse who had come to check on him, clenched his teeth, and rushed out of the room.