Holding his kunai firmly, Itachi Uchiha drove the blade into the chest of the fleeing clansman.
The man's eyes widened in disbelief as he collapsed.
Even at the moment of death, he couldn't accept it.
Itachi?
The prodigy of the clan.
Pointing his blade at his own people.
Itachi pulled the kunai free without expression, flicking the blood away with a cold motion.
Then he looked toward the mansion deeper within the compound.
The house where he had lived for thirteen years.
The final destination of tonight.
Once he killed his father—the leader of the coup—the Uchiha would not bear the stigma of rebellion.
All the crimes.
All the hatred.
All of it would fall on him alone.
Simple.
Clean.
Efficient.
…Too efficient?
Perched on a telephone pole, Itachi scanned the district.
Something felt off.
The number of clan members was lower than expected.
Were they all out on missions?
He frowned slightly.
But dismissed the thought.
To ensure no one slipped through the cracks, he had already enlisted the help of a mysterious masked man.
There would be no survivors tonight.
After a brief pause, Itachi arrived at the mansion.
He pushed open the familiar door.
Step by step, from the entrance to the living room.
Silent.
His grip on the kunai tightened.
His father, Fugaku Uchiha, was the strongest jōnin of the clan.
Even Itachi wasn't completely confident in victory.
Soon, he saw them.
Fugaku.
And his mother, Mikoto Uchiha.
They sat in the living room with their backs facing him.
Calm.
Too calm.
No killing intent.
No movement.
The silence made Itachi hesitate.
Was this a trap?
As the leader of the radical faction, Fugaku should have resisted.
Instead—
Fugaku spoke without turning around.
"Itachi."
"In the end… you chose the village."
His voice was steady.
"I'm curious. What did they promise you?"
"Hokage?"
"Commander of ANBU?"
"What price made you betray your clan?"
After a brief silence, Itachi replied calmly:
"They agreed to conceal the truth of the coup after the massacre."
"And Sasuke will be allowed to continue studying at the Academy."
Fugaku was quiet for a moment.
"…That cheap?"
A faint bitterness crept into his tone.
"The Uchiha clan is worth only that much?"
"Father," Itachi said softly, "you know the coup would fail. If both sides fight, everyone loses."
"This way, the village keeps its stability."
"The clan keeps its honor."
"And Sasuke… lives."
Fugaku lowered his head.
"Of course I know."
"But I am still unwilling."
"If you had helped me… if Shisui were still here…"
"We might not have lost."
Itachi's voice hardened.
"Shisui and I would never help you."
"Uchiha is part of Konoha. It cannot harm the village."
"We already proposed abandoning the coup."
Fugaku exhaled slowly.
"As a failed leader, I have nothing left to say."
"I only hope the path you've chosen is correct."
"Otherwise… our sacrifice means nothing."
Mikoto finally spoke, smiling gently.
"Itachi."
"Take care of Sasuke."
"Our pain will be brief."
"Yours… will last much longer."
"Don't carry everything alone. Learn to let it out."
For the first time—
Itachi's hand trembled.
He couldn't do it.
He couldn't kill his parents.
Fugaku and Mikoto exchanged a glance.
They understood.
They picked up the prepared daggers beside them.
"Itachi can't do it," Fugaku said faintly.
"We won't let you bear the sin of killing your parents."
"This is the last thing we can do for you."
"From now on… walk your path."
They raised the blades—
—whoosh!
A shuriken flew from the corridor, knocking the daggers from their hands.
"Sasuke?!" Mikoto gasped.
Sasuke stood there, panting heavily, a kunai in his hand.
"I don't agree with this!"
"You're not allowed to die!"
He rushed forward, standing in front of his parents.
Kunai pointed at Itachi.
He had known his brother disagreed with the clan.
But he never imagined—
Itachi would kill their people.
Force their parents to suicide.
Unforgivable.
Mikoto forced a smile.
"Sasuke… things aren't what you think."
"We chose this—"
"That's not an excuse!" Sasuke shouted.
"I won't accept that!"
Mikoto looked helplessly at Itachi.
"He's too young."
"Make him forget."
"He can't carry this."
Itachi closed his eyes briefly.
Then opened them.
The Mangekyō Sharingan spun.
"Tsukuyomi."
The world distorted.
Sasuke froze instantly.
He had no chance.
But—
Before losing consciousness, Sasuke's eyes changed.
From black—
to crimson.
Two tomoe spun into existence.
"Two-Tomoe Sharingan…"
Even Fugaku was stunned.
"What talent…"
Moments later, Sasuke collapsed.
Unconscious.
Silence filled the room.
Fugaku picked up the fallen dagger.
Mikoto did the same.
Without hesitation—
They stabbed themselves.
Blood bloomed across the tatami.
They chose death.
So their son wouldn't have to stain his hands.
The mansion grew colder.
Itachi stood there.
Looking at his parents in a pool of blood.
Looking at Sasuke lying unconscious.
There were no words to describe the weight crushing his chest.
After half a minute, he moved.
He grabbed Sasuke and placed him inside a closet.
Arranged the scene to look like hiding.
Then looked toward the direction of the Police Force building.
His parents had fulfilled him with their deaths.
He could not hesitate now.
For the village.
For the clan.
For Sasuke.
He had to keep walking.
Once he reported to the Third Hokage, he would leave the village—
And monitor the masked man and the organization behind him.
But at that moment—
Several Uchiha landed in the courtyard.
Itachi's eyes narrowed.
Why were elite guards here?
Shouldn't the masked man have handled them?
Was that guy weaker than he claimed?
A paper tiger?
Before he could think further—
One of them removed his mask.
Itachi froze.
Shisui Uchiha.
"Itachi," Shisui said coldly, "why did you betray our ideals?"
"Why slaughter our clan?"
"Have you forgotten our oath?"
Itachi's mind wavered for a moment.
But Shisui had died half a year ago.
"Who are you?"
"Shisui committed suicide."
Shisui replied calmly,
"I tried."
"But I was saved."
"For six months, I've searched for a way to save both the clan and the village."
He stepped forward.
"But that's not the point."
"Why did you kill them?"
Itachi sneered faintly.
"To protect the village from a coup."
"If you were the Shisui I knew, you'd understand."
Shisui's expression darkened.
When had he ever believed sacrificing the clan was the answer?
His ideal was coexistence.
Not slaughter.
The Itachi before him was more mature.
Colder.
And frighteningly unfamiliar.
After a brief silence, Shisui spoke quickly:
"There is another way."
"I can lead the clan away from Konoha."
"We leave peacefully."
"No coup."
Itachi's voice was emotionless.
"That's defection."
"There's no difference."
"You resemble my friend."
"But you are not the Shisui I knew."
"He would never split the village."
Shisui fell silent.
He had changed.
But so had Itachi.
Six months apart—
And they were strangers.
It seemed words were useless now.
Only strength would decide whose path was right.
Shisui drew his kodachi.
"I am Shisui."
"But the Shisui you knew is dead."
"I won't let you hurt anyone else."
Itachi raised his weapon calmly.
"And I won't allow you to stain Shisui's will."
The air thickened.
Two geniuses.
Two ideals.
One night soaked in blood.
And only one would walk away.
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