"Oh, what a good show."
Obito appeared in the spot where Itachi had been crouching moments ago.
He crossed his arms, quietly observing Itachi's actions.
In just a short while, Itachi's face and body were already splattered with blood. The streaks of blood on his face dripped down his cheeks, making his crimson Sharingan appear even more sinister.
Knock, knock, knock!
Itachi, drenched in blood, walked out of one courtyard and knocked on the door of the next house.
"Is that you, Tsuki?"
A delighted voice came from the other side of the door.
The door opened quickly, revealing a kind, smiling face. The old woman's joyful expression froze when she saw Itachi, but upon noticing the blood covering his body, she let out a gasp.
"Itachi! Why are you covered in blood?"
"Are you hurt? Come in quickly, we have medicine for injuries."
The old woman immediately stepped aside to let Itachi in, then turned to call her husband to fetch the medicine.
But as soon as she turned around, a sword pierced through her chest.
The old woman stared blankly at the small section of the blade protruding from her chest, stained with blood and glinting coldly under the moonlight. She tried to call out to warn her husband, but blood gushed up her throat, silencing her.
Before collapsing, she struggled to turn her head, wanting to see the face of her killer, but all she saw were those emotionless Sharingan in the shadows.
'Fortunately, Tsuki hasn't come home yet.'
"Mika!"
A cry of shock rang out as an old man stepped out of the room, staring in disbelief at his wife's lifeless body.
He was about to shout for help when Itachi's Genjutsu froze him in place. Then, a single slash of the sword severed his head.
'Where's the child?'
After rummaging through the house for a while, Itachi stood in the courtyard, puzzled. He knew the old couple had a granddaughter.
"This is the second time."
Itachi pulled out a list from his pouch and crossed off the names of the two elders. However, the name, 'Uchiha Tsuki' remained. Among the names already crossed off, there were similar cases.
"Something's not right."
Itachi stared at the list for a moment, but eventually put it away and prepared to move on to the next house.
But at the doorway, he saw someone he didn't want to meet.
"Father..."
---
Inside the hidden room of the Naka Shrine, there were nineteen young, even childish figures. The oldest was no more than five years old, and the youngest was barely three. Many of the children were huddled together, whispering or playing various Ninja Games. At this age, children could find joy anywhere.
And next to these children, there is also a mature woman with a gentle appearance, which is also one of the reasons why these children can play so happily.
"Aunt Mikoto, when can we go home?"
But not everyone was happy. Four-year-old Uchiha Tsuki clung to Uchiha Mikoto, her voice filled with grievance.
Mikoto, who had been lost in thought, snapped back to reality and smiled warmly at the little girl in her arms. "Don't worry, Tsuki-chan. We'll be able to leave soon."
Click-
Just at this time, the hidden room's door opened, and a figure walked in.
When Mikoto saw the figure coming in, she stood up, still holding Tsuki, her eyes filled with sorrow.
"Inabi, you're here."
A trace of pain flashed across Inabi's face, and he said, "You've worked hard, Mikoto-sama."
"At least I don't have to witness that hellish scene."
Mikoto shook her head slowly, her voice tinged with sadness.
Inabi pursed his lips, recalling the sight of the compound littered with bodies. For a moment, he couldn't speak.
Mikoto didn't press further. Instead, she turned to the other children, her smile still gentle as she said: "Children, how about playing a game with Auntie next?"
At the mention of a game, the faces of several children who were already waiting impatiently showed expectations.
"Aunt Mikoto, will there be prizes?"
A bold little boy raised his hand directly.
"Of course there are, but the number of rewards is limited, so only the top performers can get them."
"Eh? What's the game?"
"The game is to see who can keep their eyes closed the longest. The first one to open their eyes is out, and the prize is a year's worth of snacks."
Hearing this, many of the children's eyes lit up. Even Uchiha children couldn't resist the allure of a year's worth of snacks.
"Are you all going to play?" Mikoto asked with a smile.
"Yes, yes."
"I want to be the first."
"No, I'll be the first."
Watching the children chatter excitedly, Inabi's eyes showed a glimmer of relief. 'At least, the hope of the Uchiha still remained.'
"Since we're playing, let's begin. I'll count to three, and everyone must close their eyes."
"Okay." x19
"3... 2... 1…"
Once all the children had closed their eyes, Inabi took out a box of incense from his Ninja Pouch and lit it.
Mikoto and Inabi fell silent, quietly waiting for the children to fall asleep. It would make their next steps easier.
"When... will he arrive?"
Mikoto placed all the children on the bed and asked out loud.
Inabi pushed open the door, glancing at the moonlight outside to estimate the time, and said, "He should be..."
Before he could finish, a kunai suddenly flew toward them.
Inabi's eyes widened, and he immediately drew his own kunai, rushing out of the hidden room while shouting, "Enemy attack!"
Hearing the commotion, Mikoto also entered combat mode, and three-tomoe Sharingan appeared in her eyes.
But when she rushed outside, she was stunned.
Inabi had been swiftly defeated, and when she saw the person who had taken him down, her disbelief deepened.
"Yon... daime?"