"Madara, Uchiha Itachi has left with Uchiha Fugaku. Do we need to assist him?"
Under the streetlight, a venus flytrap sprouted, revealing a half-black, half-white head.
"No need. He'll handle it himself. We just need to focus on our own mission." Obito replied calmly, though his eyebrows furrowed beneath his mask. "Have you still not uncovered the identity of that masked man?"
Obito was referring to Naruto. The explosion in the Konoha Forest a year ago hadn't gone unnoticed. The entire Ninja World knew that Konoha had been attacked, though others didn't have as much information as Obito.
Obito wanted to recruit this masked man into the Akatsuki, but despite his efforts, he still hadn't discovered his identity.
Zetsu shook his head and said in a strange tone: "No, but one of my clones did find someone interesting."
"Who?" Obito asked curiously.
"Uchiha Shisui."
"He's still alive?" Obito was surprised. Shisui had disappeared from Konoha a year ago, so he didn't he was still alive.
"Yes, and he's currently heading toward the Uchiha Clan's compound."
Both Obito and Zetsu frowned, a sense of foreboding washing over them.
"That guy wants to interfere too? Of course, his first target was the Mangekyo Sharingan. We need to speed things up."
Obito's figure blurred and he rushed toward the Konoha's Military Police Force.
---
Itachi followed Fugaku into a forest.
"Itachi, do you know what you're doing?"
Fugaku stared at his son with cold eyes. Although he had long known this day would come, seeing it with his own eyes filled him with profound sorrow.
Itachi's expression remained unchanged, as calm and indifferent as ever. He had already made up his mind. Even if it meant facing his own father, he would not hesitate to wield his blade.
"Father, do you know what the Uchiha are doing?"
"So you plan to kill all the Uchiha?" Fugaku's voice was hoarse as he shouted, "Have you forgotten that you're also an Uchiha?"
Itachi's expression didn't waver, and he said in a flat tone: "I haven't forgotten. That's why, after tonight, I will leave Konoha."
"When the Uchiha Clan decided to stage a coup, their destruction became inevitable. Father, you were the one who pushed the Uchiha Clan toward their doom, but I can't let you drag Konoha into the abyss with them."
"What are you saying?!" Fugaku was furious at Itachi's words. After all, he has been easing the relationship between Konoha and the Uchiha Clan for so many years, but this rebellious son of his turned out to be such a beast.
"Father, this may be the last time I call you that. You are too powerful. You must stay here."
"After the battle, I will show you the future I've seen with these eyes."
Itachi's eyes had already transformed into the Mangekyo Sharingan, a red skeletal structure forming around him.
Meanwhile, far from where the two were speaking, several masked Ninja had quietly set up a barrier to prevent the villagers near the Uchiha Clan's compound from being alerted.
——
Uchiha rushed toward the Military Police Force, his figure darting through the trees.
"Hmm?"
Obito suddenly grunted as several kunai shot toward him from the shadows of the trees. Most people would struggle to deal with such an ambush.
However, all the kunai passed through his body, embedding themselves in the tree trunk behind him.
Obito stopped and looked toward the source of the kunai. In the shadows, he saw a pair of Sharingan with three tomoe.
"Such vibrant eyes."
Obito praised sincerely. He also recognized this pair of eyes, they belonged to Izumi Uchiha.
'It was rare for an Uchiha to awaken the three-tomoe Sharingan during their Academy years. In a way, this girl's talent surpassed even Itachi's.'
'But unfortunately, she was too weak.'
Obito charged toward Izumi, the chains on his wrist clinking softly. He planned to retrieve those eyes first.
Izumi was startled by Obito's action. 'My attack had clearly hit him, so why had it been ineffective?'
Without hesitation, she turned and ran.
However, even if she had three tomoe Sharingan, how could Izumi, who had just graduated from the Academy, outrun someone with the Mangekyo Sharingan?
Obito quickly caught up to Izumi. Under the pale moonlight, the Sharingan visible through his mask radiated a cold killing intent.
Izumi suddenly felt a chill run through her body, with fear welling up inside her. While only the Byakugan had the ability to exert pressure, the Mangekyo Sharingan's dominance over the regular Sharingan was undeniable.
In the face of the Mangekyō, all else was insignificant.
Izumi regretted her decision to ambush him. Setsuna had originally sent her to the Naka Shrine to find Inabi, but she had encountered an intruder on the way and decided to try her luck. She hadn't expected his abilities to be so bizarre.
"These eyes are wasted on you."
The chain in Obito's hand shot directly towards Izumi, and she hastily drew her kunai to block.
Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding!
Izumi struggled to defend herself, and each impact sent shocks through her arms.
Finally, after finding an opportunity, Izumi immediately formed seals with both hands. Her talent for Ninjutsu wasn't great, and she is more proficient in Taijutsu, and she doesn't know many Ninjutsu.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
A small fireball shot toward Obito, but Obito didn't even bother to dodge. The Fire Release Ninjutsu passed right through him.
"What?"
Izumi was shocked. She hadn't expected her Ninjutsu to be completely ineffective. But in that instant, chains wrapped around her body.
"Not good! Ahhh--"
A huge pulling force came, and Izumi's whole body flew towards Obito.
Obito raised his hand, preparing to pierce her heart. The force was enough to tear through her body.
"Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Flower Nail Crimson!"
Three kunai wrapped in flames shot toward Obito.
Obito's heart skipped a beat, and his body entered its intangible state again. The chains that had bound Izumi loosened, and her body plummeted toward the ground.
A black shadow flashed through the air, catching Izumi before she could fall.
"Shisui... Shisui-nii?"
When Izumi, who had just narrowly escaped death, saw Shisui, she was shocked more than relieved.
Shisui, panting heavily, set Izumi down. He had sprinted all the way from the Hokage Rock, so it was impossible not to be exhausted.
"Uchiha Shisui, I didn't expect you, who had disappeared, to show up again."
Although Obito's words carried surprise, his tone was utterly indifferent.
"And who are you?" Shisui glared at the masked man, feeling a wave of frustration. 'Did all dangerous people these days like wearing masks?'
"Hmph, I am... Uchiha Madara!"