Naruto: Escape From Konoha-Chapter 290 - 283: Uchiha Night (1)

"You are ten minutes late today. What happened, Itachi?"

Arriving at Root’s surveillance room, a Root nin inquired of Itachi.

Wearing a mask, Itachi remained silent in response to the Root ninja’s question. Despite his best efforts to restrain his anger, the desire to kill the Root ninja in front of him lingered.

However, such an act would be meaningless. The one responsible for attacking Shisui was Danzo, and these Root ninjas no longer had their will, they were mere puppets following Danzo’s orders.

Killing them would not provide the satisfaction of revenge.

Moreover, succumbing to senseless hatred would only distance him further and further from his ideals. Shisui wouldn’t want him to live a life consumed by hatred and pain.

Bearing Shisui’s will, envision the long path ahead, live strong and brave, and not give in to revenge.

Killing a hypocritical and cunning figure like Danzo would complicate Itachi’s existence in Konoha and tarnish the clan’s reputation. Such an outcome needed be avoided at all cost.

"It’s nothing. I’m just feeling a little uncomfortable."

"Then do you want to rest?"

"No, it’s not a big deal. I’ll endure it."

"Well then, we have medical ninjas here if something goes wrong."

The Root ninja briefly expressed concern for Itachi, understanding that Itachi’s response was merely a polite exchange.

"Thanks, how’s the situation?"

Itachi examined the monitoring screen and inquired.

"Except for the gathering last night, the Uchiha clan has been very peaceful recently. However, one person’s behavior is rather strange."

"Who?" Itachi asked curiously.

The ninja pointed to a screen where an elderly man, almost fifty years old, was playing with a group of Uchiha children in a park.

"He is..."

Itachi narrowed his eyes.

"His name is Uchiha Rindo, and he used to be Uchiha Sora’s confidant. According to what we’ve found, after Uchiha Sora retired, he remained closely connected to him. The Anbu also has relevant records."

"Did you find anything?"

"No. I thought they might be plotting something detrimental to the village, but after all these years, both have been leading retired and leisurely living inside the Uchiha clan."

"You’re overthinking. Uchiha Sora is older than the Hokage and needs crutches to walk steadily. Uchiha Rindo is marginalized in the clan and he spends his days idly."

Itachi dismissed the Root ninja’s suspicions, thinking them overly paranoid.

"It’s that idleness that’s most suspicious." The Root ninja insisted.

"Is there something wrong with your brain?" Itachi snorted coldly.

The root ninja shrugged, indifferent to Itachi’s retort.

Among those to be monitored in the Uchiha Clan, Uchiha Sora and Uchiha Rindo ranked higher than even Itachi’s father, Fugaku. The inconspicuous and marginalized figures were the most troublesome.

Itachi could only observe that Uchiha Rindo’s behavior seemed odd, but he couldn’t pinpoint what exactly was amiss. Whether he was overthinking or it warranted cautious follow-up remained uncertain.

.....

Many days had passed, and Konoha, along with the Uchiha clan, found themselves immersed in the turbulent undercurrents.

At home, Itachi held his younger brother’s report card with a satisfied smile.

Sasuke undeniably displayed exceptional talent. Despite being merely seven years old, his performance at the ninja school matched Itachi’s own impeccable standards. His excelled in ninjutsu, taijutsu, teamwork, individual combat, and tactical applications—ranking first in the class.

Despite being outshone in the theory class by a girl named Haruno Sakura, Sasuke secured an excellent second place.

But this puzzled Itachi. He had personally instructed Sasuke in ninja theory, and even challenging questions from the second-year theory test were well within Sasuke’s grasp. Yet, he was still in second place.

Itachi speculated that Sasuke either underestimated the exam or deliberately aimed for second place. As the older brother, Itachi emphasized the importance of giving one’s best in fair competition, urging Sasuke not to show mercy and to strive for victory.

This principle extended beyond personal gain, emphasizing the respect owed to opponents’ strength.

Sasuke’s failure to secure the first place in one subject suggested Haruno Sakura’s exceptional theoretical application rather than his own shortcomings.

"Sorry, brother, I didn’t get the first place in one subject this time, next time I will be the first in all subjects."

Sasuke appeared nervous, gazing at Itachi with a tense expression, vowing to secure the first position in all subjects next time.

"It doesn’t matter. Don’t underestimate those who are better than you. If others have talents that exceed yours, you should accept it with humility. In this world, there is no perfect person."

Yes. Even Itachi, himself, will encounter moments of powerlessness and helplessness. He yearned to avenge Shisui, but he was also aware of the consequences of killing Danzo. For the sake of the village and the clan, he needed relinquish this hatred.

"I know, but I won’t give up."

Sasuke’s eyes flashed with a determined refusal to admit defeat.

Itachi smiled softly, understanding why Sasuke worked so diligently, he wanted to surpass his elder brother.

Indeed, as a student at the academy, Sasuke’s grades were already impressive. Among children of the same age, none could compete comprehensively. Yet, when compared to Itachi’s extraordinary abilities and strength, Sasuke’s achievements seemed feeble.

Excellence can sometimes be a burden.

Deep within Sasuke’s heart, he might not realize it himself, but a sense of jealousy had developed. This brought to Itachi’s mind Shisui’s final words and the entire process of awakening his Mangekyou Sharingan.

Jealousy... a dreadful emotion.

Perhaps, in his own heart, there was also a seed of darkness, Itachi pondered. Yet, he couldn’t discern the nature of the darkness within him. He didn’t envy others, he never complains cowardly... What exactly was the darkness within him?

While Itachi contemplated, Sasuke’s words reached his ears:

"Well, brother, are you free tomorrow? Tomorrow I’m on holiday, and I want to practice shurikenjutsu with you, brother."

Tomorrow..." Itachi thought for a moment then smiled helplessly. "Sorry Sasuke, forgive me - I have a date planned already. We’ll do it next time." He poked Sasuke’s forehead gently.

Sasuke stared at Itachi discontentedly. "A date? Is it that girl who keeps coming to see Brother?"

For some reason Sasuke felt strangely empty, an emotion he recognized as jealousy. Because of that woman, Brother had no time to train with him! He grumbld inwardly ’Go away from Brother, annoying pest!’

"Okay, Sasuke, next time I’ll train with you. After all, you’re my younger brother."

"You always say next time before refusing." Sasuke muttered sullenly, going to his room to brood alone.

As Sasuke returned, Itachi also sighed. Just as he stood up from the corridor, he heard someone calling his name outside.

"Uchiha Itachi, you’re here, come out quickly!"

The voice yelling was unmistakably Uchiha Yashiro’s voice.

Itachi’s eyes suddenly heated, the irregular pattern of the Mangekyo Sharingan flashed in his scarlet eyes, then returned to normal. He walked steadily towards the entrance.

Uchiha Yashiro and the others had probably arrived concerning Shisui’s matter.

Yes, Shisui has been gone for so many days; even the slowest minds should have reacted by now.

This tiresome clan probably has limited capacity.

.....

Uchiha Shisui was dead.

Although the news hadn’t yet spread to the outside world, it had caused panic within the Uchiha clan.

As one of the Uchiha clan’s mainstay, Shisui’s strength was obvious to all, but the police force had somewhat discovered a body and they found his suicide note.

While the handwriting of the suicide note matched Shisui’s, it was easy for a ninja with the Sharingan to imitate the exact handwriting. The radicals suspected that Shisui’s murderer to be Uchiha Itachi.

Contemplating this, Fugaku frowned deeply.

Yesterday, his son Itachi had a significant conflict with Yashiro and some other radicals. Although he managed to suppress the conflict, it also meant that his son Itachi might not be accepted by the radicals in the future.

The idea of passing the position of clan head to Itachi became hesitant in Fugaku’s mind.

Another question lingered, did Itachi kill Shisui?

If so, why did Itachi kill Shisui? Itachi’s strength was much inferior to that of Shisui, and silently killing him seemed impossible. If Itachi didn’t kill Shisui, then who could kill the man with the name of teleporter in the Uchiha clan?

Most importantly, where had the two Sharingan eyes on Shisui’s corpse gone? Who took them? Was it the murderer? Or the guards who were the first to discover the body? Or... did Shisui truly commit suicide?

But would Shisui’s reason for suicide really be as pessimistic as written in the note - He was extremely tired of the hopeless Uchiha situation and he wished to die.

The suicide note seemed more like dissuading the Uchiha clan from launching the coup.

Fugaku felt that the truth behind Shisui’s death was far more complicated than he imagined. Someone was plotting against the Uchiha clan. That was certain. He just didn’t know who. The Anbu... or Root? Only these two departments are the most suspicious.

While Fugaku was pondering, there was a knock on the door.

Fugaku looked up at the entrance, he stood up, walked to the entrance, opening the door.

Uchiha Izumi, his son’s female friend.

"Good day clan head, is Itachi-kun at home?"

Worry was evident on Izumi’s face. Itachi, and the others had a fierce conflict yesterday, which was no secret inside the clan. She came over because she was overly concerned.

’A nice girl,c Fugaku thought inwardly.

"Itachi is away on a mission. I don’t know when he will return."

After Fugaku replied, he instantly regretted. Was his indifferent tone condescending. What if it ruined his son’s relationship with this girl?

"That’s okay, sorry to bother you, then I’ll come back another day."

Izumi said as she bowed slightly to Fugaku and then she left.

Fugaku rapped his head in frustration. His sternness must have made her afraid and dislike her potential "father-in-law". He wanted to call the girl back but didn’t know what to say. Would he have to practice to sound more gentle?

Fugaku couldn’t recall when he was able to show a gentle expression naturally. It seems that after becoming the clan gead, he had forgotten a lot of things from before, focused single-mindedly on grooming Itachi to succeed him.

He hoped Itachi would be successful, so when Itachi was four years old, he took him to the battlefield to instill the idea of survival.

After recognizing Itachi’s talent, he kept pushing him to be an excellent ninja. Although Itachi succeeded in mastering what he taught him, the smile on Itachi’s face diminished over time.

And Sasuke was fine, but Itachi rarely smiled before his father now.

Especially in recent years, something had gone wrong in their father-son relationship. The indescribable sense of obstruction made Fugaku feel an inexplicable regret in his heart.

"Is it from fatigue? Alas..."

.....

Itachi returned home late at night.

The family of four sat around the dining table, engaged in their meal. Suddenly, Fugaku spoke, "Itachi, that girl Izumi visited you this afternoon. She seems quite concerned about your current state. You should talk to her tomorrow; don’t let her worries go unnoticed."

Itachi stopped eating, nodded, and said, "I see."

Mikoto,had also heard about this from her husband. She smiled quietly at Itachi, offering encouragement.

Only Sasuke piped up strangely. "But Brother said he was going on a date with her today right? So why did she come here?"

Sasuke’s words landed heavily, and the dining table fell into complete silence. Fugaku’s relaxed expression also faded, sharp gaze fixed on Itachi.

"Itachi, what’s going on? What the hell are you doing?"

"It’s nothing. There was important missions, so our plans got postponed." Itachi explained, having already prepared his response.

"No, definitely not..There’s something you’re not telling us." Fugaku put down the bowl and chopsticks, looking coldly at him.

"You worry too much, father."

"Why haven’t you attended the gatherings recently?"

"Because they’re boring."

"Have you also discarded the clan’s sense of honor?"

"This clan isn’t big enough for me. It’s that simple." Itachi stated bluntly.

Boom!

Fugaku’s face contorted in rage. Their amiable dinner had abruptly become a terrifying battlefield.

Sasuke trembled silently at the table, afraid to speak, feeling a little guilty. If he hadn’t opened his mouth, Father and Brother wouldn’t be quarrelling.

Mikoto looked at the father and son, she took Sasuke to prevent him seeing anything worse.

"Which side are you on?"

Fugaku was a little heartbroken. Like Yashiro at the previous meeting, he now questioned Itachi’s allegiance. His eyes held the same suspicion and distrust. The village or the clan?

"No matter what happens, I’m Itachi of the Uchiha coan. That won’t change." Itachi declared firmly, meeting Fugaku’s gaze without fear.

The frigid atmosphere didn’t ease whatsoever, instead intensifying.

"Then let me ask you, what secret information have you acquired from the Anbu?" Fugaku asked with a cold face.

"It’s classified village information. I can’t disclose it." Itachi answered calmly.

"Is this your idea of familial loyalty?"

"I’m taking the Uchiha standpoint so I can’t reveal everything." Itachi refused to back down

Fugaku laughed mirthlessly. He never would have thought that his eldest son, whom he was always proud of, would one day confront him not to be outdone.

Seeing Itachi’s indifferent and emotionless face, Fugaku felt a chill in his heart. Currently, He couldn’t discern Itachi’s position at all.

"Just what are you aiming for?"

"In order to prevent the continuation of the tragedy."

Itachi uttered with closed eyes. He recalled when his father had taken his four year-old self onto a battlefield, witnessing refugees wailing as they died pitifully from the ninja war’s collateral damage. The agony had directly pierced his heart, scarring his psyche.

The brutal battlefield held countless mangled corpses and blood spatter - an eternal nightmare. He’d sworn then to prevent such wars no matter the sacrifice. If repeating that tragedy could be avoided, anything would be worth it.

Fugaku looked helplessly at his son who already had his own conviction, feeling for the first time that being a father was so desolate.

Since when had the trust between father and son been severed?

.....

The days leading to the Uchiha clan coup d’état were steadily approaching.

The detailed plans, including the number and names of participants, the course of action, prepared armaments, strategies to control the tailed beasts and incite riots, the final beheading operation, and post-war measures.

The shocking preparations were all handed over by Itachi to the Hokage and other three people. They took the information from Itachi, and it all seemed very dazzling to them.

"It seems unforgivable to tolerate them any longer. If they plan seizing power through a coup, they can only be treated as traitors." Koharu spoke first.

"Koharu don’t act hastily. There may still be room for negotiation... Let’s not make premature decisions." Hiruzen chided.

"Hiruzen, there’s no longer a need to hesitate! The Uchiha situation is already beyond control. For the villagers’ sake we must act first and quell this turmoil as soon as possible!"

"Don’t say such things before Itachi. He’s still a child." Hiruzen rebuked.

Koharu just grumbled dissatisfiedly but the Hokage had the final authority.

Half-kneeling before them in an Anbu fox mask, Itachi’s thoughts were unreadable.

"You can’t casually instigate civil war with the Uchiha clan. There should be alternatives to prevent this." Hiruzen insisted firmly.

"Temporarily unite Anbu and Genbu, prevent the Uchiha uprising, launch a surprise attack, and dismantle the threat effortlessly." Danzo proposed bluntly.

But the crux remained if Itachi was willing to be their guide.

Danzo’s statement made Hirizen frown.

"The Uchiha clan is part of the village; we shouldn’t resort to force. Let me reconsider; there must be another way."

Under Hiruzen’s ongoing hesitation, the anti-Uchiha meeting dispersed unsatisfactorily once more.

....

Itachi arrived at Root’s headquarters. Beside him, two Root ninjas stood.

Acting now would allow him to swiftly dispatch the two Jōnin, opening a path to attack Danzo with a high probability of success.

But reason told him it was impossible. Killing Danzo meant no escape alive from the base with endless Root forces who would besiege and kill him for assaulting top brass. And if he did survived he would be branded as a rogue ninja without pardon.

"Hiruzen is a hypocrite. He keeps claiming he qill negotiate with the Uchiha yet has never once discussed with them. Don’t believe his words. When the critical moment arrives, he 2ill be the first to attack the Uchiha." Danzo stated to Itachi flatly.

"Is that why you killed Shisui?" Itachi asked, unable to let go of Shisui’s death.

"Oh... did you know? Killing Shisui wasn’t my initial intention, but his existence would upset the village’s balance. For the peace of the village, he had to be sacrificed. Even in death, the power he left behind would become a cornerstone of Konoha’s strength, protecting the village." Danzo explained calmly.

"Nonsense." Itachi retorted, his displeasure evident.

"But everything I do is purely for Konoha’s sake. The Uchiha have reached this point from Hiruzen’s negligence. He isn’t fit to be Hokage. Only I am worthy that position." Danzo just smiled.

Hearing these words, Itachi felt that Danzo’s existence was akin to a twisted mass of maggots, ugly and dark, compared to the Third Hokage. If it weren’t for him obstructing, negotiations between Hokage and the Uchiha clan would have reached an agreement long ago, preventing this situation. 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

"So, there’s only one choice left—destroy the Uchiha clan." Danzo stated with a grim expression.

Itachi’s body tensed. Despite anticipating it, hearing this order suddenly brought a profound sense of sadness. The thousand-year existence of the Uchiha clan was destined to end here, a tragic reality.

The Senju Clan, at least, retained the will to pass on. The Uchiha clan...

Itachi’s heart harbored dark thoughts, an urge to obliterate everything immediately.

In this moment, Danzo displayed a sly smile.

"However, your brother Sasuke seems unaware of the coup. If you carry out this mission successfully, your brother will live due to your choice."

Danzo presented a dilemma, a choice that seemed like a way to survive but was, in reality, a dead end. However, like a drowning person grasping at the last straw, Itachi clung to the hope.

Itachi glared at Danzo with red eyes, expressing his anger.

"Calm down. Consider this carefully. Isn’t this the ideal you have been pursuing? Think about it—if the Uchiha coup succeeds, Konoha will suffer heavy losses. Is that the scene you want to witness?"

Danzo’s words echoed as Itachi’s head rung and pounded. Indeed, a successful Uchiha coup meant continuing ninja war’s tragic cycle. Forsaking his ideals now would render all his efforts meaningless. Wouldn’t that be preposterous?

"Sacrificing your clan to save the village. The time has come for you to choose your ideals." Danzo uttered, his words invading and eroding Itachi’s mind like a devil’s whispers, smothering his breath.

"Do you still remember the question I asked you long ago? In a ship filled with people, if someone on the ship has a deadly infectious disease, as the captain, what would you do? Have you forgotten this too?"

Itachi suddenly snapped back to reality upon hearing Danzo’s words.

If he recalled correctly, the option he chose initially was to eliminate the person with the infectious disease, throw them overboard, and ensure the survival of more people on the ship.

"As a Konoha ninja, you must know what to do now. I don’t want to force you, but from the standpoint of the Uchiha clan, it means the destruction of the clan. From the standpoint of the village, you and your brother can survive... What will be your choice?"

Danzo silently observed the young man in front of him, under fourteen years old, fully aware of the fluctuations in his inner emotions.

In truth, losing Itachi wouldn’t leave him without other spokespersons, but Itachi was the most suitable one. There was no one more fitting to be his puppet. His ideals, his persistence—these were his greatest weaknesses. Individuals with weaknesses were the easiest to control. Betrayal wasn’t as difficult.

"...you...remember your promise..."

Itachi uttered weakly, as if drained of all his strength from his body, his eyes darkening with sorrow, bitterness, and powerlessness. After all, he couldn’t resist the will that this man had attached to him.

Danzo displayed a satisfied smile, his heartbeat accelerating. After many years, the biggest thorn in the village was finally about to be removed.

Since the death of his sensei Tobiirama, he had been following his mentor’s wish, Danzo had implemented countermeasures to isolate the Uchiha clan. The clan, which kept on disrupting the village’s peace, was destined to be erased from Konoha, becoming a mere footnote in history. Moreover, it would be destroyed by its own people—a truly excellent execution of a plan.

Danzo glanced at Itachi, who seemed a bit disoriented. Even within the Root, there was no better tool for elimination than this boy.

.....

Having withdrawn from the task of monitoring the Uchiha clan, Kakashi enjoyed a relatively leisurely life.

His subordinate, Tenzo, remained a dedicated Anbu. With nothing to do, this basic strategy couldn’t go wrong. As a captain, Kakashi needed to relax occasionally.

Upon visiting the bookstore, Kakashi realized Jiraiya’s new book hadn’t been published yet, prompting a secret sigh. Lately, the idea of locking Jiraiya in a small black room had become increasingly appealing.

"Meow~"

Suddenly, a meow caught Kakashi’s attention. He spotted a very ordinary cat standing on the side of the road, staring at him, seemingly trying to express something.

"Cats... What a drag, I prefer dogs..." Kakashi muttered, putting away his nook, walking to a small stall, buying a grilled fish.

Approaching the cat, Kakashi squatted down, placed the grilled fish in front of it, and allowed it to eat. The cat licked Kakashi’s finger, took the grilled fish in its mouth, and gracefully walked away.

Kakashi stood up and left naturally, a message entering his mind.

—On June 19, at 7:00 p.m., Route 2 will be opened.