Time passed quickly, and the third day arrived.
Sunlight poured through the great windows of the Hokage's office, casting bright patches of light across the floor.
Sarutobi Hiruzen stood before the window with his back to Uchiha Itachi, a pipe between his lips and smoke curling around him.
"Itachi, look at it once more."
Sarutobi Hiruzen's voice carried a faint weariness.
"Look at this village."
"The villagers walking along the streets, the laughter drifting from the ninja academy."
"All of this is the peace we devote our entire lives to protecting."
"It is Konoha's Will of Fire."
Uchiha Itachi stood behind Sarutobi Hiruzen.
His gaze passed over the Third Hokage's shoulder and settled upon that village, familiar yet strange to him.
Yes, peace.
For the sake of that word, he, Uchiha Itachi, would drag his entire clan into hell with his own hands.
And it was for Sasuke as well.
"Sasuke..."
The only thing Itachi could not set his mind at ease about was his young brother.
"Lord Third, how will Sasuke's safety be guaranteed?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen slowly turned around, a gentle smile crossing his face.
"Itachi, rest easy, I have already made arrangements."
"Tonight, the ninja academy will hold a special exchange activity, and all students will remain at the school to take part."
"With the double protection of the ANBU and the barrier team, there will be no problems whatsoever."
Itachi gave a nod.
As long as Sasuke was safe, that was enough.
Just then, the office door was pushed open.
Shimura Danzō appeared in the doorway.
"It is nearly time, Hiruzen."
Sarutobi Hiruzen gave a nod and shifted his gaze away from Itachi.
"Itachi, go with Danzō."
"Your collaborators have arrived."
Root Base.
Danzō walked ahead.
Itachi followed behind him, his footsteps heavy.
They arrived at a vast underground platform.
At the center of the platform stood more than twenty figures.
Even before getting close to the two who led the group, one could already feel the powerful aura they radiated.
One of them extended a long tongue and slowly dragged it across his own lips, his gaze roaming shamelessly over Itachi's body.
It was Orochimaru, one of the Sannin.
The other wore a forehead protector and a black mask, leaving only a pair of eyes flickering with an eerie green light exposed.
A putrid aura emanated from his body.
The legendary bounty hunter, Kakuzu.
Behind Orochimaru and Kakuzu stood more than twenty other ninja, each exuding a fierce and brutal presence.
Every one of them had eyes filled with murderous intent.
Not a single one among them was unknown; all were A-rank missing-nin with fearsome names on the wanted lists of various great ninja villages.
"Heh heh... so this is the Uchiha prodigy?"
Orochimaru appraised Itachi and spoke with keen interest.
"What a perfect body, what perfect eyes..."
"I would so love to pluck those perfect eyes out with my own hands! Heh heh heh!"
Orochimaru's words were laced with completely undisguised greed.
Orochimaru had considerable interest in the Uchiha Clan's Sharingan, and for the Mangekyō Sharingan, what he felt was not merely interest but an irrepressible greed.
Itachi's Mangekyō Sharingan snapped abruptly toward Orochimaru, the black tomoe spinning furiously, carrying a killing intent that cut to the bone.
"Say that again when you still have a life left to collect them with."
"Oh?"
The smile on Orochimaru's face grew wider.
The excitement in his eyes nearly brimmed over.
"Interesting, truly interesting little brat."
"Enough."
Danzō's cold, grim voice cut through the standoff between the two.
"Orochimaru, put that away."
"Once the mission is done, your grudges are none of my concern."
"But right now, you are allies."
Danzō's gaze swept slowly over everyone present, including the more than twenty A-rank missing-nin.
"Tonight's target is the Uchiha Clan."
"All who resist, aside from the targets we have designated, are to be killed without mercy."
"Once the mission is complete, every one of you will receive double the promised reward."
"Money is not the issue."
Kakuzu's voice finally rang out.
"I only want to know — the one called Uchiha Shinsuke, and Uchiha Fugaku, who claims them?"
"The two of them we deal with together."
"As for who ultimately takes their eyes and their hearts..."
"That is down to individual ability."
Orochimaru and Kakuzu exchanged a glance and each saw in the other's eyes a fleeting flash of killing intent and greed.
Danzō watched the scene before him with great satisfaction.
Two S-rank missing-nin, more than twenty A-rank missing-nin, plus Uchiha Itachi, and the Root ninja standing by on standby.
A lineup this formidable was sufficient to launch a surprise attack on any ninja clan and exterminate it entirely.
Uchiha Shinsuke.
Even if you truly are a monster, before absolute power of this magnitude, you will be ground to dust.
Tonight, the Uchiha would be completely erased from Konoha's map.
Evening.
Atop the Uchiha Guard Division building, the wind howled.
The last light of the setting sun dyed the entire silhouette of Konoha village a somber, blood-red hue.
Shinsuke stood with his hands clasped behind his back at the edge of the rooftop, his black combat uniform snapping in the wind.
He looked down over the entire Uchiha district, his expression calm.
Steady footsteps approached from behind Shinsuke.
Uchiha Fugaku stepped onto the rooftop, likewise dressed in dark combat attire.
"Orochimaru, Kakuzu... and that masked man, and Itachi."
Fugaku's fist clenched involuntarily beneath his sleeve.
A look of worry appeared on his face.
"Shinsuke!"
"Do you truly... have confidence in this?"
"It is possible that Root will join the battle as well."
After all, there was only one Shinsuke, while on the other side stood so many Kage-level powerhouses — Orochimaru, one of the Sannin; the legendary bounty hunter Kakuzu; the one who set the Nine-Tails incident into motion; and on top of all that, the Root ninja.
There were far too many enemies.
Shinsuke slowly turned his head and glanced at Uchiha Fugaku.
"Fugaku, my strength is more than sufficient to handle them; what they should worry about is whether they themselves can walk away in one piece."
"Do not worry."
"I can handle these people."
"The one you should be concerned about is yourself, Fugaku — your opponent tonight is only one person."
"Your eldest son, Uchiha Itachi!"
"As a father, put an end to this wrongful bond."
"Can you do it without showing a shred of mercy?"
Fugaku's chest heaved sharply.
The image of Itachi's face, once written all over with innocence, surfaced in his mind again.
After a long silence, the struggle in Fugaku's eyes faded.
A measure of resolve took its place.
"Clan Head, I understand."
At that very moment, the last sliver of evening glow sank below the horizon.
Night had come.