Escape From Konoha

"I'm ten minutes late today. Did something happen, Itachi?"

Arriving at the root monitoring room, the root ninja here asked Itachi.

Wearing a mask, Itachi did not answer the root ninja's question.

In fact, he had tried his best to restrain his anger and wanted to kill the root ninja in front of him...

But doing so is meaningless.

The person who attacked Shisui was Danzo. These root ninjas no longer have their own thoughts, they are just puppets obeying Danzo's orders.

Killing these people will not give you the pleasure of getting revenge at all.

Moreover, indulging in boring hatred will make you farther and farther away from your ideal.

Shisui didn't want him to live in hatred and pain all his life.

Carrying the will of his best friend, seeing the long road to the future on his behalf, and living strong and bravely, this is what he should really do.

Killing a hypocritical and peaceful man like Danzo will only make it difficult for him to move forward in Konoha, and will also affect the reputation of the clan.

Such a thing must never happen.

"It's nothing, I just feel a little uncomfortable."

"Then do you want to go back and take a rest?"

"No, it's not a big deal, just hold on and it'll be fine."

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

The root ninja briefly cared about Itachi, but he also knew that Itachi was just talking politely.

"Thank you, how's it going?"

Itachi looked at the monitor screen and asked.

The root ninja said: "Except for the gathering last night, the Uchiha clan has been very peaceful recently. However, there is one person who behaves strangely."

"who?"

Itachi asked curiously.

The root ninja pointed at a screen, and a man appeared on it. He was very old, almost fifty years old, and he was playing like a child in the park with a group of Uchiha children.

"he is……"

Itachi narrowed his eyes.

"His name is Uchiha Rihuo, and he was once a close confidant of Uchiha Shifang. According to what we found, after Uchiha Shifang retired, he and Uchiha Shifang also had a close relationship. Among the ANBU , and also has relevant records.”

"Did you find anything?"

"No. I thought they were still plotting some dangerous plan that was detrimental to the village, but after so many years, the two of them have been living a retired and leisurely life in the Uchiha clan."

"It's because you are too worried. Uchiha Shifang is older than the Hokage, and now he needs crutches to walk safely. Uchiha Rihuo is also in a marginalized position in the clan, and he spends all day doing nothing in the family."

Itachi said, thinking that the people in the root were too suspicious.

To monitor the entire Uchiha clan, the basic manpower is insufficient. If we still waste energy on marginal figures like Uchiha Lihuo, it is just a waste of time.

"It is precisely because of idleness that it is most suspicious."

The root ninja has something to say.

"Is there something wrong with your brains?"

Itachi snorted.

The root ninja shrugged his shoulders and said it didn't matter.

Among the list of people that the Uchiha clan needs to monitor, the levels of Uchiha Shifang and Uchiha Rihuo are far higher than Itachi's father, Uchiha Fugaku.

The more inconspicuous they seem, the more marginalized they are, and the characters with no handle are the most troublesome.

It's just that he can only see that Uchiha Lihuo's behavior is a bit weird, but he doesn't know exactly what is weird.

Is it because I am over-concerned? It is better to follow up carefully.

◎

Many days passed, and Konoha and the Uchiha clan had been living in a turbulent undercurrent.

At home, Itachi held his younger brother Sasuke's report card in his hand, with a satisfied smile on his face.

His younger brother Sasuke is undoubtedly a child with outstanding talents. Although he is only seven years old, his grades in the ninja school are as impeccable as his own.

Ninjutsu, taijutsu, teamwork, individual combat, and tactical application are all undisputed firsts in the grade.

In addition to being beaten by a girl named Haruno Sakura in the theory class, he also achieved excellent results in second place.

This made Itachi a little curious.

Sasuke's ninja theory knowledge has always been taught by himself. Even if there were super-excellent questions in the second-year theory test, Sasuke could easily answer them, but he still only got second place.

Was it Sasuke who was careless in the exam, or was he trying his best to get second place? Itachi preferred the latter.

As the elder brother, Itachi has always taught Sasuke that even in fair competition exams, even when facing classmates, he should not be merciful and must do his best to defeat the opponent.

This is not only for yourself, but also to respect the strength of your opponent.

Sasuke would not make such a stupid mistake, which only shows that the girl named Haruno Sakura is excellent in theoretical application.

"Sorry, brother, I didn't get first in one subject this time. Next time I will get first in all subjects."

His younger brother, Sasuke, was in a nervous mood. He looked at Itachi with a tense face and vowed that he would get the first place in all subjects next time.

"It doesn't matter. Don't underestimate anyone who is better than you. Since others have talents that surpass yours, you should accept them with an open mind. There are no perfect people in this world."

Even I will have times when I am powerless and helpless.

In his heart, he wanted to take revenge on Shisui, but he also knew what the consequences would be if he killed Danzo.

Whether it's for the village or the clan, he must give up this hatred.

"I know, but I won't give up."

Sasuke's eyes sparkled with determination not to admit defeat.

Itachi smiled softly and knew why Sasuke worked so hard. He wanted to surpass his brother.

It is true that as a student of a ninja school, Sasuke's grades are already very good. Among the children of the same age, no one can compare comprehensively.

But compared with his own abnormal ability and strength, it seems very weak.

Sometimes excellence is not a good thing.

Deep in Sasuke's heart, perhaps without even realizing it, he had the so-called jealousy.

This reminded Itachi of Shisui's last words and the entire process of opening the Mangekyō Sharingan.

Jealousy... is a terrible thing.

Maybe, in my own heart, there is also darkness. Itachi thought to himself.

But Itachi couldn't see what the darkness in his heart was.

I don’t envy others, I don’t envy others, I don’t blame others, and I don’t complain cowardly to anyone... What is the darkness in my heart like this?

While Itachi was thinking, Sasuke's words came to his ears:

"Well, brother, are you free tomorrow? I have a day off tomorrow and I want to practice shuriken with you, brother."

"Tomorrow..." Itachi thought for a while, then smiled helplessly: "Sorry, Sasuke, forgive me, I have a date tomorrow, wait until next time."

After saying that, he tapped Sasuke's forehead with his finger.

Sasuke stared at Itachi dissatisfied: "A date? Is that the woman who often comes here to find my brother?"

For some reason, Sasuke's heart felt a little empty, and he felt an emotion called jealousy.

It was all because of that woman that my brother didn't have time to practice with him.

The annoying fly should stay away from my brother.

"Okay, Sasuke, next time I will practice with you. Because you are my younger brother."

"I know, I say that every time I say no."

Sasuke walked back to his room sullenly, sulking alone.

Itachi also sighed when Sasuke returned to his room.

As soon as he stood up from the corridor, he heard someone calling his name outside.

"Uchiha Itachi, you stay here, come out quickly!"

The yelling was so loud that Itachi could hear it. It was the voice of Yashiro Uchiha.

Itachi's eyes suddenly burned with heat, and the irregular magatama patterns flashed in his scarlet eyes. Then he returned to normal and walked calmly towards the entrance.

Uchiha Yashiro and the others came here probably for Shisui's sake.

That's right, Shisui has been dead for so many days, no matter how slow his brain is, he should be able to react.

This boring clan probably only has this level of understanding.

◎

Uchiha Shisui is dead.

Although the news has not spread to the outside world, it has caused panic within the Uchiha clan.

As the mainstay of the Uchiha clan, Shisui's strength is obvious to all. However, people from the security team discovered Shisui's body and suicide note.

Although the handwriting on the suicide note was the same as when Shisui was alive, it was really easy for a ninja with the Sharingan Eye to imitate the exact same handwriting.

The radicals suspected that the murderer of Shisui was Uchiha Itachi.

Thinking of this, Fugaku, standing in the living room, frowned deeply.

Yesterday, his son Itachi had a huge conflict with Uchiha Yashiro and other radical clan members. Although the conflict was suppressed by him, it also meant that his son Itachi would probably not be ignored by the radical clan members in the future. accept.

The idea of ​​passing on the position of clan leader to Itachi became hesitant in Fugaku's heart.

There is another question, and that is whether Itachi killed Shisui.

If so, why did Itachi kill Shisui? Itachi's strength is much inferior to Shisui, and it is impossible to kill Shisui silently.

If Itachi hadn't killed Shisui, then who could have killed the man with the name Shunshen Shisui in the Uchiha clan?

Most importantly, where did the two Sharingan on Shisui's body go? Taken by whom?

Is it the murderer?

Or were they the police officers who were the first to search for Shisui's body?

Or... Shisui really committed suicide?

But the reason for Shisui's suicide would be as written in his suicide note, 'I am very tired, this will lead to the end of the Uchiha clan and I want to die...' Is it pessimistic?

This kind of suicide note is more like discouraging the Uchiha clan from launching a coup.

Fugaku felt that the truth behind Shisui's death was far more complicated than he imagined.

Someone is plotting against the Uchiha clan.

That's for sure.

But I don’t know who they are yet.

Anbu...or root?

Only these two departments are the most suspicious.

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

Fugaku looked up at the entrance, stood up from the living room, walked to the entrance, and opened the door.

What he saw was a weak-looking girl.

Uchiha Spring.

She is the female friend of her son Itachi.

"Um, is Itachi-kun at home?"

Concern was written on his face.

Itachi, Uchiha Yashiro and others had a violent conflict yesterday. It was no secret within the clan. The girl must have been overly worried and came here specifically at this time.

What a good girl. Fugaku sighed in his heart.

"Sorry, Itachi has gone out on a mission. I don't know exactly when he will come back."

Fugaku felt a little regretful after saying this.

Is the tone of my words a bit too condescending, too indifferent?

It would be a bit bad if the relationship between the girl and her son Itachi broke down.

"That's it. Sorry to bother you, I'll come back another day."

The girl named Uchiha Izumi bowed slightly to Fugaku and then left.

"..."

It must be because of his tough tone that he feels afraid and dissatisfied with his future 'father-in-law'.

Fugaku patted his head in annoyance.

He wanted to say something to save the girl, but when the words came to his lips, he didn't know what to say.

In the future, should we learn to be more gentle towards our family members?

Fugaku couldn't remember when he could show a gentle expression naturally.

I always feel that after becoming the clan leader, I have forgotten many things from the past.

He hoped that his son Itachi would become a useful person, so when Itachi was four years old, he took him to the frontline battlefield to enlighten the ninja's thoughts on survival.

Later, he noticed Itachi's talent and kept forcing him to embark on the path of an excellent ninja. Although Itachi succeeded in perfecting everything he told him to do, the smile on Itachi's face became less and less after that.

It's okay with Sasuke, but it seems that I haven't seen a few smiles in front of my father.

Especially in recent years, something has been isolating the relationship between father and son.

An indescribable feeling of blockage made Fugaku feel inexplicably regretful.

"Is it because I'm too tired? Alas..."

◎

Itachi came back in the evening.

A family of four was eating at the dining table. Suddenly, Fugaku said: "By the way, Itachi, the little girl named Uchiha Izumi came to see you again this afternoon. It seems that she is very worried about your current state. You will be here tomorrow." Go over and express your feelings to her, don't let her feelings go to waste."

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

Mikoto, the mother, also heard about this from her husband and secretly smiled at Itachi to show encouragement.

Only Sasuke said strangely: "Didn't my brother say that he was going on a date with her today? What else is she here for?"

After Sasuke finished speaking, the dining table was completely silent.

The gentle expression on Fugaku's face also became serious, and his sharp eyes were fixed on Itachi.

"Itachi, what's going on? What on earth are you doing?"

"It's nothing. There are important tasks above, so the appointment has been postponed."

Itachi had already thought of his words.

"No, that's definitely not the case. You are hiding something from us."

Fugaku put down his bowl and chopsticks and glanced at him coldly.

"You worry too much, father."

"Why haven't you attended that rally recently?"

"Because it's boring."

"Has the family's sense of honor also been discarded?"

"This kind of family is not enough to set off my caliber. It's just that simple."

boom!

Fugaku's face was extremely pale.

A good dinner suddenly turned into a battlefield, serious and scary.

Sasuke was trembling on the dining table, not daring to speak and feeling a little guilty.

If I hadn't said those words, my father and brother wouldn't have had a quarrel.

Uchiha Mikoto looked at the father and son Fugaku and Itachi, and had no choice but to bring Sasuke into the room to prevent him from seeing some bad scenes.

"Whose side are you on?"

Fugaku was a little sad.

His question was just like when Uchiha Yashiro questioned Itachi's position at the meeting.

Is it a clan or a village?

Such suspicion and distrust are now also filling Fugaku's eyes.

"I am Itachi of the Uchiha clan. This will never change no matter what happens."

Itachi raised his head and looked at Fugaku without fear, his eyes firm.

Instead of relaxing at all, the atmosphere at the table became even more solemn.

"Then let me ask you, what secret information did you get from the ANBU?"

Fugaku asked with a cold face.

Itachi replied calmly: "It's a matter of village secrets, I can't answer."

"Is this what you call the clan's position?"

"It's precisely because I stand in the Uchiha's shoes that I can't explain everything."

Itachi replied not to be outdone.

Fugaku laughed angrily. He never thought that his eldest son, whom he had always been proud of, would one day confront him unwilling to show weakness.

Seeing Itachi's indifferent and emotionless face, Fugaku felt a chill in his heart.

At this moment, he couldn't figure out Itachi's position at all.

"What exactly are you seeking?"

"To prevent the tragedy from continuing."

Itachi closed his eyes.

I recalled that when I was four years old, under the leadership of my father, I set foot in the center of the battlefield and witnessed all kinds of tragic scenes.

Countless refugees were wailing, and their wails were affected by the war between the ninjas. They died as frailly as if someone was cutting grass. The painful sound hit his heart and shocked his weak heart.

The battlefield was tragic, with human corpses everywhere, broken bodies, and scattered blood and flesh.

It was a nightmare he would never forget.

At that moment, he vowed to stop all wars in the world.

No matter what you sacrifice, don't hesitate.

Just to prevent such tragedies from happening again.

Fugaku helplessly looked at his son who had already made his own decisions. For the first time, he felt that as a father, he was so miserable.

Since when did the trust between father and son be severed?

◎

The days until the Uchiha clan's coup were approaching.

The number of people participating, the name of each participant, the route of action, the armaments prepared, including how to use the jinchūriki to control the tailed beasts to cause riots, how to conduct the final beheading operation, how to deal with the war, and the launch of the Uchiha clan The coup officials made detailed plans.

The shocking preparations were now handed over to the top four people including the Hokage by Itachi.

They took the intelligence collected by Itachi and found the content above very dazzling.

"It seems that we can no longer tolerate them. If they plan to seize power in the form of a coup, they can only be dealt with as traitors."

The one who spoke was Xiaochun who was sleeping in bed.

"Xiaochun, please don't be impulsive. Things can still ease... don't make a decision too early."

Hiruzen organized Koharu, who was gasping for breath from talking excitedly, and went to bed.

"Hiruzhan, stop hesitating. The Uchiha clan's situation is beyond our control. For the sake of the people in the village, we must act first and end the turmoil as soon as possible."

"Don't say that in front of Itachi, he's still a child."

Hiruzen scolded Koharu who went to bed.

Koharu snorted slightly dissatisfied when he went to bed, but the initiative was ultimately in the hands of the Hokage.

Itachi half-knelt in front of the four people, with his head lowered and a fox mask on his face, not knowing what he was thinking in his heart.

"We cannot easily start a civil war with the Uchiha clan. There should be other ways to prevent it."

Hiruzen still insisted on a conservative strategy.

"Then temporarily unite the Anbu and Roots to stop the Uchiha clan before they break out, launch a surprise attack, and capture the Uchiha effortlessly."

The key to the matter lies in whether Itachi is willing to be their leader.

Danzo's statement made Hiruzen frown.

"The Uchiha clan is also part of the village, and they should not be judged by force. Let me think about it again, there must be a way."

Under Hiruzen's hesitation, the meeting against Uchiha broke up unhappy again.

◎

Root headquarters.

Itachi came here and stood in front of the dark man of Shinobi.

There are two root jounin beside him. If you take action at this time, you can quickly kill those two jonin, and then quickly attack Danzo. There is a high probability that you can assassinate him.

But reason told Itachi that he couldn't do this.

After killing Danzo, he would not be able to leave the root base alive.

There are countless root ninjas here. It is impossible for me to be their opponent. I will only be besieged and killed by them.

And at that time, he will be accused of attacking high-level officials and become a defecting ninja with an unpardonable crime.

"Hiruzhan is a hypocritical person. He keeps saying that he wants to discuss with Uchiha, but he has never discussed with the Uchiha clan. So, don't believe his words. At the critical moment, the first person to attack Uchiha will definitely It's him."

Danzo said to Itachi, his tone flat.

"Is this the reason why you attacked Shisui?"

Itachi asked reluctantly. He still couldn't let go of Shisui's death.

"Do you understand? But it was not my intention to kill Shisui, but his existence will cause the balance of the village to lose. In other words, for the peace of the village, he must sacrifice for this. But even if he dies, he The power left behind will become the cornerstone for Konoha to become stronger and protect Konoha."

"Shameless statement."

The corners of Danzo's mouth curled up slightly.

"But everything I do is only for the sake of Konoha. Because the Uchiha clan has come to this day because of Hiruzen's connivance, and so does Shisui. He does not deserve to be Hokage. Only I am worthy of sitting on the position of Hokage. .”

After hearing these words, Itachi felt that compared to the Third Hokage, Danzo's existence was really like a twisted mass of maggots, ugly and dark.

If he hadn't been blocking it, the Hokage and the Uchiha clan should have reached an agreement long ago, and the matter would not have reached this point.

"So, there is only one choice left, and that is to destroy the Uchiha clan."

The expression on Danzo's face hardened.

Itachi's body tensed. Although he had expected it, he still felt a sense of sadness when he suddenly heard this order.

The Uchiha clan, which has existed for thousands of years, is going to be exterminated here. It is a tragedy no matter how you think about it.

The Thousand Hands Clan at least still has the will to pass on.

As for the Uchiha clan...

Itachi's heart was filled with dark thoughts that suddenly wanted to destroy everything.

At this moment, Danzo's sly smile appeared on his face again.

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

They were given a dead end, and another dead end that didn't look like a way to survive.

But it's like a drowning person grasping at the last straw and clinging to it.

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

"Calm down. Think about it carefully, isn't this the ideal you have been pursuing? Think about it, if the Uchiha clan's coup succeeds, Konoha will also suffer heavy losses. So, is that a scene what you want to see? "

Danzo asked loudly.

Itachi's head was buzzing.

Yes, if the Uchiha coup succeeds, then the tragedy of the Ninja World War will continue to be staged.

If you give up your ideals, then what are your efforts so far?

Isn't it ridiculous?

"Sacrifice your clan and save the village. Now is the time for you to make a choice for your own ideals."

Danzo's words were like the whispers of a devil, constantly eroding Itachi's heart and making him unable to breathe.

"Do you still remember the question I asked you a long time ago? If one person on a ship is infected with a serious infectious disease, as the captain, what should you do to save more people? Have you forgotten this? Yet?"

After hearing this, Itachi suddenly woke up.

If he remembered correctly, the option he originally chose was to eliminate the man who had already contracted the infectious disease and throw him off the ship so that more people on the ship could survive.

"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, you will be destroyed by the clan. From the standpoint of the village, you and your brother can survive... …What are your options?”

Danzo silently saw the boy who was less than fourteen years old in front of him, clearly aware of the ups and downs of emotions in the other person's heart.

In fact, losing Itachi did not mean that there was no other spokesperson.

But Itachi was the most suitable person.

There is no one more suitable to be his puppet.

His ideals and persistence are his greatest weaknesses.

People with weaknesses are the easiest to grasp.

Betrayal is not that easy.

"...You...remember your promise..."

After Itachi said this, he seemed to have drained all the strength from his body, and his eyes darkened.

There are emotions such as sadness, bitterness, and powerlessness brewing in my heart.

After all, I couldn't resist the will this man attached to me.

A satisfied smile appeared on Danzo's face, and his heartbeat continued to accelerate.

After many years, the biggest thorn in the village is finally going to be solved.

Since the death of his teacher Senju Tobirama, he has been following his mentor's wishes and implementing the strategy of isolating the Uchiha clan, so that this clan that destroyed the peace of the village will be completely erased from Konoha and become a piece of history.

Moreover, it was still destroyed in the hands of his own people.

What an excellent killing tool. Danzo looked at Itachi who was a little lost.

Even in the roots, there is no better killing tool than this boy.

◎

Withdrew from the task of monitoring the Uchiha clan, Kakashi lived a relatively leisurely life.

His subordinate Tianzang is a dedicated Anbu.

After all, there is nothing to do, and this basic strategy will not make mistakes.

As the sub-captain of Anbu, he needs to relax occasionally.

I went shopping in the bookstore, and found that Jiraiya's new book hadn't been published yet, which made Kakashi sigh secretly.

The idea of ​​locking Jiraiya in a small black room has become more and more intense recently.

"Meow~"

Suddenly a meow caught Kakashi's attention.

I saw a very ordinary three-color cat standing on the roadside staring at me, its eyes widened, as if it was expressing something.

"Cat...it's really troublesome, I still prefer dogs..."

Kakashi put away "Intimate Heaven", walked to a small stall on the roadside, and bought a piece of grilled fish.

Then he walked to the meowing cat, squatted down, put the grilled fish in front of it, and let it eat.

The calico cat did not eat it immediately, but licked Kakashi's finger with its tongue, then took the grilled fish in its mouth and walked away gracefully.

Kakashi stood up and left naturally.

A message was also transmitted into Kakashi's mind.

——On June 19, at 7 p.m., route No. 2 will open.