Minutes to Midnight Massacre

One year later, Namikaze Orphanage, Itsuki's Room

In Itsuki's room, all protective seals were turned on. Itsuki was writing in a thin book with a red cover covered with protective seals on every inch on the outside. He was writing and doing some calculations before a sudden spike in chakra outside his window alerted him. Hiding his research notes and book in a scroll and then storing it in a false bottom, he deactivated the protective seals before opening the window.

A red-colored messenger toad sat on the windowsill. Itsuki gave the code and the toad gave the scroll from Jiraiya to Itsuki. Itsuki opened the scroll and was shocked by what he read.

"Root and Danzo unsuccessfully attempted assassinating Shishui Uchiha. Shisui's body was later found in the Naka river and both his eyes were missing."

Tonight Root will be disbanded but Danzo will not go down that easy.

I wrote only one line in the letter Jiraya.

"Get back ASAP."

The countdown to Uchiha Massacre begins.

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Somewhere in Southern Land of Fire, Jiraiya was busy with his 'Research' when Messenger Toad reverse summoned itself near him. Reluctantly he left his research but as soon as he read the report, his expression turned serious.

'Kid activated protocol ASAP, Danzo must be up to something big.'

Jiraiya took out a pair of earrings with a paper slip attached and wore them. He had marked two Root Anbu with seals similar to one he used to spy on Naruto, just more discrete. But once activated they could only be sustained for two days. ASAP was the code word to signal their activation.

Getting up, Jiraiya wore the two earrings and jumped from his position, and started to run towards Konoha while simultaneously listening to seals on the Root agents.

'Even at full speed, it would take me an entire day to reach Konoha. I just hope I make it in time.'

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Danzo had just ordered Itachi to exterminate the entire Uchiha clan and Itachi had agreed. Shisui's death has pushed him to edge and Itachi knew there is no longer a peaceful solution to Uchiha treachery. Either Itachi could watch his entire clan wiped out by Konoha along with his brother or he could kill them himself while saving his brother. Danzo knew Itachi had only one weakness, that is his brother. Only this knowledge allowed him to manipulate Itachi into killing his own family.

Danzo allowed himself a smile, a rare show of emotion to award himself of his success. He made a hand seal and a soft chime spread through the entire underground complex. I just a minute, his entire root force was kneeling in front of him.

Danzo examined his personal force for a second and spoke, "All of you are assigned to an emergency mission with S-rank priority. Tomorrow at 0100 hours sharp, the entire present force has to mobilize and exterminate any and all humans present in sector 17." Danzo knew as much of a genius Itachi is, he could not exterminate all his clan on his own so he will kill the remaining himself. Moreover, he has to harvest as many Sharingan's as he could.

"All captains take your orders from Fu and Torune. Dismissed."

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Jiraya took in a sharp breath, he knew sector 17 was what Uchiha District was called before Uchiha's were forced to relocate there. Effectively Danzo is trying to exterminate the entire Uchiha clan.

'Hokage needs to be informed of this. Danzo had to be stopped.'

He summoned a messenger toad and wrote the intel about Danzo attacking Uchiha Clan. He sent another toad to Itsuki with spy earrings to keep close tabs on Danzo as well as two-way voice transmission seals to keep in touch. Itsuki had always been incredibly perspective and he needed his expertise to prevent a disaster.

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A messenger toad appeared in Hokage's office and delivered intel about Danzo straight to Hokage. Reading the intel, Hokage took a deep breath from his smoking pipe and looked at the kneeling Anbu with crow mask. He had been already informed of Danzo's orders to Itachi by Itachi himself but even he was skeptical that Itachi could decimate his entire clan on his own. Uchiha clan is counted among the strongest clans in the entire world for a reason. But Itachi told about Orange masked man who calls himself Madara Uchiha has offered to help him destroy his own clan in exchange for Itachi joining Akatsuki.

"Remove your mask crow", Hiruzen ordered.

Anbu removed his mask and the young visage of Itachi Uchiha came into view. His face betrayed no emotion at the idea of killing his own family. Hiruzen took a good look at what he could say as one of the most outstanding ninjas ever born in Konoha and squashed any regret for what he was going to do next.

"You are given off records mission to exterminate entire Uchiha clan and join Akatsuki as a spy and report their activity to Konoha."

Itachi simply acknowledged his mission and shunshined out of Hokage's office. Hokage dismissed the isolation formation around his office and opened the window and gave a scroll back to Jiraya's toad.

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The second messenger toad that Jiraya sent for Itsuki summoned itself near the roof and immediately went to Itsuki's window only to find his room empty.

Itsuki himself was listlessly roaming the bustling Uchiha District. Security was tight and Uchiha police patrolled the streets but no one found Itsuki out of place as if everyone was subconsciously ignoring him. He watched the streets that tonight will be filled with blood and found himself powerless. He could sense the entire Uchiha population and their emotions, the underlying hate, and madness as well as happiness, love, acceptance, and more with intensity greater than anything he had felt before. To Uchiha, every emotion they feel is several times stronger than a normal person feels and Itsuki was finding himself being overwhelmed by all the emotions. He felt restless and angry at his own powerlessness. He had been brainstorming for months and could not come up with any solution to the massacre. He at least wanted to save the civilians that had no part in the coup but even if he somehow outsmarted Hiruzen and Danzo, he has no chance to deal with Zetsu and Obito.

But for some reason, he could not stop himself from coming here one last time, despite knowing the massacre is just a few hours away. He left behind the shinobi district and went downtown where mainly civilians lived.

Walking through the streets he watched a couple go by carrying a nine months old baby with unhealthy pale skin. Medic part of his brain guessed the baby to be suffering from respiratory disease and was most likely prematurely born. The couple looked worried and looking at them, an idea formed in my head.

'Perhaps I cannot save all but at least I can save one.'