Chapter 170 : No Choice!!

"Choice?"

Uchiha Itachi looked at Danzo, his face as calm as ever, but there was a hint of hesitation in his voice. "Danzo, what are you trying to say?"

However, Itachi already had a guess about Danzo's intentions.

But he didn't want to hear the rest.

"The Uchiha clan's rumors about rebellion are growing louder. This is not good for Konoha, and Konoha will not allow such a thing to happen!" Danzo's eyes lingered on the Ninja Academy. 

His expression was void of emotion, a trait he shared with Itachi — both men seemed to shun smiles.

Yet today, Danzo's face was even gloomier than usual.

He had run out of patience. As long as the Uchiha clan existed, his mind would not be at peace.

The Sharingan was his...

"I am already working to stop it. The Uchiha clan's coup cannot succeed," Itachi said calmly, as though stating a fact.

"What I want isn't just failure. I want to eliminate any risk of it altogether," Danzo snapped, not leaving room for any argument. "Konoha's safety cannot afford even the slightest mishap!"

"The Third Hokage has allowed me to guide the clan slowly," Itachi replied, his voice steady but deliberate. "You, however, seem to be in a hurry?"

Itachi understood Danzo's intentions. Danzo coveted the Uchiha clan's Sharingan for his experiments. 

Itachi had known this for a long time. Yet he still hoped to protect the Uchiha clan, if only for Shisui's sake.

"Heh... The Third Hokage isn't in a hurry?" Danzo scoffed, a trace of disdain in his tone. "Don't be fooled by his kind words. When it comes to this point, he will stand firmly on Konoha's side. He's lived through too many wars to be as soft-hearted as he seems!"

"Then what exactly do you want to do?" Itachi frowned as he asked, a faint sense of foreboding creeping over him.

"For the sake of the village, I want you to act. No matter what, the Uchiha clan must not be allowed to rebel!" Danzo's gaze turned icy as he continued. "And if necessary... wipe them out."

Wipe them out?

Itachi's pupils constricted to the words.

He hadn't expected Danzo to speak so bluntly about annihilation.

Uchiha Itachi narrowed his eyes, staring coldly at Danzo. "Annihilate the clan? Aren't you afraid I'll lead the Uchiha in rebellion? If that happens, the village will suffer massive losses!"

Danzo chuckled, his tone filled with confidence. "If I dared to bring this up, it means I have the power to wipe out the Uchiha clan. Besides, I firmly believe in your faith in the Will of Fire. You won't allow the village to descend into chaos."

"What's more, if it's to destroy the so-called 'evil' Uchiha clan, I'm sure the other clans will join forces with us."

Danzo spoke with unwavering assurance. If Genya were here, he'd probably retort, If you're so brave, just try it! But Itachi hesitated.

Indeed, he believed in the Will of Fire and didn't want the village to spiral into turmoil. But wiping out his entire clan? That thought tore at his heart.

Annihilate the clan?

"If you personally eliminate your clan, I might consider sparing a remnant of the Uchiha lineage. For example, your younger brother, Sasuke," Danzo continued, his tone calm. But as he finished, his voice turned icy.

Threatening his brother.

Buzz. 

Itachi's eyes instantly turned cold, his chakra flaring violently as it pressed down on Danzo.

The killing intent was palpable.

Through gritted teeth, Itachi spat, "You dare touch Sasuke? If you lay a hand on him, I'll kill you first!"

As he spoke, the Sharingan in Itachi's eyes began to spin. The three tomoe merged into the shape of a Mangekyo Sharingan, radiating waves of powerful ocular energy.

Sasuke was Itachi's one and only untouchable line. No matter what, he wouldn't allow harm to come to his younger brother.

"Why wouldn't I dare? Your Uchiha clan dares to plot a coup, and I'm simply eliminating threats to Konoha." Danzo met Itachi's gaze without the slightest fear.

They locked eyes.

But Itachi failed to notice that beneath Danzo's bandages, one of his Sharingan had already opened. If Itachi made a move, Danzo was ready to activate Izanagi and escape immediately, bringing the Root forces to confront him.

Of course, this entire conversation had already been discussed with the Third Hokage beforehand.

If Uchiha Itachi truly lost control, then the solution was a joint effort to eliminate him.

Even Third Hokage would personally take action.

This was the confidence that allowed Danzo to meet Uchiha Itachi's gaze without fear.

Most likely, Sarutobi Hiruzen was already using his Telescope Technique to observe everything happening here.

"You..." Uchiha Itachi locked eyes with Danzo, his heart wavering.

Exterminate the clan?

Let him do it?

That would make him the sinner of the Uchiha clan.

"I've given you the opportunity. Now it's up to you to make your choice," Shimura Danzo said coldly, emphasizing each word. "My patience has its limits. I will not give the Uchiha clan another chance!"

Itachi fell silent, saying nothing in return.

At that moment,

The school bell rang, signaling the end of the day, and students rushed out.

Among them, Uchiha Sasuke ran out of the classroom happily. He seemed to know that his older brother would be picking him up today and was running especially fast!

"What an adorable child," Danzo remarked as he watched the cheerful Sasuke, then added, "But he may lose his life because of the mistakes of his clan."

That sentence seemed like a warning—or perhaps a threat—to Itachi, pressuring him to make a decision.

"Is there really no other choice?" Itachi asked, his gaze fixed on Danzo, his resolve starting to waver.

For Sasuke, he was willing to sacrifice everything—even carry the shame of wiping out his own clan.

But exterminating the clan... had Itachi ever considered the innocent Uchihas who would perish?

Those Uchiha clan members also had children, siblings, and brothers of their own.

Did they deserve to die?

As the future leader of the Uchiha clan, was Itachi only thinking about Konoha and not about his own people?

Only a few dozen people participated in the coup attempt, and yet the entire clan is to be wiped out?

But at this moment, Uchiha Itachi seemed to have already made up his mind.

"There is no other choice!" Danzo Shimura, seeing Itachi waver, allowed a faint smile to appear on his lips. "If you take action yourself to stop this, I will ensure a spark of the Uchiha clan survives."

"Sasuke..." Itachi still hesitated.

"You can go and ask the Third Hokage," Danzo said, his gaze sharp as he looked at Itachi. "See what answer he gives you this time. I believe it will be the same as mine."

"I'll go and ask the Third," Itachi replied coldly. At that moment, he noticed Sasuke leaving the ninja academy. Without another word, he disappeared in a flash.

"I'll give you three days. In three days, I want to hear your decision!" Danzo called after him, the smile on his face widening.

This time,

In three days, the Uchiha clan would meet its end.

Not far away, on a quiet path, the Uchiha brothers walked hand in hand. Sasuke seemed to notice that his older brother's mood was unusually heavy today.

"Brother... are you unhappy today?" Sasuke asked softly.

"Not at all~~"

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