Chapter 173 : Itachi and Obito!!

Three days later, at night.

Uchiha Itachi took a deep breath, then carefully spoke after much thought: "Three days from now." 

After a pause, he added, "When I take action, I hope the Ninja Academy can keep Sasuke there. At least, don't let him return home until it's almost over."

He didn't want Sasuke to witness the massacre of their clan. But before leaving Konoha, he wanted to help Sasuke in one small way.

Help him awaken his Sharingan.

"I will." Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded and looked at Itachi. "Rest assured. You have given everything for Konoha; no one will harm Sasuke."

"Thank you." Itachi nodded, then turned and left the Hokage's office.

"Three days from now, I'll be waiting for your report. If you complete the mission to eliminate your clan, I'll ensure you're allowed to leave." Hiruzen called out after Itachi's retreating figure as the door closed behind him.

A smile crept back onto Hiruzen's face.

The plan was coming together.

The Uchiha clan's annihilation would proceed, and Konoha would remain untainted by blame. 

After all,

The person responsible for destroying the Uchiha was their own. Konoha would have no part in it.

"Hiruzen, are you certain Itachi will follow the plan and eliminate the Uchiha?" Shimura Danzo emerged from the shadows, looking at Hiruzen, who was puffing on his pipe. His tone was serious.

Danzo, ever cautious, found it hard to believe that Itachi would do it alone. He preferred to handle it himself.

"What's this? Are you suggesting the entire Root should get involved?" Hiruzen cast a sharp glance at Danzo. 

"Do you honestly think your Root operatives could completely wipe out the Uchiha? After all these years, you should understand their strength. Even Fugaku alone would give you trouble. But Itachi is different—no one would expect him to destroy his own clan. That is his advantage."

Hiruzen laid out the reasoning clearly, his expression grave.

In his view, if the Uchiha clan clashed with Konoha, both sides would suffer greatly, potentially shaking Konoha to its core. Itachi taking the initiative was the best option.

The Uchiha clan would be destroyed.

"Hmph, I hope he succeeds," Danzo snorted, his words begrudging.

Still, watching a clan annihilate itself was, in its own twisted way, quite entertaining.

Interesting.

"Stay quiet for the next three days. Don't make any moves," Hiruzen warned.

"I will. Three days is nothing; I can wait." Shimura Danzo's lips curled into a smile. "I hope he acts according to your plan."

After saying this, Shimura Danzo left as well.

It was still late at night. 

In the former Uchiha clan's territory stood an Uchiha shrine.

However,

A figure wearing a twisted, one-eyed mask appeared at the shrine. He seemed ready to step inside.

Swish~ 

Just then,

A shuriken shot toward the masked figure.

Sensing the danger from behind, the masked man let his body begin to fade.

The shuriken passed right through him.

"Who's there?" The masked man turned to look at the top of a nearby tree.

His gaze froze.

Uchiha Itachi realized he'd been discovered. He leaped down from the tree, landing gracefully. 

His calm eyes locked onto the masked man.

"Hey, you're with that organization, aren't you? I need your help." Itachi stared at the masked man, his voice steady.

"Heh. You need my help? You're from Konoha, yet you ask an outsider for assistance?" The masked man chuckled. "And you attack me, yet ask for help?"

He didn't understand Itachi's intentions. 

A ninja sneaking into Konoha, and the Uchiha wanted his help?

"That was just a test to gauge your strength—to see if you meet my requirements." Itachi's expression remained calm as he stared at the masked man. "Only you can help me with this."

"Ha! Now I'm curious—what do you want my help with?" The masked man laughed, though curiosity colored his tone. "Tell me. What do you need?"

"It's simple. Help me annihilate the Uchiha clan."

With that, Itachi coldly uttered the words.

Huh? 

Hearing this, the masked man's laughter abruptly stopped. His single eye stared at Itachi in shock.

The air grew tense.

From behind the mask, Uchiha Itachi could feel the shock and confusion radiating from the masked man.

"Are you helping or not? I've seen you lurking around the Uchiha clan grounds more than once. This operation might be beneficial for you," Itachi said, staring directly at the masked man, speaking every word with measured precision.

"Haha... wiping out a clan? How interesting." The one-eyed masked man chuckled. He looked at Itachi and asked, word by word, "If I'm not mistaken, aren't you also a member of the Uchiha clan? Why would you want to destroy them?"

It was an important question, one he needed clarity on.

What if this was a trap to capture him? 

Sure, he could escape if needed, but it was a risk he wasn't willing to ignore.

"Because I want to annihilate the Uchiha clan. As for the reason, you don't need to know." Itachi's tone was cold as he pressed on, "You only need to answer: will you help me or not?"

"What's in it for me if I help you?" the masked man asked again.

Itachi's gaze deepened, his voice heavy. "After I destroy the Uchiha clan, I will defect from Konoha and join your organization."

"That's not enough." The masked man shook his head but then suddenly laughed. "Still, I like your attitude. Tell me when you plan to start, and I'll join in."

"How interesting. This will definitely be interesting... haha!"

The masked man seemed both excited and amused by Itachi's plan.

"Three days from now, at night," Itachi said, fixing his gaze on the masked man. "I'll be waiting for you. If you don't show up, I'll handle it myself."

"Such an intriguing event—I wouldn't miss it," the masked man replied with a grin, as though he'd stumbled upon an amusing game.

"Since we'll be working together, tell me your name," Itachi said, his tone steady as he asked once more.

"You can call me Tobi, or..." The masked man's voice suddenly darkened. "Or you may refer to me as Uchiha Madara."

"Uchiha Madara?" For the first time, a slight smile broke across Itachi's otherwise emotionless face. "If you truly are Uchiha Madara, would you even bother taking part in this massacre?"

"Why not participate?" asked the masked man called Tobi, looking at Uchiha Itachi.

"When I left Konoha, they betrayed me. They are no longer my clan."

As he spoke, the only eye he had left opened, locking onto Uchiha Itachi's gaze.

The tomoe in his eye spun, finally forming the shape of a Mangekyō Sharingan.

"Mangekyō..." Uchiha Itachi was startled at the sight of the eye.

This man before him truly belonged to the Uchiha clan.

As for whether he was Uchiha Madara... that remained to be determined.

****

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