Was the Uchiha Massacre Konoha's Plan?

Akatsuki

"What? Itachi was a spy?"

The Akatsuki members were stunned. Itachi, a spy? A double agent working between Konoha and the Uchiha clan?

In other words, Itachi was also a spy within Akatsuki itself?

The entire organization fell into silence. Only Pain (Tendo) remained calm, his face emotionless. Whether Itachi was a spy or not no longer mattered.

Because his plans were already in motion.

"Hmph! I knew it! That Uchiha Itachi was never any good. Look, I was right—he turned out to be a spy!" Deidara exclaimed loudly, his tone filled with disdain.

"Kisame-san, you were his partner. Did you know about this?" Deidara asked.

"Well... no, I didn't." Kisame chuckled coldly and shook his head.

Unbelievable. When Itachi joined Akatsuki, it was with such a hidden motive? Perhaps Itachi always knew that if his secret was exposed, he wouldn't have a place in Akatsuki. Leaving early was his safest option.

"Itachi-san... was this really your choice? To end up dying at the hands of your own little brother?" Kisame murmured with a complex expression.

Whether or not Itachi was a spy didn't concern Kisame much. Even so, he still respected Itachi deeply.

The Ninja World

"What? Itachi? That Uchiha Itachi was a spy? What kind of joke is this? What's going on?"

"The annihilation of the Uchiha clan was Konoha's plan? Are you serious?"

"What is that masked man even talking about? Who is he? How does he know all this? Who is he, really?"

Konoha fell into chaos. No one could believe what they were hearing. The peaceful façade of their village was hiding all of this?

[On Screen]

"The Uchiha clan planned a coup, and Itachi was a spy?" Sasuke muttered in disbelief, his eyes wide. Could this really have happened?

The masked man spoke again:

"You were born into the Uchiha clan, but you didn't know about any of this because you were too young at the time."

"You can't imagine the burden he carried on his shoulders."

"Why? Why did Itachi destroy the Uchiha clan?" Sasuke demanded.

The masked man stared at Sasuke, his voice calm.

"For someone who's never witnessed war, it's hard to understand all of this."

"During the Third Great Ninja War, Itachi was only four years old, yet he saw too much death."

"Even as a child, he gained firsthand experience of war. War is hell. That's why Itachi became someone who loved peace and despised conflict."

"The stability of the village was his top priority. He devoted everything to peace. That's the kind of man Itachi was."

"But Konoha exploited this, giving him a top-secret mission. That mission was..."

"To kill the entire Uchiha clan."

The Ninja World

"Wow, just wow... I find this so ironic. Konoha really is a powerful village, isn't it?"

"So this is how it was? Did we misunderstand Itachi? Damn it, I didn't know any of this back then!"

"Like you would've been able to handle it even if you knew! Honestly, all of this is Konoha's fault. But one thing I don't get—when Itachi killed his own clan, didn't he feel anything? That was his family!"

"To think this goes all the way back to such ancient times... Itachi was Konoha's sacrificial pawn? Now I think I understand him a little better."

"Why? Why didn't the Third Hokage stop this? Why let it happen? Why choose the massacre of the Uchiha as the solution?"

"Stop it? Don't be ridiculous. Don't you Konoha villagers see it? Your Third Hokage was old. He wasn't the shinobi hero he used to be—just an old man!"

"Damn it! If the Nine-Tails hadn't attacked back then, the Fourth Hokage wouldn't have died, and maybe the Uchiha clan wouldn't have tried to rebel!"

"Right, it's all because of that fox! It's the fox's fault!"

"Hah, listening to you idiots makes me laugh. You're doomed!"

Konoha became filled with discord. Among the chatter, voices of resentment toward the Nine-Tails grew louder.

In the streets, whispers of hatred became increasingly clear. But for some reason, Naruto—the very person they were blaming—remained unfazed.

"It's all because of that fox! If only the fox hadn't shown up, none of this would've happened!"

"If the Fourth Hokage hadn't died..."

Watching this unfold, Jiraiya's heart burned with fury. He let out a furious roar, silencing the villagers.

Naruto was his apprentice, his late student's son. How dare these idiotic villagers insult him right under his nose?

Even someone as composed as Jiraiya couldn't suppress his anger anymore. He had thought Naruto's life in Konoha, while not great, was at least peaceful.

But now...

How laughable. Jiraiya realized he'd been wrong. He was nothing but a fool.

[On Screen]

"In that moment, what was Itachi feeling? No one knows."

"He was forced to make a terrible choice. For most people, raising a hand against their own kin would be unthinkable."

"But if the powerful Uchiha clan had sparked a civil war, both Konoha and the Land of Fire would have been shaken to their cores. Other nations would've seized the opportunity to invade, and it might've even triggered the Fourth Great Ninja War."

"If war broke out, caused by the selfish desires of the Uchiha clan, countless lives across the ninja world would've been lost, including innocent civilians."

"If you were in Itachi's position, what would you have done?" The masked man's question hit Sasuke like a ton of bricks.

The ninja world fell silent.

Even the Five Great Nations were speechless.

The masked man's words struck a nerve. He wasn't wrong. If Konoha and the Uchiha had gone to war, the Land of Fire would've been gravely weakened, regardless of the outcome.

At that point, the other nations would've pounced, potentially triggering the Fourth Great Ninja War.

If that happened, as the masked man suggested, the ninja world would've faced utter catastrophe. Civilians would've been caught in the crossfire.

And perhaps that's what Itachi had considered...

Because Itachi was a man who loved peace.

"Itachi..."

Sasuke stared blankly, unable to believe what he was hearing. All this time, he thought Itachi had done it just to test his resolve. But now...