Chapter 18. Uchiha has no choice but to run away

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

The Third Hokage heard countless roars on the road.

As they arrived in front of the Uchiha clan, they saw that many Uchiha buildings had been smashed into rubble.

Under the rising smoke and dust, two Susanoo, one orange-red and the other purple-black, clashed forcefully. The collision created a massive shockwave, radiating around them and enveloping the sky in smoke and dust.

"How could..." Sandaime looked bewildered.

Why were the Susanoo so formidable?

Certainly, the Third Hokage was familiar with Susanoo. The Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama, had provided detailed instructions. It was a powerful ninjutsu exclusive to Uchiha who had unlocked the Mangekyō Sharingan, known as the power of God.

Did both Fugaku and Itachi possess the Mangekyō Sharingan?

Fugaku had never revealed it in all these years.

How old was Itachi? He was also a Mangekyō Sharingan master.

And Shisui! The Uchiha family had three Mangekyō Sharingan wielders!

Witnessing almost half of the Uchiha clan reduced to ruins, the Third Hokage was uncertain. The Fourth Hokage died unexpectedly, Orochimaru defected, and Tsunade and Jiraiya were not in the village.

Was he supposed to rely on other ninjas to confront the Uchiha?

There was too much smoke and dust, and the chakra pressure was too intense. No one could approach, and the situation inside remained unclear.

Itachi's voice faintly echoed from within.

"Father, what's there to miss about this kind of Konoha? If they dare to gouge out Shisui's eyes, then their next target will undoubtedly be you."

Fugaku shouted, "Shut up! We Uchiha have been a part of Konoha since its founding. What happened to Shisui was just an accident, and the Third Hokage will compensate us..."

The sound from inside became increasingly indistinct, replaced by a tremendous roar from the battlefield.

Outside the Uchiha clan, more people gathered, with the Hyuga clan members among them, led by Hizashi, who utilized his Byakugan to observe the two massive chakra concentrations.

However, it was impossible to discern the details of what was transpiring inside, and others found it challenging to approach.

After a considerable time, the two Susanoo disappeared.

Itachi's voice, faint in the lingering smoke, reached their ears: "Forgive me, Father." Then the sound gradually faded.

At that moment, the Third Hokage gestured, and everyone rushed into the field.

He observed Fugaku sitting weakly on the ground.

Heavy sweat adorned his forehead, and his face had lost color.

At first glance, it appeared to be chakra exhaustion.

The Third Hokage leaped into the field, directing the medical ninjas to attend to Fugaku.

Medical ninjas can glean a wealth of information about the patient when channeling their chakra into the individual's body. Consequently, external medical ninjas are generally not permitted to treat themselves.

However, Fugaku cooperated with their efforts.

Weakly, he spoke: "My family is unfortunate, Third Hokage."

"Inuko and Shisui...defected."

Meanwhile, a medical ninja signaled the Third Hokage that it was merely chakra exhaustion, and there were no physical injuries.

The Third Hokage contemplated silently.

At that moment, Natsuki Uchiha jumped into the field.

Upon closer inspection, it was apparent that he had been informed of the situation.

"Clan Leader, during your and Itachi's battle, I relocated all clan members to a secure location. There were only minor injuries, and the others are unharmed."

The Third Hokage's eyes flickered, and he inquired, "What did Fugaku say? Many ninjas in Konoha go on missions. If Itachi wishes to go on a mission, there's no issue."

Natsuki appeared momentarily bewildered but quickly caught on, assisting Fugaku as if comprehending suddenly: "Ah, yes, yes, Itachi and Shisui went on a mission. Clan Leader, don't dwell on it too much."

Fugaku, seemingly yet to recover from the sequence of events, stared blankly at the mostly destroyed clan buildings.

Natsuki supported Fugaku and informed the Third Hokage, "Sandaime-sama, we Uchiha deeply regret the disturbance caused this time. However, the clan leader is seriously injured and requires treatment. We will take our leave."

The Third Hokage nodded, allowing Natsuki to depart with Fugaku.

Other ninjas continued to arrive on the scene.

Witnessing the devastated surroundings, many found it hard to believe their eyes. The explanation of a tailed beast attack seemed plausible to them.

However, they hadn't anticipated that two Uchiha could be so tough.

Everyone observed the Third Hokage contemplating deeply, anticipating his decision.

After a prolonged pause, the Third Hokage surveyed the ninjas around him. He detected no fighting spirit in their eyes, only a glimmer of fear and hesitancy.

He took a puff of his cigarette, exhaling slowly.

"Tonight, the Uchiha will only flee, not rebel."

The Third Hokage decisively concluded the events of the night.

A collective sigh of relief swept through the surrounding ninjas, and their tense stances relaxed.

They turned their attention to the Uchiha compound, which was now more than half in ruins.

The Uchiha clan had been expanding each year, and due to the ongoing battles, many members met their demise. Consequently, a substantial portion of the clan land lay vacant.

It was unclear whether the Uchiha clan's evacuation was a calculated move or a fortuitous accident, but it seemed that only a few Uchiha sustained injuries, and there were no reported casualties.

Was it an accident or an act?

...

Fugaku was assisted back to his residence by Natsuki.

His weakness wasn't an act. He had activated the Mangekyō Sharingan many years ago. As his vision deteriorated to a certain point, it became irreversible, rendering the Sharingan nearly unusable.

Though he still retained some eye power, it was limited, and activating Susanoo required an immense amount of chakra. Maintaining the colossal first form of Susanoo had almost depleted Fugaku's reserves.

While he had only destroyed some buildings in the clan area, sustaining the massive Susanoo form had left Fugaku drained.

Itachi, having recently awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan, was in a similar state. He had even been taught the Susanoo technique on the spot by Fugaku. Most of the clan's territory lay in ruins, and Itachi was on the verge of collapsing.

Given that Itachi was just 11 years old, his body wasn't robust enough to handle such powerful chakra techniques.

Fugaku touched the corners of his blurry eyes, sensing a further decline in his vision.

"Can the Third Hokage see through this situation?"

Natsuki shrugged indifferently, "Of course, he will see through it. Ours is not a conspiracy, but a strategy. Even if the Third Hokage sees through it, he doesn't dare to show his face now."

"One reason is that Uchiha has voluntarily relinquished its rights. The second is that we Uchiha, well, have three Mangekyō Sharingan."

"Now is the time for Kumogakure to come for peace talks. If the three of us Uchiha with the Mangekyō Sharingan rebel against Konoha, even if Konoha wins, it will suffer heavy casualties."

"By then, Kumogakure will not be here for peace talks but to destroy the village."

"Now we just have to follow the plan."

Fugaku endured the discomfort in his eyes, discussed the future plan with Natsuki, and then entrusted the task of appeasing the clan members to the fourth elder before falling into a deep sleep.