Chapter 44:Chapter 44

Itachi went to see Danzo for the sake of his younger brother Sasuke!

Soon, Itachi came to the door of the room, then directly reached out and opened the wooden door.

"Squeak!"

Inside, Danzo was standing with his back to Itachi, and the dim lighting prevented Itachi from assessing how many people were hidden in the dark.

However, Itachi did not care; he narrowed his eyes and asked, "Danzo, where is my brother?"

***

Danzo turned around, his right eye now bandaged again.

Danzo spoke indifferently: "You will see him when you complete the task!"

Hearing this, Itachi suddenly felt a chill, even asking, "What do you mean?!"

Danzo still spoke in a calm manner: "Itachi, you are smart; you know what I mean!"

Itachi's face twitched; he already understood Danzo's implications: to continue the task - to destroy the Uchiha clan!

He suddenly said angrily: "They were all willing to betray Kaito and stand on Konoha's side just now!"

Danzo said solemnly: "I don't care; just do your job well!"

"And, just now, even though those people sided with Konoha, it was only because they saw Konoha's power and thought Kaito would lose!"

"They didn't expect Kaito's power to be so strong; he single-handedly suppressed all five of us!"

"When Kaito asked you to choose just now, the old man was still conscious enough to read their true thoughts; you know it too!"

"Konoha has just suffered a huge loss. For the sake of Konoha's stability, the old man won't let this group of traitors stay in Konoha!"

After Danzo finished speaking, Itachi fell silent.

He had seen how those clan members had acted, so Danzo's words were not wrong. This group of people was indeed a destabilizing factor for Konoha!

But after seeing Fugaku risk everything to save him earlier, he put family above the village for the first time, and he didn't want to do something that traded blood for 'so-called peace'!

Thus, at this moment, Itachi truly wanted to turn around and leave!

But... what about Sasuke...

Seeing that Itachi was silent and not speaking, Danzo suddenly snorted coldly!

"I give you two choices: either you and your brother Sasuke survive while the others die, or you stand with the family and welcome Konoha's destruction!"

"Now that Anbu has surrounded the Uchiha clan, by dawn, if you are still alive, I will kill your younger brother first, then I will wipe out the Uchiha clan!"

"You!"

Hearing Danzo threaten Sasuke, Itachi was furious and activated his Sharingan!

In that moment, the pressure of a dozen or more Jōnin enveloped him instantly!

Itachi was immediately alert. While he wasn't afraid that these people would take action—thanks to the Sharingan in his body—Itachi knew that this group of Jōnin couldn't stop his actions!

But once he took action, his younger brother Sasuke would definitely be in danger!

Thinking this, Itachi suppressed the anger in his heart, and his Sharingan reverted to the Three Hooks.

At that moment, the oppressive presence disappeared, but Itachi could feel dozens of watchful eyes still locked onto him!

Itachi asked in a deep voice, "Where is the Third Hokage? I want to see the Third Hokage!"

Danzo said coldly, "Hiruzen's arms were cut off, and I've arranged for the best medical ninja to treat him."

"Before he left, he temporarily handed over the power of Hokage to me, so I have the final say in Konoha now!"

"You are a smart man; you should know what to choose. There are still five hours until dawn. You should think about it!"

With that said, Danzo turned his back on Itachi and ignored him.

Itachi stood silently for a moment before turning around and walking out of the room with a sombre expression.

In the dark, desolate land, Itachi walked slowly.

Itachi spoke lightly into the air, "Come out. Our mission continues."

"It seems Danzo threatened you with your brother," a voice said, and Obito's figure instantly appeared beside Itachi.

Itachi remained silent, tacitly confirming Obito's observation.

After leaving Danzo, he had gone to see Fugaku and relayed Danzo's threats.

Fugaku had chosen to accept Danzo's orders for the sake of Itachi and Sasuke's safety.

At this point, the Uchiha had no power to resist the enraged shinobi of Konoha, who sought vengeance after the deaths of thousands.

To resist forcefully would only lead to mutual destruction.

By acting alone, Itachi could ensure that he and Sasuke survived.

Persuaded by Itachi, Fugaku and his wife had chosen to take their own lives, sparing Itachi the burden of being branded a patricide.

Now, Itachi had come to Obito again, seeking his assistance.

After hearing Itachi's brief explanation, Obito said casually, "Since it's decided, let's get to it. Dawn is approaching."

Itachi nodded, and then both he and Obito vanished in an instant.

In the darkness of the Uchiha clan compound, the frightened clansmen were unable to sleep, uncertain of their fate.

But soon, screams echoed through the night, as Itachi and Obito sprang into action.

The clansmen attempted to resist, but against the combined kage-level prowess and two Sharingan wielders, their efforts were futile.

The screams were muffled by the barriers erected by the Anbu, preventing the cries from reaching outside ears.

As Kaito had predicted, the fate of these people was sealed.

Not far from the Uchiha compound, Sasuke was rushing home frantically.

After school, he had been intercepted by the Anbu and lied to by the Root operatives.

They had told him a fabricated story—that Kaito had plotted a rebellion with some Uchiha clansmen, but Fugaku had discovered the plan and joined forces with Konoha to quell the uprising.

Now that the rebellion was over, Kaito had fled Konoha with the remaining clansmen.

Believing this story, Sasuke rushed home, worried about his parents and brother.

By the time Sasuke arrived near his house, the slaughter by Itachi and Obito had already ended.

The Root operatives had also withdrawn from the barrier, allowing Sasuke to enter the compound directly.

Seeing blood everywhere and an eerie silence, Sasuke immediately sensed that something was horribly wrong and hurried toward his home.

From a distant telephone pole, Itachi observed the scene impassively.

As Sasuke approached the house, Itachi vanished instantly...