Chapter 77: The Blood Moon Rises, The Night of the Massacre (Subscription Request?~)

After so much effort and spending hundreds of thousands of ryō on enhancements, what was it all for?

It was all for opening the final gate of the Eight Gates technique.

The last gate of the Eight Gates is indeed extremely difficult to open.

However, once opened, the increase in power it provides is beyond comparison to the other seven gates!

It's akin to the evolution of the Sharingan into the Mangekyō Sharingan—extremely difficult, but the power gained is a qualitative leap, not just a mere increase in Tomoe.

Faced with the three choices, Uchiha Akira naturally chose to enhance his ninjutsu abilities.

Immediately, Uchiha Akira felt a significant change in his body.

At the same time, he also gained a thorough understanding of how to open the Eighth Gate.

"This Eighth Gate is truly not easy to open. After multiple life simulations, spending what feels like decades in rigorous training, I still only succeeded after using the Sharingan's insight to observe Might Guy opening the Eight Gates himself."

Although successfully opening the Eighth Gate was a cause for great celebration, Uchiha Akira couldn't help but lament the difficulty of mastering the Eight Gates.

No other jutsu had ever required so much time and effort from him.

"Now, things are finally secure!" Uchiha Akira nodded to himself, a smile of satisfaction spreading across his face.

Meanwhile, Uchiha Itachi was secretly preparing for the massacre of the Uchiha clan.

The coordination with the Anbu and even Tobi from the Akatsuki had to be meticulously arranged in advance.

After all, the target was the Uchiha clan, the most powerful family in Konoha. The preparations had to be flawless.

In a training ground within Konoha, Might Guy and Kakashi were engaged in their 1,001st battle.

The two fought fiercely, their exchange of blows heating up the battlefield.

In the end, Might Guy made a slight mistake, which Kakashi exploited, leading to Guy's defeat.

Huff, huff...

The two elite Jōnin of Konoha lay on the grass, panting heavily.

"Kakashi, don't you feel that something's been off in the village lately?" Might Guy suddenly spoke up after a long silence.

"If even you've noticed, how could I not?" Kakashi responded.

"What do you mean by that? Are you saying I'm dumb?" Guy snapped back, not liking the implication.

Kakashi didn't bother to argue on that point; he knew well enough what Guy's intelligence level was.

"The village feels like it's on the brink of a storm," Kakashi remarked after a moment of silence.

"Where is the source of this storm?" Despite having just defended his intelligence, Guy couldn't help but ask Kakashi for his thoughts.

Kakashi glanced at Guy. Normally, he would dodge such questions, but he trusted Guy and felt it was better to give him a heads-up.

After a brief hesitation, Kakashi finally spoke, "Do you remember the night Danzo was killed?"

He didn't need to say much; that one line was enough.

Upon hearing Kakashi's reminder, Might Guy understood. "You mean the storm is coming from the Uchiha?"

Kakashi didn't reply.

But his silence was the best answer—a tacit confirmation.

"Is it because of Akira?" Guy asked after a moment of hesitation.

After all, Danzo had died at the hands of Uchiha Akira.

Kakashi still didn't answer, his silence once again confirming Guy's suspicion.

"Sigh..." Seeing Kakashi's response, Might Guy let out a long sigh.

To be honest, Guy had a good personal relationship with Uchiha Akira.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have taught Akira the Eight Gates technique.

It was even Uchiha Akira who had introduced him to Rock Lee at the academy.

Upon meeting Lee, Guy felt that it was as if fate had gifted him the perfect student—someone with no talent for ninjutsu or genjutsu, but immense determination, making him the ideal candidate to learn taijutsu under his guidance.

On one hand, there was his personal relationship with Akira, and on the other, the gratitude for introducing him to such a perfect disciple.

Now, learning that a storm was brewing in Konoha and that Akira was at its center, Guy couldn't help but feel deeply concerned.

But as a ninja of Konoha, how could he side with the Uchiha against the village?

For a moment, Might Guy found himself caught in a difficult dilemma.

If even Guy could sense that something was off in the village lately, it was no surprise that many other ninjas were feeling the same.

Especially with a new rumor spreading through the village.

The Uchiha clan now possessed two Mangekyō Sharingan!

People hadn't forgotten that on the night of the Nine-Tails' attack, the beast had been controlled by the Sharingan.

The image of the Nine-Tails' eyes reflecting the pattern of the Three Tomoe Sharingan was something many in the village had witnessed firsthand.

Originally, there were already suspicions that the Uchiha clan had a hand in the Nine-Tails incident.

Now, learning that they possessed not just one, but two Mangekyō Sharingan only fueled those suspicions.

The target of these suspicions was naturally the head of the Uchiha clan, Uchiha Fugaku, especially given Itachi's young age at the time.

Some villagers were even quietly calling for an investigation into Fugaku's involvement.

Konoha needed answers—someone had to explain the truth.

Within the village, the Uchiha were known for their pride and aloofness.

As a result, they weren't particularly well-liked.

Their role in the Konoha Police Force, which was akin to that of law enforcement, also meant they often clashed with others, further tarnishing their reputation.

Now, with rumors swirling that the Uchiha clan leader possessed the Mangekyō Sharingan and could have been behind the Nine-Tails incident, the clan found themselves under intense scrutiny.

However, despite the growing outcry, the Third Hokage had yet to take any action against the Uchiha.

This only bolstered the pride of some within the Uchiha clan.

Just look at the past—similar rumors had driven the White Fang to suicide.

Yet now, under similar circumstances, Konoha dared not lay a finger on their clan leader. What did that signify?

It signified that the Uchiha clan had grown so powerful that even the higher-ups of Konoha were wary of them.

Naturally, this was a source of pride for many in the clan.

In any case, the situation in Konoha was one of tension. The villagers' discontent with the Uchiha was growing, but the higher-ups remained unnervingly quiet.

This tension left many unsure of what was truly happening.

However, Uchiha Akira wasn't particularly focused on the unfolding situation.

His primary concern was one thing.

In just two days, the Night of the Massacre would arrive!

He needed to make sure he was fully prepared.

First, he conducted another life simulation, focusing on chakra training this time.

In the simulation, he managed to survive for several years, living until the Fourth Great Ninja War before finally dying. His chakra reserves increased by 50%.

Though this percentage might not seem high, it was a significant boost to his chakra, enough to push his overall strength into the Kage level.

However, because of his plan to exploit a loophole, Uchiha Akira refrained from immediately claiming the rewards when the life simulator presented them to him.

He also sealed a Transcription Seal onto himself.

If he were to die, the seal would activate, sacrificing Uchiha Shisui's Mangekyō Sharingan to cast Izanagi and revive him.

Though Kotoamatsukami was powerful, Akira valued his life and his Sharingan more.

This Transcription Seal and Izanagi served as a second layer of protection.

With this, Uchiha Akira felt he had covered all his bases.

"I've had this life simulator for a year now," Akira mused.

"Over the past year, I've simulated my life dozens of times, accumulating centuries of experience, and finally gained the power I have now."

"Who would've thought that when the Night of the Massacre finally arrived, I'd be part of it, possibly even changing the tragic events of the original story?"

With his preparations complete, Uchiha Akira reflected on his year of hard work, feeling a deep sense of nostalgia and emotion.

Yes, when he first reincarnated into the Uchiha clan, the Night of the Massacre loomed over him like a sword hanging by a thread.

Even after gaining the life simulator, Akira's primary focus had always been on survival.

After countless simulations and experiences, the Night of the Massacre was finally upon him.

Would he really change the tragic fate that had been set in motion?

This was something even Uchiha Akira hadn't anticipated.

In most of the simulations, Akira had chosen to flee Konoha before the massacre began, becoming a missing-nin.

After a moment of contemplation, Akira shook his head.

Now wasn't the time for such thoughts.

Even if he were to reflect on these things, it would have to wait until after the Night of the Massacre, once he had successfully changed the course of events.

Only then would he have the right to look back from the perspective of a victor.

With this in mind, knowing that the Night of the Massacre was imminent, Uchiha Akira focused on his final preparations.

Another day passed.

Finally, the fateful night arrived.

As the sun began to set, the shadows grew longer, and the village was gradually shrouded in darkness. A blood-red full moon slowly rose in the sky, casting an eerie light over Konoha.