Chapter 18: The Uchiha Have No Choice but to Leave
"BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!"
The Third Hokage heard thunderous explosions echoing in the distance.
As he rushed toward the Uchiha clan's territory, his heart sank at the sight before him—entire sections of the Uchiha district had been reduced to rubble.
Through the rising smoke and dust, two enormous figures came into view—one a blazing orange-red Susanoo, the other a dark purple-black Susanoo.
The two titans clashed violently, and each collision sent shockwaves in all directions, stirring debris and chakra into a storm of chaos.
"How could this be…" the Third Hokage muttered, his face pale with disbelief.
He knew of the Susanoo. The Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama, had taught him about this terrifying jutsu—one that only those who possessed the Mangekyō Sharingan could use.
It was often referred to as the power of a god.
But how was this possible?
Did both Fugaku and Itachi possess the Mangekyō Sharingan?
Fugaku had never revealed such power over the years. And Itachi... He was barely eleven.
And wasn't there also Shisui?
The Uchiha clan had three Mangekyō Sharingan wielders?
The entire area lay in ruins—half the Uchiha compound was flattened.
The Third Hokage felt unsure, even helpless.
With the Fourth Hokage dead, Orochimaru gone rogue, and both Tsunade and Jiraiya absent from the village, who could stop this?
Could the other clans be expected to fight the Uchiha to the death?
The smoke and oppressive chakra made it impossible to approach. No one knew what was truly happening inside the battlefield.
Then, a voice echoed from within.
"Father, what is there to be nostalgic about in a village like this? If they dared to dig out Shisui's eyes, then you are surely next."
It was Itachi.
Fugaku's voice followed, shouting back:
"Shut up! The Uchiha have been part of Konoha since its founding! What happened to Shisui was just an accident. The Third Hokage will—"
The rest of his words were drowned out by another massive explosion.
More and more people gathered outside the Uchiha grounds. Among them was Hyuga Hiashi, who activated his Byakugan to observe the chaos.
But even his vision was blocked.
All he could see were massive chakra constructs.
Others couldn't get close either.
After what felt like an eternity, the Susanoos vanished.
Through the dissipating smoke, Itachi's voice could barely be heard:
"Forgive me… Father."
Then, silence.
The Third Hokage finally gave the signal, and everyone rushed into the field.
They found Fugaku sitting weakly on the ground, drenched in sweat, his face pale and his chakra drained.
A medical ninja rushed over, and upon a brief inspection, one of them gave the Third Hokage a subtle signal—just extreme chakra depletion, no severe injuries.
Fugaku opened his mouth weakly and said,
"It's unfortunate… for our clan, Hokage-sama. Inuko and Shisui have… defected."
Just then, another figure leapt into the field—it was Uchiha Kaien.
"Clan Leader, while you and Itachi were fighting, I evacuated the clan members to a safe area. There are some minor injuries, but no serious harm."
The Third Hokage's eyes flickered, calculating. Then he nodded slowly and said,
"What are you saying, Fugaku? Many shinobi leave the village to train and gain experience. If Itachi has chosen to do the same, there's nothing wrong with that."
Kaien blinked, momentarily stunned, before quickly catching on.
"Ah, yes—yes! Itachi left for training with Shisui. Clan Leader, don't overthink it."
Fugaku, still in shock, stared blankly at the shattered buildings of his clan.
Kaien helped him up and said politely to the Third Hokage,
"Hokage-sama, we apologize for the disturbance tonight. The Clan Leader is severely exhausted and needs rest. With your permission, we'll take our leave."
The Third nodded, allowing them to go.
By now, many other shinobi had arrived at the scene.
When they saw the destruction, they couldn't believe their eyes. The level of damage made them think that tailed beasts had attacked.
But no—it was just two Uchiha.
And with that realization, fear spread among the crowd.
Everyone turned toward the Hokage, waiting for a decision.
The Third looked around, but all he saw were hesitant eyes and retreating steps—no one wanted to fight.
He lit a cigarette and slowly exhaled.
"Tonight… the Uchiha didn't rebel. They simply left."
That was his verdict.
Everyone relaxed slightly and began to inspect the ruined Uchiha compound.
The clan's land had been expanding yearly, but as many Uchiha died in battle, large parts were left vacant.
And with Kaien evacuating people in advance, only a few injuries occurred—no deaths.
Still, the question remained:
Was this all an accident… or part of a plan?
Fugaku returned home with Kaien's help.
He wasn't pretending to be weak—he had awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan years ago. But after prolonged use, his vision had deteriorated to the point of no return.
So he had stopped using it entirely.
Now, with what little eye power remained, he had summoned the first form of Susanoo—an act that nearly drained all his chakra.
Itachi, too, was pushed to his limit. He had only recently awakened his Mangekyō.
Susanoo was something Fugaku had just taught him on the spot.
The cost was high—nearly the entire compound had been flattened, and Itachi had almost passed out.
He was only eleven, after all.
His body wasn't yet strong enough to handle such a monstrous chakra load.
Fugaku gently touched the corner of his eyes.
His vision was growing worse.
"Kaien, do you think the Third Hokage saw through our performance?"
Kaien shrugged casually.
"Of course he did. This wasn't a conspiracy—it was open and obvious. But even if he saw through it, he wouldn't dare expose it now."
"First, because the Uchiha voluntarily gave up their power.
Second, because we have three Mangekyō Sharingan users."
"This is a critical time. Kumogakure is arriving soon for diplomatic talks. If we were to rebel now, even if Konoha wins, the damage would be catastrophic.
Kumo wouldn't be negotiating—they'd be invading."
"All we need to do now is stick to the plan."
Fugaku, resisting the discomfort in his eyes, continued to discuss future plans with Kaien.
Then, he passed the responsibility of calming the clan members to the Fourth Elder and fell into a deep sleep.
…..
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Translated By – Ancient Lores
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