Naruto: I'm in Konoha, my name is Uzumaki Menma

Chapter 245 Shisui: Itachi, you've disappointed me too much.
Konoha Village was immersed in an unusual tranquility.

Beneath this tranquility, a chilling murderous intent surged like an undercurrent.

On the outskirts of the Uchiha clan's settlement, several dark figures moved silently, wearing masks unique to the Root clan, their movements swift and precise.

Several Root ninjas skilled in barrier techniques stood apart, their hands rapidly forming hand seals. Chakra light flowed from their fingertips, and a massive, almost transparent barrier was gradually forming, intending to completely seal off the entire Uchiha clan territory, turning it into a cage of despair.

A faint energy fluctuation began to permeate the air.

Just then, one of the Root ninjas who was doing his best to maintain the technique suddenly stopped moving.

He instinctively took a breath, and an extremely pungent smell, like the smell of some cheap tobacco mixed with strange medicinal herbs, suddenly entered his nostrils.

"Cough...uh..."

He didn't even have time to warn anyone before intense pain instantly overwhelmed all his senses.

The feeling wasn't simply suffocation; it was more like inhaling not air, but scalding smoke and steel needles, burning and piercing his internal organs all the way from his throat.

The seal in his hand instantly dissipated, and he collapsed to the ground, curled up, struggling and convulsing violently like a fish out of water. He could only utter incomprehensible "hoarse" sounds from his throat, and his face under the mask must have been contorted with extreme pain.

Another Root ninja nearby immediately noticed his companion's unusual behavior, but he did not rush forward to investigate.

As a member of the Roots who had undergone rigorous elimination and training, his first reaction was to look around with extreme vigilance and reach for the short knife behind his back.

But the next second, the invisible, pungent smell of smoke enveloped him as well!
The eerie, deathly smell of smoke drifted into his mouth, nose, and even ears from all directions.

"Poison gas? No, that's not right..."

The moment the thought arose, terrible pain descended.

He experienced the same terrifying sensation as his companions, as if an inextinguishable karmic fire had been ignited within his body, frantically burning his meridians and organs.

He staggered a step and fell to the ground, powerless, joining his companion in a silent, dying struggle.

At that very moment, a faint sound of something cutting through the air was heard.

In the darkness, two pale bone spikes pierced the vital organs of the first ninja to fall with perfect precision.

Almost simultaneously, a senbon needle gleaming with cold light pierced the neck of the second ninja.

The two men stopped struggling instantly, and their life force quickly dissipated.

The next moment, several figures landed silently like ghosts; they were the members of the first squad, led by Uchiha Hikaru.

Her crimson Sharingan swept across the corpse on the ground in the darkness, calmly assessing the situation.

"Clear the eastern barrier node." Uchiha Shisui's voice came from the shadows on one side, and he appeared as if by teleportation.

He still wore the Konoha headband on his forehead, making him stand out among the group of Star Ninja. A complex and unfathomable emotion flashed in his Sharingan eyes with their three tomoe.

He once belonged here, but now he returns in a different guise.

“The west side will be resolved as well.” Miyajo En walked out from another direction.

At this moment, from the mouths and noses of the two already dead Root ninjas, wisps of smoke lingered and did not dissipate.

The smoke seemed to have a life of its own, twisting and gathering in the air, eventually transforming into two human figures, one tall and one short.

"My lord, mission accomplished," reported Wutai and Yukimi after dispelling their smoke-like forms.

Looking at Gota and Yukimi, who had just materialized from smoke, Miyajo En clicked his tongue with interest: "Tsk tsk, the Ibri clan's bloodline limit can kill without leaving a trace. It's really hard to guard against. Impressive."

'The Ibri clan…' Uchiha Shisui, witnessing this ability for the first time, couldn't help but reveal a deep sense of caution in his eyes.

Their bloodline limit allows them to turn into smoke and enter other people's bodies through any opening.

This method of killing without leaving a trace is indeed frightening.

Even Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki, who had quietly followed and were hidden in the shadows further behind, couldn't help but exchange a surprised glance.

Minato nodded slightly and said in a low voice, "The ability to turn the body into smoke and directly invade and destroy the enemy's interior... is somewhat similar to the Hozuki family's water transformation technique."

Kushina lowered her voice and echoed, "This reminds me of the poison gas of Hanzo the Salamander that you mentioned before; it's practically impossible to defend against."

Orochimaru, who was controlling the reanimated bodies of the First Hokage Hashirama Senju and the Second Hokage Tobirama Senju, followed a distance behind the crowd, a satisfied glint flashing in his golden snake eyes.

He was once the "benefactor" of the Ibri clan. Although they later broke off their relationship and became enemies, he helped the Ibri clan solve their fatal flaw of unstable bloodline limit, which made them prone to turning into smoke and unable to return to human form, because of the man codenamed "Shura".

This scene before our eyes is undoubtedly the best validation of his research findings.

He licked his lips and smiled silently, as if admiring a perfect work of art.

Suddenly, the air in the room seemed to freeze for a moment.

A figure appeared out of thin air without warning, as if he had always been standing there, only emerging from the shadows.

Mianma wore a wide black robe, and his face was covered by a white three-eyed fox mask, with each of the three eye holes exuding an indifferent expression.

His appearance immediately caused everyone present, including Wu Tai and Xue Jian who had just manifested, to kneel on one knee in reverence and obedience.

"You've arrived." Uchiha Hikaru reported softly, his voice clear and concise: "Uzumaki Kasugano and his second squad have headed towards the Hyuga clan's territory as planned to create a diversion. Kisame Hoshigaki's third squad has also gone to the Konoha Police Department area, and is expected to have made contact with the clansmen there and begun providing support."

Menma's gaze swept over everyone through the mask, finally settling on the depths of the Uchiha clan's territory, shrouded in the shadow of death.

He didn't say anything more, but simply raised his hand and pointed to the Uchiha clan's territory where sporadic screams and sounds of fighting could be heard.

He waved calmly.

The operation has begun.

………………

Meanwhile, on the main street of the Uchiha clan's territory.

The stench of blood was so thick it was almost tangible, a stark contrast to the former bustling atmosphere of the tribal lands.

Uchiha Itachi stood amidst the chaos, warm blood still slowly dripping from the ninja sword in his hand.

The mask of the Dark Guard had long been removed from his face, revealing a young yet cold and emotionless face. Only his slowly turning scarlet eyes held a bottomless darkness and weariness.

He seemed to sense something, raised his head, and looked towards the end of the street.

A figure stood there, staring incredulously at the hellish scene before him.

Uchiha Izumi, the girl who harbored a vague affection for him, was now as pale as paper, her body trembling uncontrollably, her eyes filled with horror, fear, and the deepest bewilderment.

"You've come." Itachi's voice was eerily calm, as if he were merely stating a fact that had nothing to do with him.

"...Why? Itachi!" Izumi's voice was choked with sobs, almost screaming, "Tell me this isn't true! Why did you do this?! They are all your clansmen!"

For a long time, Izumi was repeatedly trapped in a terrible and vivid nightmare.

In that magical world, she witnessed the bloodbath that swept through her tribe's territory, a tragic fate in which even infants and the elderly could not escape.

The one who carried out the massacre was the very person she was looking at—Uchiha Itachi.

She had told herself countless times that it was just an illusion, a nightmare caused by excessive worry.

However, tonight, the nightmare has become reality in the cruelest way.

Faced with Izumi's questioning, Itachi's eyes remained unwavering, displaying only an almost cruel calmness: "It's just to measure my own magnanimity. A clan filled with hatred and narrow-mindedness like this has no value in continuing to exist."

These words, like a final death knell, shattered the last vestiges of hope in Quan's heart.

The countless times she had endured pain, struggles, and battles in the illusionary world, the combat experience forcibly instilled in her, and her understanding of the man before her—all of this overwhelmed her pure fear at this moment. Her three-tomoe Sharingan eyes spun wildly, and two streams of bloody tears slid down her cheeks. These were not tears of sorrow, but rather the manifestation of her eye power being pushed to its absolute limit.

“If…if you really are that kind of person…” The three tomoe in Izumi’s eyes spun wildly, and two lines of bloody tears slid down her cheeks: “Then I, Uchiha Izumi…have misjudged you in this lifetime!”

Before she finished speaking, she suddenly darted out, her kunai slicing through the air, aiming straight for Itachi's vitals.

The fierce battle erupted instantly!
Itachi raised his sword to parry, the clang of metal against metal particularly jarring in the deathly silent street.

Itachi originally thought he could easily subdue Izumi, since Izumi had chosen a relatively comfortable village office job after graduation and was only a genin.

However, as soon as they started fighting, he immediately felt immense pressure!
Quan's attacks, dodges, and counterattacks were all incredibly sharp, precise, and seasoned!

Her combat experience far exceeds that of a genin, and is even richer and more troublesome than many three-tomoe Uchiha jonin who are often on missions!
She seemed to be able to anticipate Itachi's every intention, always managing to defuse crises at minimal cost and launch a deadly counterattack.

'How is this possible?!' Itachi's heart was filled with shock.

Izumi's fighting style gave him a strange sense of familiarity...

It was as if... as if it were an instinct honed through countless life-and-death battles with oneself!
Having long served on top-level missions in the Dark Division, his combat experience far surpasses that of his peers, so dealing with Izumi should have been a piece of cake.

But at this moment, the resilience and fighting skills that Izumi displayed made it impossible for him to quickly defeat him.

"It seems you've been hiding something too," Itachi remarked indifferently, the kaleidoscope pattern in his eyes suddenly becoming clearer.

He decided to end this pointless fight, forcefully suppressing the girl with his highest level of eye power, and giving her one last gift.

An eternal, blissful illusion allowed her to spend the rest of her life in a beautiful fantasy, free from the harsh reality and from him, the cruel executioner.

The powerful kaleidoscope eye energy surged into Izumi's mind like an invisible tide.

However, the moment his eye power invaded Quan's spiritual world, what he saw was not the fragile defense he had expected, but a blood moon hanging high, radiating an ominous red light!
In the center of that blood moon, a Mangekyou Sharingan with a unique pattern that he had never seen before suddenly opened, staring back at him with absolute repulsion!
The cold, sinister eye power, filled with protection and anger, crashed into Itachi's invading eye power like a tangible impact!

"Ugh!" In reality, Itachi felt as if he had been struck by a heavy blow, letting out a muffled groan as a sharp pain shot through his eyes, and two streams of blood instantly gushed from the corners of his eyes! His spiritual power and eye power had been forcibly expelled and rebounded!

"what?!"

In the real world, Itachi groaned, his body trembling slightly. The intense pain in his eyes made it almost impossible for him to remain calm.

Two streams of blood flowed from the corners of his eyes; it was the backlash caused by the forced interference with his pupil power, which was even reflected back.

He stared incredulously at Izumi, who was still standing there, panting heavily despite her pained expression, but who had not fallen into the illusion.

Just then, another figure appeared silently beside Izumi, gently supporting the almost exhausted girl with one hand.

Itachi raised his head, and the gaze of his Mangekyou Sharingan fell upon that figure.

The head of the Uchiha clan, Uchiha Fugaku.

Fugaku's Mangekyou Sharingan gazed heavily, sweeping over the corpses of his clansmen throughout the street before finally settling on his son's blood-stained face and ninja sword. He then looked at Izumi beside him, who was still in shock and barely able to stand by leaning on him, and let out a deep, heavy sigh. That sigh contained too much unspeakable disappointment, pain, and helplessness.

"Is this your final choice, Itachi?" Fugaku's voice was low and hoarse.

Itachi quickly suppressed the turmoil in his heart and forced himself to regain his composure.

He wiped the blood from the corner of his eye, his voice still steady: "I'm sorry, Father. I cannot approve of the future that the path you foresaw leads to."

In an instant, Itachi's kaleidoscope started spinning again.

He deduced from what he had seen and heard while infiltrating the ANBU that the Uchiha clan would inevitably face a tragic end if they launched a coup.

The Konoha leadership had long anticipated a future scenario where numerous ninja clans would unite to suppress the Uchiha clans, the Uchiha would be completely annihilated, and even Sasuke would not survive. This vision was directly transmitted to Fugaku through genjutsu.

Fugaku's body swayed slightly, and his face became even paler.

"So that's why you repeatedly asked me to confirm whether you had secretly contacted Uchiha Hikaru of the Land of Stars to ensure that no external forces would intervene in this 'rebellion,' so that the Konoha leadership could 'perfectly' carry out the cleanup..." Fugaku's voice carried a hint of sarcasm, but it quickly turned into helplessness.

He closed his eyes, then opened them again after a moment, his eyes filled with understanding and a deeper sorrow: "Is it for Sasuke...?"

Itachi was silent for a moment, then nodded with difficulty: "This is the best..."

"The best?" Fugaku interrupted him, his eyes filled with sorrow. "You're wrong, Itachi. And... I'm sorry."

Itachi was startled, a very ominous premonition rising in his heart.

Could it be... Father...

“I have never proactively contacted Uchiha Hikaru or that ‘Shura’.”

Just as a hint of doubt arose in Itachi's mind, Fugaku's next words plunged him into an icy abyss.

"However, during their last secret visit, they made a prediction about me..."

Fugaku's gaze sharpened as he stared directly at Itachi: "...The Uchiha clan will ultimately face self-destruction, dying at the hands of their own kind who share the same blood."

"At that time, she and Shura will come to take away all the survivors, leave this already corrupt Konoha, and pursue the true, bright future of the Uchiha clan!"

Just then, a figure landed lightly beside Quan and reached out to support her as she swayed from exhaustion.

When Quan's blurry vision finally caught a glimpse of the person's profile, her tense and nearly collapsing nerves finally relaxed, and an overwhelming sense of relief washed over her. Her head lolled to the side, and she completely lost consciousness.

The man gently placed Quanping on the ground, then slowly stood up.

"Itachi...you have disappointed me so much..."

"Shisui?!" A familiar voice rang out, and when Itachi saw the speaker's face clearly, his face showed shock and disbelief for the first time, almost to the point of collapse!

Itachi's pupils contracted sharply, and he murmured in a trembling voice, "Impossible...you..."

Uchiha Shisui, who had been missing for over a year and was presumed dead, has never had his body found!

Uchiha Shisui, still wearing the Konoha headband on his forehead, had 'come back to life.' His eyes, which he should have lost, were now shining with a clear three-tomoe light, filled with disappointment as he stared intently at Itachi.

"As expected... he saved you." Fugaku looked at Shisui with a complicated tone, as if he had expected this all along.

His gaze did not linger on Shisui for long, but instead turned to the courtyard wall on the side of the street.

Before anyone knew it, several figures had quietly appeared there.

The two leaders stood side by side.

It was Shura, clad in a mysterious black robe and wearing a white three-eyed fox mask, and Uchiha Hikaru, whose expression was cold and aloof.

Beside them stood a line of people including Yuyajo En, Gota, Kaguya Kimimaro, Minazuki Haku, and Yukimi, all dressed in the same Star Ninja uniform with headbands from the Land of Stars tied around their foreheads, coldly looking down at the human tragedy unfolding below.

Further away, in the shadows unnoticed by anyone, Minato Namikaze let out a barely audible sigh.

Kushina Uzumaki bit her lip tightly, her eyes filled with sympathy for the Uchiha's plight and anger at the decisions made by Konoha's higher-ups.

"First Hokage, Second Hokage, please look..." In a more secluded corner, Orochimaru was whispering to two figures beside him, dressed in white robes and wearing hoods, his tone filled with a wicked pleasure: "This is the present-day Konoha, the latest fruit borne under the illumination of your 'Will of Fire'... a thoroughly enjoyable... infighting among our own kind."

As if the excitement wasn't enough, Orochimaru added in a low voice, like a devil's whisper: "Judging by the time... the Third Hokage's direct ANBU... should be arriving at the scene soon to 'clean up the mess,' right?"

Having just had some of their restrictions lifted and regained a bit of consciousness, Hashirama Senju and Tobirama Senju looked up and saw the carnage on the street below: countless Uchiha corpses lay strewn about, and the tragedy of fratricide was unfolding...

The pupils of the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, trembled violently, and an expression of disbelief appeared on his face.

The Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, coldly gazed down, especially at Itachi Uchiha and Shisui, as well as Hikaru Uchiha on the wall, his eyes flashing with a sharp and thoughtful light.

On the courtyard wall, Menma's gaze pierced through the mask and landed coldly on Uchiha Itachi, who was holding a blood-stained ninja sword below.

The air in the entire Uchiha clan territory seemed to have completely frozen due to the intervention and confrontation of this force.

(End of this chapter)