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"Just now, the masked man asked me to meet him and told me this news," Itachi calmly informed the Third Hokage.
"He also warned me that Uchiha Haru is extremely strong."
The Third Hokage squinted thoughtfully at the words, "extremely strong."
An evaluation like that coming from the enigmatic masked man—who claimed to be Uchiha Madara—was hard to ignore.
The Uchiha clan…
There was Uchiha Shisui before, Uchiha Itachi now, and now this other Uchiha Haru.
"Our plan… does Uchiha Haru know about it?" the Third Hokage asked cautiously.
"It's possible," Itachi replied without hesitation.
Since the masked man intended to recruit Uchiha Haru, he would likely have shared all relevant information.
The Third Hokage didn't say much further on that point.
He understood that if the masked man had confided in Haru, it meant Haru wouldn't betray their secret.
After all, when someone decides to act, they must have something to gain. They would never leak crucial plans so carelessly.
"Has Uchiha Haru also awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan?" the Third Hokage asked after a moment.
From what he knew, the original Uchiha Haru had only awakened the three-tomoe Sharingan and was considered a skilled jonin at best in Konoha.
Though he had killed Kuroki Raiga—the feared Seven Ninja Swordsman and the messenger of the Hidden Cloud Village—that alone didn't raise alarm bells.
Both Kuroki Raiga and the Cloud Village's messenger were strong opponents, certainly not weaklings.
But it all depended on who you compared them to.
Compared to ordinary jonin, yes, Uchiha Haru was powerful.
But definitely not to the level the masked man—claiming to be Uchiha Madara—suggested, that he was extremely strong.
In other words, even if the original Uchiha Haru had been hiding his strength, at most he was an elite jonin.
It was impossible for him to be at the level of a Kage.
It made no sense that a Kage-level powerhouse would appear in Konoha without the Hokage's knowledge.
That simply couldn't be true.
Unless…
There had been a sudden, massive surge in his strength.
Such an increase was rare among ordinary shinobi.
But the Uchiha clan was different.
They had a known method to rapidly enhance their power—
The awakening of the Mangekyō Sharingan.
Itachi's expression tightened as he processed this possibility.
Mangekyō Sharingan?
He carefully recalled his previous encounters with Haru, searching for anything unusual.
He found none.
Two possibilities emerged:
Either Uchiha Haru really hadn't awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan…
Or his ocular power was still far beyond Itachi's own.
But was the second option really plausible?
His instincts told him it was unlikely.
The Mangekyō Sharingan was not something that awakened easily.
After a brief pause, Itachi added, "I heard from the masked man that Uchiha Haru possesses extraordinary physical abilities."
Extraordinary physical abilities.
The Third Hokage mulled this over and allowed himself a slight sense of relief.
That was it.
The conditions for awakening the Mangekyō Sharingan were harsh.
It required the extreme stimulation of hatred, and more importantly, unparalleled talent.
Over the past thousands of years, only a handful of Uchiha had achieved it.
This generation already had Uchiha Shisui and Uchiha Itachi.
If there was a third Uchiha Haru awakened to that level, it would be far too extravagant.
Extraordinary physical abilities.
Perhaps this was the ability that caught the masked man's attention.
Though the Third Hokage still found it somewhat uncertain, he preferred to believe that it was Haru's exceptional physical prowess rather than a sudden Mangekyō awakening that had drawn the masked man's interest.
"Itachi, what do you suggest we do about this situation?"
Uchiha Itachi answered respectfully, "I am prepared to follow the Hokage's orders."
"Yes," the Third Hokage nodded, fully trusting Itachi's loyalty.
"Uchiha Haru must not be allowed to survive!"
A cold voice suddenly cut through the tense air.
From the shadows, Danzo slowly emerged.
Neither Itachi nor the Third Hokage was surprised.
In fact, Danzo had been present when Itachi entered the room, but had remained silent—unacknowledged by them.
"I don't trust him," Danzo said firmly. "I absolutely cannot allow him to survive the night of the Uchiha clan's extermination."
"Hiruzen, you understand well that if this plan is exposed, it will have catastrophic consequences for you, for me, and for the entire village."
"We cannot leave Uchiha Haru behind."
The room fell silent under Danzo's grim declaration.
It was clear: Uchiha Haru's fate was sealed.
His power was a threat too great to ignore.
Even the masked man who claimed to be Madara acknowledged it.
And so, the storm was closing in.
A reckoning that would decide the fate of the Uchiha clan—and Konoha itself—was rapidly approaching.
"This time, after the last meeting, Uchiha Haru must have developed a deep hatred toward Konoha. Keeping him here would be a disaster."
"We will pay the price for this sooner or later!"
"Itachi, I order you to kill him! You have the Mangekyō Sharingan—he will not be your match!"
Danzo's sharp gaze locked onto Uchiha Itachi as he issued the command.
Itachi's brow furrowed slightly, but he remained silent, neither accepting nor rejecting the order.
He had always loathed Danzo, especially his arrogant, domineering attitude. If not for his inner restraint and the memory of his close friend Uchiha Shisui, Itachi might have lashed out at Danzo on the spot.
Seeing Itachi's silence, Danzo's expression darkened further, anger welling inside him. Yet, he did not lose his composure.
He still needed Itachi to carry out certain tasks; there was no need to fracture their already tense relationship completely.
Turning his gaze to the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, Danzo pressed, "Hiruzen, you must make a decision soon. You know Uchiha Haru already knows our plan. Every moment he lives is a threat to us."
"No one can guarantee he won't expose the plan."
"If the masked man was wrong once, causing Uchiha Haru to leak this secret to the clan, what kind of catastrophe would Konoha face?"
"With the Uchiha clan inside and the Kumogakure outside, we cannot allow such a scenario. Absolutely not!"
Danzo's words weighed heavily on Hiruzen, who tightened his frown. Age had carved deep lines on his face, making him resemble crumpled parchment.
Yes.
Though he preferred to believe the masked man wouldn't err, who could be absolutely sure?
The chance was slim, but what if it happened?
The Uchiha clan was the largest in Konoha, their power significant and never to be underestimated.
If the plan leaked and the clan prepared, the resulting situation would be dire, and the losses catastrophic.
Hiruzen exhaled deeply, resolute.
Raising his head, he met Itachi's eyes and said, "Itachi, to ensure this plan proceeds smoothly, I have no choice but to let you go."
Itachi nodded silently. In an instant, he vanished with a Body Flicker Technique.
…
Inside Konoha's prison, Uchiha Haru was training.
Though he knew with certainty he would survive the Uchiha clan's extermination night, he remained vigilant.
To him, that night was not an end but merely a stage.
There was still a long road ahead, with more powerful enemies and greater challenges.
Only by continuously increasing his strength could he guarantee survival.
This truth had long been clear to him.
So he trained diligently, step by step, pushing his limits.
Suddenly, Haru's eyes snapped open, his voice calm as he said, "You're here."
From the darkness ahead, Uchiha Itachi emerged slowly.
His expression was cold, edged with a faint murderous intent.
Haru seemed to perceive something but remained unfazed.
After all, with his current strength, few things could truly rattle him.
He noticed that besides Itachi, several figures lurked around, spying.
One was a powerful masked figure—likely the infamous masked man—and the others were weaker, probably Root operatives.
"I'm here to kill you. You know what you shouldn't. I have to act," Itachi said bluntly, hiding nothing.
Haru chuckled lightly in response.
He had faced this scene countless times before.
But this was no simulation or memory of the massacre night—it was reality.
Itachi's irritation grew at Haru's calm demeanor, which made him feel belittled.
That was a feeling unfamiliar to Itachi since his youth.
Without more words, Itachi acted instantly.
A kunai appeared suddenly in his hand.
But Haru completely ignored the blade and threw a punch in a stance no ordinary person would expect.
Unexpectedly, the punch connected.
Itachi staggered, crashing to the ground.
A frown of disbelief crossed his face.
How could this be possible?
From the moment he entered, the conversation with Haru had been with a clone, while his true body hid in the shadows.
The clone had displayed the kunai to distract Haru and create an opening for the real Itachi to strike and kill in one blow.
Every step had been carefully calculated.
Ordinary people wouldn't see through it—how could Haru?
Yet Haru remained calm, a teasing glint in his eyes.
Itachi's plan was indeed clever, but Haru had fought Itachi dozens of times.
He knew all his moves.
It was no exaggeration to say that as soon as Itachi thought of a move, Haru already anticipated the next step.
This explained the current outcome.
Itachi rose slowly, brushing dust from his clothes.
The failed attack didn't frustrate him; instead, it exhilarated him.
He hadn't faced such a formidable opponent in a long time...
The tension hung thick in the air.
Itachi's Mangekyō Sharingan flickered with renewed intensity.
The masked man observed silently from the shadows, a quiet storm brewing in his eyes.
Nearby, the Root operatives tightened their grip on their weapons, ready for the inevitable eruption.
Haru's gaze shifted briefly, noting the heightened alertness.
This encounter was only the beginning—something larger, darker, and deadlier loomed ahead.
And both sides knew it.
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Thank you for reading, and I truly appreciate your support! 💖
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