71-75

*Chapter 71: The Big Stick, Eager for Action!*

Fugaku rolled up his sleeves.

"I'm done with you! No one can stop me!"

Seeing this, Itsuki sighed quietly, pulled out a scroll, and opened it.

Whoosh!  

Countless explosive tags poured out like water, filling the entire meeting room in an instant.

Fugaku froze in place, unable to move.

Everyone else’s eyes twitched uncontrollably.

"Are those… explosive tags?"

"Yep."

"Sigh, I specialize in dealing with defiance." Itsuki sighed again and said softly, "Clan Leader, are you convinced now? Or would you prefer we both take a trip to the afterlife?"

Fugaku slowly sat down. Before sitting, he even glanced at the chair to make sure there were no explosive tags on it. He much preferred solid ground.

"Hurry, hurry!"

Itachi chuckled, quickly directing the nearby jonin to collect the explosive tags.

As for whether Itsuki was after his mom? Well, wasn’t his dad still around? They could worry about that once his dad was out of the picture!

Itsuki watched this with approval, nodding to himself.

What a dutiful son, still making me laugh.

No wonder he would one day be the type to take down his own father and mother.

Looking around, Itsuki sighed, "This is 100,000 explosive tags. Consider it my support for Uchiha Itachi, the Deputy Clan Leader."

"Thank you, thank you!"

Itachi quickly expressed his gratitude.

Fugaku’s face turned dark, but the meeting finally began.

Yet, the expressions of those present weren’t exactly pleasant.

Even Setsuna was feeling the chills from being surrounded by so many explosive tags for the first time.

He had to admit—it was terrifying.

If these things went off, not even Uchiha Madara would survive, and they wouldn’t even leave a trace.

"Actually..."

Itsuki spoke slowly, "Rather than saying I have something important to discuss, it's more of a notice. It’s just a small matter, so there's no reason for you to object."

He placed a list on the table in front of him.

"The Hyuga and Uchiha clans will be sent to Sunagakure for a mission, and I want the clan to send these people."

Fugaku picked up the list and glanced at it, his brows furrowing slightly.

*Uchiha Hachidai*

*Uchiha Kaima*

*Uchiha Inaho Brothers*

...

All of them were either Itsuki’s men or closely affiliated with him.

Fugaku asked slowly, "Itsuki, what are you planning?"

The number of people was correct. According to the Hokage’s orders, both the Hyuga and Uchiha clans were to send six jonin and twenty elite clan members each. It wasn’t a battle mission, just one to prevent the enemy from advancing. All they had to do was buy Konoha two or three days, and the village's defenses would be back in place.

But!

Itsuki was assigning only his people to the mission. Was he planning to sabotage it, or even let Sunagakure invade Konoha?

Itsuki replied confidently, "Rest assured, the mission will be completed, and even the Hokage won’t be able to say anything. I can promise that."

"I just need to take care of some other matters during the mission, which won’t interfere with the clan’s plans."

Fugaku exchanged glances with the two elders.

"This…" Setsuna said slowly, "Itsuki, when you speak so seriously, it makes us all nervous."

Itsuki: "..."

Elder Zongyi sighed. "Really, you're being too serious. It’s honestly a bit frightening."

Jerks!  

What a bunch of jerks!

Itsuki left, ready to carry out the mission.

As Fugaku and the others watched him leave, they couldn’t help but furrow their brows tightly.

"Everything Brother Itsuki says, you can trust!"

Itachi looked at the group and slowly said, "Even though he's usually unreliable, his word still counts."

Immediately.

The group stared at Itachi like he was an idiot.

"Hmph!"

Zongyi snorted, turned, and left.

Sasna sighed, patted Fugaku on the shoulder, and said, "Too young. You should teach him well."

He left as well.

Fugaku looked at Itachi with a complicated expression.

"Did I say something wrong?"

Itachi was confused.

"Do you all think Brother Itsuki would break his promise?"

"Itachi, how can you be so naive?"

Fugaku couldn’t help but say, "The Third Hokage said that at seven years old… ugh!"

His expression turned sour.

What was meant to be praise had turned into sarcasm, thanks to that jerk Itsuki.

He glared at Itachi and gritted his teeth, "Listen, Itachi, Itsuki won’t break his promises. He’ll definitely complete the mission perfectly, so no one can find a single mistake."

"But!"

"Just because he won’t break his promise doesn’t mean he won’t do anything. On the contrary, he’s definitely planning something big."

"What I’m worried about is that the storm he stirs up will swallow the entire Uchiha clan."

"This…"

Itachi was stunned. After a while, he cautiously asked, "What kind of big move?"

Fugaku snapped, "I don’t know! And it's exactly because I don’t know that it’s so worrying!"

He stared in the direction Itsuki had gone, murmuring, "Not only do I not know, but even after he’s done, we still won’t know."

"We can’t guess what’s going on in his mind at all."

"Uchiha Itsuki, sigh!"

Fugaku’s last sigh was filled with deep frustration and helplessness.

Itsuki was undoubtedly the leader of the new generation of the Uchiha, but he had already distanced himself from them.

His attitude was clear: he didn’t trust them.

And that deeply frustrated Fugaku, who was trying to be a good clan leader.

If Itsuki could hear Fugaku’s thoughts, he’d definitely scoff at him.

He wanted to trust them, but they didn’t even act like responsible adults!

Uchiha Fugaku had abandoned his duty as clan leader in a critical moment, choosing to protect his son instead.

Uchiha Itachi had massacred his entire family, including his parents. Disgusting!

Uchiha Shisui was so naive that when he woke up from his dream, he chose suicide.

Uchiha Sasuke started off alright, but later lost to Naruto’s "talk-no-jutsu" and chose forgiveness.

Sometimes Itsuki wanted to grab Naruto and ask him, "If I killed your parents, could you forgive me?"

Oh, you could?

Then tell me, how did Kakuzu die?

The Uchiha clan had only a handful of members worthy of attention, but they all did outrageous things.

Itsuki thought, "I want to trust you, but can I really?"

"Better to stay alive and enjoy life. Isn’t that better than messing around with you guys?

I’m not crazy!"

---

Nighttime.

Itsuki, leading a squad from the Anbu, left Konoha, heading toward the Village Hidden in the Clouds.

Their mission was to set up an ambush on a main road between Konoha and the Cloud Village.

If the Cloud made any moves, their job was to disrupt them as much as possible to buy time for Konoha.

Other ninja villages, when their defense plans were exposed, might fully adjust their tactics.

But the Cloud Village was unpredictable.

These war-loving people always believed that the best defense was a strong offense.

If two ninja villages went to war, other villages might get involved as well.

The Fourth Great Ninja War would break out!

However, after traveling just 20 kilometers from Konoha, Itsuki stopped.

"Captain!"

The Anbu squad leader looked at the suddenly-stopping Itsuki in confusion.

"Sigh, sorry everyone, I can’t wait any longer."

"Can't wait? Can't wait for what?"

The squad leader heightened his vigilance to the extreme.

"I can't wait to kill you all!"

Itsuki flashed a bright smile and softly said, "My big stick has been itching for a fight for a while now. Please, die!"

(End of chapter)

*Chapter 72: Slaughter Without Mercy*

“Spread out!”

The captain of the ANBU squad barked a sharp order.

As soon as Itsuki stopped moving, he sensed that something was wrong.

But!

He never expected that Itsuki would be so eager to attack!

They had just left the village, and he was already planning to kill them.

Wasn’t he worried that Konoha's sensory ninjas would notice something was off?

Once they did, Uchiha Itsuki would undoubtedly be labeled a rogue ninja, dragging the entire Uchiha clan down with him.

This guy was clearly insane.

*Shing!*

The ANBU squad scattered to various positions, keeping a close watch on Itsuki.

“Uchiha Itsuki!”

The ANBU captain spoke in a low voice, “I’ll give you one chance. Surrender, or you’ll be declared a rogue ninja and hunted by the entire village.”

Itsuki grinned. “Why are you pretending? Isn’t it exhausting?”

“Didn’t you receive orders to take me out?”

He stretched his body, smiling slyly. “I stomped on the faces of the Third Hokage and Danzo, grinding them into the dirt. They must hate me to death, right?”

“Or are you waiting to make your move until we reach the Hidden Cloud Village?”

The ANBU captain retorted coldly, “Have you forgotten about the Uchiha clan? Your actions will drag them down too. The village might even wipe them out.”

“Then go ahead,” Itsuki replied nonchalantly. “From what you’re saying, it sounds like the village could just eliminate the Uchiha whenever they want. Are we really that powerless?”

No one’s guiding you.

Fugaku isn’t surrendering.

You think you can quietly wipe out the Uchiha?

Go eat dirt!

If you dared to strike, I’d at least call you men!

Do you really think the strongest clan just sits around doing nothing?

Itsuki chuckled. “Oh, by the way, let me ask you something.”

The ANBU captain said nothing.

Not that Itsuki expected a response. “Are you afraid of me?”

“What?”

“You’re not afraid of me?” Itsuki asked with a sinister smile. “If you weren’t afraid, why are you standing here, talking so much? Shouldn’t you have attacked already?”

“Hmph!”

“Thanks for waiting, though. It gave me time to complete this technique!”

Itsuki formed a series of hand signs, smiling as he said, “Demonic Illusion: Shackling Stakes!”

At some point, his eyes had transformed into the Mangekyō Sharingan.

“You…”

The ANBU captain was horrified. He tried to react but was shocked to find that he couldn’t move.

He couldn’t even turn his head to look at his comrades.

“Don’t try to move.”

Itsuki smiled. “I knew from the start that you were planning to kill me. Oh, you’re denying it? Whatever, then. Just think of it as me planning to kill you from the beginning.”

“Since I was already thinking about murder, I had to be prepared.”

“I’m a master of genjutsu. I can cast illusions not just through my eyes, but also through sound.”

“Even this perfect body of mine can do it!”

Itsuki’s smile grew deeper, more sinister.

The ANBU captain’s eyes widened in rage and fear.

He was indeed afraid of Uchiha Itsuki and had hesitated to attack.

When Itsuki had wiped out so many of Root ninjas, he had been watching from the sidelines.

He and his current subordinates weren’t much stronger than Root members back then.

They might even be weaker.

Who could have guessed that this hesitation would give Itsuki the opportunity to strike?

“It’s over!”

*Snap!*

Itsuki snapped his fingers.

“Mmpphh!”

The four ANBU members made muffled noises as their heads twisted on their own, snapping their necks.

*Swish! Swish!*

Just as Itsuki turned his gaze to the remaining ANBU, two kunai and shuriken flew at him.

“Huh, so there’s someone hiding in the shadows?”

Itsuki was a bit surprised. He casually took a step back, effortlessly dodging all the attacks.

Two more ANBU appeared.

“Wait a minute!”

Itsuki said, puzzled. “There were supposed to be sixteen of you, plus the captain makes seventeen. Where did you two come from?”

“Uchiha Itsuki!”

The newly arrived ninjas shouted, “We’ve already sent word to the village. You can’t escape now.”

“Did I ever say I was planning to escape?”

Itsuki’s Mangekyō Sharingan spun slightly.

*Crack!*

“Mmph!”

Four more ANBU members’ necks were snapped.

“Damn you!”

The two ANBU members roared in anger, launching a fierce attack.

“Dance of the Crescent Moon!”

They both used the same technique, creating three clones each, all wielding swords, attacking from different angles.

Two ninjas, six attacks.

The flurry of strikes covered all of Itsuki’s escape routes, leaving him nowhere to run.

“Swordsmanship?”

Itsuki raised an eyebrow. “Crescent Moon? Uzuki Yugao? Hayate Gekkō?”

A sickly ghost and a beautiful woman?

More like Beauty and the Beast.

At least the beauty is afraid of the beast, while the sickly ghost is just despised.

As for the attack, Itsuki didn't take it seriously.

Everything was laid bare under the Sharingan.

*Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!*

Itsuki's figure seemed to leave afterimages as he effortlessly dodged all the incoming attacks.

Whether real or fake, none of them stood a chance of hitting him.

Taking this opportunity, the ANBU captain used all his strength, desperately trying to break free from the genjutsu.

But!

Itsuki’s power system was centered around genjutsu. Breaking his illusions wasn’t going to be easy.

“Die!”

The two ANBU continued their relentless assault on Itsuki.

One of them let out a roar and swung his sword down with all his might.

*Bang!*

Itsuki lifted a foot and kicked him away, sending him flying.

“Watch out!”

The ANBU captain shouted in panic.

“Hurry up!”

Another ANBU member gritted his teeth. “We can’t hold on much longer.”

The captain's face twisted with anxiety.

“Don’t overthink it!” Itsuki watched him with interest. “Do you really have any other tricks up your sleeve? Even if you do, it’s useless. In front of me, wouldn’t it be better to die peacefully without experiencing pain?”

“You should know very well that we're on different levels.”

Standing tall, he looked down at the remaining ANBU, spreading his arms with pride. “Dying under the power of the Uchiha is an honor for you.”

Yes, I’m the ultimate villain!

Now, this feels right!

“Uchiha Itsuki, don’t get too cocky!”

The ANBU captain shouted, “Attack! Don’t hesitate!”

*Swish, swish, swish!*

Three more figures rushed out.

“Huh?”

Itsuki paused, surprised. “Three more ANBU? Just how many members does your squad have? Is this a reinforced unit?”

A standard ANBU squad, including the captain, had only seventeen members.

But this was already the twenty-second.

The captain's face remained cold, but he was internally baffled.

His squad was a standard formation of seventeen.

The Hokage, worried something might go wrong, had assigned him two additional members.

But where did this extra one come from?

As this thought crossed his mind, he witnessed something unbelievable.

The ANBU who had been kicked away by Itsuki.

The ANBU who had attacked with the Dance of the Crescent Moon.

And one of the three who had just appeared, all suddenly turned on the other two, launching an attack.

“Ahhh!!!”

In an instant, the two newly arrived ANBU were sliced into pieces.

Then, the three ANBU who had initiated the attack silently stood before Itsuki.

“You… you…”

The ANBU captain felt a chill run down his spine.

Even among the ANBU, there had been a betrayal.

They had turned against the Hokage and sided with the Uchiha!

(End of Chapter)

*Chapter 73: Not Even as Good as Danzo*

"You, you all… you're not ANBU? No, no… you are ANBU!"

The ANBU squad captain stared in shock at the three who had just killed their comrades.

The ANBU had their own unique codes, frequently updated. The captain was certain that these three were indeed ANBU members.

Could it be true that ANBU members had betrayed Lord Hokage and sided with the Uchiha? How could that be possible?

The captain's mind was spinning. During his time with Konoha's ANBU, there had never been a case of an ANBU member betraying the village.

And yet!

Uchiha? The Uchiha clan had managed to sway members of the ANBU? One was the Hokage's archenemy, and the other, the Hokage's enforcers. The two should clash upon meeting; peaceful coexistence was out of the question.

How could this be happening?

"You seem surprised."

Itsuki grinned, his tone mocking. "Why are you so shocked? Didn't expect the ANBU to side with the Uchiha? Come on, the world is changing, and people change too. Understand?"

When Itachi was in the ANBU, he was turned against his own family by Sarutobi and wielded the blade that would cut them down. After arriving in this world, Itsuki made a decision: to win over some ANBU members, by any means necessary.

Take Uzuki Yugao, for instance—an ideal candidate.

Don’t say it’s impossible!

If the Third Hokage could make Itachi kill his own parents, why couldn’t Itsuki do something similar? ANBU members aren't like Danzo, with extra eyes scattered over their bodies.

And so, Itsuki gained a few ANBU under his command—not just one!

Although ANBU identities and missions are confidential, Itsuki was someone who had seen the original story.

Moreover, he held considerable influence within the Uchiha clan.

Getting information on some ANBU members was easy for him.

His teacher being Orochimaru didn’t hurt either.

A key point: when Orochimaru learned that Itsuki wanted to go after the Third Hokage, he was so thrilled that his neck extended several meters, and his tongue twisted around it.

Itsuki seized the opportunity to request some classified files, and Orochimaru gladly handed them over.

"So, if you had already turned the ANBU, why…"

"Why did I keep you alive until now?" Itsuki asked, scratching his head. "Because I want the information in your brain!"

"Hahaha!"

The ANBU captain was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter. "Uchiha Itsuki, have you lost your mind? You think you can get the secrets in my head? Keep dreaming."

He looked at Itsuki with disdain.

"Seems like you're confident in your mind."

Itsuki shrugged. "I know you've been conditioned—if someone tries to access your mind, there's a good chance you'll explode with a bang!"

The smile on the ANBU captain’s face froze.

"You know?"

"Don’t forget about Itachi’s position. He was your equal in the ANBU."

"Damn Uchiha, you’re all bastards!" The captain cursed furiously.

…

In the village, Itachi suddenly lifted his head, feeling a strange sensation in his heart, as if something had just happened. He thought about it for a while but couldn’t figure it out, so he returned to his paperwork.

…

"Hehe!" Itsuki smiled, a wicked grin on his face.

Another little trap set for the dutiful son. Whether it would be useful or not was beside the point.

Doing it or not doing it was the difference in attitude.

Itsuki continued, "So, I've been controlling you with genjutsu all this time."

"Kid, you have to understand!"

"Just because your mind is locked doesn’t mean it can’t be opened. Keys aren’t always necessary."

Snap!

Itsuki snapped his fingers.

Suddenly, a strange scene unfolded.

The eyes of several ANBU members began to change. One eye was filled with confusion, while the other was consumed by fear.

Their mouths began to move uncontrollably, revealing secrets they desperately wanted to keep hidden.

They spoke of their personal secrets and secrets concerning their missions and the village—information that should never be spoken.

The ANBU members struggled desperately, but it was no use. The clear eye in each of them grew increasingly frantic.

Itsuki stood by, smiling as he listened, silently committing their secrets to memory.

"Why?" one of Itsuki’s ANBU, surprised, asked, "Why didn’t their ‘locks’ activate?"

"Because the ‘locks’ are also under my genjutsu," Itsuki replied calmly.

ANBU: "..."

Could something like that even be possible?

Itsuki smiled at him, "Although it was troublesome and took some time, I’m very powerful."

This was why he ordered his ANBU to ‘rescue’ the squad captain. When the captain saw someone saving him, he wouldn’t commit suicide, giving Itsuki enough time to cast his genjutsu on the ‘locks.’

Proudly, Itsuki thought to himself: He, Uchiha Itsuki, was the greatest genjutsu master in the ninja world. Not even Madara, or Indra resurrected, could challenge that.

Now, he ordered the ANBU, who were still conscious, to reveal their own and the village’s secrets, aiming to shatter their spirits.

Once a person was broken, they could be better controlled.

The three ANBU under Itsuki’s command felt a bit uncomfortable witnessing this.

"Sir, should we really be hearing all this?" one of them asked.

"What does it matter?" Itsuki replied casually, "I trust you all completely."

Even though Itsuki wasn’t known for being serious, these words warmed the hearts of the three ANBU.

They removed their masks.

One was Moonlight Hayate, whose name sounded like it belonged to a protagonist.

The second was Uzuki Yugao, who looked like a heroine but was, in fact, a supporting character.

The last person—when the squad captain saw his face, he froze in shock.

It was someone he never expected!

"Yamato!"

Even within the ANBU, he was a classified individual.

Wood Release, Tenzo! Codename: "A."

How could it be him?

How could it possibly be him?

The Hokage had never taken his eyes off him due to his unique abilities. Danzo had also tried to take him. Orochimaru, too, had been secretly watching him, waiting for an opportunity.

The Hokage checked on Yamato’s status almost every few days. How could someone like him have had the chance to betray?

"Surprised?" Yamato asked the squad captain, smiling. "It’s actually quite simple. You treat ninjas like tools. Though you’re also a ninja, some people don’t view ninjas as tools."

The squad captain struggled even more fiercely.

Yamato’s voice remained calm, "I’m deeply unhappy with how you treat ninjas as tools. Don’t you understand? When I took on the name Yamato, I became a true person!"

"I’m not living alone!"

Recalling the bright young girl in his memories, his eyes became even more determined.

He would carry this name and live as a person.

Once, he thought the Third Hokage was different, but sadly, during his time in the ANBU, he realized…

The Third Hokage was, in some ways, even worse than Danzo!

(End of Chapter)

*Chapter 74: Chaos*

Snap!

When Itsuki had gathered all the intel he needed, he snapped his fingers once more.

Suddenly, the eyes of the ANBU squad captain and his subordinates went blank. They completely lost consciousness, sinking into the world of Itsuki’s genjutsu.

So naturally, they didn’t notice that after they lost consciousness, the ANBU members who had seemingly been killed by having their necks twisted suddenly reappeared before them.

From start to finish, the only ones who actually died were the two ANBU members secretly following them, sent by the Hokage. They were killed by Hayate and Tenzo.

The entire ANBU team of sixteen members, plus the squad captain, totaling seventeen, was still intact.

Perfectly complete!

Hayate sighed, "Your genjutsu is truly extraordinary, sir."

Itsuki smiled slightly, "Enough chatter, let’s begin the operation as planned!"

"Yes, sir!"

Hayate and Tenzo responded before leaving, while Uzuki Yugao remained in place.

Itsuki, grinning, asked, "Did you miss me?"

Yugao rolled her eyes at him and replied teasingly, "What’s the point of missing you? Someone’s already found a new flame and forgotten about the old one, living the good life without a care in the world."

"How could I forget? We’ve known each other for over ten years!" Itsuki laughed heartily.

When Itsuki decided to start collecting his team, his first targets were Kurenai Yuhi and Uzuki Yugao, two of Konoha’s most renowned beauties. Despite being a bit older than him, they were still within his acceptable range.

Due to his arrival, the timeline in the ninja world had become even more chaotic. The Konoha 12 were now around nine to ten years old, three to four years older than they were in the original timeline. Itachi was thirteen, while Itsuki was still not quite fifteen. Shisui was just under seventeen.

Uzuki Yugao and Kurenai Yuhi, though in their early twenties, were exactly to his liking. After all, older women are said to be more caring, right?

"Let’s go. We can talk on the way," Itsuki said with a smile.

"Alright!" Yugao agreed as the two of them, along with the entire ANBU squad now trapped in a genjutsu, set off towards the Hidden Cloud Village.

…

Meanwhile, in Konoha, inside the Hokage’s office, Hiruzen Sarutobi looked up at an ANBU member beside him and asked, "What’s the situation over there?"

"After Uchiha Itsuki left the village, he disappeared from our sight. However, ‘Kara’ reported that everything is normal, and ‘Tori’ has been in constant contact."

"Everything’s going smoothly?" The Third Hokage was somewhat surprised.

"Do you mean to say..." the ANBU hesitated.

The Third Hokage slowly said, "I’ve always been concerned that Uchiha Itsuki would contact the Hidden Cloud Village after leaving Konoha and secretly plot to kill the ANBU."

"Would he dare?"

"Why wouldn’t he?"

The ANBU fell silent. There wasn’t anything Uchiha Itsuki wouldn’t dare to do. Contacting the Hidden Cloud Village… they had done that before.

"So, what’s your plan…?"

"We can only place our hope on the Hidden Cloud."

The Third Hokage’s expression was indifferent as he said, "I’ve never believed that Tori and the others could kill Uchiha Itsuki. He’s always been wary of them."

"But…"

The Third Hokage didn’t finish his sentence. Even though the person standing before him was his most trusted ANBU captain—his eldest son, Sarutobi Shinnosuke—some things were known but never spoken aloud.

Uchiha Itsuki, you could never guess how determined Danzo is to kill you this time.

The Third Hokage looked down at the documents in his hands again. Initially, he was furious about the leak of the military defense plans, but on second thought, he realized it was an opportunity. An opportunity to strike at the Uchiha and remove a troublesome pawn.

If handled properly, the Uchiha would be pacified, and Danzo would be quiet for a long time.

The Third Hokage’s face remained unchanged, but deep in his eyes, there was a hint of a sneer.

The final victor, hehe…

…

"Damn that Danzo!"

Hearing these words, Yugao was a bit bewildered.

Big Brother, do you even realize what you’re doing right now? And at a time like this, you’re cursing Danzo?

How is that appropriate?

Uzuki Yugao, frustrated, bit Itsuki hard.

“Ouch!” Itsuki winced, grimacing in pain.

With a dark expression, Yugao snapped, “Get lost!”

“No, I’m sorry,” Itsuki quickly apologized, trying to make amends, but even after a flurry of effort, Yugao remained angry.

When everything had finally settled, Yugao glared at Itsuki and sarcastically said, “You’ve got quite the peculiar taste. Even in a moment like that, you were thinking about Danzo. How about next time I kidnap Danzo for you, and you can do whatever you want with him?”

This time, it was Itsuki’s turn to look serious.

“Don’t say nonsense!” he scolded. “I was thinking about the information we just obtained.”

Surprised, Yugao asked, “Isn’t that just normal intel? Danzo’s people are in contact with the Hidden Cloud Village, planning to take you out secretly.”

It was indeed normal intel. The information they got from the ANBU was that they were carrying out their mission as usual, but if they encountered Danzo’s people, they were to retreat immediately. This indicated that Danzo’s forces were also on the move.

This wasn’t surprising! Ever since Itsuki had taken down over ten elite jounin from the Root division and publicly humiliated Danzo, it was clear that one of them had to die.

The only reason there was still stability between them was because Danzo’s Root was powerful, and the Third Hokage wouldn’t let anything happen to him. But the Uchiha were equally formidable, so the end result was that Danzo had to pay to settle the matter.

It was this incident that caused a rift between Itsuki and Fugaku. Fugaku didn’t even want compensation. The Third Hokage stripped Danzo of his position and put him under house arrest, which Fugaku felt was punishment enough.

However, Shisui and Fugaku opposed this, fighting for compensation on Itsuki’s behalf. If Itsuki had been present at the time, his fiery temper would have likely caused a scene where no one would have been able to back down.

A mere dismissal and house arrest? Who do you think you’re insulting?

“Yugao, don’t you think there’s something wrong with this intel?” Itsuki asked.

Yugao was taken aback. “What could be wrong? Don’t forget, the ANBU members have ‘locks’ in their minds. Getting information from them is nearly impossible.”

“True,” Itsuki agreed, smiling slightly. “Alright, let’s not dwell on it. We’re almost at the Hidden Cloud Village. Are you ready?”

“Ready?” Yugao was puzzled. “Your plan is simple. What is there to prepare for?”

“Good,” Itsuki smiled again.

Suddenly, there was a rumbling sound.

Yugao jumped up. “Thunder?”

“No,” she said, looking towards the direction of the Hidden Cloud Village. “Someone’s fighting? Itsuki, what did you do?”

They were still quite a distance from the Hidden Cloud Village, yet the noise was audible even from where they stood. It was clear that something significant was happening.

Itsuki chuckled. “I believe the Third Hokage and Danzo’s plan isn’t simple. They know I might have a Mangekyo Sharingan, so the cost of killing me won’t be small. Since that’s the case…”

“I’ll stir the pot even more!”

“Plans? Let them choke on their own schemes!”

Meanwhile, on the outskirts of the Hidden Cloud Village, a group of Hidden Cloud ninjas stood with grim faces. Not far from them was a massive crater, surrounded by severed limbs and broken bodies.

There were also shattered masks scattered around.

If any Konoha ninja were present, they would recognize those masks immediately.

They belonged to the ANBU and the Root division of Konoha!

Chapter 75: Plan? What a joke!

"Damn it, are those Konoha people crazy?" A Cloud ninja couldn't help but curse.

So close! He was almost taken away.

He was still sweating coldly.

Those bastards, they were really playing for keeps!

Is this Konoha's Root and Anbu?

"Something's wrong, very wrong!"

The Cloud jonin leading the team said with a grim expression, gritting his teeth, "We were supposed to deal with the Uchiha, but they suddenly attacked us, and then blew themselves up?"

It was like a premeditated suicide!

"Dealing with the Uchiha, is this true or false?"

A Cloud jonin suddenly asked.

"Kayul, what do you mean by that?"

The leading jonin frowned.

"I suspect these Konoha people don't want to deal with the Uchiha at all!"

Kayul's voice was cold.

"No way!"

The leading jonin denied this, "The Uchiha recently had a new member, Uchiha Kazuki, who is said to be stronger than Shisui. You know the situation in Konoha, the Uchiha are becoming more and more powerful, it's normal for them to want to kill this Uchiha."

"Not necessarily!"

"Hmm?"

Many people looked over.

"Don't forget, the Uchiha almost fought against an entire village during the Third War. They must have suffered heavy losses. Our intelligence shows that the Uchiha still have more than 1,100 ninjas. Do you think this is true?"

"Unlikely, right?"

A jonin hesitated, "Kirigakure is one of the Five Great Ninja Villages after all. The Uchiha clan fighting against an entire village, they must have suffered heavy losses. I think 1,100 ninjas is an exaggeration."

"Right!"

Kayul said coldly, "Since they suffered heavy losses, they must be even more protective of their geniuses, otherwise, wouldn't they be swallowed up by the Konoha higher-ups? At this time, if Konoha wants to do something, it will inevitably face strong opposition from the Uchiha."

The rest was left unsaid, everyone present understood.

The Konoha higher-ups had no chance to harm the Uchiha genius.

The leading jonin's face turned cold, and he said word by word, "No matter what, because of Konoha's Anbu and Root, our Cloud has suffered losses. They must pay the price."

"Yes!"

"Konoha must give us an explanation!"

"Otherwise, we'll go to war!"

The ninjas from the village ruled by the militants had a glint of battle intent in their eyes.

They weren't just threatening, they were really ready to fight.

The leading jonin shouted, "Send an envoy to Konoha, I will immediately report to the Raikage. Rest assured, the Raikage will not let us down!"

...

The military deployment map was leaked, and all the villages took action.

However!

Because this leak was too loud, as if everyone was supposed to know, it made people afraid to act rashly.

Onoki, the old and cunning Kage, understood the principle of having multiple hideouts.

He immediately set up a new line of defense at the forefront and activated the backup plan.

Konoha sent out four teams to monitor and disrupt the four villages, which was also a way to protect themselves.

There were villages that directly sent troops!

Kirigakure was in a closed state, ignoring the outside world.

Sunagakure, the weakest ninja village, chose to attack!

It bordered two great nations, Konoha and Iwagakure.

Therefore!

Rasa ordered one Anbu team to disrupt Konoha in a suicidal manner.

Another team headed towards Iwagakure.

He himself seized the time to update the various defense lines.

...

"So this is Kumogakure!"

Looking at the sky city in front of her, no, the sky fortress, Yugao sighed.

Kazuki was surprised, "This is your first time?"

"It's my first... Hey!"

Yugao suddenly reacted and glared at Kazuki, gritting her teeth, "Are you ever going to stop?"

Itsuki chuckled.

Yugao snorted softly and said, "As an Anbu member, I often go out on missions, but coincidentally, my missions have always avoided the Cloud Village."

"Then you should take a good look at this village."

Itsuki said with a smile, "Because after today, this place will be shrouded in war."

"You want war?"

"Can't I?"

"Konoha has never actively started a war."

"That's because the foundation that Senju Hashirama laid for Konoha was so good that Konoha doesn't lack resources."

Itsuki's expression was full of disdain, "Do you think the Kages of other ninja villages are just sitting around doing nothing? They have to start wars."

"If they don't start a war and their own village can't hold on, it's better to shift the conflict externally."

Yugao shrugged, "Don't tell me this, I don't care, I only listen to you."

"I can make you do anything?"

"Believe it or not, next time, I'll give you a surprise!"

Yugao smiled and broke off a piece of wood.

"Cough, let's go!"

Itsuki coughed dryly and led seventeen Anbu members towards the Cloud Village.

Come on!

Make some noise!

Danzo, I don't care what your plan is, I'm directly attacking the Cloud Village, all your plans will be stuck in your intestines, giving you a cerebral thrombosis!

Itsuki chuckled;

I'm just following orders!

... If the Cloud Village wants to attack Konoha, then hold them back.

As for whether the Cloud Village wants to attack Konoha, that's up to me, I'm the one involved.

What?

The Cloud Village says they don't have any plans?

Hokage-sama, you believe the enemy, but not me, a Konoha ninja?

Where's your Will of Fire?

At this moment, Itsuki suddenly wanted to know what kind of expressions Danzo and the Third Hokage would have when he returned to Konoha.

He was sure it would be very entertaining!

Danzo, Sarutobi, you must wait for me to return!

The three of us, a happy reunion!

...

Konoha, confinement room.

At this moment, Danzo was still in confinement, but the door was open, not only could people enter, but he himself could go out at any time.

This kind of treatment, no one else had it!

What was his relationship with the Third Hokage?

Bosom friends!

Even if the whole world didn't believe him, the Third Hokage would firmly stand behind him!

They had confidence in each other!

"How's the plan going?"

At this moment, Danzo stared intently at the kneeling ninja in front of him, his breathing rapid, his eyes filled with hope and anticipation.

"The plan is going very smoothly, 'Sever' has already met the Raikage!"

"Good!"

Danzo was overjoyed and muttered, "Uchiha Itsuki, this time, I'll see if you die or not,桀桀!"

The ninja hesitated, "Danzo-sama, we're paying such a huge price just to deal with one Uchiha Itsuki, is it worth it?"

"Nonsense!"

Danzo shouted sternly, "What do you know? You don't understand at all, that bastard Uchiha Itsuki, that bastard..."

Towards the end.

Danzo's words actually carried a hint of choking.

The ninja's eyes widened in an instant.

Holy shit!

Fake!

The one in front of me must be a fake Darkness of the Shinobi.

The Darkness of the Shinobi in my heart couldn't be so fragile.

Cold!

Ruthless!

Killing!

Cruel!

 Unscrupulous!

This was the true Darkness of the Shinobi!

Danzo was indeed very aggrieved.

Those who thought he shouldn't be aggrieved, shouldn't have such emotions, simply didn't know what he had lost!

(End of Chapter)