The air was thick with the scent of burning tobacco.
Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Third Hokage, sat behind his desk, his lined face shadowed by candlelight. Decades of war, politics, and loss had carved deep furrows into his skin, but tonight, the weight felt heavier than ever.
Before him stood Itachi Uchiha—barely fifteen, yet already a shinobi shaped by blood and duty. He was calm, composed. But beneath that stillness, a storm brewed.
"Have you made your decision?" Hiruzen asked.
Itachi didn't hesitate. "Yes, Lord Third."
His voice was firm, but Hiruzen heard the weight beneath it. The boy had already accepted the consequences.
The Hokage leaned forward, clasping his hands. "Because of your sacrifice, Konoha will be spared civil war. The village will survive. I wish there had been another path."
He glanced at the window. The moon hung low in the sky, casting a pale glow across the floor.
"Sasuke will be protected," Hiruzen said. "He'll grow up in peace. I'll see to that myself."
"Thank you," Itachi replied, eyes unreadable.
Hiruzen's tone hardened. "After tonight, you'll be labeled a traitor. An S-rank rogue. Your name will go in the Bingo Book. Konoha will curse you—and the truth will stay buried."
"It has to be this way," Itachi said. "The clan, the village... this is the only way forward."
Hiruzen paused. "What will you do afterward?"
"I'll infiltrate an organization made up of S-rank missing-nin. From within, I'll gather intel. For Konoha."
"A dangerous path," Hiruzen murmured. "But you've already accepted danger, haven't you?"
Itachi reached for the cat-faced ANBU mask on the table. Blank. Expressionless. A fitting symbol for what he was about to become.
He placed it over his face and disappeared in a swirl of leaves.
Hiruzen stared at the empty space, then slowly rose and stepped out onto the balcony. The night was silent. Unnaturally so. He took a long draw from his pipe, exhaling smoke into the cold air.
"Take care, Itachi," he whispered.
Below, masked ANBU operatives emerged from the shadows—silent, precise, and emotionless. They bowed briefly before melting into the dark.
Their target: the Uchiha compound.
In the distance, another figure stood watching—Danzo Shimura, half-shrouded in darkness. While Hiruzen bore the ideals of the village, Danzo carried its necessary evils.
He would lead the operation. Ruthlessly. Efficiently.
But Hiruzen hadn't left it to Danzo alone. He'd dispatched his own hand-picked ANBU squad to ensure balance. He trusted Danzo—but only to a point.
Tonight, the village would commit an unforgivable act in the name of peace.
And Hiruzen would bear that guilt until the end.