Kaito shook his head, voice low and sincere."It should be me thanking you."
He turned slightly, his gaze sweeping over the faces of his clansmen—their soot-smeared skin, torn armour, and worn expressions. Each of them carried the exhaustion of a long war and the quiet disbelief that they were still standing.
"From childhood to adulthood, you all took care of me… so I could grow safely."His words carried weight—no flourish, only truth.
"I was able to study ninjutsu that most shinobi only dream of, while orphans outside the clan struggled for scraps of knowledge."His eyes hardened slightly. "If not for the clan's protection, I would've lived as a nameless civilian, maybe dead in some ditch before I ever unlocked my Sharingan."
The clansmen nodded solemnly. For all his power now, Kaito hadn't forgotten his roots.
Tekka Uchiha clenched his fists, stepping forward with a scowl."If Itachi had even half a brain..." he growled.
His voice cracked, bitterness seeping through. "I don't know what deal Konoha offered him, but he swallowed it whole! Gave them everything—his strength, his loyalty."
He looked away, lips curling in disgust."Everything he had was from us. The food he ate, the jutsu he learned, the blood in his veins. Now he betrays the clan… for civilians?"
Kaito let out a quiet, mirthless laugh."Civilians were never the reason. He just wanted to protect Sasuke. Everything else was noise."
Tekka exhaled sharply, nodding grimly.
But a shadow passed over his face."Still…" he murmured. "From now on, there'll be two Uchiha clans in the ninja world. Ours… and theirs."
"No," Kaito said simply.
He turned, eyes glowing faintly with conviction."There will only ever be one Uchiha clan."
Tekka stiffened, brows raising."Are you… Are you planning to wipe them out?"
Kaito shook his head again, slower this time."They're still our kin. Even if we walk different paths… I won't raise my hand against our own."
"But Sarutobi and Danzo..." his eyes narrowed, the name like a bad taste on his tongue, "they won't see it that way."
Tekka looked confused, and Kaito continued, voice quiet but resolute:
"Now that the truth is out, Konoha sees the Uchiha as a destabilising threat. Danzo especially—he's coveted our bloodline for years."
Kaito's voice lowered further, like a blade being unsheathed."He already acquired our Izanagi… and modified his body to wield it. In our battle, he used up every Sharingan he'd stolen to survive."
"But he'll want more."
Kaito's eyes flashed."He can't get them from us—so he'll go after the ones who stayed."
"And Itachi? His hands are tied. Sasuke is Danzo's leverage. His fate is sealed."
Tekka's hands trembled with fury."Those fools! You warned them, but they looked down on us because we were weak. They didn't believe one man could challenge five Kage-level shinobi."
He spat into the dirt."Now they'll pay the price. And I'll bet Danzo's already behind the disappearances we've suffered for years."
Tekka glanced at Kaito."You should've betrayed Itachi. Taken Shisui's eye and struck Sarutobi and Danzo down when you had the chance!"
Kaito's smile was cold.
He didn't feel regret. Not for those who stayed behind. But he shook his head.
Not because he was merciful, but because he was strategic.
"I didn't spare them for Itachi. I spared them for us."
His voice was ice and insight.
"Under Sarutobi's rule, Konoha looks stable… but it's rotting from within. And with Danzo constantly scheming in the shadows, the decay will only spread."
Kaito paused, his gaze distant.
"If they died, the village would turn to Tsunade and Jiraiya. Both strong. Respected. Reformers. If they returned, Konoha would recover too quickly. They'd rebuild and retaliate."
His hand flexed as though weighing invisible scales."And while I don't fear them… I can't risk dragging our entire clan into another war—not yet."
He looked out at the stars.
"No… It's better to let Konoha rot under its weakness. Until it collapses under its hypocrisy."
—
Kaito turned back to his people."Alright, enough of this. We need to move."
The Uchiha gathered, looking to him with unflinching loyalty, eyes full of fire and faith.
"Where are we going next?" one asked.
Kaito's eyes gleamed like obsidian.Konoha was built by Uchiha and Senju. We were founders, not outcasts."
His voice rose, quiet but commanding.
"But today… We're not yet strong enough to take it back. So for now… we avoid direct conflict."
He paused."But one day, I hope you will return to reclaim it—without me."
"Yes!" came the echo, proud and united.
He turned to Tekka."Lead them to the eastern border. I'll meet you later."
Tekka nodded, solemn."I swear, I won't let anything happen to them."
Izumi stepped forward, worry etched across her face."Please be careful, Big Brother Kaito."
He gave her a soft nod, then vanished.
God's Presence. Gone in an instant.
—
Though Konoha was in ruins, Sarutobi and Danzo remained hidden deep within the Uchiha compound, reserving their dignity and concealing their injuries. News of their condition hadn't spread, and they intended to keep it that way.
Meanwhile, Kaito walked the devastated streets, slipping unnoticed among the villagers and shinobi sifting through rubble.
Even if they saw him, no one knew he was the architect of the village's destruction.
When rescue efforts ended, the few remaining Anbu who knew the truth rushed back to secure the Uchiha grounds.
Kaito moved silently through a stretch of untouched forest, his steps soundless, cloak brushing against dew-laced branches.
Suddenly—Shhk!
Four masked Anbu dropped from the trees like silent reapers.
"Halt!" barked their leader, raising a kunai. "This is restricted territory!"
Kaito didn't flinch."Is that so?" he said with a wry smile.
The Anbu leader frowned, readying to strike—until red light flared in Kaito's eyes.
Flash.
Four bodies crumpled before they could blink.
Kaito didn't look back.
—
He moved deeper into the jungle.
"Ta… ta… ta…"His footsteps echoed through the quiet like the ticking of a bomb.
Soon, an unassuming wooden hut emerged behind a dense curtain of trees.
Before it shimmered a faint blue light—chakra in motion.
"A sound barrier," Kaito muttered, eyes narrowing.
In the next second, he phased through it effortlessly.
Inside, silence reigned.
A small bed sat in the corner.
On it lay a child—no older than—with yellow hair and six faint whisker-like marks across his cheeks.
Naruto.
Kaito's eyes narrowed.
"Hypnotised. They're being cautious."He crouched, reaching out with clinical precision.
He gently pulled back the boy's eyelid.
A flash of red light reflected in his gaze.
And then—
Everything changed.