Clang—
Inzuki released a surge of Yin-nature Mangekyō chakra, which instantly invaded the neural pathways of the nine shinobi, severing their control over both mind and body.
"W-what's happening?! I can't move!"
"That's… the Mangekyō!"
On the branches above, the nine Uchiha gasped in horror as their pupils turned crimson, engraved with the jagged, blade-like shape of Inzuki's Mangekyō Sharingan.
This was Yasaka Spear—
A technique of spiritual domination.
"As long as my Yin-nature chakra surpasses theirs in mental strength,"
"I can brand them with a seal, seize their minds, and control their chakra. It's a brutally simple ability—deadly for shinobi on first contact."
"Ordinary people can't even hope to resist it."
Inzuki observed calmly, thinking to himself.
He had effortlessly seized permanent mental control over all nine of them. The cost: about ten percent of the Yin-nature chakra stored in his brain, leaving his eyes aching with slight pressure.
The nine were frozen on the tree branches, chilled to the core.
They hadn't even fought back.
Just one glance—one moment—and they were all under his control.
So this... is the true power of Inzuki's Mangekyō Sharingan?
Utterly unfathomable.
"Some of you are confused. Some of you are furious. Some of you probably want to kill me right here and now," Inzuki said plainly. "But the reason things have come to this… you'll understand very soon."
Without wasting another word, he used the Yasaka Spear to compel the nine to follow him via Body Flicker toward the edge of the village.
Along the way, he created a shadow clone and sent it back to the Uchiha district to act as a contingency.
At the end of the forest path stood a high cliff overlooking the entire Uchiha district. From here, the grid-like pattern of streets could be seen clearly.
"Keep your eyes open," Inzuki said.
He arranged the nine Uchiha in a row behind him, facing their homeland.
He planted his blade into the ground and sat at the cliff's edge.
The others stared in confusion.
Uchiha Izumi and Uchiha Nanami were still reeling from the slaughter earlier. Was that truly all to awaken the Mangekyō?
Could anything possibly be worse than the murder of their own kin?
Nanami swallowed nervously and asked, "Inzuki… even if you awakened the Mangekyō, with what you've done, Fugaku-sama… and Itachi… they'll never let you go!"
"Itachi and Fugaku, huh…"
Inzuki shook his head slowly and didn't answer.
---
Meanwhile, back in the Uchiha district—
At the main street entrance, a masked man looked toward the eastern mountains.
From the single eyehole in his mask, a cold gaze pierced through the night.
"A rat got away. It seems one of the Uchiha caught wind of our plan ahead of schedule."
"The plan was known only to Konoha's upper echelon. Must've been some keen-sensed outlier… I'll deal with it once the massacre is complete."
Itachi said nothing. He silently drew his blade.
From this moment on, for peace—for the village—he willingly cast himself into hell, offering his soul to the devil.
"Let's begin," said the masked man calmly.
Then, like a phantom, he vanished into the streets of the Uchiha district.
His target, per the plan: the Police Force Headquarters—
Where the most Sharingan eyes resided.
Whoosh—
The early autumn wind swept down the streets, making the paper fans on shopfronts flutter.
Tonight, the Uchiha district was unnaturally quiet.
Bang—
A shop door opened.
Out stepped a cute and cheerful Uchiha boy. When he saw Itachi, his eyes lit up.
Itachi was the pride of their clan.
A genius.
An icon to the younger generation.
"Itachi-nii! You're still working this late? Want to come in and have some sweets? My mom bought some fresh ones at the market this morning!"
"I mean, even if it's a mission, taking a short break should be fine, right?"
The boy smiled brightly, taking Itachi's hand and trying to pull him inside.
"…I'm sorry."
Itachi slowly removed his ANBU mask from his hip and placed it over his face.
In the reflection on his blade's surface—
The last expressions of that family: a welcoming smile, followed by confusion and horror.
"Ahhh—!!"
A piercing scream tore through the Uchiha district.
Blood splattered across the paper windows of the shop.
The flickering lights dimmed… then went out.
Silence.
Itachi stepped back out through the doorway.
His mask now stained with warm blood.
He drew his blade again and moved toward the next home.
Flap—
A great flock of crows burst into the sky.
Whether they sensed death… or had long awaited this moment… they descended on rooftops and walls, silently watching the slaughter of the Uchiha clan.
---
Back on the cliff—
The nine Uchiha guards were startled by the screams echoing from the village below.
They snapped their heads toward the sound.
A shadow darted between houses.
Each time it entered, a blood-curdling scream followed.
They realized in horror—
The Uchiha district was under attack.
Someone was slaughtering the clansmen!
"Inzuki—! You're not working alone!!"
Nanami's face drained of color, his voice shrill with panic.
Izumi's beautiful eyes trembled violently.
She didn't want to believe it.
That figure moving house to house, killing civilians…
She knew it.
Too well.
"No… that's not my accomplice," Inzuki said flatly.
"The one slaughtering Uchiha civilians… is the very person you just mentioned—Uchiha Itachi."
His words crashed into their minds like thunder.
All nine stared in shock, their pupils shrinking.
"Impossible!" Nanami shouted. "It can't be! There's no way!"
"Why not?!" barked Tamayo. "That Uchiha Itachi's been acting all aloof and cold lately. You could tell something was off! If Big Brother Inzuki says it's him, then it's him!"
"…Itachi…"
Izumi's voice broke. Tears welled up in her wide eyes and spilled down her cheeks. In that moment, she seemed frozen in time.
Even from this distance…
She could recognize Itachi's unique body flicker technique.
The other guards stood in stunned silence.
If there was anything tonight more horrifying than Inzuki's massacre at the detention center—
It was the one they once trusted most, Uchiha Itachi, now raising his blade against innocent clansmen.
"How could he do this?"
"It must be genjutsu! It has to be!"
"My family… my family lives in that part of the district! Why would he…"
Some were already collapsing emotionally, whispering in disbelief.
Then, a set of glowing lines appeared in Inzuki's mind:
[Main Quest: Night of the Massacre]
[Options]:
1. Eliminate the remaining Uchiha.
2. Successfully escape from the Hidden Leaf Village.
[Reward]: (Plunder) Steal another's Mangekyō Sharingan. Absorb their ocular power and inherit its ability.
Inzuki's expression turned grim as he assessed the mission.
Eliminating all Uchiha, both civilians and ninja, wasn't out of the question…
But Fugaku, Itachi, and Obito each possessed a Mangekyō—three in total.
They were beyond his current power.
Only Option 2 was viable:
Escape from Konoha.
He glanced toward the forest barrier behind him.
But just leaving the barrier wouldn't count as a true escape.
He had to avoid pursuit not only from the village—but especially from Itachi and others like him.
Judging by the reward…
The system was encouraging him to steal Mangekyō Sharingan in the future—from Itachi, from Obito, and possibly more.
"…Captain Inzuki…"
Izumi finally broke the silence.
Inzuki turned slightly, signaling her to speak.
"Why… why are you doing this?"
"And why… is Itachi doing this too?"