That day, just before dismissal, Iruka suddenly announced an extra round of field training.
Classes ended much later than usual.
Hinata, seeing the sky already turning dark, quietly excused herself and headed home alone.
That left only Sasuke and Naruto.
The two stayed behind to train together. Fugaku and Mikoto had long been aware of this arrangement, and they never once opposed it. In fact, they welcomed it.
Because of that, Sasuke never worried about coming home late. His family wasn't bound by the rigid rules of the Hyuga clan.
But today was different. By the time he waved goodbye to Naruto and hurried back, night had already fallen deep over the village.
The moment he stepped into the Uchiha compound, a shiver ran down his spine. Something was wrong.
The entire district was eerily silent, like a graveyard. Not a single lantern lit the path. Not a single voice carried across the homes. It was nothing like the usual warm bustle of clan life.
"Who's there?!" Sasuke barked. His Sharingan flared open instinctively as he whipped his head toward the sound of a rustle near a telephone pole.
But the street was empty.
His face tightened. Weeks of training taijutsu with Naruto had sharpened his senses beyond those of an ordinary child. And now those senses caught a faint metallic tang in the air.
Blood.
His expression darkened. Dread began gnawing at him.
Breaking into a run, he charged down the familiar streets toward his home.
Bodies.
Everywhere.
Uchiha shinobi and civilians lay scattered in grotesque silence. Sasuke's teeth ground together until his jaw ached, but he didn't slow down.
When he reached his home, it was dark too dark. There was no gentle call of his mother waiting, no stern voice of his father. Only oppressive silence.
His heart pounded so violently it hurt. His breaths came faster and faster. And then he smelled it thick, suffocating, impossible to miss.
Blood.
The scent led to his parents' room.
His knees shook, but he forced them forward. Every step felt like he was wading through a nightmare.
With trembling fingers, he slid the door open.
Two bodies lay crumpled on the floor. His parents.
And standing over them…
His brother.
"Itachi…"
Sasuke's breath hitched. But the man before him was not the brother he knew.
Gone was the warmth in those eyes, the gentleness of his smile. The gaze that met his now was cold, merciless, filled only with killing intent.
For a fleeting moment Sasuke wondered if this was even his brother at all or some enemy disguised with transformation jutsu.
But then those eyes met his, and Sasuke felt it. The truth.
It was him.
And in that instant, the last thread of normalcy in Sasuke's world snapped.
Naruto was on his way home when his body froze mid-step.
The night breeze brushed against his skin, carrying with it a stench that made his stomach twist.
Blood.
He turned his head, following the currents. The wind whispered the source.
The Uchiha compound.
His brows knitted. Then, without hesitation, he bent his knees and vanished into the night, sprinting in that direction.
"Wind Barrier."
As he ran, he wrapped himself in his technique, masking every trace of his presence sound, scent, even the stir of air displaced by his movement.
When he arrived, his heart sank. The wind around him carried the truth, and it was unbearable.
The smell of blood was overwhelming.
"What… what happened here?" Naruto whispered to himself, stunned. "The Uchiha… are they all dead?"
He stopped dead in his tracks.
The idea was unthinkable. Sasuke had often told him how powerful the Uchiha were, one of the strongest clans in Konoha. For them to vanish in silence, without even the village alarm being raised…
Naruto's fists clenched. His instincts screamed at him not to step further inside. Whatever force had done this was beyond anything he could fight now. Unless he already had the strength to tear across the stars with his bare body, he stood no chance.
Instead, he let the wind carry him. He sat cross-legged in the shadows and closed his eyes, sending invisible currents flowing outward to feel every corner of the compound.
And what he sensed made his stomach twist.
Bodies. Everywhere. Not a single living aura remained.
He grit his teeth so hard his jaw throbbed.
The wind brushed past the Uchiha home he had visited a few times. Fugaku and Mikoto… gone.
Naruto's chest heaved. His hands balled into fists so tight his knuckles went white.
Fugaku had always carried a weight of authority, yet treated him fairly. Mikoto… Mikoto had been more than kind. She packed lunches for him, smiled at him with the warmth of a mother he barely remembered.
And now slaughtered.
A low growl tore from his throat. His eyes burned with fury.
"Whoever did this," he whispered, voice trembling with rage, "I'll kill you. No matter who you are."
But then, his wind carried another truth.
One aura still lingered.
Sasuke.
And with him Itachi.
Naruto's eyes snapped open. He recognized that figure.
Sasuke lay collapsed, unconscious, while Itachi turned away, leaving him alive.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Without hesitation, Naruto split his chakra. One clone rushed to scoop Sasuke up and speed toward the hospital. The real Naruto turned and sprinted in another direction.
Toward the Hokage.
This was no matter for children to solve.
The wind confirmed it aside from Sasuke, no other survivors remained.
Naruto clenched his jaw. The only path forward was to tell the Hokage immediately.
The Third Hokage's residence was, as always, protected by hidden Anbu.
But tonight, when Naruto appeared, they didn't stop him. They knew who he was, knew what he meant to their leader, and had seen the potential within him. None dared get in his way.
He was ushered inside.
"Grandpa Third!" Naruto burst into the room.
The elderly man looked up. He was no longer robed in the fire-red cloak of his office, only a simple house kimono. His hair was nearly white, his face lined and spotted with age. He smiled gently, as though greeting his grandson.
"Oh, Naruto. What's wrong, coming here so late at night?"
But when Naruto spoke, that smile withered away.
"The Uchiha clan… they've been wiped out. Everyone's dead. Only Sasuke's left. I saw his brother Itachi. He attacked Sasuke but didn't kill him."
The Hokage's eyes widened. The warmth drained from his expression in an instant.
He rose to his feet so quickly his chair clattered backward. His face was ashen, grim.
"Anbu!"
In a blur, one of his masked shinobi knelt before him.
"Seal the village. Lock every barrier. No one enters, no one leaves. Summon all clan heads to the council hall. Mobilize every Anbu operative. We march to the Uchiha compound now."
His commands snapped like a whip, precise and urgent.
Not once did he doubt Naruto's words.
When the orders were given, he finally turned back to the boy. His voice softened, even as the weight of his burden crushed his shoulders.
"Naruto. Thank you for bringing this to me. You've done enough. Now, go rest. Leave the rest to me."
Naruto hesitated, then nodded. "I'll go to the hospital. Sasuke needs me."
The Hokage's eyes softened for just a moment. He gave a slight nod.
And as Naruto vanished into the night again, the old man stood in silence, staring at the shadows.
The Uchiha were gone.
And the village would never be the same.