"Lord Menma!"
After Itachi's figure vanished into the forest, Shisui clenched his fists tightly, his voice suppressing an undeniable shock and rage.
"—No, this clan extermination... I must stop Itachi!"
Shisui's chest heaved violently, even his breathing became difficult—how could it have come to this?
The Itachi he once acknowledged and trusted, the girl he firmly believed could still uphold her convictions in the darkness... now, she had chosen the most extreme, most cruel method.
Clan extermination.
Shisui's thoughts were in a turmoil.
From a certain perspective, this could indeed "protect the Uchiha name"... after all, dead people don't betray, and it could also "protect the village"... because the root cause of civil war would be completely erased.
But—genocide?
This kind of thing... absolutely not allowed!
Menma turned his head, glancing at Shisui.
Not long ago, he was calling him "[Ash]" with every other word, but now that he needed help, he had changed to "Lord Menma"?
However, now was not the time to complain.
"Listen carefully," Menma's voice carried an undeniable resolve. "Of course, I won't carry out the so-called clan extermination."
"Meaningless sacrifices are the most foolish act. Now, I will save the Uchiha Clan. But time is short, and there's no time to explain the details."
"After this is over, I will answer your questions. From now on, you will do whatever I tell you to do—understand?"
Shisui was stunned for a moment, then nodded heavily.
Menma... had no intention of helping Itachi. This realization slightly eased Shisui's tense nerves.
The survival of the Uchiha... now, they could only gamble on him!
—
"—Who are you...!"
Inside a private residence in the Uchiha Clan Estate, two men suddenly stood up, their pupils contracting sharply, staring intently at the two figures that had abruptly appeared in the center of the room.
The afterimages of the Body Flicker Technique had not yet dissipated, and Menma was already standing inside the house. Moonlight slanted in from the window, reflecting on his fox mask, casting a cold gleam.
The two Uchiha Clan members hadn't even had time to form hand signs—
"Thud!"
Two dull thuds echoed in the air, and invisible blades precisely struck the back of their necks. Their expressions didn't even have time to change before their vision went black, and they softly collapsed.
Behind Menma, Crazy Diamond slowly retracted its hand blade, its illusory Stand figure flashing and disappearing.
Shisui instinctively tensed his body, but after confirming that the two were only unconscious, he slightly relaxed.
"Hawk or Dove? Civilians also answer 'Dove.'"
Menma's voice was calm and brief, leaving no room for explanation. Shisui instantly understood the command—he was asking if these two were hawks or doves?
But more crucially... "Civilians also answer 'Dove'"—this meant that regardless of whether they were ninja or not, as long as they weren't extremists, they were all considered candidates for preservation.
"...Dove."
Shisui answered in a deep voice, completely betting his chips on Menma's actions.
Menma nodded slightly, quickly forming hand signs, "Clone Technique."
Two Chakra-condensed figures emerged from the smoke, identical to him. Immediately after, the clones formed hand signs again, their figures twisting and changing, transforming in an instant into the appearance of the two unconscious Uchiha Clan members on the ground.
[Gold Experience]
The golden Stand suddenly appeared, its fists, imbued with the glow of life, heavily striking the clones. The illusory Chakra-composed bodies began to tremble, muscle fibers grew and spread like plant vines, vascular networks intertwined and formed under the skin, and even the plant fibers of their clothing were woven from nothing.
Two completely real "Uchiha Clan members" were born.
Menma lifted the unconscious real person with one hand and grabbed Shisui's shoulder with the other.
"To avoid unnecessary worries, I'm letting you see it for yourself the first time."
The Flying Thunder God Jutsu activated, and in the instant space warped, the three were already in the underground facility secretly built by Hizashi. In the spacious concrete area, unfinished training equipment was scattered around, clearly indicating that it was still under construction.
Menma gently placed the two Uchiha on the ground, "The real clan members will be temporarily housed here."
As soon as he finished speaking, the Flying Thunder God activated again, and the two returned to the private residence. The two "clones" created by Gold Experience were still standing in place.
The next second, the Clone Technique was dispelled, and the two bodies made by Gold Experience lost consciousness, slumping to the ground.
Life forms created by Gold Experience can only be given a short-term "pseudo-life instinct" by mental energy and do not possess true souls.
Menma unhesitatingly drew a kunai, a cold glint flashed—sizzle.
The blade precisely cut across the neck, blood gushed out, staining the tatami.
The pseudo-extermination plan officially began—to cover the Uchiha Clan Estate with these soulless bodies, while secretly transferring the true doves and civilians.
This was Menma's entire plan.