Chapter 56 Planetary Consciousness / Night of Extinction (Part 3...)

On the eastern coast of the Land of Water, lies the City of Springs.

The once bustling port city is now a desolate wasteland. The salty sea breeze carries a pungent stench of decay and the bitter smell of burning herbs, making one want to vomit.

The streets were deserted, save for carelessly discarded debris and the occasional scurrying rat. Doors were tightly shut, but this did not prevent suppressed coughs, painful groans, and the cries of those who had lost loved ones from seeping out from the cracks, lingering in the deathly silence.

A team of ninjas dressed in black police uniforms and wearing thick face masks are carrying out a blockade and corpse removal mission under the leadership of Uchiha Hikaru.

They carefully pushed open the slightly ajar wooden doors, their feet sinking into the damp ground after the rain.

The sight before them made the young ninjas frown.

Inside the house, a family of five was huddled on a worn-out tatami mat, already silent.

Their bodies were contorted, their skin covered in gruesome purplish-black patches, and dark red scabs of blood had formed around their mouths and noses. Flies buzzed around their swollen, bluish faces.

In the corner, a child who looked no more than six or seven years old was still in the posture of reaching out to his parents. His small body was also covered with black spots, and his lifeless eyes were wide open, as if questioning the heavens.

Uchiha Kanoko silently waved his hand. The team members behind him stepped forward, wrapped the corpses in white cloths soaked in lime water, carried them out, and prepared to send them to the centralized incineration site outside the city.

They have repeated this scene countless times in the past few days.

Outside the city, massive cremation pits burned day and night, billowing black smoke like ominous pillars piercing the gray sky. The living watched numbly, their eyes filled with nothing but despair.

In the northern part of the Land of Wind, there is a green oasis.

The situation here was equally dire. Water scarcity exacerbated the spread of the plague and the death toll.

Inside the tent area, people in pain huddled together, each cough feeling as if their lungs were being torn apart. Blood splattered onto the yellow sand, instantly absorbed, leaving only brown stains.

Ninjas responsible for maintaining order and distributing medicinal soup moved among them.

"Yamada-kun, your complexion... are you alright?" A medical ninja from Konoha noticed his companion, a ninja from a small clan, whose face was somewhat pale, and couldn't help but ask.

The ninja known as Yamada paused for a moment, touched his forehead, and shook his head: "I'm fine, I just feel a little nauseous."

He looked around at the civilians struggling on the brink of death, his expression complex. "We've been working here for five days straight, coming into contact with so many patients..."

His words caught the attention of several ninjas nearby.

Indeed, none of these ninjas, who were among the first to enter the epidemic area and had the most frequent contact with patients, have shown any symptoms of infection so far.

This is by no means to say that their protection is particularly good. In fact, the current technology in the ninja world is not advanced enough. Everyone covers their mouth and nose with cloth, so it is inevitable that they will get infected.

So... something doesn't seem right.

A Senju Aoki, a medical ninja of the Senju clan known for his meticulousness and daring. After witnessing yet another civilian die in agony before his eyes, he made a startling decision—in a makeshift medical tent isolation area, he found a critically ill patient in the infectious stage.

Under the tense gaze of several assistants, Senju Aoki took a deep breath and slowly removed his face mask and gloves. Then, without any protection, he extended his index finger and directly touched the pus oozing from the patient's skin. He even brought his finger close to his nose and gently sniffed the smell.

"Lord Aoki!" the assistants exclaimed in surprise.

Senju Aoki waved his hand, indicating that he was fine. He closed his eyes and focused his mind, carefully sensing any unusual sensations that might occur within his body.

One minute, two minutes... ten minutes passed.

He opened his eyes, which were filled with disbelief and solemnity.

“Nothing is abnormal.” He announced in a deep voice, “Chakra flows smoothly, and there are no signs of foreign pathogens invading my body. I... am not infected.”

To ensure absolute success, he had several other volunteer ninjas repeat the similar contact experiment. Without exception, none of the ninjas, regardless of their clan or skill level, were infected.

The news spread like wildfire among the ninja teams involved in the disaster relief efforts.

At first, there was astonishment, followed by an indescribable sense of complexity. Relief? Of course, there was some; after all, nobody wants to die.

So even plagues can be selective in their approach. But what's the underlying principle?

Soon, Uchiha Hikawa received this report, which was definitely good news for a ninja. Looking at the black smoke from the burning corpses in the distance, and glancing at the ninjas in front of him who were exhausted but still healthy, he pondered for a moment, took out a communication scroll, and truthfully reported this discovery, along with the situation in the epidemic area, to Yan Sheng, who was far away in the capital of the Land of Fire.

By the way, the communication scroll was developed in the last two years, with Tobirama Senju participating in its production.

Unfortunately, its message transmission cannot yet span the entire continent; distance is limited, and it needs to rely on "base stations" set up in various strategic locations for relay.

Therefore, this information, which concerned countless lives and astonishing discoveries, did not reach Yan Sheng directly. Instead, it was like a relay race, passed through the hands of several absolutely loyal ninjas guarding different base stations, station after station, before finally being presented to the capital of the Land of Fire and delivered to Yan Sheng.

***

Looking at the intelligence report, Yan Sheng fell into deep thought.

Ineffective against ninjas... Is it that highly targeted?

His instincts told him that things were not as simple as they seemed—in fact, several days earlier, when he was compiling and analyzing reports from various places, a sense of unease had already been lingering in his mind.

Plagues usually occur after natural disasters or man-made calamities such as famine, war, or floods, due to deteriorating sanitation and improper handling of corpses.

However, under his iron-fisted rule, while the continent was far from wealthy, basic social order had been restored, and widespread famine had been forcibly halted. The construction of water conservancy facilities also improved sanitation to some extent...

In conclusion, this plague came too suddenly and without warning. Furthermore, its symptoms were severe, its spread rapid, and its mortality rate high; there were no precedents for it in historical records.

Water without a source, a tree without roots.

Yan Sheng narrowed his eyes thoughtfully, his sharp gaze seemingly trying to pierce through the scroll and see the hidden hand behind it all.

Is it some kind of unknown mutation, or is it man-made?

He prefers the latter.

Look at this precise "selection" ability and this unprecedented toxicity. To say that it was spontaneously "brewed" by nature is to treat him like a fool.

And coincidentally, there was this thing, whoever wasn't even human, that had been on his blacklist all along.

......

Deep underground in the mainland, unknown to most, Black Zetsu let out a hoarse laugh filled with suppressed smugness and malice.

It has just confirmed, through its White Zetsu clone, that the plague is developing as it expected.

"Gah—Achoo!" It chuckled for a moment, then suddenly sneezed, shaking its head in bewilderment. "Strange, is it too cold underground? Did I catch a cold?... No, I'm not human, I can't get sick. Humph, someone must be talking about me."

Indeed, this pandemic that swept the world and claimed countless lives was its "masterpiece." Of course, in Black Zetsu's words, it was merely an accidental discovery that "made the most of what it had."

The story begins not long ago when, while exploring the ruins of a hidden underground palace left behind by its mother before she was sealed away, it accidentally discovered a scroll sealed by layers of barriers.

After some effort to decipher it, what was recorded inside was not ninjutsu or secrets, but a description of something labeled "Life-Destroying Toxin," its cultivation method, and an original strain of the poison.

I have a somewhat vague impression of this thing called Black Absolute. It seems to be one of the tools that the Otsutsuki clan occasionally used to clean up the remaining creatures on those planets where they had planted the Divine Tree and were about to have their life completely drained.

The goal is to ensure that no inferior life forms remain on the planet after the chakra fruits are harvested, so that the planet can enter a long fallow period after they leave, waiting for the next planting and harvesting.

Thinking of this, a sense of apprehension rose in Black Zetsu's heart.

The Otsutsuki clan—a terrifying race from outer space, they use planets as nurseries and the inhabitants of those planets as their harvest. They are interstellar raiders, their strength unfathomable, wielding a power system entirely different from that of the ninja world.

In the eyes of the Otsutsuki, ninjas, civilians, and the entire civilization nurtured by the planet are nothing more than nutrients and soil for cultivating the fruit of the Divine Tree.

Her mother was originally a member of the Otsutsuki clan, but she rose up in rebellion because she refused to be a sacrifice. Fortunately, the Otsutsuki main family has not yet realized her defection.

This is what my mother has long worried about.

Once her family discovers her whereabouts, they will not only come to wipe her out, but also destroy the planet. To this end, she activated the Infinite Tsukuyomi, transforming humans into beings known as "White Zetsu."

White Zetsu is completely controlled by her mother, has no independent will, and is incapable of betrayal, making it the most reliable weapon in future wars. More importantly, her mother can use this to collect and manage the chakra scattered throughout the world—everyone's chakra originates from her, as conspicuous as a light in the darkness.

Through Infinite Tsukuyomi, she reassembled the scattered energy, thereby greatly weakening the chakra signal emitted by the planet, making it difficult for the main clan to locate and delaying their discovery of the place.

If our main family still descends here in the end... then there will be no choice but to fight to the death.

However, her two beloved sons betrayed her! The hateful Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo and Ōtsutsuki Hamura!

Whenever Black Zetsu thought of his two "brothers," he would grit his teeth in hatred.

It doesn't hate many people. Hagoromo Otsutsuki and Hamura are one, and Kokushibo Uchiha is another. Therefore, Black Zetsu couldn't help but think of Kokushibo Uchiha.

Haha, Uchiha Kokusatsu is nothing compared to the Otsutsuki clan. In front of the real members of the Otsutsuki clan, he is no different from an ant.

So, how can Black Zetsu's actions not be considered "saving the world"?

After all, its resurrection of its mother was, in a sense, a way of resisting the cruel actions of the Otsutsuki clan, which were not very friendly to humans.

Gather your thoughts.

"Hmph, this thing is just the right thing to do at this time," Black Zetsu thought coldly.

The Life-Withering Toxin is ineffective against individuals with chakra, as it was designed to eliminate ordinary creatures that have had their chakra drained and are unable to adapt to harsh environments.

Using it to create chaos can both reduce the population significantly, shake up the order that Yan Sheng has worked so hard to establish, and make things difficult for Uchiha Yan Sheng, and also perfectly avoid ninjas, so as not to expose themselves too early and trigger the full-scale investigation of Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama.

It looked at the venomous plant wriggling in the culture medium and let out a low, owl-like laugh: "Uchiha Yansheng, let's see what you do this time!"

***

Faced with this highly targeted and mysteriously originating epidemic, Yan Sheng did not panic. Instead, he quickly implemented a series of measures aimed at controlling the epidemic, stabilizing order, and thoroughly investigating its root causes.

First, he immediately signed a top-level directive, declaring a state of "martial law" in all epidemic areas and surrounding high-risk zones. Relying on the already established network of police stations and the administrative systems of various countries, the following measures were strictly implemented:

Physical isolation: Use earth-style ninjas to quickly construct isolation walls or demarcate natural barriers, which are then guarded by police units to strictly prohibit personnel from moving across areas and completely cut off the transmission chain.

Internal "grid-based" management: Within the epidemic area, grid-based lockdowns are implemented, with streets and villages as the units. Supplies are distributed centrally by the police station to prevent residents from gathering and causing cross-infection while searching for food.

Traffic control: All non-essential cross-border and cross-regional business travel is suspended, major official roads are closed, and only emergency supply channels supervised by the Metropolitan Police Department are maintained.

Quarantine sites: Large-scale quarantine camps were urgently established on the outskirts of the epidemic area, led by medical ninjas, to separate mild cases and suspected cases from healthy people.

Those with severe symptoms are isolated in place and treated by mobile medical teams to reduce the risk of death and transmission during transport.

Mandatory cremation: All deceased individuals, regardless of their identity, are ordered to be cremated by a special team within 24 hours. This extremely cold-blooded measure has sparked ethical conflicts in some areas, but it has been remarkably effective in curbing the continued spread of the virus through corpses.

You ask what to do if someone tries to stop you? The Sharingan is watching you.

Then came the requisition of supplies, forcibly requisitioning medicines, grains, and cloth from various countries' stockpiles, prioritizing the needs of people in the epidemic area.

Furthermore, all registered medical ninjas were required to obey the unified command of the Metropolitan Police Department. The Senju clan, as the core force, undertook the most dangerous tasks of diagnosis, treatment, and pathological research in the critical care area.

It is worth mentioning that after confirming the ninja's immunity, Yan Sheng decisively adjusted his strategy.

All personnel venturing deep into the heart of the epidemic zone to carry out high-risk missions were ninjas. They did not require cumbersome protective gear, making their operations more efficient.

After doing all this, Yan Sheng began to think about deeper issues. At present, it seems that isolation can only control the situation, not cure it.

He commissioned Tobirama Senju to lead the establishment of the Epidemic Research Center, uniting the best doctors and biological researchers from various countries.

Inside the laboratory, researchers analyze pathogens.

They quickly confirmed that it was a tiny life form with an extremely stable structure and containing special energy, whose target was life forms lacking chakra protection.

Based on the fact that chakra was ineffective against ninjas, the research focus shifted to chakra itself. They attempted to use chakra of different attributes and intensities to contact with and inactivate pathogens.

After countless failures, the research center accidentally discovered that when chakra vibrating at a specific frequency and biased towards the sun covers or penetrates pathogens, it can effectively disrupt their stable structure and deactivate them.

However, expecting every civilian to precisely control their chakra was a pipe dream. Tobirama Senju proposed a brilliant solution: to create a large-scale chakra filtering device.

The principle is that multiple ninjas with Yang-attribute chakra take turns continuously injecting Yang-attribute chakra of a specific frequency into specially prepared water or air.

Implementation: Several "purification nodes" are established in the center of the epidemic area. All drinking water must be diluted by the "living water" flowing into these nodes. At specific times, ninjas release mist filled with purifying chakra to cover specific areas.

This method can effectively reduce the concentration of pathogens in the environment, curb their spread, and has a certain inhibitory effect on patients with mild symptoms, but it cannot cure severe cases that have penetrated deep into the internal organs. Furthermore, it severely depletes a ninja's chakra and energy.

To address this problem, research shifted to oral medications. They attempted to seal and stabilize high concentrations of Yang-attribute chakra within a specially prepared medicinal solution.

This medicine was extremely difficult and expensive to produce, making it unavailable for widespread use and only supplied to a few important figures or used as a research sample. However, it proved the theoretical feasibility of neutralizing pathogens within the body by introducing external Yang-attribute chakra.

After studying a large amount of data, Tobirama Senju came to a key conclusion: the surviving infected individuals seemed to have developed a special antibody in their bodies, and their life energy (almost the most basic rudimentary form of chakra) showed slight signs of activation.

This discovery, combined with the pathogen's characteristic of "targeting individuals without chakra," led Yan Sheng to make a world-shaking decision: to promote "chakra enlightenment."

He ordered that in all areas where the epidemic was under control, all survivors and uninfected healthy civilians should undergo basic chakra sensing and refining training.

The goal is not for them to become ninjas, but simply to create a faint, continuous flow of chakra within their bodies to build the most basic "immune barrier."

This move met with tremendous resistance.

Many civilians found this absurd. Did they not want to be ninjas simply because they didn't want to? They suspected that the person who issued this policy had malicious intentions.

The remnants of the old forces took the opportunity to incite unrest.

Yen Sheng's response remained ruthless: those who did not cooperate with training were considered potential sources of infection and were forcibly isolated until they changed their minds or died.

As for those who incite resistance, they should be killed without exception.

Under pressure, training was forced to proceed. Although the success rate was not 100%, and the protective effect of the weak chakra was limited, the rate of new infections did begin to drop sharply over time.

Having survived a life-or-death ordeal, the survivors all possessed, to varying degrees, the "capital" to fight against this particular plague.

As the epidemic was gradually brought under control, Yan Sheng did not relax his investigation into the source.

He ordered the Metropolitan Police Department’s most elite reconnaissance squad to secretly investigate several isolated locations where the outbreak first occurred, looking for any suspicious human traces, unknown energy remnants, or objects.

However, the result was just as he had predicted—he gained nothing.

Black Zetsu, after all, is a "scheming mastermind" who has survived for thousands of years, and possesses the ability to remain hidden. It is like a true shadow, blending into the earth, leaving no trace of its actions, let alone any direct evidence pointing to itself.

Unless Yan Sheng personally takes action, relying on his extraordinary perception and insight into the aura similar to that of Kibutsuji Muzan, and tracks the trail location by location, it might be possible to catch even the slightest, most barely perceptible clue.

But Yan Sheng didn't have that time.

With the mainland newly established and everything in ruins, although the plague had been suppressed, the subsequent appeasement, reconstruction, and prevention of possible recurrence all required him to be in charge of the central government and coordinate the overall situation.

However... this does not mean he is helpless in the face of this.

He turned his gaze to Konoha, or more precisely, to two relatively "idle" guys in the village now—Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama.

Under the leadership of the hardworking duo of Tobirama Senju and Izuna Uchiha, Konoha Village got back on track, and the situation on the continent stabilized under their guidance. As a result, Madara and Hashirama, the two founding elders of the village, seemed to have nothing to do.

In other words, these two are like bricks, ready to be moved wherever needed. And right now, there happens to be a place where they are needed.

With this in mind, Yan Sheng sent a brief message to Konoha through an encrypted channel.

Several days later, in a remote valley on the border of the Land of Fire.

Three figures stood by the stream.

Madara Uchiha stood with his arms crossed, his expression as aloof as ever; Hashirama Senju, with his signature slightly silly smile, curiously surveyed his surroundings; Yan Sheng stood opposite them, succinctly explaining the situation.

"...The origin of the plague is mysterious and highly targeted, definitely not naturally occurring. My people can't find any clues; the other side is very good at hiding." Yan Sheng's voice was calm and even. "I need you to find it, figure out what it is, and what its purpose is."

Ban looked at Yan Sheng: "Even you can't find a trace?"

“I don’t have time to spare,” Yan Sheng said bluntly. “Moreover, when it comes to tracking and sensing, the two of you working together are more efficient.”

He wasn't flattering anyone. Hashirama's Sage Mode had an extremely wide range of perception, and Madara's Mangekyou Sharingan had incredibly keen insight. The two of them working together were indeed the best combination.

Hashirama stroked his chin, a look of interest on his face: "Someone who can make even you, Mikiri, feel troubled... Sounds interesting! No problem, Madara, let's go find him!"

Ban gave a soft hum, which was taken as tacit agreement.

—By the way, do you remember the Black Zetsu clone that Yan Sheng sealed away seven years ago, which was later given to Madara?

Madara and Hashirama spent a considerable amount of time researching. They employed various methods: chakra detection, analysis of sealing techniques, and even attempts to communicate using genjutsu... The final conclusion they reached was perplexing:

That thing was like a highly condensed, special energy aggregate with a faint will and instinct. Its structure was incredibly stable, yet it lacked true life characteristics.

It is certain that it is not a "person" or "living being" in the conventional sense.

Moreover, it has no rationality, cannot speak, and is extremely slow to react to external stimuli, spending most of its time in a dazed state.

They informed Yan Sheng of the research findings at the time.

After Yan Sheng received the conclusion, he understood.

He knew why—this was simply an empty shell that the dark entity had willingly abandoned to shed its mortal form. The true consciousness had long since vanished. What this split entity left behind was nothing more than an energy remnant that was difficult to analyze and offered no further information.

Back to the present.

Yan Sheng looked at Madara and Hashirama and added, "You can take the sealed thing I gave you before. Although it has no consciousness, its energy source may be the same as the mastermind behind this plague. At critical moments, it may resonate or react in some way and become a beacon for you to track down."

Ban paused for a moment, then nodded.

“Then, let’s set off,” Yan Sheng said finally, his figure blurring as if merging into the air. “Notify me immediately of any discoveries.”

As soon as he finished speaking, his figure had completely disappeared into the valley.

Hashirama Senju stretched, a look of eager anticipation on his face: "Alright, Madara, it's been so long since we've done an exploration mission together! It feels like we're young again!"

Ban glanced at him, his face speechless, yet tinged with a hint of helplessness.

He also wondered why Hashirama, now thirty years old, was still the same as when he was a child, unchanged at all.

......

The night was deep and all was quiet.

Exhausted from dealing with the aftermath of the plague for several consecutive days, Yan Sheng, who was already in poor health, finally fell into a deep sleep.

Consciousness floated in the darkness, then was drawn upward by a gentle yet irresistible force, rising higher and higher... breaking through an invisible boundary.

Suddenly, the view before me opened up.

Yan Sheng found himself standing in an endless void, with a slowly rotating nebula emitting a hazy halo beneath his feet.

In the distance, countless twinkling stars converge to form a dazzling Milky Way; nearby, occasionally a comet with a trail of light glides silently by.

"This is..." Yan Sheng felt a slight chill.

"Don't panic, it's a soul from another world."

A voice suddenly rang out, echoing directly in the depths of his consciousness. The voice was peculiar, its gender indistinct, possessing a youthful clarity yet also containing the kindness and gentleness of an elder, filled with a comforting power, as if it gathered all the gentle echoes of the world.

Following his senses, Yan Sheng looked ahead and saw the nebula slowly gathering, forming a blurry, huge ball of light that emitted a soft white glow.

"I know what you want." The voice continued, tinged with a barely perceptible weariness and pleading. "I can help you, but... I hope you can save me."

Yan Sheng hovered in the void, calmly asking, "Who are you?"

"I am the earth beneath your feet that bears all things, the boundless sky you look up at, the wind you feel with every breath you take, the rain that nourishes life, the ever-flowing rivers... I am the consciousness condensed on this planet you live on." The light of the orb flickered slightly with the words, as if it were breathing.

"Planetary consciousness?" A hint of surprise flashed in Yan Sheng's eyes, but it was quickly replaced by deeper contemplation.

Given his knowledge, it's not that he couldn't understand this existence.

"My time is running out, please listen carefully..." The voice of the planetary consciousness became urgent, and the light seemed to dim slightly.

Then, a massive flow of information, like a gentle tide, surged directly into Yan Sheng's mind.

He "saw" the Otsutsuki clan from a distant starry sea, who used the planet as a nursery to plant the Divine Tree and harvest the chakra fruits that condensed the planet's life energy; he "saw" the white-haired woman's betrayal and arrival, and how the Divine Tree absorbed the planet's life force; he also "saw" an even more tragic future—more Otsutsuki clan members would descend, like harvesting crops, sucking the entire planet into a withered fruit, at which time all life, including the planet's consciousness itself, would perish.

"They are hollowed-out locusts, a plague upon the universe." The planetary consciousness's voice carried deep sorrow and helplessness. "I foresee... I glimpse... in fragments of the future, only those two figures, one black and one white, might be able to secure a glimmer of hope for me in this calamity."

The flow of information gradually subsided.

Yan Sheng silently digested this shocking truth. The Otsutsuki... so this was the kind of being that stood behind that dark, shadowy Zetsu.

["Go, go and earn the merit you desire, go and establish the order you wish for. That too will nourish me and delay my demise."] The light of the planetary consciousness grew fainter, and the voice became increasingly ethereal. ["But remember... you must bring that white figure to me... He... is the last..."]

Before the words were finished, the enormous ball of light suddenly dissipated, turning into starlight that merged into the boundless cosmic background.

Yan Sheng felt a powerful repulsive force surging from all directions, and his consciousness began to plummet rapidly. The stars and Milky Way before his eyes flew away and blurred.

......

Inside the bedchamber, Yan Sheng suddenly opened his eyes, a crimson glint flashing in the darkness.

Outside the window, the sky was just beginning to lighten with the first hint of dawn.

He sat up, every detail of the dream as clear as if it were branded. The vastness of the universe, the whispers of planetary consciousness, the threat of the Otsutsuki clan, and... that so-called white figure.

Who was the white figure? It wasn't explained clearly; he didn't recognize the other person.

Just as Yan Sheng was mentally processing the information and subsequent plans revealed by the planet's consciousness, a sudden sense of spatial distortion seized him.

The next second, the surrounding scenery peeled away and reassembled like a shattered mirror. After a brief moment of dizziness, he found himself in a completely different place.

The night breeze was cool and carried a faint smell of blood. Before me stood the familiar gate with its round fan-shaped family crest.

***

Konoha Village, the home of the Uchiha clan.

Tonight, even the moonlight seemed to fear the stench of bloodshed, hiding behind thick clouds and sparingly letting out a few pale rays. The usually bustling streets were now deathly silent, like a tomb.

The air was thick with an overwhelming stench of blood.

The ground and walls were splattered with dark red blood that had not yet fully congealed, reflecting a viscous sheen in the dim moonlight.

Corpses dressed in Uchiha clan attire lay scattered about, including men, women, and children. The expressions on their faces were frozen in shock, fear, confusion, and even anger. Some of them had not yet closed their eyes, clearly dying with unresolved grievances. Their unfocused eyes stared blankly at the clan land where they had lived for generations, which had now become a slaughterhouse.

Two figures were responsible for all of this.

One of them is a mysterious man wearing a spiral mask who calls himself "Uchiha Madara". His movements are like a ghost, combining Kamui's intangibility with sharp taijutsu, and he reaps lives with a nonchalant cruelty.

The other one is Uchiha Itachi.

At only thirteen years old, his face was pale, his tightly pursed thin lips trembled slightly, and in his Mangekyou Sharingan, he saw the corpses of his clansmen and the hellish scene on earth.

Each time the blade fell, each time the kunai pierced his familiar chest, it felt like a slow, agonizing torture. For the sake of "righteousness," for his younger brother to live, he personally turned the blade against the family that had raised him.

He just ended his parents' lives with his own hands.

The helpless yet understanding look in his father Fugaku's eyes at the end, and the gentle yet sorrowful smile of his mother Mikoto Uchiha, were like red-hot branding irons, deeply imprinted in his eyes.

He walked to the small square in the center of the clan's territory, a place where children used to play. He stopped and slowly closed his eyes.

A single, scalding tear finally slid uncontrollably from the corner of his eye, mingling with the still-dry blood on his face, leaving a clear trail.

That's enough... that's enough...

The next moment, he suddenly opened his eyes.

All the pain, struggle, sorrow, and confusion in his eyes... all the personal emotions belonging to "Uchiha Itachi," were frozen, shattered, and evaporated as if by the coldest frost. Only absolute coldness remained.

Those two beautiful yet dangerous kaleidoscope patterns spun under the blood-red moonlight, like an entrance to an abyss, no longer reflecting any trace of human warmth.

He gripped the still-dripping kunai in his hand, his gaze fixed on a certain direction of the clan's territory, the direction of his own home.

He had to take the final, and most cruel, step. Then, burdened with the sins and infamy of annihilating his clan, he defected from Konoha, infiltrated the darkness, and became a double agent to monitor "Uchiha Madara".

Just as he mustered his last bit of cold resolve, preparing to vanish in an instant to face his younger brother.

A sudden change occurred.

A long, slender hand with distinct knuckles, exuding irresistible power, emerged from the shadows behind him without warning and grabbed the collar of his collar at the back of his neck.

The movements were so fast that they exceeded the limits of visual perception, even surpassing the range of Itachi Uchiha's Mangekyou Sharingan.

Itachi's pupils suddenly contracted to the size of pinpoints. All the muscles in his body tensed instantly, his chakra instinctively about to explode, and he was about to thrust the kunai in his hand backward.

However, an immense, despair-inducing, and terrifying pressure, as if the entire world were collapsing and pressing down, like an invisible shackle, instantly enveloped his entire body. The chakra he had gathered dissipated in the face of this pressure, like a firefly before the bright moon.

His kunai, thrusting out with his backhand, seemed to have hit an invisible wall, unable to advance even an inch further when it was still inches away from the hand.

He was like a kitten whose neck had been grabbed, effortlessly lifted up by that hand, his feet off the ground.

This sudden turn of events stirred up a storm in Itachi's heart, which had just been frozen.

Who is it?!

He twisted his body, trying to see the face of the person behind him, but under the absolute pressure of that power, even turning his neck became extremely difficult. He could only catch a glimpse of a dark hem of clothing out of the corner of his eye, as if it could absorb all light, and feel the temperature of that hand, as cold as ten thousand years of ice.

Immediately afterwards, a calm, indifferent, emotionless, and authoritative young male voice rang out very close to his ear. The voice was not loud, but it clearly pierced through the howling night wind:

"Extermination of the clan? Kid, you'd better give me a plausible reason."

-----------------------

Author's note: Happy National Day! [Sprinkling flowers]

The next step is to rescue people/alter the tragedy at each point.

The currently confirmed episodes are: Before and after the Night of the Clan Massacre, Kannabi Bridge, the Fourth Shinobi World War, the Nine-Tails Invasion, and Izuna's Death. If you have any other episodes you'd like to see, please leave a comment!

P.S. Everyone has chakra, even ordinary people. The difference lies in the amount and how well they use it.

Black Zetsu: You're the Otsutsuki! Your whole family are Otsutsuki! (Actually, that's not entirely wrong, the Uchiha are descendants of the Otsutsuki [hugs])

The white figure is Yoriichi, and everyone should know who the black figure is [dog head holding a rose]—that's right, it's our brother!

The sun and moon should shine together, of course!