Chapter 55: The Uchiha Clan Extermination Plan
Konohagakure.
Night had already fallen, and around the outskirts of the Hidden Leaf Village, the Uchiha Clan's district had become eerily quiet, with hardly a soul in sight.
When Itachi arrived at the Konoha Police Force headquarters, he found that his father, Fugaku Uchiha, was nowhere to be seen.
After asking his father's aide, Uchiha Souichiro, Itachi learned that Danzo had visited not long before Itachi's arrival—and that Shisui had been with him.
"We're not sure what Danzo and the clan head discussed in the office," another Uchiha nearby told Itachi. "But shortly after, they both left together. I don't know where they went."
Due to the strained relationship between the Uchiha Clan and Danzo, most Uchiha referred to him by name without using any honorifics, even in private.
Upon hearing this, Itachi decided to first gather the clan members before searching for his father.
Danzo personally coming here could only mean one thing: the conspiracy against the Uchiha had begun. The clan had to be warned immediately.
Clearing out the other officers from the Police Force, Itachi privately spoke to Souichiro.
"Danzo may be moving against the clan," Itachi said gravely. "And it's likely their goal is to wipe us all out."
He quickly laid out his observations and deductions for Souichiro.
Souichiro had long been one of Fugaku's most trusted confidants. Itachi trusted him as well—at this critical moment, he needed someone reliable to share the burden.
Souichiro paled as he listened, cold dread creeping into his heart. He momentarily lost his composure. But seeing Itachi standing calm and resolute before him gave him a renewed sense of strength.
"Itachi... what should we do?" Souichiro asked, his voice filled with urgency and hope.
Itachi shook his head slowly.
"To be honest, I don't have a concrete plan yet. We still don't know the specifics of Danzo's scheme. But for now, gather the clan's fighting forces and evacuate those who can't defend themselves."
"I'll leave this to you," he continued. "When arranging things, just act under my father's name. As for me, I must find my father. At a time like this, nothing can happen to him."
After giving his orders, Itachi created dozens of illusionary crows with his Genjutsu Raven Clone technique and sent them out to search for Fugaku.
Sensei Yusuke... if only you were here right now... Itachi thought wistfully, a sigh rising from deep within.
Meanwhile, by a quiet lakeside not far from the Police Force headquarters, Danzo, Shisui, and Fugaku were slowly walking along the water's edge.
Moonlight spilled across the lake's surface, casting a serene glow—but under that calm, the air was heavy with murderous intent.
"Lord Danzo," Fugaku spoke first, "what urgent matter brings you personally to the Uchiha Clan?"
Danzo had requested they find a quiet place to talk in private. Fugaku had been wary from the start.
He had suspected Danzo might want to negotiate terms of some sort.
But even in his worst dreams, he hadn't imagined Danzo's true goal: the total annihilation of the Uchiha Clan.
Danzo answered slowly,
"This time... I've come to discuss the future of the Uchiha."
"Oh?" Fugaku said, narrowing his eyes. "And what, exactly, are your thoughts?"
Danzo turned to meet Fugaku's gaze, and in that moment, Fugaku could see it clearly—Danzo's eyes were filled with pure, undisguised killing intent.
"For the future of the village," Danzo said coldly,
"I believe the Uchiha Clan... no longer has the right to exist."
At those words, Fugaku's first instinct was disbelief—had he misheard?
But as Danzo's words sank in, eight Root operatives emerged from the trees around the lake, surrounding him in a tight formation.
Whatever slim hope Fugaku had clung to was crushed.
It was clear: tonight, it was war.
Yet what weighed most heavily on Fugaku's heart was not his own safety, but that of the entire Uchiha Clan. Danzo wasn't just here for him—he intended to erase them all.
Fugaku turned his gaze to Shisui, who stood silently behind Danzo, showing no sign of protest.
His heart twisted with rage and heartbreak.
Shisui—one of the most promising young men Fugaku had nurtured within the clan—was now standing against them at the moment of their greatest peril.
Though Shisui's actions made his betrayal obvious, Fugaku still asked, his voice low and heavy,
"As one of the Uchiha, tell me your choice."
Shisui felt guilt gnawing at him, but when he thought of the growing, irreconcilable conflict between the clan and the village—when he thought of Konoha's future—he steeled himself.
"Clan Head Fugaku," Shisui said firmly, "the Uchiha and the village can no longer coexist."
"For the sake of peace... to prevent even greater bloodshed in the future... the knot must be cut cleanly, tonight."
Fugaku roared,
"Uchiha Shisui! Don't forget the name you carry!"
But Shisui met his furious gaze without flinching, replying solemnly,
"I am Shisui of the Uchiha—but I am also Shisui of the Hidden Leaf."
At Danzo's signal, the Root operatives scattered—not to attack, but to form a sealing formation around the three men, trapping them within a powerful barrier.
Clearly, these Root agents weren't here to fight. Their sole purpose was to isolate the battlefield, ensuring that the real confrontation would be between Danzo, Shisui, and Fugaku alone.
Shisui slowly drew the short sword on his back. His Sharingan gleamed coldly in the moonlight.
Fugaku's own Sharingan flared to life.
His gaze sharpened, locking onto Shisui and Danzo.
The battle was inevitable.
---
In the original canon, during the Uchiha Clan Massacre, Fugaku chose not to resist.
But that did not mean he was weaker than Itachi.
Much of Fugaku's surrender had been for the sake of his sons—he chose death to give Sasuke a chance to live.
But tonight was different.
Tonight, he faced Shisui—not his own son.
Tonight, Fugaku would fight to the bitter end.
At the same time, elsewhere across the village, the Root organization had mobilized.
They had silently eliminated the Uchiha outposts surrounding the district.
Using a large-scale Genjutsu barrier, they sealed off the entire Uchiha compound, masking all sight and sound from the outside world.
Even if violent combat broke out within the Uchiha district, no one beyond the barrier would notice a thing.
To ensure no interference, Root had also closed all roads between the Uchiha compound and the rest of Konoha, forbidding anyone from approaching tonight.
At this moment, the Uchiha district stood isolated—a lone island cut off from the village.
And so, the Hidden Leaf's plan to exterminate the Uchiha Clan was officially underway.