At first, Mitsuro considered making a solo escape. He ran through a few different ideas. His first thought was to pretend he was on the Sandaime's side and join him. But when he thought about Itachi and Shisui's fate, he knew that plan was dead in the water. Besides, he never really liked the Third Hokage anyway.
Next, he considered taking on a long-term mission just before the attack, and simply going into hiding. But faking a death on a simple mission wasn't going to fly; the Anbu and Root were watching every active Uchiha ninja, so they'd find him sooner or later and make him "disappear."
The third idea was to warn the clan about Itachi. Mitsuro was sure that even with the Mangekyō Sharingan, Itachi couldn't possibly kill every Uchiha if they were prepared and fighting as a unit. To test his theory, he spent three months fishing by the Naka River, just waiting for Shisui's body to turn up. He managed to get a little blood, skin, and hair, and brought the body back to the clan. It raised everyone's suspicions about Itachi, but in the end, things played out exactly like they did in the anime.
His last and best plan was the one he'd started five years ago: disappearing into the clan itself. The Anbu and Root could track him outside the village, sure, but inside the village and forest, it would be impossible. He'd just have to leave a fake corpse behind during the chaos of the massacre, then vanish into a quiet spot. Once he did that, he'd be counted as one of the casualties. The Anbu and Root would have no reason to keep watching the area after that.
But a few big problems still remained:
Where would he hide? Itachi and Obito would be on a total rampage, leaving no one alive. After they were done, the Anbu and Root would search every nook and cranny for any hidden valuables. He needed a place that was completely off everyone's radar.
How long would he need to stay hidden? Even after the massacre, there would be some lingering surveillance. Not to mention the villagers' prying eyes. He'd have to lay low for a while.
How would he leave the village later? He'd need a fake identity to get out without drawing any attention.
Thinking through all this led Mitsuro to the orphanage. It was the perfect place to hide in plain sight: nobody was watching it, and nobody gave it a second thought. He just had to find a remote spot, build a shelter, stock it with food and water, and set up a place for his basic needs. Then he could use various jutsu and sealing scrolls to make his hideout invisible to everyone.
As for his new identity, that was the easy part. He could use the orphanage as an excuse to go outside the village, gather supplies, and create a few fake identities using the names of real merchants. No one would catch him, as long as he didn't use them for too long inside the village.
Along the way, Mitsuro started using the six orphans—Daiki, Hikari, Hiroshi, Tenma, Yoko, and Shiro—for his plan. The oldest was under six, and the youngest was just over three. At the orphanage, they were known as the "Six Troublemakers." Mitsuro had never seen such a mischievous bunch... well, except for Naruto, who was in a league of his own.
The funny thing was, Mitsuro was secretly the ringleader of all their antics. Once he got to know them, instead of trying to calm them down, he became their partner in crime. Even though the kids would sometimes mess with him, when it was time to cause chaos, Mitsuro was the one masterminding everything.
The teacher who was supposed to prevent all the mischief was actually the one responsible for all the damage. But these pranks weren't just for fun; they had a purpose. Every mess gave him a reason to start repairs, which was really just a cover to secretly build his shelter.
The one thing he hadn't expected was the emotional bond he'd formed with these six little kids. They trusted him, and he trusted them. That's why he decided to save them from the massacre.
And over the past six months, it hadn't been easy. The Anbu were always around. The Third Hokage had clearly given orders to monitor every single Uchiha who left the clan grounds.
Mitsuro had to leave the village to get fake identities and bodies for the kids. He needed to find corpses to stand in for them, then create fake identities for the orphans so he could use the decoys.
It was a tough job, but he'd worked his butt off, and now the time had finally arrived. Only one thing was left: getting the kids to come with him. He couldn't tell them the whole truth, at least not yet. He'd already told them he was leaving the village for good and that they could come along if they wanted. But he hadn't told them when or how. Now was the time to reveal the next step of the plan.
Daiki, the oldest boy, immediately asked, "Are we leaving now?"
Mitsuro shook his head. "Before sunset. Don't attract any attention. We'll have our normal class, eat lunch, and then put our plan into action during the afternoon break. Remember, don't bring a lot of stuff, don't pack bags, and don't say goodbye to anyone. No one will get suspicious. I already told them we're just going for a small picnic near the orphanage. Got it?"
All six kids yelled at once, "Yes, Sensei!"
Actually, only five of them did. The youngest, Uchiha Shiro, who was just three, stayed quiet.
Mitsuro looked at him. "What's wrong, Shiro? Why aren't you saying anything? Don't you like the plan?"
Shiro immediately shook his head and said in a small, childlike voice, "No, Sensei, I'm fine! I like it!"
But there was a strange look in his eyes.
To Mitsuro, Shiro was… different. He didn't seem like a normal kid. There was a certain awareness in his gaze, a sharpness that had only appeared about a month ago. Mitsuro was sure Shiro was hiding something but wasn't showing it. For now, he decided not to push it and just cleared the thought from his mind. He turned back to the group. "Enough. Let's start the lesson."
…
Three hours passed slowly, and finally, the class ended after a short break.
Each of the kids was supposed to go get changed and meet at the orphanage gate by two o'clock. During that time, Mitsuro prepared the summoning scrolls with the fake corpses inside and placed them in different parts of the room. Then he grabbed some explosive tags and stuck them on the orphanage's wooden pillars and walls.
If the corpses were going to replace him and the children, they had to be unrecognizable. Otherwise, the Inuzuka and Yamanaka clans would quickly realize that the time of death for the bodies didn't match the other victims. They might even try to find out the corpses' memories. So, Mitsuro planned to set the orphanage on fire with the bodies inside, right when the massacre was at its peak. This would ensure that only seven burned bodies reached the Third Hokage and his "dog," Danzo.
Mitsuro finished quickly and waited at the orphanage gate. The six kids started to appear one by one. First came Hiroshi, then Tenma. They looked almost like twins, even though they were only related through the clan. Daiki appeared next, then Shiro. Hikari and Yuko came together, but it looked like they had someone extra with them.
In Yuko's arms was a newborn baby.
Mitsuro stared at Yuko, surprised.
Blushing, Yuko hugged the tiny baby, who was half her size, and said, "Sensei, now that we're leaving, can I bring Inabi too? I'm the only one he has!"
Inabi was Yuko's little brother. Their mother had died during childbirth, and their father, a retired ninja who was a heavy drinker, couldn't handle his wife's death and had killed himself. The kids had been left orphaned and were sent to the clan orphanage.
Mitsuro sighed and said, "You already brought him, so why are you asking me? Give him to me. You're not big enough to carry a baby that small."
He took Inabi. The baby was still asleep, and it was clear he'd just been fed.
Without looking at Yuko, Mitsuro asked, "Did you bring his milk?"
Yuko beamed and showed him her backpack. "Yeah, I packed enough for two days!"
Mitsuro raised an eyebrow. "Two days? You need at least four months' worth for a baby!"
At that, all six kids looked up. "Four months? Sensei, where are we going? We're not going to live in the forest, are we?"
Mitsuro bit his lip. "No, not the forest. But it's not exactly better than the forest either!"
He glanced at the sun; there was still time. He turned to the kids. "Go play around here for a bit. Don't set foot in the orphanage until I get back."
"Where are you going?"
"I'm going to buy some baby formula for this little guy!"
Five hours until the Uchiha massacre.