"It's strange… why did sensei suddenly ask me to help grade homework tonight?"
Sasuke muttered to himself as he walked down the quiet street.
"It's already this late," he sighed. "Everyone must be asleep by now… I hope I don't wake anyone up."
He turned a familiar corner, expecting to see the warm lights of the Uchiha compound ahead.
But then—he froze.
He blinked. Looked again.
The road was the same… yet the entire Uchiha district was gone.
Only a vast, empty stretch of pale-white ground remained where his home once stood.
"What… what happened?"
"What the hell is going on here?"
A cold, dreadful feeling crept into Sasuke's chest. His heartbeat quickened as he sprinted toward the ruins.
When he finally stopped, he saw the shattered blue tiles of the old clan courtyard — all that was left of the proud Uchiha.
His hands trembled. His breath caught.
"Is someone… playing a joke on me?" he muttered, spinning around helplessly.
"This has to be an illusion. Yeah… that's it. Big Brother's pranking me again. He must be."
He forced a shaky laugh, trying to calm the storm inside.
Because the truth — that his entire clan had vanished overnight — was simply too impossible to believe.
Then, a voice came from behind.
"Are you Uchiha Sasuke?"
Sasuke turned. A masked ANBU stood there, expression grave.
"Yes! Please—tell me what happened here!"
The ninja hesitated, then said coldly, "Elder Shimura Danzō held deep hatred for the Uchiha clan. Years ago, he killed Uchiha Shisui. Last night… he went mad. He massacred your entire clan. The Hokage has declared Danzō a traitor to Konoha."
Sasuke's mind went blank.
His ears rang. His knees buckled. The world tilted and went black.
He collapsed.
The next morning, chaos spread through Konoha.
Whispers rippled through the ranks of the shinobi:
"The Uchiha clan was exterminated?"
"The murderer was Shimura Danzō, head of Root?"
"And he killed Shisui too?"
Fear and disbelief filled the air.
The once-proud Uchiha — one of Konoha's founding clans — wiped out in a single night.
Only one survivor left: Uchiha Sasuke.
It sounded like a nightmare.
Ordinary villagers hadn't yet learned the truth. They only noticed that the streets were full of hurried shinobi, faces grim and voices hushed.
"Danzō… betrayed Konoha?"
"According to reports, he accused Uchiha Itachi of the massacre. But the Third Hokage later pinned the crime on Danzō instead."
"Hah! Serves him right!" someone laughed bitterly. "After all those years of scheming behind the Hokage's back, Danzō finally got what he deserved."
Inside the Hyuga estate, Hyuga Hiashi, usually cold and stern, actually chuckled — a rare sight.
Even his brother, Hizashi, smiled.
"Lord Patriarch, Lord Hizashi," a Hyuga messenger appeared, kneeling. "Lord Hokage has summoned a Jōnin meeting. Please proceed to the Hokage Building immediately."
The brothers exchanged a knowing look and left the estate together, steps light and relaxed.
On their way, they met Nara Shikaku and Yamanaka Inoichi. The two men were deep in conversation, their tone casual, even amused.
But beneath the surface, every clan leader understood: something monumental had shifted in Konoha.
When they reached the Hokage Building, the air was thick and heavy. Dozens of Jōnin — both clan members and commoners — stood waiting, silent and uneasy.
Sarutobi Hiruzen entered slowly, his face drawn and pale. He looked years older than he had the day before.
"Everyone's here," he said tiredly. "Let's begin."
Beside him sat Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu, both equally haggard. They looked lost — shaken by the events of the night before.
Hiruzen began, "First, we must address the matter of Shimura Danzō's betrayal."
"Lord Hokage," one Jōnin stood up sharply, "years ago, when Orochimaru was conducting human experiments with village shinobi, you claimed it was over once he defected. But Danzō was working with him. You knew it, didn't you?"
Murmurs spread through the room.
"Did you overlook his crimes?" another Jōnin demanded. "Or did you cover for him?"
Hiruzen's expression hardened. He had expected this. He had spent the night crafting airtight responses — but each answer only barely held back the rising tide of distrust.
One by one, the Jōnin fired questions. One by one, the Hokage deflected them.
By the time the room fell quiet, the air was thick with silent accusation.
Hiruzen could feel it — the Jōnin no longer trusted him.
And he knew that trust, once lost, was almost impossible to regain.
He cleared his throat. "The next issue: the Red Sun Society, and its mysterious leader, Kira."
His sharp gaze swept across the gathered Jōnin, searching for the slightest flicker of guilt.
He was certain Kira was among them — hiding in plain sight.
But no one flinched.
The room was silent.
Homura finally broke the tension. "Kira has caused chaos in Konoha time and again. We must identify him, track him down, and eliminate him."
The elder's voice dripped with anger. Danzō's betrayal had wounded his pride deeply — and he wanted someone to blame.
But another Jōnin stood up calmly. "I believe Kira has shown restraint toward Konoha. To provoke someone that powerful without reason would be… unwise."
A few more voices chimed in.
"I agree. Attacking Kira would be reckless."
"We should avoid making a powerful enemy."
Homura's face turned red with fury as the murmurs spread. No one supported him.
Hiruzen sat back quietly, saying nothing.
He understood the unspoken truth in the room:
Not only had Danzō fallen, but the entire old guard — himself, Homura, and Koharu — had lost the confidence of the Jōnin.
And that trust, once shattered, might never return.
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