Chapter 80: Ingenious Wisdom
"Menma-sama!"
After Itachi's figure vanished among the trees, Shisui clenched his fists tightly, his voice suppressing barely concealed shock and fury.
"—No, something like genocide... we must stop Itachi!"
Shisui's chest heaved violently, even breathing becoming difficult—how had it come to this?
That person he'd once acknowledged and trusted most, that girl he firmly believed could maintain her convictions even in darkness... now she'd chosen the most extreme, most cruel method.
Genocide.
Shisui's thoughts were in complete chaos.
From a certain perspective, this would indeed "protect the Uchiha name"... after all, the dead couldn't betray, and it would "protect the village"... because the root of civil war would be completely erased.
But—ethnic cleansing?
Such a thing... absolutely unacceptable!
Menma turned his head, glancing at Shisui.
Just moments ago he'd been calling him "Ember," but now needing help, he'd switched to "Menma-sama"?
However, now wasn't the time for sarcasm.
"Listen carefully." Menma's voice carried undeniable resolve. "I naturally won't execute any so-called genocide."
"Meaningless sacrifice is the most foolish behavior. Now, I will save the Uchiha clan. But time is short—no room for detailed explanations."
"After this ends, I'll answer your questions. For now, do whatever I tell you to do—understand?"
Shisui froze momentarily, then nodded firmly.
'Menma... has no intention of helping Itachi.' This realization let Shisui's taut nerves relax slightly.
The Uchiha's survival... now could only be gambled on him!
---
"—Who are you...!"
Inside a civilian residence in the Uchiha compound, two men shot to their feet, pupils contracting as they stared at the two figures who'd suddenly appeared in the room's center.
Residual afterimages from Shunshin no Jutsu hadn't yet faded as Menma stood within. Moonlight slanted through the window, reflecting coldly off his fox mask.
Before the two Uchiha could form hand seals—
Thud!
Two muffled impacts echoed through the air as invisible blade-hands struck precisely at the necks. Their expressions couldn't even change before their vision went black and they collapsed softly.
Behind Menma, Crazy Diamond slowly withdrew its hand chops, the ethereal Stand flickering out of sight.
Shisui instinctively tensed, but upon confirming the two were merely unconscious, he relaxed slightly.
"Hawk or dove? Civilians answer 'dove.'"
Menma's voice came calm and clipped, leaving no room for explanation. Shisui instantly understood the command—asking whether these two were hawks or doves.
But more crucially... "Civilians answer 'dove'"—meaning regardless of ninja status, anyone not radical would be classified as preservable.
"...Dove."
Shisui answered grimly, betting everything on Menma's actions.
Menma nodded slightly, hands rapidly forming seals. "Bunshin no Jutsu."
Two chakra-formed figures materialized in the smoke, identical to him. Immediately after, the clones formed seals again, their forms twisting and changing until they'd transformed into perfect replicas of the two unconscious Uchiha on the floor.
[Gold Experience]
The golden Stand suddenly manifested, fists radiating life's brilliance as they pounded the clones. The chakra-constructed ethereal bodies began trembling as muscle fibers grew like plant vines, blood vessel networks formed beneath skin, even clothing's plant fibers weaving from nothing.
Two completely real "Uchiha clan members" were born.
Menma lifted the unconscious originals with one hand while grasping Shisui's shoulder with the other.
"To avoid unnecessary worry, I'll let you witness this directly the first time."
Hiraishin activated, and in the instant of spatial distortion, all three had arrived at the underground facility secretly constructed by Hizashi. Within the spacious concrete space, unfinished training equipment lay scattered about—clearly 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, Hiraishin activated again, returning them to the residence. The two "clones" created by Gold Experience still stood in place.
The next second, the clone jutsu was released, and the two bodies made by Gold Experience lost consciousness, collapsing limply.
Gold Experience's created life forms could only be granted short-term "pseudo-life functions" through spiritual energy—they possessed no true souls.
Without hesitation, Menma drew his kunai, cold light flashing—slice.
The blade precisely cut across necks, fresh blood gushing out to stain the tatami.
The false genocide plan officially commenced—covering the Uchiha compound with these soulless corpses while secretly transferring the real doves and civilians.
This was Menma's entire scheme.