UCHIHA MAIN HOUSE
The quiet dining room of the Uchiha main house was softly lit by the warm glow of paper lanterns.
A home-cooked meal was set across the low wooden table—bowls of steaming white rice, fresh miso soup, grilled fish, and small dishes of pickled vegetables.
Fugaku sat at the head of the table, wearing his heavy tactical armor vest. Mikoto sat to his side, her hand resting naturally against her stomach, while little Itachi sat quietly across from her, holding his small chopsticks with careful precision.
"Thank you for the meal—" Itachi said politely, bowing his tiny head before taking a neat bite of his food.
"Eat plenty, Itachi..." Mikoto replied softly, placing a small portion of cooked vegetables into his bowl. "You worked hard with your training today."
"Yes, Kaa san!" Itachi nodded, chewing quietly.
Fugaku picked up his tea cup, taking a slow sip. His stern, tired eyes drifted over to his wife and young son as the quiet hum of the evening settled over the room.
As the gentle clinking of chopsticks filled the warm room, Mikoto set her tea cup down and looked over at her husband.
"Anata..." Mikoto spoke up softly, her voice calm and curious. "After you and Itachi came back earlier, you seemed to be in such a hurry. Where did you go?"
Fugaku paused, setting his bowl down on the low wooden table with a quiet hum.
"Ah, about that..." Fugaku sighed softly, his expression turning serious.
"You see, regarding the heavy commotion in the commercial district this afternoon... our military troop was completely slaughtered. I went to meet with the remaining forces and then headed straight to the Hokage to request a squad to be stationed at the Police Headquarters."
Mikoto nodded along quietly, making soft "hmm...hmm" sounds of agreement as she listened intently to her husband's explanation.
Sitting across from them, Itachi raised his head slightly, his small voice piping up. "Umm..."
Neither of his parents noticed his tiny interruption as Mikoto continued the conversation.
"So... did you have any good luck from Hokage-sama's side?" Mikoto asked softly.
Fugaku shook his head, a trace of annoyance in his dark eyes. "No... I was told that he won't be available until tomorrow."
Itachi tried again, leaning forward just a bit. "To-san..."
"Too bad..." Mikoto murmured, shaking her head gently.
Finally, both Fugaku and Mikoto paused and turned their eyes toward their young son, giving him their full attention.
Looking up at his father with wide, serious black eyes, Itachi asked, "To-san... did you find the person who attacked me this afternoon?"
The quiet air in the dining room froze instantly. Both Fugaku and Mikoto stared at Itachi in total shock, the warm atmosphere vanishing in a split second.
A heavy wave of anger surged through Fugaku. His knuckles turned white as his fingers gripped his wooden chopsticks so tightly they nearly snapped in half—furious at the fact that he still hadn't caught the boy who dared to put a hand on his son.
Noticing the dark, irritated scowl deepening across Fugaku's face, Mikoto quickly turned her eyes back to Itachi, her tone turning stern and scolding.
"Hey, Itachi..." Mikoto began, frowning at her son. "How many times have I told you not to speak while eat—"
"It's okay, Mikoto—" Fugaku interrupted smoothly, his voice low and firm.
Mikoto paused, looking at her husband in surprise. Hearing the boy mentioned had brought back a sharp spike of frustration, but Fugaku looked up, his stern eyes settling directly on Mikoto.
"Hearing him mention it... I should actually thank him for reminding me."
Fugaku lowered his gaze slightly, his voice dropping into a low, extremely quiet tone.
"I know it must be sudden... let's say, absolutely inappropriate to ask you this, as his name isn't something worth throwing around casually," Fugaku continued, his expression heavy.
"But..."
Mikoto looked at Fugaku, her eyebrows pulling together in confusion as she sensed the sudden weight in her husband's voice.
Fugaku looked directly into her eyes and continued softly.
"Did that boy... by any chance... look like Hikaru...?"
Mikoto froze instantly, her entire body locking up in total shock.
Sitting right beside her, Itachi looked back and forth between his parents. "Who is Hikaru...?" the small boy murmured curiously.
Without breaking eye contact with Mikoto, Fugaku gently raised his index finger to his lips, making a quiet shushing gesture—telling his son to stay quiet and not interrupt their conversation.
Fugaku's dark eyes settled back onto Mikoto, waiting for her answer.
Mikoto's mind raced, memories from decades ago suddenly coming back into sharp focus. "Come to think about it... maybe..." She paused, her breath catching as her eyes widened.
"No, wait... yes! Yes! Yes! You are right! He looked just like Hikaru... when he was still a child! About twelve or thirteen years old!"
Then, the terrifying realization hit Mikoto like a physical blow. Her heart hammered wildly against her ribs as she stared at Fugaku in absolute disbelief.
"But, Anata... how come Hikaru came back...?" Mikoto asked, her voice trembling softly. "I mean... he is..."
The words caught violently in her throat. She couldn't finish the sentence. She couldn't bring herself to utter that cold, cruel word for the boy who had been her first love—the one whose memory she had buried deep in her heart for so many years.
Before the lingering silence in the room could settle, Fugaku's eyes snapped toward the hallway. His posture went completely rigid.
Fugaku stood up abruptly from the dining table, his low voice echoing sharply through the quiet house.
"WHO'S THERE!?"
His stern gaze locked onto the sliding paper gates leading into the room.
From the other side of the screen, a breathless, tense voice spoke up immediately. "Excuse me for my rudeness, Uchiha-sama... but I am here to deliver urgent news!"
"YOU HAVE PERMISSION TO ENTER!" Fugaku commanded loudly.
The paper gate slid open in a swift, sharp motion. Kneeling respectfully on the wooden floor, resting on one foot with his head bowed low, was an Uchiha messenger.
The man took a quick breath, his voice laced with shock and urgency.
"Fuma Arata... the current clan head of the Fuma Clan... has been—"
THE HOKAGE COUNCIL CHAMBER
'Three Nine-Tails...?' Minato thought, a cold sweat breaking out on the back of his neck beneath his cloak. 'Earlier today, our sensory report confirmed two... but now a third one has appeared inside the village?! What on earth is happening to Konoha...?!'
Before anyone could regain their composure, the Yamanaka messenger suddenly pressed two fingers against his temple, his eyes widening in real-time as he received a direct mental transmission from Yamanaka Inoichi.
The messenger muttered quietly under his breath, "Yes... I get it! I will...!"
Minato instantly turned his sharp gaze toward the kneeling ninja, his voice low and firm.
"What's the matter?"
"MINATO!" Danzo shouted furiously, his voice echoing off the stone walls like thunder. "Who gave the rights to a person like you who is accused of treason to question a shinobi of Konoha?!"
Minato whipped his head around, snapping right back at Danzo with a commanding shout that completely shook the room!
"HEAR ME, DANZO-SAMA!" Minato shouted, his usual gentle mood completely gone, replaced by absolute, unquestionable authority.
"Right now, me stepping down will NOT solve anything! The council needs my decision-making, and Konoha along with all its citizens want my power to protect them! We can solve these accusations later!"
Danzo's single eye widened in pure, venomous rage as he slammed his fist on the desk again. "INTOLERABLE! You casual brat... what the hell will you answer to the Daimyo-sama?!"
"Enough!" Hiruzen interrupted sternly, holding his hand up to silence Danzo before gesturing directly to the Yamanaka messenger. "You... speak! Right now!"
The Yamanaka messenger swallowed hard, looking up with a pale, panicked face.
"I... I have just received urgent news directly from the main clan compound!" the messenger blurted out anxiously.
"The girl who was held captive... has escaped!"
Danzo's face twisted in pure fury as he surged forward. "WHAT??!!!"
Minato's blue eyes snapped wide, his sharp voice cutting through Danzo's anger. "HOW?!"
The Yamanaka messenger shook his head frantically, sweat pouring down his pale face. "I... I don't have all the details yet, Hokage-sama! But if you want, I can directly connect your mind to Inoichi-sama right now—"
"TOTAL FOOLS!!" Homura shouted, his face turning red with frustration as he slammed his hand down on the council desk. "They had one job! How could they let a single captive escape from the Yamanaka compound?!"
Before anyone could answer—
BANG! BANG!
The heavy wooden doors rattled violently once again, echoing through the chamber.
Koharu rubbed her temples, throwing her hands up in utter disbelief.
"What now?! Aren't two frantic knocks enough for today?!"
The heavy double doors swung open, and a breathless ninja wearing the crest of the Fuma Clan hurried into the center of the room. He dropped down on one knee, resting on his foot as he bowed his head in a deep, respectful apology.
"I deeply apologize for interrupting the high council meeting, Hokage-sama! Elders!" the Fuma messenger spoke frantically. "I have urgent news directly from the main clan house!"
Hiruzen let out a long, exhausted sigh, setting his pipe down as he looked at the messenger. "What is it now...?"
The messenger swallowed hard, his trembling voice dropping like an anvil on the entire room.
"Fuma Arata... the current clan head of the Fuma Clan... has been brutally murdered!"
The entire council chamber froze, a chilling silence washing over the room before the messenger continued, his voice trembling with gravity.
"His wife... the honorable Lady Fuma... claims that he was murdered by the exact same person who caused the destruction in the commercial district!"
The messenger paused, taking a sharp, terrified breath.
All around the room, low, panicked whispers erupted among the clan heads and elders, echoing off the stone walls.
"The commercial district...?"
"The same person from this afternoon...?"
"Who could do such a thing to a clan head in broad daylight?!"
The Fuma messenger lifted his head slightly, delivering the final, devastating blow.
"She states that she is the sole eyewitness to the murder... and that it was done by none other than Uchiha Hikaru!"
FLASHBACK: FUMA MAIN COMPOUND
"All right!" Hikaru said quietly, his voice completely calm but deeply terrifying as he stood over the low table. "Now, it's time to deal with you..."
Arata's eyes widened in sudden, paralyzing shock, his body freezing as Hikaru took a slow step forward.
"W-Wait... what do you mean?!" Arata shrieked, scrambling frantically backward on his hands and knees toward the paper door. "I told you everything! You swore—"
"I promised not to use your name—" Hikaru interrupted smoothly, his voice chilling the air. "I never promised to let you live."
"YOU BASTARD!" Arata screamed, his voice cracking in total panic. "Don't you dare—I helped you! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING, UCHIHA?!"
In a single, lightning-fast blur, Hikaru closed the distance.
CHIRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRP—!!!!!!!
The deafening, violent roar of a lightning blade echoed through the dark tea room as jagged, blinding blue lightning erupted across Hikaru's right hand!
The raw, concentrated chakra warped the air, lighting up the dim shadows in a flash of electric blue.
Before Arata could even blink or raise a hand to weave a seal, Hikaru's hand thrust straight through Arata's chest like a spear of pure lightning!
SPLURT!
Arata's entire body went rigid. Blood spilled violently from his lips as the sheer voltage fried his insides instantly. His shaking, desperate fingers grabbed weakly at Hikaru's sleeve, his eyes wide with horrified, dying shock.
"Ghh... a-ack...!" Arata wheezed out, electric sparks dancing across his bleeding mouth. "
"You... Bastard..."
Hikaru leaned down close to his ear, his crimson Sharingan spinning lazily through the blinding blue glare of the Raikiri. The wild, ruthless grin on his face didn't fade for a single microsecond.
"See you in hell... Mr. Ex-Fuma Clan Head."
BOOOOOOOOOM!!!!!!!
With a final, surge of lightning chakra, Hikaru tore his hand upward, blowing Arata's body backward with force and completely disintegrating the entire side of the tea room in a roaring explosion of sparks and flying splinters under the bright afternoon sun!
PRESENT TIME: THE HOKAGE COUNCIL CHAMBER
"...and that it was done by none other than Uchiha Hikaru!"
The messenger's final words hung in the air, sending a violent shockwave through the council chamber.
Minato's bright blue eyes widened in pure shock. His breath hitched in his throat, his jaw clenching so hard the muscles along his cheek trembled. Beneath his white Hokage haori, his hand tightened into a fierce, white-knuckled fist.
'So that means...' Minato thought, his mind racing like rapid thunder. 'The man back in the commercial district... the one Mikoto claimed was Hikaru... really IS Hikaru!'
A wave of intense frustration and fierce determination burned through Minato's chest as he recalled their encounter in the Commercial District.
'Damn it, Hikaru...!' Minato cursed internally, his bright blue eyes narrowing dangerously. 'You will pay me back for lying to me! For pretending not to know me and keeping your identity hidden while bringing all this chaos upon my village!'
Minato stood there, his mind completely convinced that the man he had met in the Commercial District was Uchiha Hikaru himself.
However...
The man Minato was currently referring to as 'Hikaru'... was indeed not Hikaru at all.
It was...
PRESENT TIME: KONOHA ROOFTOPS
SWOOSH!
High above the streets of Konoha, a dark shadow glided silently across the rooftops.
The cool evening wind whipped through the long black cloak as Sasuke leaped effortlessly from building to building.
His steps barely made a sound against the tiles, moving with practiced, high-speed precision through the dark sky of the village.
His eyes were locked completely onto his target looming in the distance—the Uchiha Police Headquarters.
While the Hokage Council Chamber was collapsing into chaos, and while Minato was busy trying to connect all the wrong dots about the commercial district and Hikaru, Sasuke was silently closing in on his destination at top speed.
HYUGA COMPOUND: INNER HALLWAY & BACKYARD
Inside the wooden hallway of the Hyuga house, the walls were shaking from all the loud booms and explosions outside in the garden.
SLIDE!
Hyuga Kozuki angrily pulled open the large paper doors leading to the backyard.
WHOOOOOOSH!
The second he opened the doors, a huge cloud of dust, broken rocks, and bamboo leaves blew right into his face!
"Cough! Cough! A-Ack!" Kozuki shouted, waving his hands to push the dust away. He wiped the dirt off his clothes, his face twisting in rage as he cursed the person fighting outside.
"Curse whoever is making such a huge mess in our sacred garden!"
Suddenly, Kozuki stopped talking. His mouth stayed wide open in total shock.
As the dust started to clear, he saw Hizashi, his son— one of the absolute strongest fighters in the clan—fighting a 1-v-1 battle against a tall man!
Clones were jumping everywhere, and wind was blowing the grass all over the place. Hizashi was attacking with all his power, but the tall stranger was dodging and blocking every single hit like it was super easy!
Kozuki could not believe his eyes. 'Hizashi is fighting him one-on-one... and he can barely keep up?!'
Then, Kozuki remembered Neji, Rock Lee, and Hinata sitting inside the dark room behind him. He turned around and glared meanly at the three who were tied up with ropes.
"You three..." Kozuki said angrily. "You three will have to pay severely for what destruction your ally has caused in our compound!"
Neji, even with his bruises and ropes, looked up in total confusion.
'ALLY...?!' Neji thought, his mind going completely blank as he listened to the battle outside. 'What the hell is he talking about?! Which ally of ours is possibly strong enough to fight Chichioya alone?!'
Beside him, Rock Lee was sweating profusely and shouted dramatically, "Wait a minute, sir! We do not have an ally who can fight a Gentle Fist master! There is a massive misunderstanding here!"
Hinata was trembling softly, looking up with teary eyes. "N-Neji-niisan..." she whispered quietly. "Is someone really fighting Hizashi-sama out there...?"
"Stay quiet, Hinata-sama..." Neji whispered back, trying to peek past Kozuki's big robes to see outside.
Kozuki ignored them and stepped out onto the porch to see better.
The wind blew the rest of the dust away, and Kozuki finally saw the intruder clearly.
He had bright, spiky blonde hair that shined in the evening light. He was tall, wearing a dark jacket, and had a bunch of solid clones casually sitting on the stone lamps around the garden.
Right at that moment, the tall blonde man easily caught Hizashi's wrist, spun backward, and showed a big, happy, hyperactive smile!
"Aah, c'mon! Can't we just stop fighting for two seconds and talk this out?!" the stranger shouted with his loud, super famous voice. "Dattebayo!"
FREEZE
Inside the room, Neji's whole world stopped.
His eyes went wide. His breath caught in his throat, and his heart almost stopped beating. That voice... that spiky hair... that crazy, loud phrase...
"I-It can't be... No..." Neji whispered, his voice shaking like crazy as he stared at the blonde man's back. "How... How the..."
UCHIHA POLICE HEADQUARTERS
The cool evening wind blew softly over the open grass patch behind the Police Headquarters.
Four Uchiha shinobi were lying completely motionless across the bloody lawn. Their armor was torn, their bodies broken, and dark red blood pooled beneath them into the dirt.
They were dead.
Sitting right in the middle of the grass, completely unbothered by the quiet massacre around him, was Uchiha Hikaru.
He sat casually with one leg propped up, resting his back against a broken stone pillar. The small, blonde-haired boy lay on the grass beside him, completely unconscious and out cold.
SCRATCH... SCRATCH... SCRATCH...
Hikaru held his long katana across his knee, slowly and rhythmically sharpening the steel blade using a small, rough stone he had picked up from the rubble. The metallic rasp echoed quietly through the dark evening sky.
A dark, dangerous smirk gradually stretched across Hikaru's face as he stared down at the gleaming edge of his blade. His Sharingan spun lazily in his eyes, glowing like a predator's in the shadows.
"Now then..." Hikaru muttered softly to himself, his voice dripping with pure, sinister excitement.
SCRATCH...
"Come fast, will you, Sasuke..."
Hikaru's grip tightened on the hilt of his sword, a terrifying, quiet chuckle rumbling deep in his chest as his smile widened into a full, bloodthirsty grin.
"I'm itching to kill you!!"
KONOHAGAKURE ROOFTOPS
WOOOOSH!
A dark streak cut through the night sky like a stray bolt of lightning!
Sasuke launched himself off the highest roof edge with terrifying force, his long black cloak whipping wildly in the wind.
The roof tiles shattered beneath his boots as he soared high into the air above the Uchiha district!
SCHWING!
Sasuke's hand flashed to his waist, drawing his sharp Kusanagi blade in one fluid motion! The gleaming steel caught the pale moonlight, sparking against the darkness as his eyes flared with absolute, unyielding intensity.
Below him, the towering structure of the Uchiha Police Headquarters was locked right in his sight. He could see the gaping hole in the outer wall, the smoke drifting into the sky, and the dark chakra radiating from the backyard.
Sasuke gritted his teeth, his jaw clenching so hard his muscles trembled. The raw, fierce determination in his chest exploded into a roaring fire, completely overriding the fatigue in his body!
"I CAME HERE TO DEFEAT YOU, HIKARU!"
Sasuke's voice echoed across the open sky with brutal, echoing power, his voice dripping with pure conviction as he gripped the hilt of his sword with both hands!
"I'm going to take back Shinnachiku!...
I'm going to protect my younger self...
I'm going to protect Izuna... AND..."
"I CANNOT AFFORD TO LOSE TO YOU, HIKARU!!"
BOOM!
Sasuke released his chakra into a blinding storm, going straight down toward the backyard of the headquarters like a falling meteor, his blade aimed straight for the shadow waiting below!
Down on the blood-stained grass, Hikaru's ears twitched.
SCRATCH.
He stopped sharpening his katana. Slowly, the dark-haired rogue raised his head, his crimson Sharingan spinning lazily as he looked up at the night sky.
A wide, maniacal, bloodthirsty grin split across Hikaru's face as he watched the dark figure dropping straight toward him at sonic speed.
"Finally..." Hikaru whispered, his voice dripping with dark glee as he stood up, raising his sword to meet the incoming strike. "Show me what you've got... Sasuke!"
---