Becomes a Rebel Ninja After Annihilating the Hyuga Clan

Chapter 23

The world peacefully entered the next day's midnight.

In the dead of night, Sasuke suddenly woke from a nightmare, gasping for breath, his forehead covered in sweat.

As if driven by an unseen force, he hurriedly threw off his covers and rushed to Itachi's room. It was still empty, only a crow standing by the window, tilting its head at him.

"Was it… a dream?"

He wiped off his sweat, and his anxiety gradually settled.

—The idea of his brother being killed by some despicable means must be a dream.

Why would he dream of something like that? Seriously…

Awakened by the nightmare, Sasuke couldn't fall back asleep, his whole body drenched in sweat.

His brother and father had not returned all night, his mother was already asleep, and there were still lights on the street outside, indicating something was happening, though Sasuke had no interest in finding out.

Feeling something, he saw the crow had moved to perch on his chest. He now noticed that the crow's other eye wasn't purely black but black and red, just like his father's eyes!

Just as Sasuke felt puzzled, the crow opened its mouth:

"Sasuke… sorry…"

Sasuke was stunned. The crow spoke?

"Ugh—"

He sat up in a panic, finding the crow no longer on his chest. Looking around, he realized he was still in his room.

What was that?

A dream within a dream?

Collecting himself, Sasuke cautiously went back to Itachi's room. Opening the door, the room's setup was the same as in the dream, still empty of his brother. The only difference was the window being slightly open, with the crow from his dream nowhere to be seen.

It was just a false alarm. Sasuke patted his chest, ready to return to his room, but then he paused.

Recalling the crow's tone,

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"That sounded… like my brother's voice…"

…

"Stay alert, don't relax. Although the Uchiha are likely to launch their coup during the day, there's no telling if they might go mad and strike now."

The ANBU units in the darkness were sharpening their blades, preparing for the battle ahead.

"Are they really going to start a civil war in Konoha?" After a long silence, someone couldn't help but ask.

Due to the requirements of secrecy, many had only learned the truth. Until now, they thought it was a regular drill, but after midnight, the captain informed them it was a real operation against a Uchiha coup.

"I'll repeat, this isn't a civil war, it's to stop the Uchiha's coup!" The leading ANBU captain emphasized, "We only target the ringleaders; only a few Uchiha high-ups will face judgment, and it won't involve innocent Uchiha clan members."

Everyone felt slightly uplifted. As members of the Hokage's direct unit, ANBU followed orders without question, prioritizing mission completion. Even without knowing the truth, it wouldn't affect their loyalty.

However, knowing their enemy was a group of ambitious conspirators planning to overthrow Konoha, they felt more justified and resolute.

Nearby, Ying, secretly watching the ANBU, sighed, her expression dark.

Danzo's orders weren't to fight the Uchiha ninjas but to slaughter the defenseless civilians in the Uchiha compound, contradicting the Third Hokage's intentions. After this task, who knew how the Third Hokage and Danzo conflict would escalate?

She slowly wiped her blade.

Soon, this blade would be stained with the blood of innocents.

…

While the Uchiha and Konoha were actively preparing for battle, another fight was about to break out in the wilderness.

"… Is this guy really Uchiha Madara?"

"That Sharingan, yes, he must be the Uchiha's trump card!"

"Hey, you bastard, what did you do to Neiki?"

Konoha's elite unit had surrounded the masked Uchiha Madara.

Kakashi surveyed the area. Not long ago, there must have been a fierce battle here; the ground was overturned, tree trunks were covered in sword marks, and many fallen trees suggested a struggle between Neiki and Madara.

But… why wasn't Neiki anywhere to be seen?

Hearing the team's questions, the masked man's eyes narrowed slightly.

"Foolish people, being used without realizing it…"

Neiki wanted these people dead, yet they worried about Neiki's safety.

How laughable!

He glanced at Kakashi, deep in thought nearby.

This guy, too.

Still hasn't grown much.

Failed to protect Rin back then.

Even with my Sharingan, I can't see through this situation.

Utterly foolish!

Thinking this, the masked man restrained his killing intent.

Better to leave such foolish opponents.

It further proved this ignorant world wasn't worth preserving.

"I don't want to be used by Neiki, so I'll let you off this time. Treasure this rare mercy, it won't happen often," the masked man said calmly. From the hole in his mask, a powerful suction pulled him into it.

"He's trying to escape!"

Thrown kunai harmlessly passed through the masked man, shocking Konoha's elite unit.

What… what ability is this?

They stood around where the masked man had disappeared, exchanging bewildered glances.

…

"The Yata Mirror… it truly is remarkable," Neiki squinted, sheathing his sword and looking down into the valley.

Despite all his plans and preparations, Itachi's use of such a formidable artifact made them seem insufficient.

Neiki knew Itachi possessed the Yata Mirror and the Totsuka Blade, but he never realized Itachi had already obtained one of them.

Neiki hadn't accounted for this.

Like Shisui's eye, Neiki never allowed Itachi to swap out his eye mid-battle and use Kotoamatsukami, so he hadn't planned for it.

"Pity about those eyes," Neiki sighed.

After being ambushed, Itachi decided to leave nothing for Neiki, constantly dragging the battle toward the cliff showing remarkable resolve.

Unable to use chakra, Itachi relied on the Yata Mirror, which required no chakra to protect him from Neiki's attacks like a turtle shell. With his stamina waning, Itachi resolutely chose to jump off the cliff.

Just like Shisui two years ago.

"You'd better die down there," Neiki withdrew his gaze.

The cliff was deep, the current fast, and he'd lost track of Itachi even with his Byakugan extending his vision to ten kilometers.

Severely injured and falling off a cliff, like a cliché novel plot.

But whether Itachi lived or died, Neiki's goal was achieved: the Uchiha would rebel in the daylight, with all obstacles removed.

After further fruitless searching, he turned and left.

…

On a riverside crowded with hundreds of crows, the masked man emerged from Kamui's space, looking at the dying man with a short sword in his chest, his gaze puzzled.

He recognized this man.

"Uchiha… Itachi."

And he recognized the short sword.

—Neiki.

Just recently, he had fought Neiki's sword clone, the short sword that transformed into Neiki, which was still in Kamui's space.

Looking up at the cliff above, he resisted the urge to find Neiki.

Noticing something, he crouched to examine the short sword in Itachi's body.

Then his eyes narrowed.

This is… acupoint sealing?

I see.

"Not just different elemental sword techniques."

"Neiki also has a hidden acupoint sealing sword technique."

"No wonder you lost so badly…"