Naruto: I am Uchiha Shirou-Chapter 288: Naruto: I am Uchiha Shirou []

Under the Blood Moon.

Sarutobi Konohamaru, returning home from school, seemed to sense something strange. His expression was dazed, and upon entering the clan grounds, the eerie and unsettling silence made him feel an overwhelming sense of fear.

Suddenly, he saw two figures lying in the shadows, and his pupils narrowed in shock.

"Uncle Ota..."

The stillness of the clan grounds was broken by Konohamaru's terrified cry. His voice trembled as he stared at the bloodstained scene before him.

"Grandpa! Uncle Asuma! Everyone..."

Konohamaru's body quivered as he stood amid the desolation that had overtaken the Sarutobi clan. Corpses littered the area. In a panic, he sprinted wildly through the streets of the clan grounds.

His frantic shouting seemed to grant him a sliver of courage. With desperation driving him, he ran toward his home.

At that moment, a shadow appeared atop a utility pole. A figure crouched there, and two streams of blood dripped slowly from the eyes.

Reacting instinctively as a ninja, Konohamaru whipped his head around, but the figure on the pole was gone. His panic deepened, and he hurried toward his house.

"Uncle Asuma..."

Guided by his instincts, Konohamaru called out to the one person in the clan he felt was his strongest support.

The young boy stumbled clumsily, rushing toward home in a state of confusion and terror.

Meanwhile, the blood moon seemed to reflect the shadow of a Mangekyō Sharingan. On the Sarutobi clan's utility pole, the three tomoe in the eyes of Itachi and Uchiha Shisui spun wildly.

"The truth, Itachi! I will uncover the truth!"

Three figures from the Anbu Black Ops were watching the scene. Beneath their masks, Sasuke stared at the sight before him, as if the truth was beginning to emerge in his mind.

"Another world's clan... A mirrored world..."

A raspy voice echoed, while the Mangekyō Sharingan in the eyes of Itachi and Shisui spun rapidly. Their minds replayed the information Sasuke had shared.

The Uchiha clan of another world!

The scene before them was eerily similar to what Sasuke had described. The key difference was that, in this world, the Hokage was wise and just, while in the other world, the Sarutobi clan and the Third Hokage's regime were corrupt and decaying.

Behind them, Uchiha Shirou appeared. His Mangekyō Sharingan rotated slowly as he watched the changes in the three with a heavy expression.

They could only stare helplessly at the blood-soaked night before them. The horrifying scene around them seemed to overlap with the Uchiha clan of Sasuke's world. Though they knew it was a different world, their cries for help remained silent, and they could do nothing but watch.

This was a genjutsu—partly Sasuke's, depicting his memories of the Uchiha clan massacre, and partly enhanced by Shirou's genjutsu. The two had subconsciously blocked out their memories of this world, leaving them in a dreamlike state where many recollections were suppressed.

They only remembered that they didn't belong to this world, but the bloodshed surrounding them felt all too real.

"Impossible! How could the clan end up like this?!"

In his despair, Shisui, whose natural talent allowed him to awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan, reached a critical point. Within this hyper-realistic illusion, the tomoe in his eyes spun so violently that they began to merge into a single pattern.

"My power... I must change this..."

Meanwhile, Itachi's mind was flooded with images of Sasuke. The Konohamaru before him seemed to overlap with his memories of Sasuke, and the corpses surrounding him mirrored the devastation of his clan.

"Is this... Sasuke's heart?"

Under the blood moon, the three Anbu figures atop the utility pole stared down with blood-red eyes.

"This... is the Uchiha's fate in another world."

A voice came from behind them—it was Uchiha Shirou, his Mangekyō glowing as he gazed calmly at the scene.

"And the truth?"

In response to Sasuke's low, hoarse voice, Shirou shook his head and sighed. "The truth is something you must uncover for yourself."

Those words made Sasuke's mind race. He seemed to have guessed something, and his Mangekyō Sharingan took on a more ferocious appearance.

"I need to return and ask Itachi myself!"

At that moment, Itachi finally understood why the Sasuke of another world harbored such deep resentment. He also realized the gravity of the situation.

"If not for Shirou-sensei, would the Uchiha clan have ended up like this as well?"

A shiver ran down Itachi's spine as he considered the horrifying possibility. He imagined Sasuke frantically running home, only to find that everyone was dead.

This wasn't a mere "what if" scenario—it had happened in another world.

"I will never allow anyone to destroy this world!"

When Itachi raised his head, his blood-red eyes revealed a Mangekyō Sharingan in the shape of a pinwheel.

"Shirou-sensei!"

Under the illumination of three pairs of Mangekyō Sharingan, Shirou showed a rare expression of satisfaction.

The massacre of the Sarutobi clan had awakened the Mangekyō in Sasuke, Itachi, and Shisui. Without Sasuke from another world revealing the truth, the emotional impact might not have been this profound.

But Sasuke had told them what had truly happened in his world.

"Although the mysterious figure escaped, and although Konoha suffered the loss of countless ninjas from the Sarutobi, Mitokado, and Utatane clans, the awakening of three Mangekyō Sharingan will undoubtedly make Konoha stronger!"

By comparison, the loss of three clans was a small price to pay for the birth of three Mangekyō Sharingan. It was a significant gain.

...

Amid the desolation of the Sarutobi clan grounds, Konohamaru finally arrived at his house.

Terror filled his eyes as he saw the front door wide open, with blood trails leading inside.

With trembling legs, he slowly stepped into the house. At that moment, a flash of cold light caught his eye.

"Uncle..."

Sarutobi Asuma, his face covered in blood, emerged coldly from the shadows. The gleam of his chakra blades, the Flying Swallow, reflected in the dim light. The blades were stained with fresh blood.

"Uncle! The whole clan... They're all dead!"

Konohamaru stared at his uncle in disbelief. Driven by an instinctive desire for safety, he cautiously moved closer.

"Uncle..."

Just as Konohamaru reached out to embrace the one person he thought he could rely on, a sudden flash of cold light passed by. His pupils dilated as his body froze in fear. He couldn't believe what was happening.

A sharp pain stung his cheek as blood trickled down. The Flying Swallow had grazed his face and embedded itself in the wooden door behind him.

With a thud, Konohamaru collapsed to the ground in shock, staring in terror at his uncle, who radiated an icy aura.

"U-Uncle... I-It's me, Konohamaru..."

But in Konohamaru's tear-filled eyes, Asuma's face twisted into a sinister, mocking smile.

"What a rotten clan. Even the air reeks of decay."

A stream of warm, yellow liquid ran down Konohamaru's leg. Asuma glanced at him with disdain, while Konohamaru sat frozen in fear, unable to move.

"Uncle A-Asumae... You..."

Konohamaru's voice trembled as his body remained paralyzed, unable to even muster the instinct to run. Asuma let out a cold laugh.

"Disgusting. The blood of this filthy clan reeks of rot..."

"Wh-why... why..." Konohamaru stared in fear at the approaching figure, while Asuma's face twisted into a mocking, cruel smile.

"To prove my capacity. Indeed, this filthy clan no longer holds any interest in me."

Sarutobi Asuma slowly walked past him, looking at Konohamaru as if he were a despised piece of trash, before heading to the door and pulling out his Flying Swallow blade from the wooden frame.

"You! Why did you slaughter the clan?!"

Finally summoning some unknown courage, Sarutobi Konohamaru turned around and screamed hysterically. But what greeted him was a pair of cold, icy eyes at close range, along with a stabbing pain in his abdomen.

A fist landed heavily on his stomach. At that moment, Asuma grabbed Konohamaru with one hand, lifting him to eye level, a cruel smile spreading across his face.

"You're not even worth killing right now."

Sarutobi Asuma sneered coldly, tossing Konohamaru aside like a piece of trash. He even wiped his hands in disgust before slowly walking outside, his ruthless voice echoing within the house.

"The Sarutobi clan today is such a disappointment. Parasites nurtured by Konoha's blood and flesh, so dark and vile that they make me sick. Konohamaru, my foolish nephew! If you want to kill me, then hate me, curse me, and live on in disgrace. Keep running, keep surviving, just so you can live. And one day, when you have the same strength and capacity as me, come find me."

"No!" In the house, Konohamaru was on the verge of collapse, snot and tears streaming down his face. He stared in terror at his father, lifeless in a wheelchair, and his mother, lying in a pool of blood.

...

Outside, under the moonlight, tears streamed down Sarutobi Asuma's cruel face.

"Asuma..."

Under the blood-red moonlight, the figure of Shirou appeared before him, with three ANBU members standing behind him.

At this point, Sarutobi Asuma had no strength left to resist.

"Lord Hokage!"

Looking at the anguished Sarutobi Asuma, Shirou shook his head and sighed.

"Asuma, I've told you before: while the three clans are guilty of treason and colluding with the enemy, the ordinary people of those clans are not."

At the same time, countless shadowy figures appeared around the three clans' compounds—ANBU, Root, and Konoha Police officers rushing to suppress the rebellion.

"Shisui, rescue any survivors with all your might. From this moment on, the Sarutobi, Mitokado, and Koharu clans will no longer exist in Konoha."

"Yes!"

As Shisui's cold, hoarse voice echoed, Sarutobi Asuma, kneeling on the ground, trembled slightly.

"Asuma, the mysterious individual has already escaped. What do you plan to do next?"

Shirou's heavy voice reverberated, shocking the kneeling Sarutobi Asuma, who had lost the will to resist.

He had imagined every possible outcome but had never expected that, at this moment, the Hokage would still spare him.

After all, if they eliminated him now, everything would end!

"I... I plan to join the mysterious group called the Akatsuki. I will stay there and monitor them..."

As his hoarse voice echoed, Shirou silently shook his head and stepped aside, creating a path. He gestured to Itachi and said in a low voice:

"Give Asuma a set of ANBU clothes. Itachi, personally escorts him out of Konoha."

"Yes!"

Afterward, Shirou led Sasuke and slowly walked toward the Sarutobi clan's compound, leaving behind a reassuring statement for Asuma.

"The Sarutobi, Mitokado, and Koharu clans conspired with a mysterious individual to rescue Danzo and attempted a coup. Sarutobi Asuma acted independently, carrying out an inhumane massacre.

While his actions protected the village, they were also extremely brutal. From today onward, he is classified as an S-rank dangerous ninja in Konoha and is forbidden from entering the Land of Fire."

Shirou's voice echoed over the three clans, while Sarutobi Asuma, now wearing an ANBU uniform and mask, glanced back at his clan and Konoha, tears streaming down his face.

Under the personal escort of Itachi, he quietly left Konoha Village.

It was another night of massacre, but it left three individuals with very different impacts.

In this world's clan massacre, Sarutobi Asuma was not listed as a rogue ninja because the evidence of the three clans' collusion and treason was undeniable.

As countless fully armed Konoha shinobi surged into the three clans' compounds, one after another, they were shocked to find the ground littered with corpses.

"This is..."

"Asuma colluded with outsiders to massacre the clans!"

"The Hokage has ordered us to rescue any survivors!"

"The three clans colluded with a mysterious individual to stage a coup. Everyone, stay vigilant..."

Amidst the loud shouts, the countless Konoha shinobi cautiously searched for survivors.

On the blood-soaked streets, the Hokage, Uchiha Shirou, stood coldly at the entrance, receiving constant reports from the shinobi.

"Lord Hokage, so far, only Konohamaru and thirteen other households have survivors. These thirteen households are all civilian families, and the survivors are all young women."

"Do everything you can to save them! Seal off the clan compounds, and leave no corner unchecked!"

"Yes!"

Walking along the streets and seeing the countless corpses, Sasuke, wearing a mask, fell silent behind him.

"Sasuke, have you found the truth you were looking for?"

Shirou's voice echoed in his ears, but this time, Sasuke shook his head and said in a low voice:

"Lord Shirou, you've said before that even what you see with your own eyes can be false. This is a completely different world, and if the Third Hokage of this world is as corrupt as the one in mine..."

Although Sasuke didn't finish his sentence, his meaning was clear.

This world and his own were completely different.

A decayed regime and upper echelons studying the Sharingan—that meant there were many hidden truths behind his world's Uchiha clan massacre.

Seeing Sasuke remain calm even after awakening the Mangekyo Sharingan, Shirou smiled in relief and sighed, nodding slightly.

"Sasuke, congratulations on learning to control your emotions. You are now a qualified shinobi."

"However, since you've just awakened your Mangekyo Sharingan, after tonight, I will grant you three months of leave as Hokage. Take that time to stabilize your emotions and reflect on everything."

...

Within the three clans' compounds:

Kakashi Hatake looked at the sea of corpses, his face heavy as he sighed and shook his head.

"The corruption of power has made people lose sight of themselves."

Meanwhile, Minato Namikaze returned, panting heavily. Upon seeing Shirou in the distance, he shook his head and sighed.

"Lord Hokage, the mysterious individual was very cautious and has already escaped."

A coup attempt ended quietly just like that.

But within the three clans, countless Konoha shinobi wore grim expressions, for this time, their Hokage had hidden nothing.

Among them, the shinobi of the Yamanaka, Nara, and Akimichi clans felt chills down their spines, silently alarmed.