I'M NARUTO UZUMAKI

The Uchiha Coup and Naruto's Defection

Naruto wouldn't go berserk without cause.

Either something had disrupted the seal of the Nine-Tails, or an external force had attacked him.

The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, immediately considered the possibility of Uchiha involvement. His thoughts drifted to the masked man who had attacked Konoha years ago, orchestrating the Nine-Tails' rampage during the fateful "Night of the Nine Tails."

A deep frown creased Hiruzen's face. If Naruto had truly lost control, it would spell disaster for Konoha. The village wasn't prepared to simultaneously handle the Nine-Tails and a potential uprising from the Uchiha. A second catastrophe like that dreadful night could push Konoha to the brink.

However, as time passed and the terrifying sight of the Nine-Tails did not appear, Hiruzen's expression softened slightly. Even so, unease lingered in his heart.

Just then, a Hokage guard approached and whispered,

"Sandaime-sama, the Hokage Building was attacked half an hour ago…"

Hiruzen's eyes sharpened. "The Hokage Building was attacked?" He turned to the guard and demanded, "Why was I not informed immediately? What's the extent of the damage?"

The guard, showing no sign of excuse, reported, "There were no casualties. The attacker's objective was the Scroll of Seals. After stealing it, they fled. We refrained from excessive pursuit, fearing it might be a diversion."

Hiruzen fell into deep thought, gazing in the direction of the Hokage Building.

One crisis after another—tensions with the Uchiha remained unresolved, and now the Scroll of Seals had been stolen. Though a backup existed, the true danger lay in the knowledge it contained. The scroll housed forbidden jutsu capable of shifting the balance of power, even affecting the entire shinobi world.

At that moment, a Root agent appeared and spoke in a hushed tone:

"Hokage-sama, Danzo-sama has already mobilized personally to apprehend the thief. He should return soon with the culprit in custody."

Hiruzen nodded slightly. That explained Danzo's prolonged absence. With his resources and experience, apprehending the thief should have been a simple task. Yet, a nagging unease gnawed at Hiruzen—events in the village were slipping from his control.

Danzo's Pursuit and the Uchiha Clan's Fate

On the outskirts of the Uchiha district, Danzo arrived with his Root operatives. Hiruzen, observing from a distance, quickly noted something amiss.

Danzo's expression was darker than usual, and the number of Root operatives accompanying him had been reduced by more than half. That wasn't like Danzo. Unless… his mission had failed.

Before Hiruzen could question him, a figure appeared atop a telephone pole—a lone silhouette with a bloodstained kunai.

Uchiha Itachi.

The ANBU agents immediately tensed, their hands hovering over their weapons. The moment Itachi's Sharingan met their eyes, a chill ran through them, freezing them in place.

In an instant, Itachi vanished and reappeared beside Danzo, his voice barely above a whisper:

"The Uchiha coup has been stopped. But if anything happens to Sasuke, I will expose every secret of Konoha to the world."

Danzo's face remained impassive, but a flicker of fear betrayed him.

Itachi stepped past him and added in a casual tone, "Of course, Danzo-sama, you're free to send assassins after me. But don't bother with ordinary shinobi—I can't be bothered with them."

Danzo's pupils contracted sharply. He had already sent assassins after Itachi… and judging by Itachi's tone, they had failed.

Danzo clenched his fists, his mind racing. His mission to capture Naruto had failed, and now, Itachi had turned against him. The only silver lining was that the Uchiha had been exterminated—at least, that was what he believed. With so many dead, he would be able to harvest their Sharingan for his own experiments.

As Itachi turned into a murder of crows and disappeared, Hiruzen approached Danzo. His tone was quiet but firm:

"Danzo, have you identified the thief who attacked the Hokage Building?"

Danzo sneered. "Oh, I found them. It was your precious Jinchūriki."

Hiruzen's eyes narrowed. "Naruto attacked the Hokage Building?"

That made no sense. Hiruzen knew Naruto better than that—this had to be an excuse for Danzo to gain control over him.

Danzo, growing impatient, snapped, "Believe what you want. The fact remains—your ANBU lost track of Naruto long ago. Ask them yourself."

Hiruzen hesitated. It was true that he hadn't received any reports from Kakashi, who had been tasked with monitoring Naruto.

Danzo's voice took on a condescending edge: "Hiruzen, I told you your methods were flawed. The ANBU you assigned to monitor the Jinchūriki? Naruto killed them long ago."

Hiruzen's expression darkened. "So, does that mean you've captured Naruto?"

Danzo's face stiffened. In truth, he had tried—but Naruto had overwhelmed him, using the forbidden technique Izanagi to escape.

Hiruzen's silence spoke volumes. He interpreted Danzo's reaction as confirmation that Naruto had indeed been captured. His mind immediately shifted to damage control. Naruto had to be questioned—why had he stolen the Scroll of Seals? Was he acting alone, or was someone manipulating him?

But one thing was clear: there was no way Hiruzen would allow Naruto to fall under Danzo's control. Danzo's methods were too extreme. His Cursed Seals could control a shinobi's actions, but Naruto was more than just a weapon—he was the village's Jinchūriki, its future protector.

Hiruzen knew that only bonds and the Will of Fire could truly guide Naruto's heart.

For now, though, more urgent matters needed attention. The Uchiha Massacre had to be addressed—corpses needed to be recovered, an official report had to be drafted, and Itachi's actions had to be framed properly.

As Hiruzen and Danzo discussed the next steps, an ANBU team leader rushed over, his voice shaken:

"Hokage-sama, we've completed our investigation. The Uchiha were slaughtered, mostly within their homes. It appears to be Uchiha Itachi's doing. However… there's something strange. The bodies are missing their eyes."

Hiruzen's gaze shifted to Danzo. The implications were obvious—Danzo had both the motive and the means to harvest Sharingan from the dead.

However, Danzo had been with him all night. Could Itachi have taken the eyes instead?

Before they could ponder further, a Konoha ninja from the Security Division appeared, his face pale:

"Hokage-sama! The village hasn't been attacked by outsiders… but the Uchiha Security Force betrayed us! They attacked the guards at the gates and fled Konoha with a large number of Uchiha survivors!"

Hiruzen's eyes widened in shock. "The Uchiha defected?"

That was impossible. If the Uchiha had fled, then… who were the ones lying dead in the district?

Danzo and Hiruzen exchanged wary glances. A realization dawned on them—Itachi's massacre might have been a cover-up to ensure the successful escape of the Uchiha clan.

A chilling thought struck Hiruzen. If the Uchiha had willingly left Konoha, then…

Were those who died the ones who refused to leave?

And if so, what role had Itachi really played in all of this?

Meanwhile, Near Naka Shrine…

Uchiha Itachi stood atop Naka Shrine, awaiting the masked man's arrival.

Tonight, the Uchiha coup had been stopped, but not in the way Konoha had planned. Now, Itachi had to play his role—earning the masked man's trust and infiltrating his mysterious organization.

Obito appeared as the space rippled. "Itachi… you deceived me."

Itachi remained silent. He had made his choice.

There was no turning back now.

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