The courtyard was quiet, bathed in the dull glow of the moon. Its light stretched across the stone floor, cool and pale, but there was nothing peaceful about the night anymore. Something in the air had shifted—tight, heavy, like the silence before a landslide.
The Uchiha stood tense, clustered beneath the shadows of their own compound walls. Walls that once felt strong, and protective. Now, they felt like they were closing in.
"Did Itachi betray us?"
Tekka Uchiha's voice cracked the stillness. It came out rough—more disbelief than anything else, though anger sat just under the surface. His hands were balled into fists, shaking slightly.
Nobody answered right away. No one wanted to say it.
They all stood there, stiff, unsure. Just hours ago they'd been training, eating, living like they always had. Now? Everything felt off. Wrong.
Kaito Uchiha stepped forward. The firelight from a nearby torch flickered across his face. He looked calm, but too calm—like someone keeping it together because he had to. He met Tekka's eyes, and his voice didn't waver.
"Yeah. It's happening. Tonight."
Silence dropped again. Hard.
Nobody moved, but the shift was clear. Jaw muscles clenched. Eyes darted. Fear creeping in beneath the anger.
"That traitorous bastard," Tekka spat, the words hitting the stones like venom. "After everything we did for him—after everything he was supposed to stand for."
A low murmur rippled through the group. The kind that wasn't really meant to be heard. They didn't want to believe it, but they did. They had to.
Someone else finally spoke, voice tight. "So... what do we do now?"
All eyes went to Kaito.
He let out a slow breath, steadying himself. "We find who we can trust. Lock down the compound. We're not giving them the element of surprise. If Konoha's in on this... we make them fight for every inch."
Tekka nodded. "I'll get the others moving."
The crowd shifted slightly. Small nods, a few muttered acknowledgments. There wasn't a plan yet, but they had something. That was enough for now.
But then
"What about Itachi?"
It came quiet. Almost hesitant. Not from a place of rage this time. Just pain.
No one wanted to ask it, but everyone was thinking it.
Kaito's eyes flicked toward the speaker. His expression didn't change, but something behind it hardened.
"I'll handle him."
Nobody argued. They knew what that meant.
There was a rustle as a few people stepped back, giving him space without realizing it. The firelight danced again, and that's when it happened.
Kaito lifted his gaze. His Sharingan spun and then changed. Warped. The red gleam twisted into something sharper, darker.
Gasps broke out.
"The Mangekyo..." someone whispered.
Kaito didn't say anything right away. He just stood there, his eyes locked ahead, glowing like embers under pressure. When he spoke again, his voice was low. Not shouting, not commanding. Just final.
"Konoha chose their side. Now they live with it."
That was all. No more speeches.
The Uchiha began to move. Quiet. Focused. Some went to gather weapons, others to check the perimeter. The tension never left, but now it had a direction.
Kaito stayed behind a moment longer. His eyes drifted upward. The moon was still watching, white and indifferent. Maybe mocking. He didn't care.
Somewhere out there, Itachi was waiting. Waiting to finish what he'd started.
Kaito's hand dropped to his blade. His grip tightened, but he didn't draw it. Not yet.
The wind picked up cool, damp. Rain was coming. So was the fight.
And this time, Kaito wouldn't hold back.