Nightfall by freowin

Chapter 4: Itachi Uchiha

It had been one and a half years since Jiraiya had left the village along with Naruto. And while things on the surface seemed to be fine, the village was actually in complete turmoil. Hiruzen's most trusted Anbu commander had retired from Anbu and just become a everyday Jounin, and much to the ire of the aged Hokage, said former Anbu captain Kakashi Hatake had become even less reliable to show up on time than ever before.

That was however the least of Hiruzen Sarutobi's troubles however. Over the last few years relations between the Uchiha clan and the rest of the village had deteriorated, Konoha was on the verge of civil war and negotiations were going nowhere. Hiruzen knew that he had to act before it was too late but the only option that was left to him seemed far too extreme. Unfortunately the longer the talks went on while going nowhere the more obvious it became that they would have to go through with the plan that was put forward by his long time rival and adviser Shimura Danzo. His solution was to wipe out the entire Uchiha clan before they caused any lasting damage to the village. The Hokage had at fist completely dismissed the idea as impossible and refused to even consider it, however his agent he had inside the clan spying on them only brought grave news.

Itachi Uchiha loved his family, but he loved Konoha even more, his loyalty lay not with his father and the Uchiha clan like they believed but with the Hokage. So when talk of a coup de-tat intensified Itachi went straight to the Hokage.

Arriving at the Hokage's door Itachi knocked twice, and entered soon after receiving the call to enter from his leader.

"Ah Itachi-kun, please tell me you have some good news for me?" the Hokage said hopefully.

"I'm sorry Hokage-sama, but no I don't, my family are more determined than ever, I can see no way of this ending without blood shed. I have to throw my support behind Danzo's plan" Itachi said solemnly.

"You know what that would mean don't you?" Hiruzen asked sadness soaked his voice.

"Yes I am aware of what will happen, I will take on the task myself, I cannot let the burden fall to anyone else. But there are those within the clan that still love Konoha as it is, my friend Shisui for one" Itachi said.

"I am aware of this, it is why I am so opposed to the idea, we can't let there be a single strand to trace this back to the Hokage's office otherwise it will have the same effect as the coup de-tat and the village will fall into a civil war with all of the clans looking for power regardless. If they think we simply wiped out the clan because I thought they were becoming too powerful or simply a pain in the ass, the others will rebel in fear that they might be next" Hiruzen explained.

"So in other words they all have to die" Itachi surmised.

"As much as I hate to say it, if we do go through with this then yes, they must all die, and we can play you off as being away from the clan on the night and thus the sole survivor" Hiruzen said.

"What if I took the blame, but left someone else alive, I could leave the village and become a missing ninja" Itachi said as a thought crossed his mind.

"But Itachi-kun that is insane, you will be hunted by bounty hunters and Hunter Nin from all over the world and even Konoha, you would be damming yourself to a life on the run and I wouldn't even be able to help you any more than giving you a head start!" the Hokage said in shock.

"I know, but I don't care, it is the only way I can live with what I will have to do" Itachi said.

"Very well, who is it that you want to save?" Hiruzen asked.

"My little brother Sasuke, he is innocent and I cant bring myself to kill him, he means too much to me" Itachi replied.

"I see, well then I accept your plan, you may go about executing it in any way you see fit, but I have one last thing I can offer you. Find my apprentice Jiraiya, he is traveling with someone you know quite well. When you find him give him this message, he will be able to keep you far safer than if you were alone, he is not currently registered as a shinobi of Konoha, so helping you will not constitute treason" the old Sarutobi explained.