Chapter 13
Three years had passed since the Uchiha clan massacre. In the aftermath, the village had been in a state of shock and unease. After all, the complete annihilation of a major clan overnight was a terrifying event, no matter how one looked at it. The so-called "culprit" behind it all, Uchiha Itachi, was naturally marked as a wanted criminal by all the major ninja villages.
Following the massacre, the Third Hokage personally addressed the village, explaining the situation. He declared that Uchiha Itachi had colluded with foreign forces to carry out the attack. In response, Konoha urged all major villages to be on high alert while also holding a moment of silence and prayer for the fallen Uchiha. The Hokage reassured the villagers that such a tragedy would never happen again.
Zixu and his team had grown tremendously over the past three years. They had fully mastered the fundamental subjects at the Ninja Academy, and their combat skills were among the best in their class. Within their group, Zixu maintained an average standing—stronger than Aburame Hatsuizumi but still below Hyuga Chinano.
Because of their exceptional performance, they were now facing their final assessment, after which they would officially become Genin. However, everyone knew the so-called assessment was nothing more than a formality. Gouda Takeshi was well aware of their capabilities, and passing was all but guaranteed.
Even after three years, the shadow of the Uchiha massacre still lingered over them like an inescapable weight. They all knew something wasn't right. How could a single teenager wipe out an entire clan in a single night without anyone noticing? Zixu refused to believe that the Third Hokage had nothing to do with it.
Even if Konoha's Anbu couldn't stop Itachi, couldn't they have at least warned the Uchiha? A single alarm, a simple shout, and some of them could have survived. The fact that no such action had been taken led to one chilling conclusion—Sarutobi Hiruzen wanted the Uchiha clan gone.
The exact reason was unclear. The Uchiha had always been a core part of Konoha's military strength. Though they often carried an air of arrogance in the village, they were also the first to charge into battle, embodying an almost medieval sense of chivalry.
Maybe their destruction had something to do with their ambition and aggressive nature. In history, Zixu had read about emperors who executed entire families of powerful generals out of fear that they would grow too strong and overthrow them. Could this be a similar case?
Speculating on the reason was pointless now. Konoha had eliminated an entire clan within its own walls, sending a clear message to the other families—a warning, like killing a chicken to scare the monkeys. Since then, the other clans had become noticeably more obedient to the Third Hokage's rule.
Zixu had spent the past three years relentlessly training, even mastering the Shadow Clone Jutsu. He felt he was just one step away from advancing to the Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu, but he lacked the insight needed to take that final step. After much thought, he decided to have one of his shadow clones consume the Silence Fruit.
Sure enough, the clone was able to utilize the fruit's power. The drawbacks were present but not as severe as in the original lore. Upon contact with water, the clone experienced an instinctual sense of disgust, but it wasn't immediately weakened or paralyzed. Zixu speculated that the water in the Naruto world lacked the same sea-prism stone properties as the ocean in One Piece.