As soon as the order was given, the Root Ninjas surrounding the barrier moved instantly.
Countless Ninjutsu blasted toward the barrier wall—Fire Release: Great Fire Destruction, Wind Release: Great Breakthrough, Earth Release: Earth Flow River, and dense clusters of Explosive Tags pelted the crimson Flame Sun Array like raindrops.
Explosions roared continuously, dust filled the sky, and heat waves surged.
But that crimson barrier remained as immovable as if cast in bronze and iron.
The flame patterns on the barrier wall grew even more intense under the impact of the Ninjutsu; many Root Ninjas who rushed too close were instantly swallowed by the rebounding flames, letting out shrill screams.
No matter how frantic the Root’s attacks were, the Flame Sun Array remained as steady as Mount Tai.
A lethal formation that would take twelve hours to break—how could their brief bombardment shake it even slightly?
Hiruzen Sarutobi stood amidst the swirling dust, watching the unmoving barrier and the Uchiha Clan Members heading toward the underground secret chamber inside it.
Listening to the continuous urgent reports from the border, the strength in his body seemed to be drained away instantly.
He staggered and leaned against a nearby broken wall to barely steady himself, his eyes filled with nothing but endless despair and regret.
He finally understood that from the very beginning, he had fallen into the trap set by Uchiha Xia Yin.
The earth-shattering explosion, the scroll of seals, and even the Kumogakure raid—every step had been calculated by this eleven-year-old boy.
And he, along with the entire Konoha, had been played like fools by this child.
Inside the barrier, Shin stood before the Teleportation Array, watching the last group of clansmen step into the blue light.
He then turned his head toward the outside of the barrier, looking at Uchiha Itachi, who was pale and staring at him fixedly with his Mangekyo Sharingan.
A cold smile curled the corner of his mouth as he made a throat-slitting gesture toward Itachi.
Then, he turned and stepped into the deep blue light of the Teleportation Array along with Fugaku, Kai, and the others.
The light flared up suddenly and then vanished instantly.
The entire Uchiha Clan Compound fell into a complete, deathly silence.
Leaving behind only an empty Flame Sun Array still burning with fire, and a group of Konoha high-ranking officials outside the barrier, their eyes bloodshot with rage yet utterly powerless.
Roars continued one after another outside the Flame Sun Array.
The explosive sounds of Ninjutsu collisions, Danzo’s exasperated roars, and the crisp sound of splashing gravel were all mixed together.
Yet, that crimson barrier wall only rippled with fine circles under the continuous impact, without a single crack appearing.
The scorching flames surged along the barrier’s patterns, blocking all frantic attacks from the outside like an indestructible wall, providing an absolutely safe evacuation space for the Uchiha inside.
There was no panic, no wailing, not even the sound of hurried footsteps.
On the bluestone path of the clan compound, the Uchiha clansmen lined up in two rows, walking toward the underground secret chamber of the Naka Shrine in an orderly fashion.
Leading the way were the elderly, the weak, the women, and the children.
A woman holding a swaddled infant shielded the child in her arms, her steps steady;
An elder supported by a younger relative held the ancestral tablets wrapped tightly in brocade, his back held straight;
Even the half-grown children who had just awakened their One-Tomoe Sharingan carried bags filled with dry rations, closely following the team ahead without a single whimper.
Following closely behind were the young and middle-aged Ninjas pushing sealed crates.
The crates contained the clan’s Ninjutsu scrolls, secret technique legacies, and the gold and supplies exchanged from selling off properties; every step was taken steadily.
On both sides were the elites of the Police Force under Uchiha Kai’s command.
Their Three-Tomoe Sharingan spun slowly as they vigilantly scanned the surroundings, yet there was no trace of pre-battle tension—they knew that as long as the Flame Sun Array stood, those outside wouldn’t dream of stepping in.
Even Uchiha Setsuna, who had been at odds with Fugaku before, was now leading his clansmen to guard the end of the line, maintaining the order of the evacuation.
Seeing Mikoto pass by with a child in her arms, he even stepped aside slightly and nodded in respect to the clan leader’s wife.
Past factional disputes and ideological differences had long since vanished in the face of the clan’s survival.
In the underground secret chamber, the deep blue light of the Teleportation Array flowed like a calm sea of stars.
Shin stood at the entrance of the Teleportation Array, holding the clan register.
His crimson Three-Tomoe Sharingan scanned every figure stepping into the light.
After checking each group, he would nod slightly to the clansman recording beside him.
There was no trace of impatience on his face, and even his fingertips remained perfectly still, as if the earth-shaking chaos outside had nothing to do with him.
Fugaku stood by his side, watching the clansmen step steadily into the Teleportation Array and disappear into the blue light, his eyes surging with complex emotions.
He had guarded this clan compound his entire life.
From his high-spirited youth to the step-by-step endurance after becoming the clan leader, every plant, tree, brick, and tile here bore the marks of half his life.
But at this moment, he didn’t have the slightest thought of looking back.
He simply took the register handed over by Shin and crossed out the names of the evacuated clansmen one by one, his fingertips steady and without hesitation.
“The elderly, the weak, the women, and the children have all been teleported,” Yakugo Uchiha walked over quickly and reported in a low voice.
“The supplies and legacy scrolls have also been sent through, with nothing left behind.”
Shin nodded slightly and looked toward the end of the line.
“Have the young and middle-aged Ninjas enter in batches, and the elites will bring up the rear.”
As the order was passed down, the line remained orderly.
In batches of ten, they stepped into the Teleportation Array one by one.
The blue light flared and faded repeatedly; fewer and fewer people remained in the secret chamber, yet absolute silence was maintained throughout.
The attacks outside the barrier grew increasingly frantic.
Danzo even acted personally, his Wind Release blades slashing at the barrier and igniting bursts of fire, yet the Flame Sun Array remained as steady as Mount Tai.
The Ninjas of the Sealing Squad shook their heads frantically at Hiruzen Sarutobi, their faces pale.
The twelve-hour time required to break the formation could not be reduced by even a second; there were no shortcuts.
They could only watch helplessly as the Uchiha clansmen inside the barrier completed their evacuation calmly, leaving behind not even a trace of panic for them to witness.
Half an hour later, most of the clan compound was empty.
After the last batch of ordinary clansmen stepped into the Teleportation Array, only Shin, Fugaku, and about twenty Elite Jonin bringing up the rear, including Uchiha Kai, Tōka, and Yashiro, remained in the secret chamber.
“Young Master, all clansmen have been teleported, not a single one left behind.” Kai closed the register and knelt on one knee, his voice carrying an irrepressible excitement.
A light blue system screen quietly flashed before Shin’s eyes.
The progress bar for the Novice Quest steadily jumped to 100%.
The prompt [Novice Quest completed, system fully unlocked, Novice Gift Pack has been issued] slowly lit up on the screen.
He looked up one last time toward the outside of the barrier.
Through the surging flames of the barrier, he could clearly see Hiruzen Sarutobi’s ashen face, Danzo’s crazed and distorted expression, and Uchiha Itachi standing at the very front, staring fixedly with his Mangekyo Sharingan, his whole body trembling.
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