"I have... always lied to you and asked for your forgiveness while keeping you at a distance. Because I wanted to keep you out of this. But now I think...that perhaps you could have changed father, mother and the rest of the Uchiha as well. If I had...
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The Foundation mansion, Danzo’s living room:
“I’ll do it.”
The only one who heard Zeref’s words was Danzo. He stood up from the chair behind his desk, and approached Zeref with heavy steps.
“I felt certain you would say that.” he said. The hand he put on Zeref’s shoulder was ridiculously cold.
“Don’t worry about your brothers. Even after you disappear, the village will take care of them.”
Zeref was going to slaughter his clan. Even if it were a mission, it was the sort that could never be made public.
To the outside world, Zeref would be a criminal who had gone mad, and murdered his entire clan. Naturally, he would not be able to stay in the village.
At that point, he had no choice but to believe even the words of a man like Danzo.
“The day will be the day before the planned date of the coup. How does that sound?”
Zeref had correctly understood his intentions. The mission this time was a surprise strike. A sneak attack, to wipe out a clan that suspected nothing.
The night before the coup, the members of the clan would refrain from going out, in order to build up their courage and make their preparations. It was easy to see what they would do.
Additionally, their thoughts would be full of the next day’s action, so it shouldn’t even occur to them that they would be ambushed.
“Understood.”
“I’ll tell Hiruzen you’re desperately trying to reconcile them with the village.”
Zeref had made his decision, and he had no intention of continuing this chat with Danzo.
He had some ideas about his brothers, too. Everything was after this mission was over.
He would take on the crime of murdering his clan for the sake of peace in the village. He despaired at himself for not being able to come up with any other way. This whole time, he had been thinking about how he would ever be able to apologize to Shisui, after his friend had entrusted him with the future.
A decision born of failure...That was the truth. Nothingness...
No matter how he dug around in his heart, no emotions appeared.
Whatever he saw, whatever he heard, his heart was dead.
He felt oddly calm despite what he's about to do. He felt he's drained of everything.
Zeref turned his back to Danzo, and started walking. When he put his hand on the door, he heard a voice from behind.
“Best if we do not meet again before your mission is complete. This is the last time I will speak with you as a ninja of Konohagakure. You have worked hard for the village up to now. I thank you.”
