Itachi exhaled softly, a low sigh escaping his lips. His chest rose and fell slowly as he tilted his head toward the horizon.
Alex's words lingered in his mind like an echo. It was grand, absurd, yet disturbingly practical.
'Destroy the feudal system… elections… a world free of parasites…'
Itachi's rational mind balked at the impossibility, but his heart knew Alex wasn't merely dreaming. He was capable of it.
And that truth alone was enough to unsettle him.
He shook his head faintly. Pressing further now would only spiral the conversation into endless clashes of ideals. For once, he allowed his thoughts to rest, his voice slipping out calmly as he steered the subject elsewhere.
"…Then, let me ask you something different." His eyes sharpened, the crimson glow of his Sharingan flickering briefly as his tone lowered. "Earlier, you spoke of a secret organization… Kara. You even warned us, explicitly, not to engage them if we ever encountered them. Why? What sort of organization are they?"
The name seemed to strike a chord.
Alex groaned, rolling his shoulders with an air of visible irritation. His hand brushed back his hair as he clicked his tongue softly.
"Tch. That's not something you need to burden yourself with, Itachi. Just follow my instructions... if you ever see them, don't fight. Don't test them, or provoke them. Report straight to me, and I'll deal with them myself."
The serious edge in his voice made the air grow heavier.
Itachi's brows knit tightly. His tone hardened.
"Why, Alex? We are not weaklings. The Akatsuki has monsters in its ranks like Kisame, Deidara, Obito, and even Nagato himself. Even I… all of us have fought against the strongest. What makes this Kara so dangerous that even you refuse to let us engage?"
Alex's smile vanished. His eyes narrowed, his face falling into a rare, solemn expression. The sunlight no longer seemed warm; it only cast harsh lines over his features, giving him an almost grim look. When he finally spoke, his words were slow, deliberate, carrying the weight of stone.
"Itachi… every single member of Kara is on par with a Kage."
Itachi's eyes widened slightly, but Alex didn't stop. His tone deepened, a quiet growl resonating in his throat.
"No, perhaps even beyond that. Some of them… their strength eclipses what you think is possible. Even the real Madara Uchiha… in all his might… would struggle against many of them. And more often than not, he would lose."
Itachi's heart jolted. His breath caught in his throat, and for once, his composure faltered. His eyes trembled visibly as he whispered, almost involuntarily,
"…Impossible…"
The word hung weakly in the air. He clenched his fists at his side, trying to suppress the chill running down his spine. 'If even Madara… if even he couldn't fight them… then just what kind of monsters are these people?'
Alex stepped forward, his gaze boring into Itachi's soul.
"I could answer all your questions. Every single one. I could tell you exactly who and what Kara is. But…" His tone dropped, his voice a razor in the wind. "…to know the truth means doing things that may go against your own conscience. Things that may taint even your iron resolve. So tell me, Itachi… do you still want to know?"
Itachi met his gaze. He could feel Alex's seriousness pressing against him like an unshakable weight. His instinct screamed at him to step back, to remain ignorant.
Yet… the hunger for truth burned within him. His thoughts twisted.
'If Alex has deemed Kara dangerous enough to shield even the Akatsuki from them… then turning away would be cowardice. Even if it means carrying yet another burden, I must know. I cannot close my eyes to this.'
After a long pause, he straightened, his jaw tightening as he gave a firm nod.
"Yes. I want to know."
For the first time in the exchange, Alex chuckled with a deep, amused rumble that broke the tension for a moment. His lips curved into a faint grin, almost nostalgic.
"Hah… you can't change at all. Always the same stubborn fool willing to bear the weight of the world on his shoulders."
He lifted his hand, placing it firmly on top of Itachi's head. His touch was surprisingly gentle, yet it carried undeniable authority. His voice lowered, almost like a whisper of warning.
"Don't be shocked by what you're about to see."
Before Itachi could react, his vision blurred. The rooftop, the sunlight, the metallic gleam of the city, all of it melted away into nothingness.
His body felt weightless, his mind spinning. A strange sound filled his ears like the low hum of countless whispers layered atop one another, echoing endlessly.
When the haze cleared, Itachi found himself standing in a vast, dark space. There was no sky, no ground, only a shifting, distorted void with an endless water below his feet that felt like an endless consciousness if he had stepped into someone's inner world.
His breath hitched softly. 'This… isn't genjutsu. It feels too real. Too raw. Where am I…?'
A hand patted his shoulder, steady and grounding. It was Alex, standing beside him, his presence glowing faintly in the darkness, almost like a beacon. His grin returned, wide and knowing.
"Don't overthink it, Itachi. You're inside my consciousness now. A space beyond illusions. Here, I can show you truths you can't see in the waking world."
Itachi's eyes narrowed, his voice low and tense. "Why bring me here? What are you planning to show me?"
Alex simply raised a finger to his lips, signaling for silence. His grin widened as his eyes glinted with dangerous amusement.
"Shhh. Just follow me. And whatever you do… don't look away."
The darkness rippled like water at his words, and distant shapes began to stir within the void.
Itachi swallowed hard, his heart thundering in his chest. His mind screamed for caution, but his feet moved instinctively, following Alex into the unknown.
Itachi followed Alex silently, his sandals pressing softly against the water surface until their arrived a space that was illuminating with a strange light.
Floating above the ground, robes billowing with an ethereal weightlessness, was an unfamiliar old man. His skin was pale, almost translucent, his staff hovering effortlessly behind his back. His eyes were those legendary ripple-patterned eyes, the Rinnegan. They stared deeply, carrying the weight of countless centuries. And on his forehead was a crimson eye.
Itachi froze mid-step.
'What is this presence…? My body refuses to move… Those eyes…'
--- ✦ ✦ ✦ ---
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