"Sasuke has defected, but not really."
"Itachi is back, but not really back."
In the Hokage's Office, Tsunade rubbed her temples, nursing a headache. She had a million things she wanted to complain about.
Konoha had only just begun to recover after the whole incident with Naruto, and now another major event had dropped in her lap. Fortunately, the relevant information hadn't been leaked yet. But she could already imagine how her beloved apprentice, Sakura, would react when she found out.
Of the original Team 7, she was the only one left. Her teammates and her sensei had all left the village. It was all too dramatic.
"At least Sasuke didn't join the Seireitei," Jiraiya said with a sigh. "If Naruto ever declares war on the shinobi world, Sasuke will be forced to join our side."
"I suppose that's one piece of good news," Tsunade sighed, unable to stop a frown from creasing her brow. "I don't know how the Third and Danzo could have been so twisted. They got to die peacefully, leaving this huge mess for me to clean up. I never should have left Konoha back then. I should have stayed and fought them." Tsunade spoke in anger, but her words were punctuated by weary sighs.
"The Uchiha clan is now nothing but a name."
"Speaking of which, how is Itachi Uchiha's condition?" Jiraiya asked.
Although Sasuke had left, Itachi's return was still a net positive for Konoha. Compared to the unstable and potentially traitorous Sasuke, Itachi, with his blind loyalty to the village, was far easier to control.
But Sasuke's potential was so much higher! Even before his transformation, Sasuke had been able to defeat Itachi, to say nothing of his current power. Besides, there was no guarantee that Itachi's mind hadn't been further twisted after everything he had endured. The risks were great, but his medical treatment had to continue.
"His body is a complete wreck," Tsunade said, her voice filled with a mix of pity and professional assessment. "These injuries aren't from his fight with Sasuke; they're the result of long-term accumulation. An ordinary person would have succumbed to them long ago. It's hard to imagine how he managed to fight Sasuke while dragging that body around."
"But if we can heal his latent injuries and transplant Sasuke's Sharingan, Itachi's abilities could definitely reach a level beyond a Kage. His potential might even surpass Sasuke's."
Hearing this, even Jiraiya was shocked by Itachi's strength. It was difficult to believe that the Itachi they knew had been fighting while chronically ill. Looked at that way, perhaps Sasuke couldn't have defeated a healthy Itachi after all. And Sasuke had been trained by both him and Orochimaru.
One shinobi who surpassed the Kage level, and another who, despite leaving Konoha, was also a powerhouse in the Seireitei. Perhaps this was a blessing in disguise for the village.
"As long as we nurture Itachi properly, Konoha's future will have a pillar to lean on," Jiraiya murmured to himself.
Tsunade shot him a strange look. "Jiraiya, you're not thinking of taking Itachi on as your student, are you?"
"If it would help Itachi feel a sense of belonging in Konoha..."
"Don't. Please, just don't take any more students!" Tsunade cut him off.
"Why? Am I not worthy?" Jiraiya asked, completely bewildered.
"No," Tsunade said, exasperated. "I just don't want Itachi Uchiha to defect, too."
A short time later, in the Konoha Hospital.
Itachi awoke from his unconscious state. He felt a faint pain and a sense of restraint all over his body, as if he were wrapped in something. He opened his eyes to the sight of a white ceiling.
Is this the Konoha Hospital? he wondered, recognizing the smell of disinfectant as he turned his head to survey the room. He tried to sit up but found his entire body bound in bandages, so he gave up. His chakra felt abundant, and a cool, refreshing sensation flowed through him. His old injuries seemed to have mostly healed. Konoha's medical ninjutsu was truly superb.
Where's Sasuke? Itachi tried to remember, but the image that came to mind was Sasuke's blackened corpse.
His adorable little brother was dead. All of his plans had been for nothing.
Uncontrollable grief washed over Itachi, and his eyes swirled into the pattern of the Eternal Mangekyo.
This power is... He paused, subconsciously touching his eyes. It was only then that he realized how incredibly clear his vision was.
Because these were his brother's eyes, combined with his own.
Sasuke's words echoed in his mind: "Carry on the bloodline limit you seek. You are the last of the Uchiha now. You bear the clan's honor and the hope of its revival. So you cannot die an ugly death. Even if you have to kneel, even if you have to crawl, you must survive."
But...
What was the point of the Uchiha clan without Sasuke?
Itachi lay on the bed, his face ashen, as tears streamed from the corners of his eyes.
"You're awake."
The door opened, and Jiraiya and Tsunade walked into the room.
"Lady Hokage, Lord Jiraiya."
"Don't move. Let me check on you first," Tsunade said, stopping Itachi as he tried to get up. She began her examination. A moment later, she nodded in satisfaction. "You're recovering quickly. I think we can remove the bandages tomorrow."
"Lady Hokage, Lord Jiraiya... where is Sasuke?" Itachi couldn't help but ask.
"Don't worry, Sasuke is not dead," Jiraiya said. A look of joy flashed across Itachi's face, but Jiraiya's next words made it vanish.
"He has left Konoha."
"Left? Where did he go?"
"We don't know. But we can be certain it wasn't to the Seireitei," Jiraiya sighed. "We hid so much from him. Konoha wronged him. It's understandable that he would choose to leave."
Itachi's expression turned sorrowful, his mind reeling. The words "he has left Konoha" echoed in his head. So, Sasuke had walked that path after all.
"Did... did he say anything?" Itachi asked.
"Just what you heard before. He gave his eyes to you and asked us to perform the transplant. It was his way of severing his bond with Konoha," Jiraiya said sadly. "We need you now, Itachi."
"I understand." Itachi touched his eyes, his expression gradually calming. "I will spend my life atoning for my sins. As the last of the Uchiha, I will restore our clan."
It was a noble sentiment, but it raised a very practical question.
"How do you plan to restore the Uchiha clan?" Jiraiya asked curiously, a slight twitch at the corner of his mouth. "Theoretically, it would involve... procreation. That's quite a large undertaking."
A few days later, Itachi was discharged from the hospital.
Using a Transformation Jutsu to assume a new identity Tsunade had created for him, he walked the streets of the village, filled with a thousand emotions as he looked at the familiar sights. Due to the sensitive nature of his identity, he couldn't show his true face.
It had been nearly ten years since he was last in Konoha. In that time, so much had changed. After several major incidents, the village was a different place. Many of the small shops he remembered were now closed.
Itachi saw many familiar faces. But behind every smile, he could sense hidden hatred and sorrow. It reminded him of the day Sasuke had gouged out his own eyes. Under Naruto's influence, Sasuke had actually come to doubt the Uchiha bloodline.
In Itachi's eyes, this was heresy. He had orchestrated so much, all to allow Sasuke to glimpse the true secrets of the Sharingan and awaken the Eternal Mangekyo. No one knew the power of the Sharingan better than he did.
But now... Sasuke had willingly abandoned the bloodline others coveted, all to embrace the ethereal power of Reiatsu.
And all of it, every last bit of it, was Uzumaki Naruto's fault!
"Uzumaki Naruto!" Itachi's fists clenched inside his sleeves as he muttered the name, his voice thick with hatred.
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