Over the next few days, Konoha remained relatively calm on the surface. Although the security apparatus had become noticeably more stringent, it didn't seem as though any major catastrophe was imminent. Diarmuid continued to reside at the Hyuga Residence, and no one came to disturb him.
However, within the Uchiha Compound, things were far from peaceful.
Itachi's state was visibly deteriorating. Since the death of Shisui, Itachi only managed to show a sliver of a smile when facing his younger brother, Sasuke. At all other times, his face remained a cold, expressionless mask, as if he owed the world a debt he could never repay.
Returning from his duties at the Anbu headquarters this day, Itachi's mood grew even darker. Shisui's death had not brought the Uchiha clan a moment of respite; instead, it seemed to have struck a raw nerve. Over the past few days, the public opinion and atmosphere within the clan had become increasingly volatile.
As he stepped through the Uchiha gates, he was met by several clan ninjas. Among them was a Jonin from the Police Force, Inabi Uchiha.
Upon seeing Itachi, Inabi's brow furrowed. He let out a cold snort and didn't bother to greet the clan leader's son. Acting as if Itachi didn't exist, he brushed past him. The other clan members followed suit, looking at Itachi with unconcealed disdain as they walked away.
"Inabi-nii, everyone's saying he's the one who killed Shisui. Is it true?"
"Who knows? But he's the prime suspect, isn't he?" Inabi replied.
Shisui, despite being a mole for the Hokage's faction, actually had an excellent reputation within the clan. For instance, Inabi had always considered Shisui a close friend. This was only natural; as a spy, Shisui had to integrate deeply with the clan to obtain vital intelligence. If you are an outcast, people won't trust you with their secrets.
In contrast, Itachi had always felt like a "traitor in the making" to the clan. Despite being an Uchiha, he was always talking about "the village," which rubbed the radicals the wrong way, especially considering he was the son of the Clan Head.
Now that Shisui was dead and Itachi had rushed back to Konoha that very night, people drew their own conclusions. Even though it was a mere coincidence, rumors unfavorable to Itachi began to spread. Within the clan, many now believed that Itachi had murdered Shisui.
Listening to their conversation, Itachi's fists clenched so tightly his nails bit into his palms.
None of you... none of you have any idea what Shisui did for the village and this clan!
I am the one... the one who is truly suffering!
Rage caused Itachi's eyes to burn red, but he quickly forced himself to calm down. Taking a deep breath, he looked out over the vast Uchiha Compound. In his eyes, it was a place defined only by decay and impending destruction.
"War..." The thought of Kumogakure crossed Itachi's mind.
Shisui... if it were you, how would you choose? Clan or Village? War or Peace? Itachi asked silently in his heart.
His gaze was hollow, and his steps were stiff and heavy as he returned home.
The moment he opened the door to the foyer, someone inside heard the commotion. A young boy's silhouette came running out to meet him.
"Onii-san!" Sasuke Uchiha rushed over excitedly, reaching Itachi's side with a bright smile. "Onii-san, my Shurikenjutsu has gotten even better! Can you come practice with me?"
Seeing his younger brother, Itachi's numb eyes softened significantly. He wanted to agree, but ultimately, he spoke: "Sasuke, I have to go out again in a bit."
"Huh?" Sasuke's face immediately fell into a pout. Lately, his brother seemed so busy that he had no time for him at all. In the past, his brother would never have refused him.
Looking at Sasuke's disappointed face, Itachi smiled and reached out, poking Sasuke's forehead with his fingers.
"Forgive me, Sasuke. Maybe next time," Itachi said gently.
With that, Itachi stood up and headed further into the house. Sasuke rubbed his forehead, looking dazed, then muttered grumpily, "It's always 'forgive me' and 'maybe next time'..."
But that minor annoyance vanished in an instant. He knew his brother loved him dearly.
Itachi shut his bedroom door and let out a long breath, leaning back against the wall.
"Sigh..."
It took several seconds for him to recover some energy from his exhaustion. He shook his head helplessly and walked toward his bed. He wanted to sleep; he had to report to the Anbu later tonight.
However, as he passed his desk, his footsteps stopped. He whipped his head around to look at the tabletop.
There was a note.
As an Anbu ninja, Itachi never kept sensitive documents at home, but Fugaku, Mikoto, and even Sasuke would never enter his room while he was away. It was a matter of basic respect. Furthermore, Itachi knew the layout of his room by heart. That paper was definitely not there when he left.
Frowning, he turned and picked up the note.
"I'll be waiting for you at the mountain behind the compound." A simple sentence. No signature.
In the corner of the paper, there was a small drawing of a circle, a swirl.
Itachi's eyes flashed with surprise, followed by a dark shadow. He stuffed the note into his pocket, turned, and walked back out to the foyer.
Sasuke was still standing there. Seeing his brother come right back out after entering, he asked curiously, "Onii-san, what's wrong?"
As Itachi put on his shoes, he gave a weary, helpless smile. "Sasuke, when you grow up, whatever you do, don't join the Anbu. The work is far too busy."
Sasuke replied with innocent conviction, "I know, nii-san! When I become the Hokage, I'll make you my subordinate. Then I can see you every day!"
Itachi froze, looking at his brother's naive face. A deep tenderness flickered in his eyes. The Hokage?
He reached out and ruffled Sasuke's hair. "There will come a day, Sasuke," he said softly.
At that moment, the scale in his heart, balancing village and clan, seemed to tip just a little further.
Itachi stood up, nodded to Sasuke, and left the house.
It didn't take long for him to reach the "mountain behind the compound." In Konoha, only the Uchiha used that term, as the mountain sat directly behind their ancestral lands. Between the phrasing and the swirl on the note, Itachi already knew who was waiting for him.
This went back a few days to when he had split from Kakashi's squad to return to the village ahead of them. In the end, Kakashi had arrived first; Itachi didn't make it back until after Shisui had already died.
Was it because he was slower than Kakashi? No. It was because on the road back, he had encountered a dangerous individual.
The man's wanted poster was still plastered all over Konoha. As an Anbu member, Itachi couldn't fail to recognize him. The instigator of the Nine-Tails' Night, the villain who called himself Uchiha Madara!
When Itachi arrived and searched the area, he saw "Uchiha Madara" standing by a small river, skipping stones.
The masked emperor of shadows.
A stone flew from his hand, skipping across the surface several times before sinking with a plop.
Obito didn't even turn around. "I've been waiting for hours. I was starting to worry you hadn't noticed my message."
"It really is you. You have quite the nerve, infiltrating Konoha like this!" Itachi said, killing intent flickering in his eyes.
"Why wouldn't I? Is there anyone here who can catch me?" Obito replied with immense arrogance.
But no sooner had he spoken than he let out a strange yelp. He kicked off the ground, his figure blurring backward. He wasn't fast enough. A flash of cold steel slashed down, striking his body.
However, there was no sensation of impact. Itachi's expression grew grim as he watched his blade pass through "Madara's" body as if he were a mere phantom.
"Oh my, how violent. Why start a fight?" Obito stepped back, his tone still flippant and erratic as he looked at Itachi.
Itachi held his short sword in one hand and formed a hand seal with the other. He glared at Obito. "Was it you who killed Shisui?!"
Obito: "???"
What the hell are you talking about?
"Uchiha Shisui?" Obito asked. As a fellow Uchiha and a veteran of the Third War, he obviously knew who Shisui was.
"Yes!" Itachi stood poised to strike, his chakra surging.
"It wasn't me. Why would I kill him?" Obito shook his head in denial.
"Shisui had a way to reconcile the village and the Uchiha, but you want to destroy the clan. So you killed him to make the situation irreversible, didn't you?" Itachi said coldly.
Obito was genuinely baffled. What are you even saying? I have no idea what's going on.
In that instant, the eccentric, nonsensical air around Obito vanished. He became dark and cold. Beneath the mask, his three-tomoe Sharingan locked onto Itachi.
"It wasn't me," he said grimly.
Itachi stared silently at the masked man. Although he didn't trust him, his instincts told him the man wasn't lying.
After a long silence, Itachi sheathed his short sword and released his jutsu. "Why did you come to Konoha to find me?"
"Have you thought about the invitation I gave you before? Will you become my partner?" The dark, cold atmosphere around Obito dissipated as he returned to his flippant persona, asking with a chuckle.
"Why me? Why did you choose me?" Itachi asked.
Obito rubbed the chin of his mask and spoke softly: "Isn't it obvious? There is no longer any room for you in Konoha... Uchiha Itachi."
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