More importantly, Takuno had deeper considerations.
The Anbu's activities within the Uchiha clan grounds, no matter how concealed, could never be hidden from the eyes of all vigilant Uchiha clansmen forever.
Exposure was only a matter of time; once detected, conflict would be unavoidable.
If another non-Uchiha Anbu Squad Leader were to lead such a sensitive mission, it would highly likely trigger violent opposition immediately, perhaps even escalating into a bloody conflict.
But if the person in charge was Itachi, the genius youth carrying the Uchiha bloodline, the situation would be vastly different.
His very existence provided a layer of buffer for potential confrontations, offering a chance for explanation and mediation.
Choosing Itachi was a strategy born of Takuno's careful deliberation; it was a cautious move to take an experimental first step.
First, let the Uchiha clan gradually adapt to the reality of the Anbu's presence under Itachi's "buffer." Once this presence became less conspicuous and less difficult to accept, a replacement could be made.
Naturally, this rotation list would never include members of the Hyuga clan; the unspoken competitive relationship between these two great families possessing ocular bloodline limits was itself a potential risk.
Itachi was currently unable to see through Takuno's complex calculations.
Hearing those categorical words of trust, even though his intellect far surpassed his peers, the high expectations placed upon him by the Hokage and the highest commander of the Anbu still stirred surging waves in his young heart.
A heavy sense of responsibility and heroic spirit arose spontaneously.
"I understand, Commander-in-Chief!" Itachi's voice was sonorous and powerful, carrying the unique sharpness and determination of youth. "Please rest assured, I will give my all and not fail your trust to complete this mission!"
"Mhm." Takuno's tone softened slightly. "The road ahead, for you, will likely be exceptionally arduous."
This hardship went without saying, and Itachi knew very well that the moment he accepted this task, it meant he would stand on the opposite side of countless clansmen.
Those within the clan who only saw the surface—immersed in old glory or narrow emotions—would inevitably label him a "traitor."
This was an almost inescapable fate.
But...
In that instant, the gentle yet firm voice of his best friend, Shisui, as well as the ideal picture Shisui had painted regarding the harmonious coexistence of the family and the village, surfaced clearly in his mind.
The light of hope for the future flickering in Shisui's eyes now seemed to become a bright lamp illuminating the haze in his heart.
For this common ideal, for the future Shisui believed in!
Even if it meant becoming enemies with some short-sighted clansmen, so what?
This conviction instantly overwhelmed all hesitation and potential fear.
"I am not afraid of hardship! For the village, for the future of the Uchiha, it is my duty!" Itachi's answer had no pause; it was resolute.
Subsequently, he solemnly received that heavy mission scroll from Takuno's hand.
The scroll felt cool to the touch, yet it seemed to contain the weight of a thousand pounds, symbolizing the burden and mission he was about to undertake.
He said no more, merely performing a concise and powerful salute to the Commander-in-Chief once more before turning to leave.
That slightly thin yet exceptionally straight back disappeared at the end of the deep corridor of the Anbu headquarters, signaling the start of a journey filled with thorns and challenges.
Takuno watched Itachi's figure vanish at the end of his vision, a meaningful smile unconsciously tugging at the corners of his mouth.
Due to the changes brought about by his existence, although he could roughly determine the ending of the Uchiha clan, he could not master the entire process.
This was precisely the unavoidable "inconvenience" brought about by tampering with a set script.
Fortunately, in his current high position, sources of information from all sides of Konoha flowed continuously into his ears.
Even if he could not witness every moment of change with his own eyes, he could rely on these diverse fragments of intelligence, combined with his understanding of the "original work's" threads, to piece together a picture of part of the truth.
It was like walking through a fog with a tattered map; though he couldn't see the whole picture, the direction of the path was vaguely discernible.
However, not all fog could be dispelled.
Currently troubling him were two heavy clouds of doubt:
First, those members within the Uchiha clan who were organizing resistance and stirring up trouble.
Was their motive for action truly just because they learned Shisui had awakened the legendary Mangekyō Sharingan?
Beneath this seemingly reasonable excuse, were there deeper, more hidden demands or pushers lurking?
Obito? Or something else?
Second, the unexpected choice made by the Uchiha patriarch, Fugaku.
At such a critical and sensitive juncture, this Clan Head, who prioritized family interests, had actually made a clear-cut choice to side with the village!
This decision far exceeded Takuno's expectations.
He originally thought that even if Fugaku did not choose the family over the village and launch a coup like in the "original work," he wouldn't stand completely on the village's side either.
What Takuno did not know at this moment was that the underlying motivation behind Fugaku's vital decision to take a side was far more complex and profound than he imagined.
The gentle philosophy and new atmosphere shown by Minato had certainly allowed Fugaku to see a glimmer of hope.
But the deeper, more core driving force was his knowledge that the underlying logic of how this world operated was always based on strength.
Making a gesture to lean toward the village would not instantly hollow out the foundational power the Uchiha clan relied on for survival; the sharpness of those Sharingan had not dimmed because of it.
The chips held firmly in their hands—powerful combat capability and potential destructive force—still existed.
This left a vital path of retreat for Fugaku.
When the situation developed to an irrecoverable point and the survival of the family faced a fatal threat, he, and the entire Uchiha, still retained the opportunity and strength to tear up all agreements and give their all for one final struggle.
His "taking a side" was more like a strategic posture than a desperate surrender.
Takuno rubbed his forehead, attempting to dispel useless thoughts.
Regardless of how the situation evolved, to him, it was ultimately just a performance by outsiders.
His identity was that of a spectator standing apart; forcibly intervening or making wild guesses was of no benefit.
Better to settle his mind, stand peacefully at the side of the stage, and quietly observe the rise and fall of this drama.
When the final curtain falls and the dust settles, he could look back and examine it; then, all the threads of cause and effect, the clashes between light and shadow, would present themselves clearly before his eyes.
Rather than wasting mental energy elsewhere at this moment, it was better to focus his attention on the problems he himself needed to solve.
For now, the aftereffects brought by that memory-cutting surgery had basically vanished, which meant his long-prepared Sage Mode training plan could finally be put on the agenda.
With Jugo, who possessed a special constitution, assisting and guiding him from the side, mastering this power wouldn't take a mere half-month like that kid Naruto.
But Takuno also had sufficient confidence that within half a year, he would surely be able to successfully harness this natural energy.
And once Sage Mode was mastered...
His fingers unconsciously tapped lightly on the desk, his thoughts flying toward that mysterious land floating above the firmament: the Moon.
A thought became increasingly clear: was it time to go and obtain that ancient bloodline belonging to the Ōtsutsuki clan?
However, several doubts also surfaced: the timing of the death of Toneri's father, that key figure, was something he still couldn't pinpoint precisely;
More importantly, even if he could fully step into the Transcendental-Kage realm by then, if he rashly set foot on the moon and faced that giant golden Tenseigan embedded in the castle core, emitting vast energy, what were the odds of winning? Was it steady enough?
Thinking of various possibilities, a more cautious thought took the upper hand: perhaps... he should wait a bit longer?
Once he took a step further, successfully awakening the Mangekyō Sharingan that symbolized the ultimate power of the Uchiha clan, and perfectly integrated the Hashirama cells—containing immense vitality—into his own body, his power would surely undergo a qualitative leap.
At that time, if he set out on the journey again, wouldn't his grasp be even greater?
Thinking of this, his fingers stopped.
That's right, that fellow Toneri is destined to keep a lonely watch on the desolate moon for the next few years with nowhere to run.
Since the target was fixed and immovable, why should he rush and take unnecessary risks?
After a long weigh-in, Takuno's desire for power was ultimately suppressed by his habitual calmness and caution.
Having made the final decision, he would stay put for now, continuing to accumulate strength and waiting for a more mature opportunity to arrive.
...
The night was as dark as ink, heavily enveloping the Uchiha clan grounds.
Atop a high roof ridge, a figure stood solitary. He was dressed in pitch-black attire, his face covered by that iconic one-eyed whirlpool mask; it was Obito.
The scarlet Sharingan, the only three-tomoe exposed outside the mask, looked down coldly at the familiar streets and mansions below.
This place carried almost all of his childhood memories—the pride once bred from carrying Uchiha blood, the family glory he once swore to protect with his life—all were now like stones cast into a deep pool, unable to stir the slightest ripple in his heart.
Just as the existence that guided him, Madara, had said: the Uchiha before him were merely cowards content to beg for Konoha's mercy, a group of wretches who had abandoned the true characteristics of the Uchiha.
More fatally, their very existence had become an eyesore and a stumbling block on his path forward.
It was time to start cleaning up.
Obito's thoughts clearly organized the overall situation.
The Akatsuki's grand undertaking of capturing Tailed Beasts was definitely not at an opportune moment; the strength of the newly recruited members was still thin, operating funds were stretched thin, and vital Tailed Beast intelligence was far from fully collected.
Moreover, the Gedo Mazo, serving as the container, had strict sequential restrictions for sealing Tailed Beasts.
Acting hastily now would be no different from sounding the alarm for the entire shinobi world, making the Five Great Nations wary of the name "Akatsuki" and adding infinite resistance.
The true strategy should be to lie low.
Let the Akatsuki continue playing the role of mercenaries, moving between the major nations and taking on those unsavory commissions.
While earning abundant funds, they would quietly and accurately master the intelligence of all Tailed Beasts.
Accumulate strength, perfect the deployment, and when the timing was mature, capture all Tailed Beasts in one fell swoop with thunderous momentum while the major hidden villages were caught off guard.
This was the blueprint meticulously planned by Obito and the current stage of the Akatsuki.
According to this plan, he should not be present in Konoha at this moment.
He knew Minato's character well.
That Fourth Hokage was upright and followed the righteous path; it was impossible for him to have any mercenary involvement with a secretive organization like Akatsuki.
However, Obito's cold gaze pierced through the night, slowly turning toward the brightly lit central area of Konoha in the distance.
Because Konoha was too strong—strong enough to make one lose sleep.
Sunagakure and Kirigakure had long since ceased to be threats; Kumogakure, which claimed to be martial, was now just a blustering empty shell;
As for Iwagakure, they lost a large number of elites in that tragic encirclement of the Third Raikage, and Obito's continuous secret infiltration over the years had caused their talent to wither, leaving only a senile Ohnoki to hold the fort alone.
Only Konoha was the sole exception.
Having an exceptionally powerful Hokage like Minato in power was already a unique advantage, yet its interior actually showed a surge of emerging talent!
Within the Uchiha clan, not only was there a Body Flicker Shisui who had long been famous in the shinobi world, but now an Itachi had emerged with brilliance no less than his...
If Konoha were allowed to continue developing like this, it would surely become an insurmountable brass wall and the biggest, most dangerous stumbling block when executing the Tailed Beast plan in the future!
For this reason, he came.
The cracks and restlessness quietly spreading within the clan were the very seeds he had planted with his own hands.
How simple it was; just let those who craved power "accidentally" glimpse the supreme might of the Mangekyō Sharingan, and then use his identity as an Uchiha clansman to make tempting promises of aid.
Greed and ambition would then ignite like wildfire in the hearts of those already arrogant clansmen, making them scramble to step into the net he wove.
He only needed to wait and see.
Minato? That Hokage might have already sensed the undercurrents of the Uchiha and even taken action.
But in Obito's eyes, that was merely drinking poison to quench thirst!
With Minato's so-called methods of "appeasement" or "suppression," the harder he tried to plug the volcanic crater of the Uchiha radicals, the more devastating the destructive force would be when it eventually erupted—this was a destiny dictated by the pride and paranoia etched into the Uchiha bloodline.
How laughable; he didn't even need to act personally, he only needed to gently flap his wings at the appropriate time toward those arrogant fools who were already unable to restrain themselves.
The scarlet lone eye looked down coldly at everything stirring in the darkness below.
If this conflict he personally directed, which would eventually explode, could incidentally bury all those dazzling geniuses of the Uchiha clan—the likes of Shisui and Itachi.
Or perhaps, in the chaos, luckily cause Minato to fall...
Regardless of which outcome was achieved, the threat of the giant beast known as Konoha would be significantly weakened, becoming no longer so suffocating.
Then, let this good show continue to play out.
Obito's figure merged into the night.