Ryosuke felt a pang of disappointment at Itachi Uchiha's response.
Even the life of Izumi wasn't enough to make this guy immediately vow to protect his clan?
Seriously? How brainwashed do you have to be to not even hesitate over a childhood friend versus a bunch of distant villagers?
Clearly, Itachi was beyond saving—too far gone, swallowed by the so-called Will of Fire.
To any ordinary person, when it comes to choosing who to fight for—your childhood sweetheart or some random non-blood relatives in the village—isn't the answer obvious?
Itachi was just self-righteous. A wannabe saint.
This conversation had been a letdown.
Ryosuke wasn't Naruto—he didn't have the Talk-no-Jutsu to turn enemies into allies.
Still, he had one last thing to say.
"Uchiha Itachi, let me leave you with one more thought."
"Is Konoha still Konoha... without the Uchiha?"
"Think hard about that."
"I'm leaving."
Ryosuke had already been planning to head home after a long day of cultivation—he was physically and mentally exhausted. He had only stopped to talk because he saw Itachi and figured he'd try to knock some sense into him.
Even if Itachi had been poisoned by the ideology of the Konoha elders, Ryosuke still wanted to try.
But if Itachi proved to be beyond saving...
Then on the night of the Uchiha Massacre, Ryosuke would not hesitate to personally eliminate him.
After all, Ryosuke was also Uchiha.
And if Itachi dared repeat the same betrayal from the original timeline...
Then Itachi Uchiha would absolutely be on his kill list.
As Ryosuke's figure disappeared into the distance, Itachi stood still, his expression gradually turning cold.
Of course Konoha was still Konoha, with or without the Uchiha.
The village didn't belong to any one clan.
Ryosuke's worldview is arrogant. Narrow-minded.
Konoha belongs to all clans.
Where the leaves dance, the fire burns ever brighter.
That fire will continue to illuminate the village, giving birth to new leaves.
These weren't just empty words—they were the ideals of the First Hokage himself, the God of Shinobi, Hashirama Senju. A man who gave his life to protect the village.
Itachi had made up his mind to become someone like that.
A little while later, Izumi returned to the training field, having retrieved her kunai. She looked around and, noticing only Itachi, tilted her head in confusion.
"Ryosuke-nii already went home?"
Itachi nodded slightly.
"He left."
Then he added, with a more serious tone,
"Izumi, it's best if you keep your distance from Uchiha Ryosuke. He's dangerous. I don't want him corrupting you."
To Itachi, Ryosuke was even more extreme than the clan's hardliners.
He wasn't just dissatisfied with the village leadership—he openly fantasized about going to war with them.
Izumi blinked, her expression full of confusion.
"But... I think Ryosuke-nii is a good person."
Back then, he had always seemed cold and distant. At most, he treated her with a kind of indifferent politeness.
But lately, he had become gentler. His smiles felt genuine.
Sure, his views were a little... intense, but she didn't dislike this new version of Ryosuke.
In fact, if Itachi weren't around, she might have even developed feelings for him.
Of course, someone like Ryosuke—so good-looking and powerful—would never be short on admirers, so she didn't think too deeply about it.
Still, she couldn't bring herself to believe he was some kind of villain.
Itachi looked at Izumi for a long moment before speaking again.
"Ryosuke is too arrogant. He puts the clan above everything else."
That question he had asked: Is Konoha still Konoha without the Uchiha?
It revealed everything.
It meant Ryosuke believed the Uchiha stood above the village itself.
Itachi couldn't let Izumi be led down that path.
But Izumi only frowned.
Why is that wrong?
If Ryosuke cared so much about the clan, didn't that mean he would also care about clan members like her?
If he didn't care about the Uchiha, he probably wouldn't care whether she or her mother lived or died.
That thought alone made it impossible for her to criticize him.
Itachi's heart sank.
Has she already been influenced by Ryosuke...?
He lowered his voice.
"As shinobi, we shouldn't prioritize the clan. The village must come first. Do you understand?"
Izumi nodded, but inwardly she didn't understand at all.
Put the village first? Is he serious?
She wasn't blind—she had seen the way the villagers looked at them. Whether ninja or civilian, the people of Konoha had no love for the Uchiha.
Sometimes, she could even feel their outright hostility.
How could she possibly put the village above the clan?
But since Itachi had said it with such conviction, she didn't want to argue.
Itachi saw the puzzled look on her face even as she nodded.
He sighed inwardly.
No one understands me.
Everyone was too shallow—too obsessed with loyalty to the clan.
Only Shisui ever truly understood what he was trying to do.
He didn't press the matter further.
The two resumed training, but the energy between them had changed.
Izumi could sense the shift—something subtle, yet undeniable.
Itachi wasn't fully present anymore.
His mind kept drifting back to Ryosuke's parting words.
If the clan continues down this path—if they keep provoking the village leadership—then war might really break out.
And when that time came... Itachi might have to stand on the side of the village, to put down the rebellion.
Because the Uchiha were becoming too extreme—too self-centered. They cared only for their own power and status.
He was already a member of the ANBU Black Ops now. His duty was to protect Konoha.
He had no intention of being some clan puppet.
Still, he pushed the thought away. It was just speculation.
Surely it would never come to that.
After all, the Third Hokage was a kind and benevolent leader.
Surely... he would find a way to resolve the tension between the Uchiha and the village.
Right?