The deeply contemplative Itachi Uchiha was snapped back to reality by a gust of cold wind.
Suddenly, he remembered—Sasuke is the protagonist. Why was he worrying so much?
If Sasuke ended up being killed by Danzo or Hiruzen, he'd just come back stronger with a full resurrection and overpowered abilities...
At that thought, the furrowed brows of Itachi began to relax.
A wave of sentiment coursed through him as he made sense of his thoughts. In an instant, his figure vanished from the spot.
He realized that worrying about the "child of destiny's" safety was unnecessary and, frankly, a waste of time.
Of course, part of him rationalized it to convince himself that he was making the right choice.
"Good luck, my foolish little brother…"
Itachi's cold and succinct words echoed through the air.
---
In the blink of an eye, the scene shifted. Based on the memories of his former self, Itachi leaped across rooftops and bounded through trees.
He reveled in the exhilarating power of the spinning, soaring speed.
But the euphoria didn't last long.
A figure suddenly surfaced in his mind—the woman bound by Obito's chains and ultimately slain.
Uchiha Izumi.
A faint sorrow welled up in Itachi's heart.
Scenes of her flashed through his mind like a reel of film.
Then he remembered something else—he still needed to meet Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Partly for Sasuke, but also for himself.
---
The main reason? He feared things might go wrong.
Meeting Hiruzen would allow him to inform the Hokage that he was going undercover as a spy and remained loyal.
With that, the squad Hiruzen sent to pursue him would likely be weaker.
This way, he wouldn't have to face both Danzo's ruthlessness and the Root operatives in a two-pronged attack.
Additionally, although Itachi knew Sasuke had immense plot armor, his own presence in this world could trigger a butterfly effect.
He had to take precautions and do something.
Leaving Sasuke trapped in such a dangerous environment purely out of blind faith wasn't an option.
---
"You're here, Itachi…"
In the Hokage's office, Hiruzen Sarutobi gazed at the twelve-year-old standing before him and spoke softly.
His expression carried traces of complexity and pity before returning to neutrality.
"Yes, Lord Hokage."
Itachi stared at the old man before him, his guard raised to the highest degree.
---
The office fell into a heavy silence.
Moments passed.
Hiruzen picked up his pipe and took a few puffs.
Then, he set the pipe down on the desk.
Looking at the boy who no longer kneeled before him, Hiruzen realized the deep rift that had formed between them.
This child, who once resembled Kagami and carried the purest Will of Fire, would never truly return to the village.
Simultaneously, Hiruzen felt a deep sense of unease.
A clan as powerful as the Uchiha had been wiped out by this twelve-year-old boy and a masked, mysterious figure.
It made him both curious and uneasy about that enigmatic organization—a splinter in his heart that wouldn't go away.
"Lord Hokage, I plan to infiltrate that organization to gather intelligence. Please… take care of Sasuke."
Itachi's gaze was fixed on the floor as he sensed Hiruzen's prolonged silence and unrelenting stare, making him increasingly uneasy.
To break the tension, he chose to speak up, reminding Hiruzen of his mission to spy on the organization.
Although he felt helpless about his current weakness, he didn't want to act recklessly. He wasn't confident enough to test the depths of Hiruzen Sarutobi's combined ninjutsu. Moreover, Konoha wasn't just Hiruzen Sarutobi alone.
Even if he could awaken Susano'o based on his memories, he was well aware of his physical limitations.
At twelve years old, no matter how talented, his body still placed limits on him—chakra would inevitably have an upper threshold.
Additionally, Itachi had always been a nimble and tactical fighter, while Susano'o relied on brute strength and the reckless expenditure of chakra to unleash devastating attacks.
The difference between the two approaches was obvious.
"The Uchiha Clan… always lacking in chakra," Itachi mused inwardly.
"Fine. Take care of yourself," he thought.
---
Finally, Hiruzen Sarutobi spoke.
Unlike his usual tone of warmth and concern, there was now a hint of care in his voice—how much of it was genuine and how much was feigned remained unclear.
"Yes, Lord Hokage," Itachi replied softly, relieved.
With that, his figure flickered and vanished from the Hokage's office.
---
Reappearing atop the Hokage Rock, Itachi stood in the cold wind. He gazed down at the still-bustling village, seemingly untouched by any turmoil. A wave of emotion washed over him.
The cold sweat soaking his back irritated him, making him dissatisfied with his own reactions.
"With this level of mental fortitude, how am I supposed to survive in this world?"
He cast a long, lingering look at the village below before turning and leaving.
Within his heart, he yearned to adapt to this world and shift his mindset.
---
"Come out. There's no need to hide."
After leaving the village, Itachi, who had been traveling, suddenly stopped in his tracks and stood on solid ground. Compared to the precarious footing of tree branches, the feel of firm earth beneath his feet gave him a sense of comfort.
Without turning around, he spoke calmly.
"Former Captain, your sensory skills are as sharp as ever. But since you've defected from the village, as members of the Anbu, it's only symbolic that we chase you down."
Two Anbu wearing animal masks appeared on a tree trunk above.
One of them, looking down at Itachi, spoke with a hint of mockery.
"Be careful. Don't look into his eyes," the other Anbu warned, gripping the hilt of the sword strapped to his back, his tone serious.
Two sharp winds sliced through the air as the pair closed in on Itachi. Their blades pierced through his body.
Blood splattered on the ground like scattered stars.
"Did we get him? The Uchiha Clan isn't so tough after all," one Anbu sneered, feeling the tactile resistance from his sword.
But before he could finish his taunt, his pupils shrank in shock, and he froze.
A sharp pain erupted from his abdomen. The Itachi before him vanished like a mirage, and his sword was now embedded in his partner's body.
"When did this happen?!"
Now, only two figures remained in the clearing—the two Anbu who had come to hunt Itachi.
Both were skewered by each other's blades, locked in a deadly embrace of mutual destruction.
---
Itachi descended from above, landing softly on the ground.
"The moment you became my subordinates, you had already fallen under my genjutsu. The moment you tried to attack me, you were trapped in an illusion."
Seeing that neither man could be saved, Itachi lost the desire to finish them off himself.
His voice, faint and cold, carried a hint of mockery as he explained.
"Such a terrifying individual…" the first Anbu murmured, his voice tinged with awe.
Moments later, the two lifeless bodies collapsed onto the ground. His partner had been killed instantly by a single blow, while he had barely held on, driven by his unwillingness to die without understanding what had happened.
---
Staring at the two corpses on the ground, Itachi's gaze grew unfocused, his thoughts unreadable.
After a brief pause, he leaped onto a tree branch and quickly disappeared into the night.
He had been able to detect their presence earlier because of the genjutsu markings on them. Though not yet activated, the markings shone like stars in the night sky, betraying their locations.
During the brief skirmish, Itachi had been reflecting on the memory of how to use this passive, trigger-based genjutsu ability.
As for taking lives—after repeatedly reliving the memories of his past, Itachi had long since become numb to it.
---