"Hey, you okay?"
Scorpion of the Red Sand and Uchiha Itachi were currently holed up in a hideout, one that Itachi had used before defecting from Konohagakure.
But at this moment, Itachi's condition looked far from ideal.
In his clash with Uchiha Hikari's Yin Release techniques, he had sustained severe injuries.
"I'm fine. I'll need two or three days to recover."
As he spoke, Itachi reached into his ninja pouch, pulled out a black soldier pill, and popped it into his mouth.
"Heh, if you die, I wouldn't mind turning you into a puppet," Scorpion sneered. "A puppet with the Mangekyo Sharingan, no less."
Itachi paid little heed to Scorpion's words. If he were to die, Scorpion wouldn't stand a chance of escaping Konoha without a guide. The moment Scorpion showed his face, he'd be swarmed by the entire village.
Itachi doubted Scorpion could survive a pursuit by tens of thousands of ninjas, especially with powerhouses like Sarutobi Hiruzen, Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Haruno Sakura guarding the village.
"This place is well-hidden. Even if we stay here for ten days or half a month, no one will find us."
Itachi planned to recover here first, wait for the heat to die down, and then secretly meet with Sarutobi Hiruzen to leverage his influence to leave Konoha.
However, a nagging worry gnawed at him. By throwing Sasuke into the battlefield, would Hiruzen still honor their agreement? After all, Itachi had promised to act as an undercover agent, yet years had passed without a single report, creating a severe trust crisis.
To make matters worse, Akatsuki's Kakuzu had dealt a heavy blow to Konoha in the Land of Rivers' battlefield. Hiruzen might very well take out his frustration on Itachi.
And that wasn't all. Even if he managed to escape Konoha, he'd still face pressure from Pain. This time, Itachi had taken on the task of gathering intel on the Two-Tails. If he accomplished nothing and endangered both himself and Scorpion, Pain's dissatisfaction would only grow—especially after Itachi's unauthorized mission with Kisame.
The thought weighed heavily on Itachi, leaving him mentally exhausted.
Scorpion, observing Itachi's silent rest, said nothing more and quietly settled into a corner.
The situation was clear to Itachi, and Scorpion was no fool either. If their presence was exposed, they'd be in a life-or-death predicament.
This was a far more terrifying scenario than when Scorpion had assassinated the Third Kazekage.
Time ticked by slowly. Suddenly, Itachi's eyes snapped open. Scorpion, instantly on guard, shot a wary glance his way.
What the hell? Didn't this guy say this place was hidden?
"We're leaving," Itachi said, rising to depart. But Scorpion didn't move, his gaze fixed on the cave's entrance.
"Huh?"
"How's there a cave here? Never noticed it before."
A childish voice echoed from the hideout's entrance.
It sounded like just a kid.
"Konohamaru, it's super dark in there, and it's already late. Let's go."
Scorpion's eyes narrowed slightly.
Three brats…
Just as Scorpion prepared to act, Itachi glanced at him and shook his head subtly.
"We can't touch this kid. If we do, we're as good as dead."
"Let's go."
Scorpion didn't know Konohamaru's identity, but how could Itachi not? The only grandson of the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen.
If they killed him, any remaining trust between Itachi and Hiruzen would collapse entirely. A grief-stricken Hiruzen, having lost his grandson in his old age, would hunt Itachi and Scorpion down relentlessly.
He might even take his anger out on Sasuke.
For Sasuke's safety, Konohamaru was untouchable.
"Come on, let's check it out!" Konohamaru urged, tugging his two friends toward the cave, only to bump into someone.
"Huh?"
"Big brother Sasuke?"
Seeing a face strikingly similar to Sasuke's, Konohamaru spoke instinctively.
But before he could sense something was off, a pair of crimson Sharingan filled his vision.
Not just Konohamaru, but Udon and Moegi as well.
Seizing the opportunity, Itachi and Scorpion vanished into the deepening dusk.
…
Hokage's Office, Hokage Tower
"Uchiha Itachi?!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen looked at Sasuke before him, surprise etched on his face.
"Yes, Lord Hokage," Sasuke confirmed. "Uchiha Itachi has infiltrated Konoha again."
"And he's accompanied by an Akatsuki member—a red-haired teenager, about sixteen or seventeen, who uses puppets that control iron sand."
Sasuke nodded, casually relaying Scorpion's details as well.
Hiruzen fell into deep thought.
Itachi had returned to Konoha… Why?
Was this a show of displeasure over Sasuke being sent to the battlefield?
Hiruzen's brows furrowed slightly at the thought.
"How did you force Itachi and his companion to retreat?" he asked.
Hiruzen hadn't connected Sasuke's description of Itachi's ally to Scorpion. The Third Kazekage's disappearance had sparked the Third Great Ninja War, but no one knew Scorpion was behind it. Moreover, Sasuke's mention of a teenage boy didn't match Scorpion, who should be around forty by now—hardly a youth.
Hiruzen assumed the companion was some Sunagakure ninja skilled in puppetry and possessing the Magnet Release kekkei genkai.
Sasuke hesitated at Hiruzen's question. But looking at the white-haired elder, he remembered that this man wasn't just the Third Hokage—he was also Sakura's mentor.
Trusting in Sakura, Sasuke revealed his Mangekyo Sharingan to Hiruzen.
"Earlier, Itachi lost to Hikari in a genjutsu duel. I stepped in and fought him," Sasuke explained. "He likely retreated to avoid drawing too much attention, and I, knowing I couldn't stop him in my current state, let him go."
Sasuke recounted the events calmly.
But Hiruzen's gaze lingered on the boy's eyes, lost in thought.
Another pair…
Another pair…
Another pair of Mangekyo Sharingan.
Wasn't the Mangekyo supposed to be rare? Why did every Uchiha seem to have it these days?
"Sasuke… your eyes…" Hiruzen began, his tone heavy with complexity.
He feared Sasuke had awakened his Mangekyo by killing a comrade. If Sasuke had sacrificed a friend for power, Hiruzen would never allow him to be nurtured in Konoha, even if Sakura vouched for him. He'd lock Sasuke in the dungeon without hesitation.
He wouldn't tolerate someone who killed their comrades walking free in the village.
"These are eyes born to protect…" Sasuke said, unsurprised by Hiruzen's question. As one of the five most powerful ninjas in the world, Hiruzen could easily uncover the process of awakening the Mangekyo.
Sasuke detailed the circumstances of his eyes' awakening, leaving nothing out.
Hiruzen regarded the boy with a complex expression, but his eyes held more relief than anything else.
Sakura hadn't misjudged him.
Hiruzen wasn't worried about Sasuke lying. Uchihas were, frankly, idiots when it came to hiding things. Mangekyo wielders, in particular, were all a bit unhinged—but that very unhinged nature made them terrible at deception.
Looking at Sasuke, Hiruzen sighed softly, recalling Sakura's thoughts on the boy.
Sasuke was a blank slate, easily shaped by those around him.
"Sasuke, Sakura and I have talked about you," Hiruzen said, stepping closer with a warm expression.
"?"
Sasuke was genuinely caught off guard.
Sakura had mentioned him to Hiruzen?
"She said you're a good kid, someone who sees the truth clearly. Even in the face of hatred, you value your comrades."
Hiruzen guided Sasuke to a sofa, sitting beside him.
???
Am I that impressive?
Sakura thinks that highly of me?
As expected of me!
--
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