Hatake Satoru tilted his head, made a funny face at Shisui, then looked over at Itachi.
"Tch—oh right, isn't there someone from your village in Akatsuki too? Orochimaru, was it?"
"He seems to really like you, doesn't he?"
Itachi paused with the dango in his hand, his expression turning a little odd.
"Like me… not exactly. But yeah, he's always trying to team up with me."
"But Pain never agreed, so it wasn't successful."
Hatake Satoru quickly flashed through some fragments in his mind. It was probably after Biwa Juzo died that Orochimaru made his move on Itachi.
What a creepy guy.
Hatake Satoru picked up his teacup with sugar cubes and raised a finger.
"Well! Just be more careful around him. That guy's no good."
"He probably likes your eyes more than he likes you."
Itachi paused for a moment and raised an eyebrow slightly.
"I know about people liking eyes."
"I can tell how sought-after the Sharingan is, even from looking at Shisui."
This whole thing was really hard to avoid, even when they tried to sidestep the word "like."
"?".
Shisui, who had been quietly drinking tea, suddenly had a question mark pop up above his head.
Stop saying he's naive, it's been almost a year! Why is this still being brought up?
"But what's next? Where are you planning to go?"
Itachi glanced at Kirigakure Village, which was almost finished being rebuilt. Hatake Satoru had appointed that kid as the new Mizukage, which meant he wouldn't be staying here long.
"Once the situation here settles down, I plan to go traveling."
"Changing this place around is just a side job for me~."
Hatake Satoru waved the fork that came with his Daifuku and said thoughtfully.
Of course, things were definitely not that simple.
He had his own plans, and Kirigakure Village was part of his money-making strategy.
Whether it was war or daily life, in any era, the most important thing was money.
Obito controlled the Fourth Mizukage, and after messing around here for a long time, he still couldn't figure anything out.
The economy didn't develop, and many rare Kekkei Genkai were either wiped out or lost.
Even skilled ninjas, like the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, couldn't stand the oppression and were forced to leave.
Since it was useless in his hands, it was better to take control of it himself and get whatever he could.
"But Shisui will probably stay here."
Hatake Satoru winked and looked at Shisui.
"Mm?"
Shisui looked confused, not knowing about this plan.
"Yeah, since the Three-Tails doesn't have a Jinchuriki right now, if there's a problem with the Three-Tails, you'll be able to control it."
"The tailed beasts are basically the balance of power in Kirigakure Village, so you'll need to help Hozuki Mangetsu too."
"This way, Itachi can come visit you often—!"
Hatake Satoru said with a grin.
What does he think of rogue ninjas, that they're just people who come around to hang out?!
Shisui and Itachi both frowned at the same time and silently complained in their hearts.
"If you're going to travel, next you should head toward Kumogakure Village."
"Anyway, these places aren't that big. After traveling around, we'll head back to Konohagakure!"
"And you can take the chance to see your idiot brother too~."
Hatake Satoru stretched out his arms and leaned back in his chair, rocking back and forth.
Even Kaguya, if he could create a new world to overthrow the useless upper class.
Their greatest enemies would still be Zetsu and Kaguya.
While training students, he was also stopping Zetsu and the others from resurrecting Kaguya—he was really spread too thin.
Even if Hatake Satoru learned the Shadow Clone Jutsu, he still wouldn't be able to do something like this.
So for now, he's just going around different villages to get a sense of the current situation.
Of course, it's not just about understanding; some connections are necessary too.
Itachi paused for a moment, then nodded knowingly.
As long as someone is alive, there's always a chance to meet again, no matter where that might be.
"Alright—food's finished!"
"The rogue ninjas should report back too, right?"
Hatake Satoru pushed his empty plate forward and then stood up from his chair.
Itachi adjusted his clothes and put on the conical hat that had been resting nearby, his expression returning to its usual, indifferent look.
"Oh! The rogue ninja's aura is back, huh?"
"Not bad, one against seven, you really have that office worker vibe now!"
Hatake Satoru cheerfully put his arm around Itachi's shoulder and they both headed toward the door.
What's an "office worker" even supposed to mean?
Itachi sighed and lowered his head, letting the white strings of his hat cover his face.
...
After the assassination mission, Biwa Juzo was killed by Kirigakure's new Mizukage, Hozuki Mangetsu, and his chasing ninja squad.
Uchiha Itachi left to return to his group, while the Three-Tails investigation mission failed.
The illusion within the Genjutsu flickered faintly, and Zetsu was standing by to report.
In fact, Zetsu only learned about the situation after Itachi left Kirigakure Village.
"Not the Jinchuriki, but the Mizukage?"
"Given your two strengths, you shouldn't have lost."
White Zetsu's words were unclear, his tone a bit sarcastic, as he hovered around Itachi.
"The new Mizukage has secret techniques and improved Ninjutsu. Biwa Juzo and I didn't have enough information."
Itachi wasn't buying into his taunting and coldly delivered the response he'd already prepared.
Zetsu looked thoughtfully toward Kirigakure Village.
But now, with Kirigakure Village being able to stop him from entering, it showed they had some strength.
Plus, Biwa Juzo was originally from Kirigakure. When you know your own people, losing one of them there wasn't too strange.
"Such a shame though."
Zetsu didn't push further and gave a casual remark before sinking into the ground.
After Zetsu spoke, Orochimaru's hoarse voice was the first to break the silence.
"So, Itachi managed to escape unharmed despite not knowing the Mizukage's strength."
"Impressive as always, Itachi."
Orochimaru's voice was persistent, and Itachi stared silently at the lights ahead, listening without a word as Pain outlined the next plan.
Hatake Satoru had already warned him that Orochimaru was trouble and couldn't be underestimated.
Pain was already used to this situation. Now that Kakuzu and Itachi didn't have teammates, they were naturally grouped together as a temporary unit.
But with this loss, the investigation mission would be delayed for a while.
"The Akatsuki needs new members now."
"Once your people arrive, we'll discuss it further."
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