A blood-red moon hung in the sky.
The void-like darkness was suffused with crimson light, casting an eerie, oppressive atmosphere.
Two figures stood in the emptiness, bathed in moonlight. They exchanged the intel in their hands, flipping through it slowly.
Holding a thick stack of dossiers, Aburame Ryoma felt a slight ease in his mind.
Despite a minor hiccup, the Thunder Drum Mountain mission had finally reached its third phase.
Blowing up the mine was the least significant part of Danzo's orders. The real priorities were the trade with Orochimaru and the Akatsuki intel from Uchiha Itachi.
A month ago, Itachi had used his unique chakra signature to leave a mark and message with Root's intelligence operatives.
His identity couldn't be exposed.
He demanded a meeting with Danzo himself in the Land of Lightning, claiming he had Akatsuki's key personnel list but would only hand it over if Sasuke's safety was guaranteed.
Danzo, of course, refused.
He knew how much he was hated. With Itachi's Mangekyo Sharingan abilities unknown, Danzo wasn't about to risk himself.
Plus, Shisui's other Kotoamatsukami was still missing, likely in Itachi's possession.
If Danzo showed up and got hit with a zero-frame Kotoamatsukami, it'd be a disaster!
Coincidentally, Danzo was already sending Ryoma to trade with Orochimaru at Thunder Drum Mountain, near the Land of Lightning's border.
So, he decided to handle both matters at once.
He sent word to Itachi to meet near Thunder Drum Mountain.
With both tasks converging there, Root's operatives scouted the area for a suitable trade location.
That's when they stumbled upon the Cloud Village's secret mine, matching intel from a Cloud Jonin's mind, leading to this complex mission.
The correct mission flow was:
Arrive at Thunder Drum Mountain during Orochimaru's appointed time, eliminate the Cloud ninjas, and complete the trade for the arm and Sharingan.
After the trade, destroy the mine.
Then, wait at a designated spot outside the mountain for Itachi to deliver Akatsuki's intel, securing it and the arm for a safe return to the Leaf.
But everything went haywire.
Itachi came to the Land of Lightning also seeking Orochimaru, causing their missions to clash. Thankfully, they corrected course in time.
They lured Orochimaru and that troublesome blue-skinned ninja to a separate battlefield, while sending the sharp-eyed Hairi away, creating space to exchange intel.
The mine wasn't destroyed, and Orochimaru's trade wasn't completed, but Akatsuki's intel came through first.
Flip!
Opening the black booklet, Ryoma's eyes fell on the first page—his old partner.
Orochimaru.
Codename: Void.
Status: Leaf S-rank rogue ninja, former Sannin.
Condition: Betrayed, kill on sight.
This guy joined Akatsuki too?
And betrayed them, now hunted worldwide—classic Orochimaru!
Ryoma kept reading, growing more shocked.
A mysterious masked man claiming to be Uchiha Madara, the godlike Pain of the Heavenly Path, a blue-haired angel, an immortal cultist, and a legendary ninja who once fought the First Hokage. The details were sparse, but even these scraps were terrifying. If Itachi's intel was accurate, Akatsuki could destroy any of the five great ninja villages.
Such a powerful organization existed in the ninja world!
Suppressing his shock, Ryoma memorized the booklet page by page. For a ninja with twenty years of intelligence work, this was second nature.
While Ryoma mouthed the intel, Itachi quickly skimmed Sasuke's photos.
Three photos, all candid, none showing his face clearly.
The first was at the Uchiha training grounds. Sasuke formed the "Ram" seal, unleashing a Great Fireball, his body hunched with exhaustion.
He was training Fire Release.
Judging the fireball's size and power, Itachi nodded, approving of Sasuke's effort.
The next photo was at the Ninja Academy.
Sasuke's crimson eyes locked onto a silver-haired girl whose face was unclear, his single-tomoe Sharingan brimming with confidence.
He's awakened the Sharingan already?
A faint joy flickered in Itachi's eyes as he moved to the last photo.
In it, Sasuke smirked, taunting a blond boy with a beckoning gesture, as if in a duel.
In the background, a silver-haired girl with her eyes covered sat watching—likely the same girl from the second photo, possibly a close friend of Sasuke's.
Rumor had it Sasuke was popular with girls at school. Seems it was true.
Itachi gently released the photos.
Whoosh!
They fluttered like falling leaves in the void, burning to ash as if consumed by wildfire.
His crimson Sharingan fixed on Ryoma, who was still memorizing. Itachi's eyes gleamed coldly, his three tomoe spinning, interlocking.
"What's your name?"
"Rain Country base, blue-haired angel, flight ability—call me Ryoma."
Ryoma frowned, annoyed.
"How long have you been with Root?"
"Don't know."
Ryoma's cold voice carried irritation. The human brain was unreliable—distractions could ruin intel memorization.
He hated being interrupted during this process.
"You're qualified to know my identity, so you must be a Root higher-up."
Itachi's persistent voice echoed, and Ryoma sighed, looking up.
"You—"
His voice cut off.
Itachi's terrifying Mangekyo spun, dominating his vision. The purple eyes, like the blood moon above, reflected a haunting pattern.
Itachi watched the dazed figure, his Mangekyo's shuriken spinning faster, invading Ryoma's will.
Sensing his weakening resistance, Itachi's gaze deepened.
"What's your role in Root?"
"I manage all Root affairs, relaying Lord Danzo's will."
Ryoma's crimson eyes spoke mechanically, his voice cold but unnaturally flat, clearly hypnotized.
Itachi didn't rush, standing silently, waiting. Seeing no disturbance in the illusion space, a faint, cold smirk curved his lips.
This time, he'd finally bypassed that troublesome Curse of the Tongue Seal!
The blood moon loomed.
Its crimson light pierced Ryoma's figure, who stood dazed, as if surrendering.
Passing Akatsuki's intel was a pretext—it didn't require a meeting. Handing the dossier to Root's operatives would've sufficed. Why go through the hassle?
Using the intel to lure a Root higher-up was Itachi's true goal.
Akatsuki's mission to hunt Orochimaru gave him a chance to slip Kisame's watch.
Offering Sasuke's status as a condition, he turned one-way intel delivery into a two-way trade, a plausible excuse to draw Danzo out.
With Shisui's Kotoamatsukami in his possession, Danzo wouldn't come himself.
He'd send a key figure instead.
Itachi's identity was a Leaf secret, tied to the Uchiha, Akatsuki, and the Leaf. Whoever Danzo sent would likely know his secrets.
This was his chance.
A perfect opportunity to extract Danzo's intel.
It went as planned.
When interrogating Borin down the mountain, Itachi hadn't even asked about Danzo—just mentioned the captain's abilities—and triggered the Curse of the Tongue Seal.
The confidentiality level was as high as Danzo's, confirming the target was a Root higher-up, letting Itachi's plan proceed.
He left Orochimaru to Kisame, pulling Ryoma's mind into the Tsukuyomi illusion space, separating his spirit and body.
Then, in Tsukuyomi, he conducted the hypnotic interrogation, bypassing the Curse of the Tongue Seal.
Now, it was time to reap the rewards.
Itachi relaxed slightly, staring at the dazed Ryoma, pouring Mangekyo chakra to erode his will.
"Where's Shisui's other Mangekyo?"
"Lord Danzo's right eye."
Ryoma blurted the forbidden intel without hesitation.
Even Obito, an illusion novice, could hypnotize the Third Mizukage with Mangekyo. Against Itachi's hypnosis, Ryoma was defenseless.
The expected answer left Itachi's face icy.
Danzo forced the Uchiha rebellion and killed Shisui to steal Sharingan power. Implanting the Mangekyo in his right eye wasn't surprising.
Just as no one would be shocked if Itachi killed Danzo.
"Tell me Danzo's abilities, intel, and—weaknesses." Itachi's intent was clear, his crimson eyes nearly bleeding.
"I… don't know." Ryoma's eyes were blank, clueless.
Nothing?
Itachi frowned. His Mangekyo's Yin chakra probed Ryoma's mind, detecting no resistance.
He wasn't breaking free—he genuinely didn't know!
"How long have you followed Danzo?"
"Long… I don't remember."
Ryoma tried to answer, but couldn't recall anything about Danzo, straining to remember.
His memories were blurry—intel, abilities, all vague!
It felt like the memories were at the tip of his tongue, but veiled by thick gauze.
Pain stabbed his mind, his body trembling.
"Why can't I remember?"
Ryoma pounded his head, eyes frantic and lost.
No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't recall Danzo, only a single, lonely image remained.
A man with a blurry face, smiling at him.
He shouldn't forget.
He mustn't forget that man.
"I… don't know."
Unable to recall, Ryoma shook his head, repeating the phrase like a mantra, trapped in some syndrome.
His emotions and will clashed, loosening even Itachi's tight pupil hold.
"I know."
Itachi's Mangekyo spun, channeling Yin chakra deep into Ryoma's mind, revealing a purple-black memory fragment, like decayed flesh.
This ability only worked under Tsukuyomi's enhancement.
"Can… can you tell me?" Ryoma trembled, eyes pleading.
"Hm."
Itachi's voice grew heavy.
Cracking the dead memory with Sharingan, fragments flooded out, like opening Pandora's box.
Then, he fell silent.
The entire space sank into deathly stillness.
Waiting endlessly for Itachi's response, Ryoma stared blankly at the blood moon, his Mangekyo spinning.
Until—
Boom!
Memory fragments snowed down, his mind clarifying, like a nearsighted patient finally wearing the right glasses—everything became vivid.
Ryoma looked up, dazed.
A boy with a radiant, sunny smile.
Crouching, his handsome brows softened, he gazed at Ryoma, golden sunlight filtering through his hair, casting sharp shadows.
"Why don't you play with the other kids?"
Kids?
Play?
Ryoma looked down, finding himself crouched on the ground, his childish hands black, clutching sticky, damp soil.
Where was this?
Green branches swayed in the breeze above, and far below a cliff stood a single massive Hokage Rock—the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, watching him.
"Hey, what're you looking at? I'm talking to you!"
The spiky-haired man feigned annoyance, but his faint smile betrayed his true mood.
"I…"
Trying to speak, Ryoma realized he couldn't control this childish body. This wasn't reality—he was a phantom traveler.
"They don't notice me. I thought you wouldn't either."
Young Ryoma muttered, digging soil, pulling out a wriggling earthworm.
"My name's Aburame Ryoma."
Holding the slimy earthworm up, the childish Ryoma, wearing tiny sunglasses, looked at the man.
"You?"
"Shimura Danzo."
The boy grinned, his X-shaped chin scar raised proudly, exuding a unique charm, not a hint of ruthlessness.
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