Sasuke's pupils constricted, his voice trembling as he asked,
"You mean… who's back? Itachi?"
Kaito didn't reply. The next moment, his figure abruptly vanished from everyone's sight.
...
Inside the Uchiha Clan cemetery,
Itachi stood quietly before two gravestones. A chilling wind blew through, and he tightened his long robe around himself before turning to leave.
But when he turned, he froze. Not far away, a figure with long, snow-white hair stood before him.
Honestly, seeing something like this in a cemetery was eerie, but Itachi didn't panic. He immediately activated his Sharingan, staring intently at the strange figure and asked in a low voice,
"Who's there?"
The figure slowly lifted its head. Two eyes gleamed crimson in the night, and Itachi's expression stiffened as he exclaimed,
"Mangekyō Sharingan!?"
"Hehe, Itachi, why so surprised?"
Whoosh!
The figure appeared right in front of Itachi—it was Kaito.
Itachi finally got a clear look at Kaito's face. He had been using the Mangekyō for quite some time, and his vision had deteriorated significantly. Combined with the darkness of the night, he hadn't seen Kaito's face clearly before.
Seeing Kaito again filled Itachi with genuine happiness, but his body instinctively took a step back, putting some distance between them.
Itachi was a true rogue ninja. Though he had been secretly working as a spy within the Akatsuki, only the Third Hokage and Danzo knew the truth.
Now that both were dead, no one remained to vouch for Itachi's identity. He had no expectation that either of them would have revealed it before their deaths.
Itachi gazed at Kaito's Mangekyō Sharingan and murmured,
"As expected."
He then activated his own Mangekyō, locking eyes with Kaito.
Yet even with his Mangekyō active, Itachi felt a sense of suppression emanating from Kaito's eyes.
Frowning, he thought,
"Kaito's eyes are definitely not ordinary Mangekyō Sharingan! Could it really be… as rumored… Eternal Mangekyō?"
Itachi knew about the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan. He had hoped to leave his eyes to Sasuke after his death, so that his brother would no longer risk losing his sight.
But Kaito had no siblings. How had he awakened the Eternal Mangekyō?
Kaito, of course, wouldn't reveal the Uchiha's secrets. His gaze lingered briefly on Itachi's Mangekyō before saying,
"Your eyes probably won't last much longer, right?"
Itachi didn't hide anything. He nodded and replied,
"Yes. I've been using the Mangekyō for a long time. But Kaito-sama must have awakened yours even earlier than I did, right?"
Kaito smiled,
"You're really asking if my eyes are Eternal Mangekyō, aren't you?"
Itachi nodded. Though he had guessed, he wanted confirmation.
Kaito calmly admitted it. Itachi's gaze sharpened—just as he thought. He continued,
"So what do you intend to do with these eyes, Kaito-sama? Just become the Hokage of Konoha?"
Itachi knew the terrifying power of the Eternal Mangekyō. In his time, Uchiha Madara had dominated the ninja world with such eyes. Had it not been for the First Hokage, Madara might have conquered the entire ninja world.
Kaito shook his head casually,
"The Hokage of Konoha? I wouldn't stoop to that."
"Then… what is it that you want, Kaito-sama?"
"Don't overthink it. I've come back just to find a few people."
"Find people? Who?"
"You wouldn't understand even if I told you. By the way, the position of Konoha's Anbu Captain is currently vacant. You'll take it."
"!?"
Even the usually composed Itachi was taken aback. His eyes widened, a mix of shock and disbelief as he pointed at himself,
"Me? Kaito-sama wants me to become the Anbu Captain!?"
"Yes. Weren't you in the Anbu before? I think you're a perfect fit."
"No, Kaito-sama! I'm a rogue ninja!"
"Who said you're a rogue? That was merely a mission you were assigned."
"…You knew about that?"
"Danzo mentioned it before he died. Of course, I told him to say it."
A flash of longing appeared in Itachi's eyes, but it quickly faded. His gaze darkened again.
"It's too late, Kaito-sama. My body won't last much longer. And I haven't fully gathered intelligence on the Akatsuki yet. All I know is that their leader possesses the Rinnegan!"
"Rinnegan? That's the legendary eyes of the Sage of Six Paths. So the Akatsuki leader is indeed extremely dangerous."
"Yes. They're capturing tailed beasts—the Nine-Tails of Konoha is part of their plan!"
"I see. Alright. I understand. You'll start work in the Anbu tomorrow. The rest is no longer your concern."
"What? Kaito-sama! That's the Rinnegan! At least let me investigate its abilities so Konoha can prepare for it!"
Kaito didn't respond. Black ripples appeared in his eyes, the color shifting from crimson to deep purple, with six tomoe in each eye.
Itachi froze. Trembling, he pointed at Kaito's eyes and stammered,
"Ri… Rinnegan!?"
"Do you really think I need intelligence on the Rinnegan?"
Itachi swallowed hard and slowly shook his head.
Of course—Kaito was the very one who had awakened the Rinnegan. Who could understand it better than him?
Itachi stepped closer, staring at Kaito's eyes again and again.
He noticed Kaito's Rinnegan was not exactly the same as the Akatsuki leader's—it contained tomoe.
Unable to resist, he asked,
"Kaito-sama, your Rinnegan looks different from the Akatsuki leader's. What are those tomoe?"
A faint smile curved Kaito's lips,
"Oh? You think my Rinnegan is inferior to his?"
"No… I'm just curious…"
"Hehe. You only need to know this: his pair can't even compare to mine."
With that, Kaito's Rinnegan glowed with a purple light, emanating a terrifying pressure. Itachi's face stiffened—this oppression far surpassed that of the Akatsuki leader.
Under the Rinnegan's aura, Itachi's body shook uncontrollably, and he began coughing.
Seeing this, Kaito immediately deactivated his Rinnegan and stepped forward, supporting Itachi gently.
"You've endured much these years. Come back, Itachi."
Hearing this from Kaito struck Itachi to the core. At that moment, he seemed like a child, tears of grievance slipping down his face.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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