Uchiha Itachi moved swiftly through the mountains and forests.
Not long ago, he had learned that the Akatsuki organization, together with shinobi from the three major Kage villages—the Hidden Cloud Village, the Hidden Rock Village, and the Hidden Sand Village—were joining forces to launch a massive assault on Konoha.
He immediately sought out the masked man to try and alter this plan.
After all, this was the promise the masked man had once made to him.
But when he found the masked man, the man didn't recognize him at all.
The masked man only acknowledged that if the matter concerned capturing the Tailed Beasts, then the Nine-Tails would be entrusted to Uchiha Itachi, but he gave no guarantee that Konoha would be spared from attack.
The two confronted each other secretly, nearly coming to blows.
But in the end, Uchiha Itachi restrained himself.
He knew, deep down, that in his current condition, he stood no chance against the masked man wielding the Rinnegan.
Fighting the masked man was nothing short of suicide and utterly futile.
So, he withdrew.
He hoped to protect Konoha and maintain peace by other means.
After severing ties with Akatsuki, Itachi's first stop was Konoha.
What he saw broke his heart—the once vibrant Hidden Leaf Village was in ruins. The symbol of the village, the Hokage's office, the Hokage Rock, and the Ninja Academy were almost completely destroyed.
All lay in devastation.
And it was all the doing of the very organization he had once served.
Anger and endless sorrow filled him.
He had joined Akatsuki to protect Konoha, yet in the end, Konoha had become a wasteland, and he was powerless to stop it.
He contemplated revealing himself to aid Konoha against the Ninja Coalition's forces.
But in the end, he held back.
Now, to the ninjas of Konoha, he was a traitor—both to the village and the Uchiha clan.
They would see him as an enemy, refusing to believe anything he said.
Later, he reasoned that perhaps protecting Konoha from the shadows was a better choice.
When the village truly needed him, he could appear suddenly, turning the tide of battle unexpectedly.
He could only safeguard Konoha in the shadows, just as he had for so many years.
He had also been spying quietly on the nearby Ninja Coalition and Akatsuki.
He understood the pact between his neighbors and the Akatsuki organization.
The Ninja Coalition would act first, with Akatsuki stepping in at the critical moment to oppose Uchiha Haru.
So, Itachi decided to remain hidden, ready to strike when Akatsuki made their move, hoping to lend his aid.
But he did not expect Uchiha Haru to appear so soon.
And to witness him effortlessly repel everyone.
Even the Akatsuki who showed up later posed no threat to him.
Uchiha Itachi was stunned and could not help but question the choices he had made over the years.
To protect Konoha, he had slaughtered his own people, taken part in the Uchiha Clan Massacre, and then joined Akatsuki.
How many despicable deeds had he done?
Yet in the end, he had failed to truly protect Konoha.
Meanwhile, Uchiha Haru not only protected Konoha but also safeguarded the Uchiha clan.
By comparison, Itachi's choices felt like a failure.
His heart sank into a deep turmoil of doubt, hesitation, and self-blame.
On the night of the Uchiha Clan Massacre, he had shown his father, Uchiha Fugaku, all he hoped to accomplish.
His father understood his true desires.
He chose to take his own life rather than resist the extermination plan with the Uchiha clan.
But what had been the final result?
Nothing he had shown Fugaku had come true.
He himself had been abandoned by Konoha, the Uchiha, and Akatsuki.
How tragic was that?
He had wanted to protect Konoha, but now Konoha was under the protection of Uchiha Haru, with no need for him anymore.
For a moment, Uchiha Itachi felt an unprecedented emptiness.
He no longer knew where he belonged or where he should go. He was utterly lost.
Eventually, he decided to visit the Hidden Mist Village.
To see the Uchiha clan, to see his beloved mother and younger brother.
And he succeeded.
In the Hidden Mist Village, he found peace, stability, and happiness—much like the Konoha of old.
The Uchiha clan lived harmoniously with the villagers of Kirigakure, yielding and coexisting without conflict.
He even saw his younger brother, Uchiha Sasuke, training ninjutsu alongside the Kirigakure shinobi.
Sasuke's bright smile replaced the cold expression he once wore.
It was clear that Sasuke preferred this place over Konoha.
This sight comforted Itachi's heart.
He had always cared deeply for his younger brother.
Now, seeing Sasuke grow up happily gave him a measure of relief.
Itachi also sought out his mother, Uchiha Mikoto.
But he watched her from a distance.
She was even more beautiful and graceful than before, seeming to have moved beyond the tragedy that befell the Uchiha clan.
Looking at his mother's carefree expression, Uchiha Itachi couldn't help but smile.
His mother was living a good life now—that was the most important thing he wanted to see.
He kept watching quietly, and then suddenly a new thought crossed his mind.
If only he hadn't chosen the path he did at the beginning... How different it would be if Konoha had stood with the Uchiha clan instead.
He might be as happy as his mother and brother now.
He could even be fighting alongside Konoha with Uchiha Haru without the burden of mistrust from others.
Now...
Thinking this, Uchiha Itachi let out a bitter smile.
He had believed he was making the right decision, but in the end, he gained nothing.
At that moment, Uchiha Mikoto suddenly sensed something.
She turned and looked around.
Just a moment ago, she had felt as if someone was watching her from the shadows, but when she turned, there was no one there.
This left her feeling confused.
That sensation shouldn't have been wrong.
Tentatively, she called out, "Itachi? Is that you?"
No reply came.
She stepped forward a few paces, but still found no one.
Had she been mistaken?
Uchiha Mikoto glanced back one last time, then pushed aside her doubts and continued with what she hadn't finished before.
When Uchiha Mikoto finally disappeared completely, Uchiha Itachi appeared.
It wasn't that he didn't want to see his mother now.
It was that he had no face to face her.
He had failed to protect Konoha and the Uchiha clan.
He had made so many mistakes. He truly had no face to show anyone anymore.
As long as he knew his mother and brother were living peacefully, that was enough.
Now, Uchiha Itachi had fulfilled the last wish in his heart.
He wanted to do one final thing.
To atone for the mistakes he had made over the years and for the damage he had caused to Konoha and the Uchiha clan.
So, he left the Hidden Mist Village once again.
The coming days would be an extremely turbulent period in the ninja world.
The ninja coalition formed by the Hidden Cloud Village, the Hidden Rock Village, and the Hidden Sand Village had been decimated by Uchiha Haru alone.
But now, a new threat had arisen: the Akatsuki organization and the army of the Impure World Reincarnation.
Impure World Reincarnation — immortality and unlimited chakra.
Facing such an enemy, sealing them was no longer sufficient.
If this threat was to be eliminated at its root, the caster of the technique would need to remove it themselves.
But it was unlikely that Orochimaru would do that.
Uchiha Itachi had pondered this problem deeply.
He had considered sneaking in, controlling Orochimaru, and forcing him to undo the Impure World Reincarnation technique.
But he soon realized this plan was unfeasible.
He knew Orochimaru was a madman, especially obsessed with scientific ninjutsu.
The Impure World Reincarnation technique was probably the pinnacle of Orochimaru's achievements.
Would Orochimaru willingly destroy his masterpiece?
Itachi thought that hope was slim.
He needed a new plan.
And so, a name came to mind—a person always close to Orochimaru.
Yakushi Kabuto.
According to information from Akatsuki, Kabuto Yakushi had been with Orochimaru since a young age.
Originally, Kabuto Yakushi was an undercover agent of the Scorpion faction within Akatsuki, working alongside Orochimaru.
But Orochimaru had soon discovered him and somehow brought Kabuto fully under his control.
Since then, Kabuto Yakushi had been loyal to Orochimaru, and Orochimaru trusted him deeply.
If anyone besides Orochimaru knew the secrets of the Impure World Reincarnation technique, it had to be Kabuto Yakushi.
Thus, Kabuto Yakushi became Uchiha Itachi's target.
When Itachi had encountered Orochimaru in Akatsuki before, Kabuto Yakushi was nowhere to be found.
Meaning Kabuto might be somewhere else.
Itachi's mission was to find Kabuto Yakushi and force him to reveal the true counter to the Impure World Reincarnation technique.
This was the best way he could think of to atone for his mistakes.
And this time, he was determined to succeed—even if it cost him his life.
So Uchiha Itachi began his search.
He started by investigating Orochimaru's secret bases, including the ones he had discovered previously.
One by one.
But there was no trace of Kabuto Yakushi.
This made Uchiha Itachi increasingly anxious.
Time was running out.
If Orochimaru perfected the Impure World Reincarnation technique, they would launch a full-scale assault on Konoha immediately.
And Konoha could not withstand an army of Impure World Reincarnation ninjas so powerful and relentless.
He had to escalate his efforts.
This time, he would save Konoha — no matter what.
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