Five years had passed since the world was thrown into silence by Thanos' snap. In that silence, grief turned to resolve, and pain became purpose. At the ruins of the Avengers facility, those left behind had formed an unlikely family. Tony Stark had moved on—partially. Steve Rogers carried the weight of time. Natasha clung to coordination. But something was still missing. Something... or someone.
Itachi had returned to Earth not long ago. After destroying Ka'rel and ending the Phantom War, he disappeared into obscurity, wandering the earth like a ghost. But now, a call had reached even him—a cosmic ripple from the remnants of Earth's mightiest heroes. When he arrived at the facility, there were no guards, no alarms. They knew he would come. They had been waiting.
Tony met him at the entrance. "Back from the void, huh? You missed quite the apocalypse," he said, folding his arms.
Itachi's eyes, calm and tired, met his. "The world still spins. That means there's work left to do."
Tony smirked. "Well, suit up, shinobi. We're planning a time heist."
Inside, the remaining Avengers discussed a dangerous plan—to retrieve the Infinity Stones from different points in the timeline. Bruce explained the mechanics; Tony perfected the tech. But as the discussion reached the Soul Stone, a silence fell over the room. They all knew what it required: a sacrifice.
Steve looked at Itachi. "You've lost more than most. You know pain... and clarity. That's what we need."
Itachi nodded slowly. "I will go. If there is something left to bring back, I will find it."
Before departing, Natasha pulled him aside. "You sure you want to go through this again? The last time you gave up everything."
Itachi looked to the sky. "If I don't, everything I've done... will mean nothing."
The mission began. Time suits fitted. Coordinates locked. And in an instant, Itachi stood upon a desolate cliff on Vormir, where the stars whispered secrets and the wind carried the scent of sorrow. Red Skull awaited him.
"A soul for a soul," the specter intoned.
Itachi saw memories—not his own, but Lily's. Her laugh. Her fear. Her hand turning to ash in his.
"I offer what I have left," Itachi said, stepping to the edge. "Not my life—but my legacy. My hatred. My sins."
He leapt.
But he did not fall. Instead, the world folded inward. Time buckled, and a brilliant orange light surged through the fabric of space. Itachi awoke in a cave beneath the cliff, holding the Soul Stone in his hand. He had sacrificed something more elusive than life—his final bond to the past.
Back in the present, he reappeared through the Quantum Gateway, kneeling but alive. Tony rushed forward.
"You made it. You actually made it."
Itachi stood, holding the stone. "But something is broken... not in time... in me."
They placed the stone with the others. With Itachi now part of the mission, they had the full set. Time to make a stand.
In the quiet that followed, Steve turned to the group. "Tomorrow, we bring them back. But tonight... we remember why we fight."
As the stars twinkled above the devastated compound, Itachi stood alone, watching a projection of the past—Lily, laughing. Fading.
He whispered, "Even time cannot erase everything. But maybe... it can give us a chance."
Itachi among them, not just as a warrior, but as one who had faced death, grief, and time—and returned stronger.
The final battle was coming.