"I'm not afraid of being seen. It's not like this is the first time."
After hearing Konan's words, Ash Ketchum replied calmly. Konan stood in front of him, while Haku remained to the side, her face slightly flushed.
Konan had already been living with Ash for some time. Although they still slept in separate rooms, they had long crossed nearly every boundary short of the final step. Within the Akatsuki, this was hardly a secret.
Seven Days Later
"Why hasn't Ash arrived yet?"
In a forest not far from Konoha, Sasori frowned impatiently. "I don't like waiting for people."
"Brother Sasori, you still haven't changed at all," Hidan scoffed.
"It's been years, and you're just as impatient as Kakuzu—that money-grubbing guy."
Since being paired with Kakuzu, Hidan's life had turned miserable. Every day was spent hunting down bounty targets, killing them, and then heading to the bounty exchange. For Hidan, it was torture.
"Shut up," Kakuzu snapped coldly.
"How would someone like you understand the pain of not having money?"
To Kakuzu, profit was always the highest priority.
"Heh… sorry to keep you waiting. I didn't expect you to arrive this early."
As the voice echoed, a space–time vortex opened before the group. Ash stepped out calmly.
"He's even faster than Tobi's space–time ninjutsu," Zetsu muttered, his pupils shrinking slightly.
"That technique really is convenient," someone said enviously.
"So you also have a space–time ninjutsu similar to Tobi's? By the way… who exactly is that guy? He seems to possess an ocular technique as well."
Ash's method of movement was something that couldn't be mastered through practice alone—it was simply too abnormal.
"I don't know his true identity," Ash replied flatly.
"Just call him Tobi. It has nothing to do with us."
Among those present, only one truly knew who Tobi was.
Over the years, Tobi had functioned as a reserve member of the Akatsuki, having once hired them to orchestrate the invasion of Konoha. Everyone knew a little about him, but no one lowered their guard. Anyone proficient in space–time ninjutsu was never simple.
"Enough about that," Ash said, changing the subject.
"Zetsu, have you notified him?"
The "him" Ash referred to was naturally the Masked Man. Over the years, Ash had met him only a handful of times—proof of how wary he remained.
"Ah~ Tobi went to bring Uchiha Itachi," Zetsu replied.
"He should arrive soon."
Almost as soon as the words fell, a familiar, foolish-sounding voice rang out.
"Senpai~ I'm here!"
Tobi appeared, and beside him stood a young man—around sixteen or seventeen years old—his expression calm, eyes deep and restrained.
Uchiha Itachi.
Ash was now twenty-one years old, yet his body showed no signs of aging. To his surprise, his physical appearance hadn't changed much at all. Fortunately, he was tall enough—otherwise, certain things with Konan would have been… inconvenient.
Ash had once questioned the system about this.
The answer left him speechless:
His body would only truly age in the main world. In secondary worlds, growth was halted, and aging did not occur.
"So this is the Uchiha clan's genius—Uchiha Itachi."
As the Masked Man (Tobi) appeared with Itachi, Orochimaru's golden snake-like pupils fixed onto the young man.
"I've seen you a few times before. I didn't expect you'd already be qualified to enter the Akatsuki. Are you relying on connections in the shadows?"
Ever since witnessing Ash Ketchum's mastery of ocular power, Orochimaru had become increasingly obsessed with Kekkei Genkai, especially the Sharingan. Ash's eyes, however, were completely beyond his reach. As a result, Orochimaru had begun focusing on promising members of the Uchiha clan—and Itachi was the one with the greatest potential.
"Even if you're one of the Legendary Sannin," Itachi replied calmly,
"you're still just a remnant of the old era. The future belongs to the next generation of shinobi."
The words were spoken without emotion.
Ash, standing nearby, couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
So this is where that expressionless face came from…
"You brat," Orochimaru hissed.
"Don't think that just because you possess the Sharingan, you're invincible. You're still far too immature."
His snake pupils contracted sharply, veins faintly visible in his eyes. What Orochimaru cared about most was age. Time was the greatest enemy of his research, and Itachi's words struck directly at that weakness.
As he spoke, Orochimaru cast a brief glance toward Ash.
In his eyes, Ash's ocular power was the ultimate existence—especially the terrifying dominance he once displayed when controlling the Nine-Tails. That level of pupil power filled Orochimaru with uncontrollable envy.
"At least I'm stronger than you."
Itachi's response was calm and indifferent, as if Orochimaru weren't even worth acknowledging. The lack of emotion only deepened Orochimaru's anger.
"That's enough," Ash finally said.
His voice was steady, but it carried undeniable authority.
"Finish the mission first. If you still want to fight afterward, go back to the organization and do it there."
With Ash's intervention, both Orochimaru and Itachi fell silent.
Within the Akatsuki, aside from Nagato, Ash was the most qualified to speak. This was an unquestionable fact acknowledged by every member.
So strong…
Itachi looked toward Ash, his gaze darkening slightly.
His Sharingan reacted instinctively, producing a faint sense of suppression—something he had never experienced before. Unconsciously, Itachi touched his eyes, where the Mangekyō Sharingan slept, unopened for a long time.
This man… is dangerous.
Uchiha Itachi—a shinobi of Konoha, of the Uchiha clan, elder brother to Uchiha Sasuke.
As a child, he had been close friends with Uchiha Shisui, another once-in-a-generation genius. From the very beginning, Itachi had stood at the peak of his clan.
And now, he stood before the Akatsuki.
...
TN:
⚡ Pa-treon-com/LordMerlin (Support me! 😊)