In the howling wind, the clear sound of wind chimes echoed through the mountains. Two figures, both clad in black robes adorned with red clouds, walked silently along the mountain paths, their conical hats concealing their faces.
The rings on their fingers, marked with the kanji "Shu" and "Nan," revealed their identities.
Kisame glanced at his silent companion, Itachi. Ever since their crushing defeat at the hands of Gensou, Itachi had become even more withdrawn than before.
Kisame, who knew Itachi well, could sense that his teammate was burdened by something heavier than usual.
Seeming to notice Kisame's gaze, Itachi calmly asked, "Have we found any trace of the Four-Tails Jinchuriki?"
"Not yet," Kisame replied with a grin, "That old man is good at hiding. Finding him in these mountains won't be quick work."
Itachi looked up at the sky, dark clouds rolling in from the distance. His voice, devoid of emotion, carried a strange weight as he said, "We should hurry. I don't have much time left."
"Not much time?" Kisame was surprised. Then, his expression turned serious as he asked, "Is it your health?"
He knew all too well that Itachi's body had been deteriorating over the years.
But this time, it wasn't about that.
Itachi shook his head slightly and muttered, "The inevitable is coming."
...
Land of Waves, Sky Fortress
Today was a rare occasion. The Uchiha clan members, who usually went about their respective duties, slowly gathered in Gensou's office. Every surviving Uchiha, who had been brought to safety years ago, along with Sasuke, were now present.
"Hey, Sasuke, any idea why Gensou-sama has called us here?" Jin, who had recently become a father-to-be, asked with a hint of anxiety.
He had planned to make fish soup for his pregnant wife, but just as he was about to head home, the summons came. He dreaded the punishment he might face if he delayed for too long.
Sasuke, fresh from his training, shook his head. He had no idea why they had been gathered either.
However, Izumi, who had been quietly observing the scene, suddenly realized something. Her eyes widened in shock, and without warning, her Sharingan activated, glowing crimson.
"What's wrong, Izumi?" Zhen asked, noticing her rare display of emotion.
"I'm fine," Izumi replied, though her heart raced with suspicion. She hesitated to voice her thoughts aloud, worried that she might get everyone's hopes up prematurely. She composed herself, signaling to Jin and Sasuke that she was okay, and settled into a tense wait.
It wasn't just Izumi—some of the more astute Uchiha members were also counting heads and seemed to sense the significance of the gathering.
An air of anticipation and unease filled the room, like the calm before a storm, until the silence was broken by the opening of a door.
Gensou entered the room, his expression unreadable as he walked past the gathered Uchiha and took his seat. His gaze swept over Izumi and the others before he spoke in a calm, measured voice.
"It seems some of you have already guessed why you've been called here."
Izumi and the others, who had anticipated what might come next, felt their hearts race. Their hands clenched reflexively.
"You're right," Gensou continued without delay. "The reason I've gathered you here is for the goal you've pursued all your lives."
"The one responsible for the Uchiha clan massacre, Uchiha Itachi, is about to meet his end."
Boom!
At that moment, the pent-up emotions of the Uchiha members could no longer be contained. Chakra flared wildly, filling the room with a chaotic surge of energy.
As the weight of Gensou's words sank in, the Uchiha present erupted in excitement, elation, and an overwhelming thirst for revenge. One by one, the Sharingan activated, their red eyes burning with intensity.
"Father! Sister! Brother! Finally, I can avenge you!" Jin, who had long since forgotten about his fish soup, clenched his fists, his face contorted with fury.
"Father! Mother! The day has finally come!" Uchiha Kyou, overwhelmed by emotion, wiped away his tears.
Even Uchiha Yokushi, who had always viewed crying as a weakness, was unable to hold back his tears as he thought of the grandparents who had raised him but never lived to see peace. "Grandfather! Grandmother! I swear, I'll kill that monster!"
"Brother, watch over me. Itachi will be punished this time!"
"Misa, I won't back down again!"
The emotions were too intense, too long suppressed. These Uchiha had waited far too long for this moment.
Since the massacre of the Uchiha clan in Konoha's 55th year, the survivors had dreamed of vengeance. But Itachi was far too powerful. Even their most skilled members, those with fully awakened Sharingan, couldn't hope to match him in battle.
So they waited. One year. Two years. They endured, training in silence, hoping that one day, they would be strong enough to take their revenge.
But could they really?
Uchiha Itachi was a prodigy, his strength insurmountable. For so long, the Uchiha had felt nothing but despair.
That is, until Sasuke arrived, accompanied by the legendary Gensou, a man spoken of in the same breath as Uchiha Madara.
From that moment on, the downtrodden Uchiha survivors saw a glimmer of hope. They devoted themselves to Gensou, pouring their blood and sweat into proving their worth, all in anticipation of hearing the words that had just been spoken.
Now, the time had come.
As the room filled with the blood-red glow of their Sharingan, Gensou remained calm, his presence steady and unshaken.
Once the Uchiha managed to rein in their emotions, he issued his orders.
"This mission is open to all Uchiha," Gensou said. "Uchiha Sasuke, you will lead."
From the age of seven, Sasuke had dreamed of this day. As Gensou's words registered, he released the grip on his sword, which had left his palm white, and stepped forward. His eyes burned with a fierce intensity as he bowed his head deeply.
"Yes!" he declared.
Gensou continued, "You have one day to prepare. We leave at 7 AM tomorrow."
"The target is Naka Shrine."
"Yes!" the Uchiha chorused, their voices filled with determination.
(End of Chapter)
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The mission was imminent. After leaving Gensou's office, Jin returned to his home step by step.
The sound of the door opening echoed.
"Why are you coming back so late? Jin! Have you grown bold?" Jin's wife, now visibly pregnant, immediately began to scold him.
Suddenly, she noticed Jin's expression, and her face changed. She seemed to understand something and quickly swallowed the rest of her words.
After pressing her lips together, she stepped forward, took the sea fish Jin was holding, her gaze complicated but eventually turning into determination:
"I'll prepare dinner, you should rest well."
As his wife, she understood Jin the most.
His current state could only be explained by one situation.
Of course, Jin's wife was worried.
But she knew exactly why her husband lived the way he did, so she wouldn't try to dissuade him. All she could do was silently support him from behind.
The sound of stir-frying soon echoed from the kitchen.
Usually, Jin would rush to help with his wife's chores.
But now, he took out a whetstone, drew his short sword, and began sharpening its blade with all his strength.
In the time that followed, the sounds of cooking and sharpening filled the warm house, starting off distinct but gradually intertwining, blending together seamlessly.
At this moment.
Just like Jin, many Uchiha were sharpening their blades and preparing their ninja tools.
There were also those like Izumi, who was holding an old, yellowed photograph, silently speaking to the people in it.
Lastly.
Sasuke stood silently on the rooftop, looking at the bright moon under the pitch-black night.
The same night, the same moon.
"My foolish little brother..."
That man had once stood in front of him, his face cold, saying:
"If you want to kill me, hate me! Detest me! And then survive in an unsightly way! Run, keep on running, just to live. Until the day you have the same eyes as me, then come find me."
Crack!
Lightning erupted from Sasuke's body, tearing through the memories that surfaced before his eyes.
He looked at the moon above him now and said coldly:
"I will not live according to your wishes. I have walked my path my way."
"Itachi! Wait for me!"
...
The next morning.
All the Uchiha gathered at the aerial lift of Jomae Village.
Beside them, those who had gotten along well with the Uchiha over the years also came to see them off.
Kei, who had come with Jin's wife, patted Sasuke, Izumi, and Jin on their shoulders. Knowing the significance of this journey, he didn't say much, simply uttering two words:
"Good luck!"
The three nodded.
Before they could say anything more, Gensou arrived.
The entire area fell silent.
"Move out."
Without any extra words, Gensou waved his hand and took the lead.
He would also be joining them on this mission.
Not only to assist the Uchiha but also to personally see something at Naka Shrine.
Seeing Gensou already taking action decisively, all the Uchiha immediately followed.
From beginning to end, they never questioned whether Itachi was there or if he would head to Naka Shrine.
Since Gensou-sama had given the order, everything was beyond question.
The ghosts of the Uchiha began their journey of vengeance.
As the target of this vengeance, Itachi sat by a cliff, turning his head to glance at the fierce battle between the Jinchuriki of the Four Tails, Rōshi, and Kisame.
"Lava Release: Scorching Stream Rock Technique!"
"Water Release: Great Exploding Water Colliding Wave!"
The outcome was already determined. Itachi withdrew his gaze, no longer watching, and instead continued looking toward the distant horizon.
Recently, it seemed he had foreseen something, his deep gaze silently waiting.
Finally.
Today, at this moment, feeling the disturbance on the other end of his summoning contract, Itachi lowered his eyelids and sighed softly:
"They've come."
Bang!
A puff of white smoke rose beside Itachi.
As the smoke dispersed, a large, orange tabby cat, half the size of a person, with a golden abacus around its neck and two shiny new gold rings on its paws, appeared before him.
"Meow Express sincerely at your service. Here is a letter for Itachi. Please accept it, meow~" The big tabby cat said as it handed a letter to Itachi.
Due to Shisui's influence, Itachi's summoning animal had always been crows.
However, the ninja cat clan, being both weapon suppliers and information brokers for the Uchiha, had maintained a good relationship with the clan for many years.
Having done many missions for the ninja cat clan in the past, Itachi, like other clan members, had signed a summoning contract with them when he was young.
He simply hadn't summoned them much.
But this time, it was the ninja cat clan that had reached out first.
Itachi already had a guess as to who sent the letter.
Opening it, he found a short message.
"Naka Shrine, to settle everything!"
The signature was simply "Uchiha."
"Sasuke... are there others too?"
After burning the letter to ashes, Itachi spoke calmly.
He would be setting out soon.
Not only because behind these Uchiha stood Gensou.
Under his command, "refusal" was not an option.
More so because his own time was indeed running out.
After the battle with Gensou, the hidden problems in his body had grown more severe, and he couldn't hold on much longer.
Even without this letter, Itachi would have found a time to face Sasuke.
Finally, to pass on his Mangekyō Sharingan to Sasuke.
As for Sasuke's hatred toward the Leaf Village...
Without Shisui's Mangekyō, Itachi could do nothing and didn't wish to try anymore.
In the final moments of his life, faced with a choice between Sasuke and the village, Itachi still chose Sasuke.
"Meow~ Thank you for your patronage. The fee for one delivery is 200,000 ryo."
The big tabby cat, still not leaving, extended its fluffy paw, smiling sheepishly as it asked for the commission from Itachi.
Itachi calmly took out 200,000 ryo and handed it over.
"Thank you~ Looking forward to your next visit, meow~~"
The big tabby cat accepted the money, beaming with joy, then waved goodbye with a beckoning-cat pose before disappearing in a puff of smoke.
Five minutes later.
Kisame walked over, throwing the unconscious Jinchuriki of the Four Tails, Rōshi, on the ground with a grin: "This old guy was pretty tough. But in the end, he was caught. Itachi, let's go inform the boss now."
"No." Itachi stood up, "I have somewhere to go. Kisame, I'll leave the Four Tails' Jinchuriki to you."
"Somewhere to go?" Kisame frowned, "Is it important?"
Itachi looked up as raindrops started to pour.
Letting the rain soak his face, he remained calm:
"Yes, very important."
(End of Chapter)
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