"Damn, this is tough."
Just as Itachi was ready to start mastering his moves, he hit a roadblock.
As a beginner, he couldn't inscribe the Flying Thunder God mark onto objects—it involved advanced techniques.
Even when he managed to carve it onto a weapon, it didn't last long.
He suddenly remembered Minato's custom kunai, which probably held a lot of secrets.
With no other choice, Itachi decided to seek external help.
A letter was sent back to Konoha.
For something like this, only an old hand like Danzo would do.
...
After some twists and turns, Itachi finally acquired one of Minato's custom kunai and studied it carefully.
He soon realized that the kunai's design didn't suit his aesthetic taste.
Not to mention, the Flying Thunder God mark he managed to carve with the character "Itachi" was way too large.
It felt a bit impractical.
So, Itachi went back into seclusion for a few months...
Meanwhile, Kakashi had successfully transformed into "Uchiha Kakashi." The Mangekyō Sharingan in his eye sockets was now fully under his control.
Orochimaru even installed a cloned Mangekyō Sharingan in him.
Feeling satisfied with his newfound mastery over the Mangekyō, Kakashi took a few days to rest before embarking on the next phase of his modifications.
The process was nerve-wracking but exhilarating.
...
In his room, Itachi opened his eyes. In the next second, his figure dispersed and reappeared beside one of his shadow clones.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk... this feeling..."
Itachi savored the sensation for a moment. Everything felt perfect—except for the high chakra consumption.
Using this technique even for short-range teleportation was already draining. Employing it for travel? That seemed out of reach for now.
After all, his goal in learning the Flying Thunder God technique was to appear anywhere in the ninja world at will.
For now, his ambitions weren't overly grand—he wasn't ready to imagine performing a "Susano'o Flying Thunder God Slash."
That level of mastery still felt way too advanced.
...
Seeing that Orochimaru and Kakashi's experiments were at a critical stage, Itachi decided not to disturb them.
He donned his "Blood Moon" persona and prepared to visit the Akatsuki headquarters.
After all, he had promised Konan that he would return.
It had been almost a year since, which was dangerously close to breaking that promise.
Initially, he hadn't planned to stay away this long. But Kakashi's rapid progress had kept him occupied, as Itachi had intended to bring Kakashi along to the Akatsuki.
Now, it seemed that plan would have to wait.
Since he could finally use the Flying Thunder God technique, Itachi was confident he had reached the beginner stage. What remained was the need for inspiration to elevate his mastery—not just secluded research.
...
Once out of the base, Itachi began his journey.
He tossed a kunai forward with force, sensed its location, and then, with a swish, teleported high into the air.
He was getting used to the energy consumption and rhythm of this teleportation technique.
Though it wasn't flexible yet, he figured he would improve with practice.
Traveling this way felt exhilarating, almost like flashing through space.
The downside was that it quickly drained his chakra.
As a result, for every ten minutes of travel, Itachi had to rest for an hour...
In ten minutes, he could manage about twenty-five teleports before his chakra reserves were significantly depleted.
He left just enough chakra for emergencies.
The hour-long breaks were necessary to recover both his chakra and mental strength.
Maintaining sensory perception consumed a significant amount of mental energy as well.
...
With this intense, inhuman travel method, Itachi's proficiency with the Flying Thunder God technique rapidly improved. Each use drained less chakra, and his sensory skills and stamina grew noticeably stronger.
An unexpected benefit was that his chakra became more responsive and easier to control—a significant advantage.
After a month of practice, Itachi began to grow a little bored.
Fortunately, he finally arrived in the Land of Rain.
It was time to start a new chapter in his journey.
...
Shortly after entering Amegakure, Itachi was intercepted and escorted to a familiar location: Pain's office.
The escort knocked on the door and left after bringing Itachi to the entrance.
When Itachi stepped inside, he saw two familiar figures.
"Blood Moon, you're here. I thought you weren't going to show up," one of them said.
---
A woman's voice rang out—it was Konan.
"Oh, being invited by a beauty so warmly, of course I had to come. It's just that I've been tied up with other matters, so it's been a while," Itachi responded enthusiastically, a stark contrast to his usual demeanor.
...
"Blood Moon, right? Konan has already told me about you. Is there anything you'd like to know? If it's something convenient, I can answer for you," Pain said softly as he noticed how well Blood Moon and Konan were getting along, offering Itachi a bit of special attention.
"Oh, can members of the organization date?" Itachi asked suddenly. His tone was light, but his masked gaze was fixed intently on Konan.
Since Kakashi had exposed his identity during their last encounter, Itachi had taken his disguise techniques to the next level.
His question plunged the office into silence.
Even Pain was momentarily stunned by Itachi's words.
This Blood Moon… his intentions don't seem pure. He's acting quite unpredictable.
As for Konan, her expression shifted. The Blood Moon of the past had been nothing like this flirtatious character. How had his personality changed so drastically in less than a year? She could hardly recognize him anymore.
"Those who join the organization are individuals with dreams, striving for those dreams. Naturally, such pursuits leave no room for romantic entanglements," Pain said calmly, noticing the cold aura emanating from Konan beside him.
Inwardly, Pain felt a tinge of disdain toward Blood Moon.
To him, anyone who could be swayed by beauty was hardly worth taking seriously.
After all, a heart devoid of distractions makes for a sharper sword…
...
"Oh? Then what exactly is the organization's dream?" Itachi asked casually, unfazed by Pain's indifferent tone.
By now, Itachi was no longer the inexperienced fighter he once was. If the opportunity arose, he wouldn't mind stirring up some trouble to elevate his position.
After all, following orders as someone else's subordinate was no fun.
Besides, it was just the Akatsuki, wasn't it? If he felt like it, he could always establish his own "Night Organization" tomorrow...
Though, he did regret one thing slightly—forming a new organization, even with someone like the child-slayer Orochimaru, wasn't something that could be done overnight.
And unfortunately, Itachi wasn't particularly skilled at manipulating people.
...
Pain, observing Itachi's somewhat playful and irreverent demeanor, felt a growing sense of displeasure.
A rebel unwilling to be disciplined wouldn't do.
When the chance arises, he thought, I'll spar with him and show this ignorant Blood Moon what real skill looks like.
"Our organization's mission is to bring peace to the world. Right now, the five great nations and their ninja villages are the ones constantly stirring up wars. That's why we're planning to gather the nine tailed beasts—to inflict pain and awe upon them, making them too afraid to act recklessly," Pain explained calmly, his words filled with grandeur.
Itachi listened to Pain's words and watched his somewhat dazed expression, suddenly feeling bored.
To the uninformed, collecting all nine tailed beasts might seem like an awe-inspiring feat.
But for someone like Itachi, who understood the broader picture, it just felt bland and uninspiring.
There was no depth to the plan at all.
If achieving peace in the ninja world was the goal, wouldn't unifying the entire world be a much more reliable solution?
...
...