Senju Haruto had been about to finally get some rest and wait until tomorrow to look for Jiraiya. But just then, he heard a voice outside the door—Uchiha Itachi's voice.
"Haruto."
Itachi called his name as though something important had happened.
Haruto didn't bother changing out of his sleepwear. He simply walked to the door in his pajamas and opened it.
Looking around, he saw that Itachi was alone. There was no sign of the masked man.
But seeing Haruto's calm reaction seemed to make Itachi's expression turn more serious.
"Come in. We'll talk inside," Haruto said, walking back into the room.
This wasn't actually Haruto's own house—it was Hatake Kakashi's place.
Thanks to the genjutsu still keeping Kakashi unconscious in the hospital, Haruto wasn't worried about anyone overhearing their conversation.
"You don't seem surprised," Itachi said, following him in but unable to keep from voicing his thoughts.
He had expected Haruto to be full of questions—or at least to want to confirm whether he really was who he appeared to be.
Yet Haruto's reaction was almost unnervingly composed.
"Surprised about what?" Haruto countered easily. "The masked man?"
"What's the point of being surprised? If you think you should tell me the truth, you will. If you don't, then there's no reason for me to pry."
"Even if you've betrayed the village, I'm sure you have your reasons."
Haruto didn't even pause before saying it.
He didn't actually believe that—but presenting himself as trusting was a way to make Itachi trust him in return, to commit himself fully to helping Haruto.
Besides, when it came to the masked man, Haruto knew far more than Itachi did.
His real name. His plans. His hidden trump cards. Even the girl he liked.
Haruto had it all figured out.
If he said it out loud, Itachi would probably be shocked speechless.
"You're even calmer than I thought you'd be, Haruto," Itachi admitted, momentarily taken aback.
Moved by Haruto's apparent trust, he also couldn't help but respect Haruto's mindset.
Only by staying calm could one analyze an enemy's weaknesses and find a way to defeat them.
"I've already reported the situation to Lord Third, and from him I learned it was you who stopped the Nine-Tails."
Hearing that Haruto had subdued the Nine-Tails singlehandedly had shocked even Itachi.
"It was also Lord Third who told me you're living in Kakashi's home now."
Haruto nodded—he had guessed that was likely. "So? What did he say to you?"
"His name is…"
Itachi drew in a deep breath, as though steeling himself before speaking. He even paused deliberately to give the moment weight.
"Uchiha Madara."
But to Itachi's surprise, even after hearing that name, Haruto's expression didn't change much.
The truth was, Haruto had already anticipated this.
Although the masked man's true identity was Uchiha Obito, before being unmasked he had gone around brazenly using Madara's name.
Haruto considered faking a stronger reaction, but decided it would look too forced.
"You…"
Now it was Itachi who didn't quite know what expression to make.
"I'm shocked," Haruto said smoothly, changing the subject. "But what does Madara want with you?"
"You believe me?" Itachi frowned. Even he had been shaken when he first learned of it.
Madara wasn't just the first in the clan to awaken the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan—he was the strongest Uchiha in history.
He had built Konoha alongside Senju Hashirama, then chosen to leave, ultimately dying at the Valley of the End.
But not long after, his body had mysteriously vanished.
From any perspective, Madara's life was the stuff of legend.
And now… he had returned in force.
Itachi even suspected that the one behind the Nine-Tails' attack all those years ago had been Madara himself.
It would fit perfectly with his motives—to personally destroy the village he had helped create.
What Itachi hadn't expected was for Haruto to accept his claim without question.
"What else would I do? Itachi, I've never held anything back from you. Remember the first time we met? I showed you my biggest trump card and told you my true identity on the spot."
"We haven't known each other for that long, but I've always considered you my best friend. If there's anyone who would never deceive you, it's me."
"I treat you with complete honesty, so I believe it must have taken you a lot of courage to come here and tell me the truth."
"So—tell me, Itachi—what do you want me to do?"
Haruto looked him straight in the eyes, already guessing the answer.
And indeed, the truth was exactly what Haruto suspected.
Now that the Uchiha coup had been resolved, Itachi was free to leave the village.
And after learning Madara's plans, he intended to seize the opportunity—becoming a missing-nin, joining their organization, and spying on them from within.
"I want to ask you for a favor," Itachi said seriously after making his purpose clear.
"Sasuke, right?" Haruto replied instantly.
The only person Itachi could never bring himself to abandon was his younger brother.
As for his parents, lovers—he could cut ties without hesitation.
Itachi froze, then nodded firmly. "Yes. Sasuke is the only one I can't stop worrying about. I want you to take care of him for me."
"No problem. When are you leaving?" Haruto asked.
"Tonight. The village will also pin the blame for the coup on me—claiming I used my Mangekyō Sharingan to control the clan and tried to seize power."
This wasn't about scapegoating in the usual sense—it was a cover story to help Itachi infiltrate the enemy more effectively.
Though in Haruto's view, it would only fool someone like Nagato.
With Obito's knowledge of the village, there was no way he would believe it.
Of course, Obito wouldn't care about the truth. He simply wanted to use Itachi's abilities to help collect the tailed beasts.
In other words, the arrangement suited them both—they each got what they wanted.
After delivering this crucial piece of information, Itachi's body dissolved into countless black crows, which melted away until nothing remained.
"So… he's left the village after all," Haruto murmured, gazing at the now-empty room.
Even before Haruto's first mission, Itachi had already been in contact with Obito.
And although he hadn't massacred the entire Uchiha clan this time, Haruto knew Itachi's nature—he would still go undercover to gather intelligence on Konoha's future enemies.
Which meant that from this day forward, Sasuke and the rest of the Uchiha were entrusted entirely to Haruto.
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