A foggy morning…
Walking through the quiet streets of Konoha, Itachi felt every shift the village had gone through over the years. The air was familiar, yet distant — stirring emotions he usually buried deep.
"Find a place to rest. We can gather information at the same time," Kisame suggested casually.
As Uchiha Itachi's partner, he understood Itachi's moods better than most. The subtle tremor in Itachi's heart didn't escape him.
"…Alright."
After a brief silence, Itachi agreed.
No one knew what truly swirled in his mind. But if he could… he would have liked to stay here just a few minutes longer.
A village that made him nostalgic… and a village he could never return to.
A place filled with warmth, pain, and memories — all tangled together.
The two found a noodle shop and sat quietly, listening to the chatter of the customers around them.
But someone noticed.
Kakashi Hatake turned his head slightly, his sharp intuition pricking like a warning bell.
Something was off about those two.
Their chakra alone told him — these weren't ordinary travelers. They were elite-level shinobi.
He had to notify others.
Kakashi stepped out of the shop just in time to see Asuma Sarutobi walking behind Kurenai Yuhi with a fawning, overly-helpful expression.
Kurenai, meanwhile, seemed annoyed, giving Asuma absolutely no face.
Ever since experiencing Hidan's illusions, Kurenai had begun distancing herself from Asuma. And with Hidan's subtle body "adjustments" afterward, Asuma's presence had completely faded from her heart.
But the poor man had no idea what was happening.
He thought he had done something wrong — and had been working desperately to please her these past few days.
Kurenai didn't appreciate it at all.
"Yo? Did you guys quarrel?"
Kakashi leaned casually against the doorway, intending to tease them.
But then his eyes flicked toward the inside of the shop, signaling silently to both Asuma and Kurenai.
They understood instantly.
Asuma played along, saying, "Why would you — of all people — be here so early in the morning?"
"I'm waiting for someone," Kakashi answered.
"Waiting? Who's important enough for you to wait for them this early?" Asuma asked curiously.
"Oh, I'm waiting for Sasuke."
Kakashi replied lightly but the instant he said the name, one of the two men inside tightened his grip on his teacup ever so slightly.
Right on cue, Sasuke appeared before them… with another figure beside him.
Hidan.
"Oh? You actually went outside, Hidan?"
Kurenai's face reddened slightly as she spoke in mild surprise.
She knew that ever since the Third Hokage's death, Hidan rarely left the compound except to train Sasuke. But today, he'd come out with the boy.
Following Kakashi's indication, Hidan's eyes shifted toward the small shop.
The two seats were empty now — only two steaming cups of tea remained.
Kakashi exchanged signals with Hidan and Asuma, then stepped aside.
Sasuke stayed silent.
"I'll go. Haven't seen that old friend in a long time. And you guys…" Hidan glanced at Kakashi, "…aren't their opponents."
"Old friend? You know them?" Kakashi asked, suspicious. He had sensed danger from those two, but he hadn't seen their faces clearly.
He only had a vague guess — one he didn't want to believe.
"It's our old friend. Uchiha Itachi."
Hidan smiled faintly, completely unconcerned about saying the name in front of Sasuke.
But Sasuke…
The moment he heard it, his entire body trembled violently.
His pupils trembled, unfocused. A cold sweat slid down his cheek.
"My illusions, my training… none of that fully erased what's buried in his heart," Hidan thought.
"HI–DAN!" Kakashi said in a deep voice, irritated that Hidan would mention that name in front of Sasuke.
He knew Sasuke's hatred.
And his trauma.
But Hidan just shook his head, silently telling Kakashi to calm down.
"Sasuke."
Hidan spoke quietly. He didn't want Sasuke to collapse again like he used to.
"Y–Yes… it's…"
Sasuke's voice shook. His teeth clenched. Hatred burned in his eyes, but beneath it…
Fear.
Hidan's brow furrowed.
This wasn't the fear he created with illusions.
This was something else.
The kind of fear only Itachi could carve into him.
Hidan had made Sasuke face pain, cruelty, despair but illusions were illusions.
They could never fully overwrite a real trauma.
Sasuke had tried to convince himself he had moved past it. That only hatred remained.
But the moment Itachi's presence was real… the buried fear exploded.
"That won't do." Hidan shook his head.
If Sasuke wanted to grow, he needed to erase the fear... not hide it.
Only hatred should remain.
Only then could he grow faster.
"Hidan! What are you planning?" Kakashi asked, completely uncertain at what Hidan wanted to accomplish here.
He truly cared about Sasuke and everything Hidan did looked like a threat to his mental stability.
"Me?" Hidan tilted his head lightly, expression calm.
"I just want him to face his fear. How can he move forward when he's trapped by it? Isn't that right… Sasuke?"
Sasuke's breath trembled.
"If you want to break that terror in your heart…" Hidan said, turning to him, "come with me.
If you don't — pretend I didn't say anything."
Sasuke lifted his head slowly.
Determination flickered through the fear — like a spark igniting through gasoline.
"I… I'll go!" Sasuke shouted, using volume as if it could force the fear out of his chest.
"Sasuke!" Kakashi's expression shifted instantly.
He didn't believe this was good for Sasuke — confronting Itachi would only deepen the hatred consuming him.
And that was exactly what Hidan wanted.
For someone whose fuel was hatred… the deeper the hatred, the faster the growth.
Hidan's smile widened.
"Then let's go."
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