"Truly a remarkable resolve, Itachi."
Although he had anticipated Itachi would make such a choice, the masked man still could not help but feel a flicker of surprise when he heard it.
Itachi's expression remained unchanged. Once he made a decision, he would not waver.
"Get ready. It will happen within these next two days."
With that, Itachi's figure vanished from the spot.
He left the Anbu and returned to the lakeside training ground where he, Shisui, and Arima used to train together.
I have made my decision, Shisui, though I still do not know if this choice is right or wrong, Itachi murmured toward the lake in a voice only he could hear.
"Itachi-kun, so you were here."
A gentle and clear female voice rang out, sounding like a spring of fresh water in the heat of summer.
Itachi turned his head and, without surprise, saw a gentle girl with hair reaching down to her waist.
"Izumi?"
The newcomer was Izumi Uchiha. In a sense, the two could be considered childhood friends.
During the Nine-Tails' night years ago, it was Itachi who saved Izumi on the battlefield, and their relationship had remained good ever since.
Izumi Uchiha was one of the few female friends this genius had.
Even though she sensed that Itachi's mood seemed cold, Izumi did not mind.
After all, the situation between the clan and the village was so tense right now. As the young clan head, Itachi-kun must be carrying a massive burden, right? She understood completely.
Izumi stepped forward and held out a box, saying gently, "Itachi, things in the clan have been very busy lately, haven't they? I brought you some Three-Colored Dango. You should take a moment to relax."
Itachi's expression went blank for a split second before returning to its cold mask.
He did not take the Three-Colored Dango he usually loved. Instead, he maintained a chilling posture and said, "I stopped liking childish things like Three-Colored Dango a long time ago. If there's nothing else, go home early."
Without giving Izumi a chance to say anything more, Itachi turned and walked away.
The two stood back-to-back.
Just as Itachi's silhouette was about to vanish into the sunset, Izumi plucked up her courage and called out to him.
"Itachi-kun! I don't know what you're carrying, but I want you to know that I will always stand behind you. Whatever decision you make, I will support you!"
The gentle girl was bathed in the red glow of the setting sun, her smile like a blooming flower.
Even if... it means death?
Itachi did not ask the question. After a slight pause in his step, he quickened his pace to leave.
He was afraid. He was afraid that if he turned around, he would discard the decision he had worked so hard to make and return to that old path of decaying cycles.
As soon as he returned home, Sasuke, back from the Ninja Academy, rushed to him to proudly report today's battle.
"Big brother! I defeated all my classmates today!"
Pride was written all over Sasuke's handsome, porcelain-like face.
Itachi smiled and ruffled his hair. "That's impressive, Sasuke."
"So, did Sasuke make any friends at the academy?"
"Friends..."
Sasuke tilted his head and thought seriously.
For some reason, when friends were mentioned, that annoying brat was the first one to pop into his mind.
Despite having terrible skills, that kid always insisted on challenging a top student like him.
Someone so overconfident could never be his friend!
"I suppose there's one."
Seeing Sasuke's hesitant and shy behavior, a satisfied smile finally appeared on Itachi's face.
"Is it that blond boy?"
At his brother's words, Sasuke's face instantly turned bright red.
"How is that possible?! How could a guy like Naruto become my friend? He's so weak and such a narcissist, always yelling about becoming the Hokage... he's just overestimating himself—"
Sasuke cut himself off when he saw his brother looking at him with a very subtle smile. He couldn't go on.
"Alright, I understand. Sasuke, you must cherish the precious bonds you find."
"Oh."
Sasuke was clearly a bit confused, but since his big brother said it, it had to be right.
However, he still had one very important thing.
"Big brother, can you teach me now—"
Before he could finish, Itachi's two fingers lightly poked his forehead.
"Forgive me, Sasuke. Maybe next time."
Itachi squinted his eyes and turned to go upstairs.
"What?! It's like this every time! I hate you, big brother!" Sasuke said poutily.
In the end, their mother, Mikoto, stepped in to smooth things over. "Sasuke, Itachi has been very busy these past few days. Try to be a little more understanding."
Sasuke could only pout his small lips and say reluctantly, "Fine then."
Itachi went to the study, recalling Sasuke's expression.
It was clear that Sasuke had already established his own bonds within the village.
"Just keep walking forward with those bonds," Itachi said softly.
He formed a hand sign, and a crow flew out of the window, quickly merging into the night and eventually appearing on the other side of the village.
At the Leaf Research Institute, Arima received Itachi's message via the crow.
Because of Itachi's previous instructions, Arima was worried about the Uchiha Clan's current situation, but he was a calm and steady person.
Knowing Itachi as he did, if help were truly needed, Itachi would definitely notify him.
Since there was no such notification, it meant he didn't need to act; interfering might actually be counterproductive.
Thus, Arima had been spending his time developing new forms for his Quinque and constantly improving his strength, waiting for Itachi's word.
Sure enough, Itachi's letter finally arrived.
Arima held out his palm, letting the pitch-black crow land on it. He used his other hand to pull a rolled-up slip of paper from beneath the crow's wing feathers.
He unfurled it to find only one sentence: "Tomorrow night, protect my little brother."
"Protect Sasuke, huh..."
Arima looked out at the silent dark night.
"It seems you've made your choice, Itachi."
After receiving the message, Arima walked toward the inner depths of the laboratory without hesitation.
"Dr. Katasuke! Is my [Myojin] upgraded yet? I need it urgently!"
Since it was a request from his dear friend, Arima would naturally give it his all.
On the other side, after making his decision, Itachi met with the Third Hokage once more.
"Have you made your decision, Itachi?" the Third asked in a heavy tone.
Itachi nodded. "Yes, Lord Hokage. Tomorrow night, I will act personally to annihilate the Uchiha Clan and stop the coup."
"After the clan is gone, I will join the Akatsuki as a Rogue Ninja to provide intelligence for the village."
Itachi looked up, his eyes fixed on the elderly man who looked quite kind despite his aged appearance.
"I leave Sasuke in your hands."
The Third Hokage nodded. "Rest assured, I will protect Sasuke. Even Danzo won't be able to lay a finger on him."
"I see."
Itachi was relatively reassured by the Third's guarantee.
Just as he was about to leave, the Third suddenly said, "Itachi, you are a hero of the Leaf."
Itachi's body paused for a second. He said coldly, "I will not let anyone harm the village, even if they are my own kin."
As the time for action was set, the Anbu forces began to mobilize rapidly.
The monitoring presence near the Uchiha compound grew increasingly intense, like a dark cloud looming over the area, making it almost impossible to breathe.
"The show is about to begin."
As the head of the Spider Lily Chamber of Commerce, Kimura—or rather, Simu—stood on the roof of the commercial building, looking toward the Uchiha compound.
"Even though you've made such a 'great' decision, Itachi-kun, I still can't let you ruin my plans so easily."
In Simu's plan, the Uchiha Clan should have launched a coup together, fueled by the pressure from the village officials, the disappearance of clansmen, and the awakening of Itachi's Mangekyo. They should have clashed with the Leaf until both sides were exhausted.
That would not only weaken the Leaf—the strongest power in the shinobi world—to the maximum extent, but also allow him to fish in troubled waters, stealing many secret techniques and acquiring enough biological material from the Uchiha Clan.
He hadn't expected the Uchiha Clan to produce two idealists in a row.
Both wielders of the Mangekyo, Shisui Uchiha and Itachi Uchiha, had chosen to stand with the village.
The former preferred to sacrifice himself rather than help the clan launch a coup, while the latter was even more extreme, choosing to slaughter his own family to protect the village.
Of course, from Itachi's perspective, regardless of whether the coup succeeded, the Leaf would inevitably fall into the Fourth Shinobi World War.
In the worst-case scenario, the entire village might be destroyed.
Rather than vanishing with the stigma of being traitors, it was better to destroy the Uchiha himself. At least that way, he could preserve Sasuke's life, maintain the so-called glory of the Uchiha, and minimize the village's losses.
Simu didn't understand it, but he was greatly impressed.
He could only say that the impact of the Will of Fire on these two geniuses was simply too deep.
It had even influenced their way of thinking; they considered everything from the broad perspective of the village rather than their own emotions.
That was somewhat terrifying.
Even a non-human like Simu couldn't reach such an idealized state.
Maybe I should come up with a 'Will of Evil' to brainwash those believers sometime?
Regardless, Itachi's decision would greatly reduce his gains.
If Itachi wiped out the Uchiha alone, the Leaf wouldn't fall into chaos. Without chaos, he couldn't seize the opportunity to reap benefits.
Therefore, Simu could not sit idly by.
He looked toward the direction of the Root, pushed up his glasses slightly, and revealed a playful smile. "That fellow Danzo should have gotten what he wanted by now."
Deep underground on the other side of the village was a secret room beneath the Root. Even Hiruzen Sarutobi did not know such a place existed in the Leaf.
In the center of the room was a yellow-green pool.
Within the pool, Yi, a vital weapon of the Root, floated quietly.
Danzo, the leader of the Root, slowly unwrapped his bandages and shed his loose robes, gradually revealing his withered, aging body.
This included his grotesque arm, embedded with ten eyes.
"Yi, are you ready to offer up your body?"
Danzo's raspy voice echoed in the secret room.
Hearing this, Yi, lying in the center of the pool, immediately spread his arms and said with a hint of madness, "Of course! I am willing to give everything to you, Lord Danzo, to become the stepping stone for you to become Hokage!"
"Very good, Yi. I promise you, I will become the Hokage."
Danzo nodded with satisfaction and formed hand signs.
"Forbidden Art: Mutual Devouring Technique!"
As Danzo activated the forbidden jutsu, a tentacle resembling a python suddenly sprouted from his abdomen. The end of the tentacle was a hideous maw, looking quite terrifying.
"Please absorb me, Lord Danzo!"
Accompanied by Yi's nearly delirious murmurs, the tentacle pierced fiercely into his abdomen.
Soon, a gurgling sound echoed. Yi's body began to wither as everything inside him was drained, merging with his loyal Lord Danzo.
Until he became a mummified corpse.
Even so, a mad smile remained on the face of the desiccated Yi.
A massive change was also occurring within Danzo.
His originally withered, frail, and decaying body gradually became full. A brand-new power radiated from within him, rapidly suppressing all the Sharingan on his right arm with an invincible force.
This was the Wood Style power Danzo had dreamed of!
Danzo's expression grew increasingly manic.
Unlike Hashirama's cells, which could go out of control at any time and relied on the Sharingan for suppression, Danzo could clearly feel that this Wood Style power was controllable and immense!
Not only that, but his body began to grow younger. The hidden wounds from years of battle almost entirely vanished.
Drops of green solution slid off his body, revealing terrifying power hidden beneath his fair skin!
Beyond the physical changes, his spiritual world also underwent a transformation.
The scenes he had once seen in illusions began to feel real.
He had personally killed Hiruzen Sarutobi during the First Shinobi World War, mastered the First Hokage's powerful Wood Style, become the Hokage, annihilated the evil Uchiha, obtained the Mangekyo Sharingan, led the Leaf to victory in the Second Shinobi World War, unified the shinobi world, and become the new God of Shinobi!
"Heh... heh..."
"That's right, this is what I should have done!"
The brand-new Danzo erupted with a terrifying aura.
He felt that he had completely returned to his peak state from his youth!
No, even stronger than when he was young!
"Why should that fellow Hiruzen be the Hokage? The position of Hokage should have been mine all along!"
Danzo was full of confidence. With his current strength, he was absolutely not inferior to that old man Hiruzen!
"It seems the body fusion was a success, Danzo."
An equally cold voice came from the shadows, followed by a pair of golden snake eyes that were chilling to the core.
A sharp glint flashed in Danzo's eyes. He looked at Orochimaru as the latter slowly emerged from the shadows and said coldly, "Don't worry. Once I become Hokage, I will fulfill everything I promised you."
"That would be for the best."
Orochimaru licked his lips and continued, "By the way, I'll give you a piece of information for free."
"Oh?"
Danzo narrowed his eyes.
Now that he had obtained a new body and his strength had skyrocketed, he was no longer intimidated by this foul snake, and his tone was much firmer.
"Itachi Uchiha will begin his plan to slaughter the Uchiha tomorrow night."