Uchiha Itachi collapsed into a pool of blood.
Even in death, his eyes remained open.
The life within them had already faded, yet the confusion lingering in his gaze had not completely disappeared. Perhaps, in his final moments, he had realized just how foolish his choices had been… or perhaps he never understood at all, still trapped within the illusions of his own beliefs.
But none of that mattered anymore.
Everything… had come to an end.
"For what it's worth, you did well, Sasuke."
Shisui looked down at Itachi's gradually cooling body before placing a hand on Sasuke's shoulder. His tone was calm, but there was undeniable approval within it.
"You've grown a lot this time. Not only did you awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan, but you also avenged the entire clan. You've finally become someone worthy of carrying their will."
Sasuke forced a faint smile, though his expression remained heavy.
"Thank you… but I still feel like I've let everyone down."
He lowered his gaze, staring at Itachi's corpse.
"Killing him… does feel relieving. But his death doesn't bring anyone back." His voice tightened slightly. "And honestly… letting him die like this feels too easy."
Perhaps it was because he now stood among surviving members of the clan, but Sasuke's hatred toward Itachi had reached a depth that could only be described as absolute.
The guilt he carried never once left him.
Now that Itachi was dead—killed by his own hands, witnessed by the clan—he could finally breathe again.
That sense of release was indescribable.
And yet… it wasn't enough.
Too many had died.
Even if justice had been delivered, the dead could never return.
"And this isn't over," Sasuke continued, clenching his fists. His eyes fell upon the black cloak with red clouds. "Itachi is just one of them. The people involved back then… haven't all been dealt with."
His voice grew colder.
"The Akatsuki members… they all have blood on their hands. Especially Uchiha Obito. No matter what, he cannot be spared."
Shisui nodded slowly.
"Obito… deserves death as well."
The Nine-Tails incident had been the spark that set everything in motion. Without it, Danzo would never have gained the opportunity to push the Uchiha clan into a corner. Under Fugaku's leadership, they had slowly been driven toward destruction.
Now Fugaku was gone.
Danzo had fallen into disgrace.
So the final debt remained.
"It's time… to settle things with Uchiha Obito."
The surrounding Uchiha all nodded in agreement, their eyes filled with cold determination.
But Shisui's gaze soon returned to Sasuke.
"If you want to deal with Obito… you'll need to get stronger."
Sasuke frowned slightly. "Stronger?"
"His eyes are different," Shisui said quietly. "They possess space-time abilities. To counter that, you either need someone like Lord Ren, who can use space-time ninjutsu… or someone like Captain Hikari, whose ocular power surpasses his."
He paused.
"But you… also have a chance."
Sasuke froze for a moment.
Then, slowly, his gaze drifted toward Itachi's corpse.
"…You mean his eyes?"
Shisui nodded.
"You already know the story of Uchiha Madara. For our clan, a pair of Mangekyō Sharingan is invaluable… but between brothers, they are something even more special."
He spoke without hesitation.
"Itachi is dead. But his eyes still have value. They can help you complete your transformation."
Sasuke fell silent.
Truthfully, he didn't want them.
The thought of using Itachi's eyes disgusted him.
Those very eyes had slaughtered their clan.
And yet…
If those eyes could grant him the strength to avenge the Uchiha—
Then perhaps…
"…Power itself isn't wrong," Shisui added. "Only the person who wields it can be."
Sasuke closed his eyes briefly, then nodded.
"You're right."
When he opened them again, his resolve had solidified.
"These are Uchiha eyes. They don't belong to him anymore… and they shouldn't go to waste. If they can help me kill Obito… then I'll use them."
Shisui finally smiled.
Without another word, he stepped forward and removed Itachi's eyes with practiced precision.
Moments later, the bloodstained Mangekyō were placed before Sasuke.
"Keep them safe," Shisui said calmly. "We're leaving."
Sasuke carefully stored them in a container, sealing them within a scroll.
Then Shisui turned toward Itachi's body, his expression returning to indifference.
There was one last thing to do.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!"
Flames erupted instantly, engulfing the corpse.
With Edo Tensei in play, leaving behind a powerful ninja's body was far too dangerous.
Better to erase it completely.
The Uchiha watched in silence as the fire consumed everything.
For them… this was closure.
"At last… Itachi is gone."
A quiet voice murmured.
"And next… Obito."
—
Far away, in the Land of Rain.
Dark clouds blanketed the sky, relentless rain pouring down like a curtain that swallowed even the moonlight.
Obito walked alone through the storm.
Yet for some reason… a strange unease crept into his chest.
"…What is this feeling?"
He scanned the surroundings, but saw nothing but endless rain.
"…Am I just tired?"
He shook his head.
No matter what, there was nothing here that could threaten him.
Still, something felt off.
"Doesn't matter."
He exhaled slowly.
"What matters now… is collecting the Tailed Beasts."
His plan remained unchanged.
He would gather all the chakra.
He would revive the Ten-Tails.
He would create his world.
And he would also need to deal with Orochimaru and Black Zetsu…
But just as he was thinking—
He suddenly stopped.
A flicker of danger.
"…!"
Several kunai shot toward him.
His Sharingan spun instantly, clearly seeing the explosive tags attached.
But he didn't move.
The kunai passed straight through him.
Explosion.
Flames lit up the rain-soaked darkness.
And within that light—
"…Kakashi?"
A familiar eye.
A familiar presence.
"So you followed me…"
Before he could think further—
"Fire Style: Ash Pile Burning!"
Thick, scorching smoke surged in from another direction, filling the area with intense heat.
"…Asuma."
Obito clicked his tongue.
But before he could react—
A kunai transformed mid-air.
Naruto appeared.
"Rasengan!"
The spiraling chakra sphere slammed into Obito—
And passed straight through him.
"Got you."
Obito reached out—
But Naruto smirked.
Another kunai.
Familiar.
Too familiar.
"…Impossible—!"
Before Obito could react—
A crushing impact struck his back.
BOOM!
He was slammed into the ground, debris exploding outward.
And then—
A voice.
A voice he knew better than anyone.
"Obito… long time no see."
Obito's eyes widened.
"…Minato?"
"How… is this possible?!"
—
Later, inside the Hokage building.
Jiraiya burst into laughter the moment he saw Minato.
"Minato! Hahaha! Didn't think I'd ever see you again!"
Yet even as he laughed, his eyes reddened.
"Sensei…" Minato smiled gently.
Tsunade crossed her arms. "Save it for later. We've got work."
Jiraiya grumbled but said nothing more.
Then—
The door opened.
Ren finally arrived.
"You're late," Tsunade said flatly.
Ren shrugged. "I disagree."
Jiraiya immediately threw an arm over his shoulder. "Ignore her. Perfect timing."
Ren glanced at him suspiciously.
"…What do you want?"
Jiraiya smirked slightly, then spoke seriously.
"Before the meeting… I've got a request."
His eyes sharpened.
"The investigation in the Land of Rain…"
"I want to handle it personally."
"…Ren, you'll back me up, right?"
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