Deep within the woods of Pale Moon Island, a new house stood—Itachi's house.
He had shed the crimson cloud robe. He was no longer Akatsuki's Vermilion Bird. It meant he was no longer shackled to his promise to Konoha. His horizons and heart, connecting with the future, had ascended once more. Now, he had only one identity: Itachi, older brother to Sasuke Uchiha, and… comrade-in-arms.
The truth was out. Now came the part about learning to coexist.
The shinobi world wasn't just about fighting and killing. There was also the intricate dance of human relationships.
That evening after dinner, the residents of Pale Moon Island gathered in the main hall.
"Lord Orochimaru," Itachi began, seated formally on the tatami. "I must apologize for my previous suspicions toward you. Furthermore, whether in the past or now, the care you have shown Sasuke… for this kindness, please accept my deepest gratitude."
To the astonishment of everyone present, Itachi lowered himself—placed both palms on the tatami—and bowed his head to the floor in a full dogeza.
"No, no, this won't do! Absolutely not!"
Orochimaru hurried forward to lift him, his flustered reaction not born of simple politeness or lingering fear from the past. Just as Orochimaru's obsession with truth had never changed, his genuine respect for Itachi had remained constant.
"Itachi, that you can set aside past grievances and treat me with such respect… I am the one who is truly honored!" Orochimaru's voice held a rare, earnest warmth. "This Orochimaru is lacking, but from now on, I hope we can learn from each other!"
Itachi smiled and nodded. His gaze shifted to Kabuto. "Kabuto, you are a few years my senior. May I address you as 'Brother Kabuto' from now on?"
Kabuto looked utterly horrified. "Absolutely not!! In terms of vision, strength, experience—I fall short of you in every aspect! Moreover, you are someone respected by both Lord Orochimaru and Sasuke-kun! How could I possibly bear the title of 'brother'?! Itachi, you truly overestimate me!!"
Itachi chuckled softly. "In that case, shall we simply continue to call each other by name?"
Kabuto adjusted his glasses, a wave of relief washing over him. "That would be… much better."
Finally, Itachi's eyes settled on Karin.
Karin sat with her head bowed so low her chin nearly touched her chest. She'd even removed her glasses. Under the table, her two thumbs fidgeted anxiously.
"Um… I-I-I… I'm Ka-Karin, a-and Sa-Sa-Sasu-ge-san is, uh…" The usually bold and brash Karin was so nervous she was tripping over her words, accidentally biting her tongue! "Ow!"
"Karin…" Sasuke's calm voice came from beside her as he quietly sipped his tea. "Slow down. There's no need to be nervous."
"Ah…!" Karin slapped her cheeks lightly, replaced her glasses on the bridge of her nose, and forcibly smoothed her flustered, girlish expression into something more composed. She took a steadying breath. "My name is Karin Uzumaki. I consider myself… a friend who has known Sasuke for many years. Itachi… nii-san." She used the honorific cautiously. "I… held many misunderstandings about you. But I know now. You are a good brother who always had Sasuke's best interests at heart. From now on, please take care of me!"
So she knows, Sasuke thought, a quiet understanding passing through him.
Itachi, however, smiled an inscrutable, knowing smile. "Miss Karin. Thank you for your tolerance and care toward my brother. In the future… please continue to get along well with him."
With these formalities, Itachi had taken his first step into the fold of this unusual group. The atmosphere settled, and talk turned to practical matters.
Orochimaru steepled his fingers. "Itachi, you are aware, I assume, of the 'Ten-Battle Project'—Sasuke-kun's regimen to absorb the White Cursed Seal. His previous opponents—Sasori of the Red Sand, Hidan, Kakuzu, Kisame Hoshigaki—were all carefully selected to match his current strength. With you, that makes the fourth battle. Of course, you were not the only candidate for the fourth bout. But the bond between you brothers was ultimately a knot in his heart. Untying it early allows Sasuke-kun to focus entirely on the battles to come. Fortunately… everything proceeded smoothly."
"Mhm." Itachi listened quietly, nodding.
Orochimaru continued. "Now that you are officially… aboard, I will be frank with you regarding my plans. My intention is this: two months from now, after Sasuke-kun's sixth battle, we will journey to Ryūchi Cave. We will seek a sage medicine from the Great White Snake Sage to cure your illness. Then, like Kabuto, you will receive a… measured transplant of First Hokage cells…"
Itachi's brow furrowed slightly. "First Hokage cells… Is that necessary?"
"It is," Orochimaru confirmed. "Because the eyes destined for you will require their support."
"The end of the Mangekyō is blindness. I know the origin of the only pair of 'Mangekyō' with the power to end that blindness, but not their current whereabouts. Finding them would require fate's favor. Therefore, the orthodox path—fusing to create 'Eternal Mangekyō' Sharingan—is the correct course." Orochimaru's golden eyes gleamed. "The eyes I have chosen for you… are those of Uchiha Shisui. The eyes that hold the Kotoamatsukami."
Itachi showed no great surprise. "Shisui and I are not directly related by blood. Since Lord Orochimaru proposes this, you must have conceived a solution?"
Orochimaru gave a slow, approving nod. "Indeed. A future technical achievement of mine—the forbidden technique 'Kin'ten Hyaketsu' (Blood Relative Conversion). It facilitates the conversion to 'blood relative' status between clan members, thereby shattering the barrier that Mangekyō transplantation must occur within three generations of direct lineage."
Itachi pondered for a moment. "Kin'ten Hyaketsu… This technique requires 'blood,' I presume? Or, a 'life substance' similar to the Impure World Reincarnation. Since Shisui is deceased, the subject for the Blood Relative Conversion… can only be me."
"As expected of you, to deduce that far in an instant." Orochimaru smiled with genuine admiration before his expression sobered. "Therefore, completing this ritual requires two conditions. First: locate the missing body of Uchiha Shisui. Second: retrieve Shisui's right eye from the clutches of Shimura Danzō."
Itachi's eyelids lowered. "I see… So that's how it is."
"The second condition is not overly difficult," Orochimaru said. "The first is the true challenge. Thus, I need your opinion, Itachi. Are you… willing to accept my proposal? To choose Shisui's eyes as the pair needed to fuse your Eternal Mangekyō? I will fully respect your choice."
Itachi fell into deep contemplation.
To be honest, deep in his heart, he recoiled from this method of obtaining eternal sight.
But… he knew. For Sasuke, who carried the world's weight on his shoulders, to have one more powerful ally by his side… this power was essential.
This was no longer about shallow things like love, hatred, gratitude, or resentment.
"I accept," Itachi stated, his voice firm.
Kabuto adjusted his glasses. "Then, the next step is locating Shisui's remains. Frankly, that's a major headache. In the future, I scoured everywhere for the remains of notable shinobi to use the Impure World Reincarnation. But… Uchiha Shisui's body… even I could not find it…"
Itachi spoke softly. "Of course you couldn't find it. It's… because I was the one who hid it."
"!!!"
This unexpected bombshell made Kabuto's head snap up in shock. Sasuke's eyes widened in surprise. Only Orochimaru wore a faint, knowing smirk.
Itachi revealed the hidden truth. "Shisui's Kotoamatsukami held the power to rewrite the shinobi world. I could not risk someone like the future Kabuto appearing, attempting to use that power to plunge the world into chaos. So… I found Shisui's body downstream on the Naka River… and KEPT IT HIDDEN."
Just as I suspected.
Orochimaru's smile widened. "Then things just became much simpler. Only one task remains to be solved." His voice turned sharp, focused. "Retrieving Shisui's 'right eye'… from 'DANZŌ.'"
"…" At that moment, Sasuke silently set down his teacup.
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