While Yami was planning things in the Land of Snow, Uchiha Itachi had recovered from his injuries and arrived in the Land of Rain as agreed with the masked man.
Although he had survived, Itachi was still weighed down by a heavy heart.
He realized that the toll Susanoo took on the Mangekyō was devastating.
Since awakening his Mangekyō Sharingan, he had rarely used its power. Yet just activating Susanoo once was equivalent to using Amaterasu dozens of times.
He was now seeing double when looking at the roadside trees.
Blindness was only one side effect. What was more serious was the damage Mangekyō was doing to his body.
His body couldn't sustain such overwhelming pupil power.
If this continued, he wasn't even sure he could survive until Sasuke grew up and awakened his own Mangekyō.
He felt a growing sense of urgency.
If he died before Sasuke matured, everything would be meaningless.
He decided he needed to rest for a few years and take care of his health.
Itachi arrived at one of Akatsuki's bases in the Land of Rain.
Pain, who possessed the Rinnegan, sensed Itachi's approach and waited with several Akatsuki members.
When Uchiha Itachi stepped into the light wearing his Anbu gear and slowly removed his mask, Orochimaru, who stood not far from Pain, was momentarily stunned. Then, a smile curled at his lips.
"Uchiha Itachi…"
It had been ten days since the night of the massacre—plenty of time for the news to spread.
The entire ninja world knew what Uchiha Itachi had done. He had destroyed the powerful Uchiha clan, which had rivaled even the Senju in its prime. Everyone was stunned.
People feared his ruthlessness and power alike.
Orochimaru had, of course, heard of it. He had once had a deep conversation with Itachi when the boy was just four or five years old. Even back then, the child had left an impression on him.
Now, staring into those scarlet eyes, Orochimaru licked his lips with excitement.
To kill so many of his own clan, those eyes must hold incredible power.
Itachi immediately sensed Orochimaru's hostility. He frowned, but didn't attack. Instead, he nodded at the Rinnegan-wielding leader.
"I am Uchiha Itachi, a missing-nin from Konoha. I heard this organization accepts S-rank missing-nin, so I've come."
Pain had already communicated with 'Madara' and nodded impassively.
"You seem late. It's been a while since the massacre. Can you tell me where you've been?"
Pain had always harbored suspicions about 'Madara's' identity and intentions. The two were in a mutual-use relationship.
And this Uchiha Itachi had been recommended by 'Madara', so he was naturally on guard and probing.
Itachi lowered his eyes. "After I escaped from the village, Shimura Yami caught up to me and we fought. I've been recovering from my injuries these past few days."
"Shimura Yami…"
Pain paused at the name. "The so-called 'Konoha Shinigami'? Did you win?"
"Yes, it was him. No, I didn't win," Itachi admitted calmly. "Shimura Yami has almost no weaknesses. He's a powerful opponent. I barely escaped."
This wasn't flattery, but an explanation of how he had managed to escape.
Itachi believed all ninjutsu had weaknesses, and the same applied to shinobi.
But the existence of Shimura Yami proved that while perfect jutsu may not exist, perfect shinobi could and such shinobi could use their strength to cover their jutsu's flaws.
Carrying his Executioner's Blade, Biwa Jūzō sighed, "Konoha really does produce an endless stream of geniuses."
He recalled the unknown genin who had once reduced the number of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen.
Orochimaru agreed with Jūzō's remark and even sneered, "Indeed… But he should be most grateful for the name 'Shimura'."
Though he had never met Yami, Orochimaru remembered him.
After all, Danzō had pressured him into handing over a Kusanagi sword, which he gifted to Yami as a birthday present.
He hadn't expected that kid to rise so high.
Pain silently took note of the name Shimura Yami. This one was a real threat.
Then he pulled out a ring and handed it to Uchiha Itachi.
"From now on, you're an official member of Akatsuki. In a few days, Konan will bring you your uniform."
"Everyone in Akatsuki works in pairs. Your partner will be Biwa Jūzō. Ask him if you have questions."
With that, Pain turned and disappeared into the shadows.
With the aid of his Sharingan, Itachi saw clearly that Pain didn't walk—he flew.
"Itachi-kun, please take care of me," Orochimaru licked his lips, then followed his partner, Sasori, out of the base.
In the now-empty room, only Biwa Jūzō and Uchiha Itachi remained.
"Hey, rookie."
Jūzō walked over, glanced at the exit, and whispered, "Orochimaru's dangerous. He seems interested in you. Be careful. I don't want to lose another partner so soon."
Itachi nodded silently. "I'll be cautious."
Jūzō's warning surprised him.
In an organization full of dangerous missing-nin, could there still be someone this sincere?
Donning Akatsuki's iconic red cloud cloak, Itachi walked slowly along the long corridor, thinking about what he'd learned.
Orochimaru, Biwa Jūzō, and Orochimaru's partner—likely the Red Sand Scorpion from Sunagakure.
The leader was Pain, and Konan acted as the messenger.
These were all powerful shinobi, many of them Kage-level.
What was their purpose? What missions would the leader assign them? These were things Itachi needed to find out.
As for whether he would report this to Konoha, that would depend on the situation.
He just wanted to stay low for a few years, until Sasuke grew up.
As Itachi was lost in thought, a massive snake as thick as an arm suddenly shot out from behind him and bound him tightly.
"I used to think the Sharingan was just common… After all, the Uchiha clan had at least eighty members who awakened it."
Orochimaru appeared behind Itachi, a sly grin on his face. "But you… you've given me a pleasant surprise. The Sharingan is now rare in the ninja world."
"You must've awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan after killing your entire clan?"
"Orochimaru, what are you trying to say?"
Though bound, Itachi remained calm and composed.
"I need your help," Orochimaru said with a chuckle. "Your perfect body and perfect eyes, what a waste to leave them with you. Give them to me. I'll make sure they're properly used… even improved."
Itachi's scarlet eyes glowed, pupil power surging.
Orochimaru suddenly felt a stabbing pain in his mind. Something was wrong.
The world around him shifted. He saw Itachi towering over him, several thick spikes pinning his body in place.
It had all been an illusion.
Orochimaru wasn't horrified—he was ecstatic.
"Amazing… to trap me in genjutsu so silently. Such powerful eyes…"
Just as Orochimaru tried to form a hand seal, Itachi slashed off one of his arms.
"So fast!"
Orochimaru clutched his bleeding stump, stunned. He hadn't expected genjutsu to affect him so severely.
"Orochimaru, all your jutsu are useless before my eyes."
Effortlessly subduing one of the Sannin, Itachi acted as though he had just taken a walk. His expression was unchanged.
"But… you've helped me in a way."
Itachi's lips curled faintly. "Losing to Yami made me question my strength. But now, I realize the problem isn't me—it's him. You are the norm in this world."
With no intent to kill, Itachi turned and walked back toward the base.
He wanted to report Orochimaru's actions to Pain.
It might seem childish, like tattling—but Itachi wanted to take the opportunity to gauge Pain's reaction. If he got lucky, he might even get to see him in action.
The illusion hadn't worn off yet. Orochimaru stared at Itachi's back, eyes filled with greed, fear, and killing intent.
This defeat revealed his weakness—genjutsu.
It wasn't that his resistance was poor, but that Itachi's illusion was simply overwhelming.
Was this the true power of the Sharingan?
At that moment, Orochimaru's desire for the Sharingan turned into obsession.
As soon as the paralysis ended, he fled the Akatsuki base with his severed arm.
Orochimaru knew Pain wouldn't tolerate an attack on his comrades. Escaping now was the smartest choice.
Ten days passed in the blink of an eye. Yami left the Land of Snow, with Koyuki reluctant to see him go.
This time, he used the Light Weight Rock Technique to fly directly back to the mainland. It only took two days.
By now, the village had mostly settled down.
The world moved on as if nothing had happened. Other than Uchiha Sasuke being discharged from the hospital and returning to the academy, no one was talking about the Uchiha massacre anymore.
No other clan had produced a "genius" like Uchiha Itachi.
Back in Konoha, Yami first strolled through the Anbu offices, signed some urgent documents, and then headed to the Root base.
"Old man, did Hiruzen give you any trouble?"
Yami asked casually.
After their confrontation in the Hokage's office, he had become an uncontrollable factor, just like the Uchiha had been.
But Hiruzen hadn't acted since backing down, which was suspicious.
Danzō, however, didn't seem worried.
"You don't understand Hiruzen. He never does things impulsively."
He took a sip of tea, then slowly set the cup down, his one eye reflecting nostalgia.
"When the Second Hokage died, Hiruzen was selected to succeed him. But do you know when he actually became Hokage?"
"At the time, the village system was still immature. The major clans held more power than the village itself. Orders from elders were more effective than those from Hokage."
"We spent three years. He divided and promoted the younger generation in public, while I secretly assassinated, spied, and gathered evidence. Only then did he officially take the title."
Danzō snorted. "That's how he's always been—upright on the surface, leaving the dirty work to me. It's been decades, and he hasn't changed."
"You don't need to worry. With our current power, he won't dare try anything underhanded."
"Fine, you know him best. I'll take your word for it."
Yami nodded and pulled a large jar of Sharingan from his Scroll of Seals.
"I've been so busy I forgot to give you these."
Danzō's eyes gleamed. He carefully took the jar and did a quick count—more than thirty Sharingan.
"The rest were taken by 'Madara'?"
Danzō was furious at the thought of someone stealing his spoils.
"He took all the ones from the Police Force. Those were better quality."
Yami replied indifferently, "Anyway, you're just using them for emergencies. Don't be so picky."
Danzō didn't argue. He sent the jar to a secret chamber behind him.
Seeing that Yami wasn't leaving, Danzō raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"
Usually, Yami would never linger at Root. He always acted like the air here was toxic. Today, he was sitting around sipping tea—definitely suspicious.
"Nothing. I just wanted to ask where the records from the Warring States period are stored in the village."
Danzō narrowed his eye. "Why?"
Yami answered directly, "I found some leads about that era. I want to verify them. Preferably, I need the genealogies of the Sarutobi and Senju clans. The more detailed, the better."
He didn't say what secrets he was after, and Danzō didn't ask.
"Each clan keeps their own records. But the Senju clan's situation is unique. Their archives are stored in the village's restricted section. Do you want me to fetch them?"
"No. To avoid catching the attention of the old man, I'll get them myself."
Danzō nodded. "Just be careful not to leave any traces."
Yami vanished.
That midnight, he moved through the shadows and entered the restricted archives without alerting a single guard.
Many scrolls here were rigged with seals. Touching them without permission would trigger alarms.
Orochimaru had once been caught here.
But Yami had his own methods. Using Takamagahara, he absorbed the scrolls into his space the moment he touched them. The spatial buffer rendered the traps useless.
After storing all the Senju clan's ledgers, diaries, and biographies, Yami began to search.
He was reading Senju records…
But he was looking for someone tied to the Uchiha.
(To be continued.)
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