The cold wind swept through the air. The smell of earth mixed with the scent of blood.
Uchiha Itachi lowered his eyes slightly, sheathing the blade in his hand, and exhaled slowly.
So far, he had done everything he needed to do.
Itachi raised his head and looked toward the direction of the Uchiha mansion, his eyes filled with complex emotions. He could almost see his younger brother's despair and fear, as well as the anger when Sasuke activated his Sharingan.
"Forgive me, Sasuke. Live well, and become stronger..."
Just as Itachi was lost in thought, a distorted vortex appeared in the air behind him.
Moments later, a masked figure wearing a black robe emerged from the vortex.
"Oh..." the masked man said in a low tone. "Is it over, Itachi?"
The reason the masked man had chosen Nanga Shrine as the meeting place was simple: it was secluded, far from the usual paths. Few people in Konoha, let alone the Uchiha clan, frequented the area. The location was close to the edge of Konoha, making it easy to leave with a simple jump over the courtyard wall.
Hearing the masked man's voice, Itachi quickly shook off his thoughts and turned to face him. However, as he looked at the masked man, he noticed the blood stains on his black robe. It was drenched in a dark red hue, indicating that the masked man had wiped out the entire Uchiha garrison.
"..."
After a brief silence, Itachi spoke indifferently.
"You came slower than I expected. What happened?"
Indeed, given the masked man's strength, wiping out a garrison should not have taken so long.
The masked man chuckled deeply and replied, "Ah... there was no particular issue. I just dealt with a few things. Let's go, one dozen seven. I can now take you to find the organization."
With that, the masked man turned around.
After a brief pause, Itachi also turned, preparing to leave.
But just as they were about to go, a faint voice echoed softly from the darkness behind them. It was like the sound of a knife cutting through the air.
"Tsk tsk... unexpectedly, in such a short period of time, have your actions already ended?" the voice said. "That was fast... Uchiha's two."
"?!"
The moment the voice was heard, both the masked man and Itachi froze. Their pupils contracted as they quickly turned to look behind them.
In an instant, both of them were shocked. With their level of strength, they hadn't sensed anyone approach!
Who was this person? When did they arrive? What was their purpose?
Within half a second of turning around, thousands of thoughts raced through their minds.
When they finally saw the figure behind them, those thoughts were immediately interrupted.
A figure in a moon-white outfit stood on the streetlamp in front of the shrine.
He wore a mysterious fox mask, with a white short sword strapped to his waist.
The breeze stirred his clothes, and his silver hair fluttered in the wind.
Under the pale moonlight, everything about him looked strange and unsettling. The entire scene felt oddly out of place.
This man exuded an aura of extreme danger! It felt like death itself had descended upon them—like a hunting beast lurking in the shadows.
Both the masked man and Itachi exchanged a glance, and they instantly recognized the threat in each other's eyes.
Neither of them knew this person.
Realizing this, both of their expressions grew serious.
Itachi immediately placed his hand on the hilt of his sword, prepared to fight at any moment.
The plan had already reached this point, and he couldn't afford to make any more mistakes.
The masked man narrowed his eyes and sneered.
"Tsk, another fool pretending to be someone else..."
"Who are you?"
As soon as these words left his mouth, the man on the street answered with a smile.
"Pretending to be someone else?"
"Compared to you, I'm still a little behind."
"Lord Uchiha Madara."
"..."
The masked man's eyes flashed. He was taken aback for a moment. Few people knew that he was disguised as Uchiha Madara. Only those in the Akatsuki, such as Pain, Konan, and Zetsu, were aware of his true identity. Among the people of Konoha, only Itachi and Shimura Danzō should have known.
So, how did this man know?
Could he be someone sent by Danzō?
Realizing this, the masked man's expression shifted, and he spoke with a serious tone.
"Whispering sound… you're one of Shimura Danzō's subordinates?"
Upon hearing this, Itachi's eyes shifted slightly, sensing something amiss.
Meanwhile, Kuzo, standing in the road, chuckled. He clapped his hands slowly.
"Flap."
"You guessed it right," Kuzo said, his smile widening. "In that case, there's no reason for me to keep hiding."
He then jumped down from the streetlamp and moved toward the two of them. As he walked, he slowly drew the white blade from his waist.
Smiling softly, he said, "Yes, I was sent by Lord Danzō."
"My task tonight? To obtain all the Sharingan... and... to kill the two of you."
"?!"
Both the masked man and Itachi's expressions froze in shock.
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